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TACVB
Annual Conference- Odessa Highlights
Presentations
The Odessa CVB staff recently returned from Abilene where they
attended the 34th Annual TACVB Conference. The Abilene
MCM Elegante Hotel hosted approximately 300 attendees
August 8-11, 2006
from CVB’s and other tourism related venues throughout the state.
This conference serves to provide
Professional Training & Problem
Solving for
Convention & Tourism Professionals.
Odessa not only received training during this time, but provided it
as well. Our very own CVB Director, Linda Sweatt and State
Association Sales Specialist,
 Molly Thorn was asked to conduct a
training session for the conference. Their seminar focused on
various ways cities make bid presentations for CVB sales associates
to associations. Darlene Mays, both a local and state association
meeting planner from Odessa was asked to join the presentation.
Darlene was on hand to give attendees an idea of how a bid
presentation is seen through a meeting planner’s eyes. She
shared many enlightening observations with the attendees. The ladies
did an excellent job with the presentation; it was a huge success
and received many great reviews.
Shown Left to Right- Darlene Mays, Molly Thorn & Linda
Sweatt
Awards
Odessa brought home
two awards from the Annual TACVB Conference held in Abilene August
8-11. Odessa provided two entries for the TACVB Idea Fair. The
first entry fell into the Advertising category and represented our
new Spanish brochure and Spanish DVD. The second entry was included
in the Local Awareness category and represented our 2006 National
Tourism Week Celebration, “Our Town”.
Our Local Awareness submission received 2nd place in the
$350,000 -$999,999 budget category which is judged and voted on by
our peers. It also received first place overall which consisted of
outside judges voting on entries from all budget categories, under
$350,000, $350,000-$999,999, and $1 Million plus. It was an honor to
be chosen the overall winner when there were so many wonderful
entries.
Linda Sweatt & Shelia Pippins shown
receiving overall award
Shelia Pippins shown with 2nd Place Award
125th Anniversary of Railroad
ODESSA TO KICK OFF ITS 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF RAILROAD
HISTORY WITH A VISIT BY UNION PACIFIC’S GEORGE H. BUSH AIR FORCE ONE
LOCOMOTIVE
WHO:
The
Odessa Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Heritage of Odessa
Foundation, the Ector County Historical Commission and Main Street
Odessa…
WHAT:
Will kick off the 125th anniversary celebration of the
Texas and Pacific Railroad entry into Odessa by welcoming Union
Pacific’s UP 4141, the acclaimed locomotive that incorporates the
colors and elements of the Air Force One used by George H. W. Bush,
the 41st president and once Odessa resident.
WHERE/ WHEN:
Friday, June 30 at 10:00 a.m.
2900 Highway 80 East in Odessa
WHY:
Since the entry into Odessa by the Texas and Pacific Railway (T&P)
125 years ago, railroads have played an important role in the strong
growth and development of Odessa. For this reason, the Odessa
Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Heritage of Odessa Foundation,
the Ector County Historical Commission, and Main Street Odessa have
invited Union Pacific, the T&P’s successor, to join in the
celebration. Union Pacific will help kick off the celebration with
the arrival of its UP 4141 locomotive, which honors the illustrious
former Odessa resident, President George H. W. Bush. As part of the
visit to Odessa, the UP 4141 hopes to increase awareness about
public safety at railroad crossings and rights-of-way.
The custom-painted locomotive was revealed during a ceremony near
the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the Texas A&M
University campus in College Station last year. The locomotive
celebrated the grand opening of "Trains: Tracks of the Iron Horse"
currently on display at the Bush Library. The exhibit covers the
technological, social and economic history of the railroad industry.
UP 4141 marks
only the sixth time Union Pacific has painted a locomotive in colors
other than the traditional UP "Armour Yellow" paint. The design team
studied photos of Bush’s Air Force One, with the goal of recreating
the scheme for UP 4141.
Over the next
decade, the UP 4141 is expected to operate for at least one million
miles.
Note:
Media outlets
wishing to ride in the locomotive can reserve space by calling Joe
Arbona at 832-257-4363. For safety, those riding must wear shoes
with closed toes and defined heels. Please note that persons
wearing high heels or tennis shoes will not be able to ride on a
locomotive for their own safety.
CONTACT: Joe Arbona, 832-257-4363
For Immediate Release: Contact:
Thursday, June 8,
2006 Shelia Pippins,
Odessa CVB
432-333-7873
New Mexico
Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
Booked
The Odessa Convention
and Visitors Bureau would like to announce the booking of the New
Mexico Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Confirmation was received yesterday that Odessa was chosen as the
host city for the 2009 conference.
The New Mexico
Conference of the United Methodist Church encompasses the state of
New Mexico, a portion of West Texas, and a portion of the Navajo
Nation in Arizona. Conferences are normally held in Glorieta, NM,
but rotate occasionally to meet the needs of members.
Rev. Kevin Bushart,
Pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church was instrumental in
organizing local interest for the conference. He, along with many
other Odessa Methodist Pastors concluded it was time for Odessa to
host the conference once again, since it was last held in our city
10 years ago. Local members attending the annual conference in
Glorieta, NM last week presented the bid from Odessa and
successfully brought it home.
The MCM Grande Hotel
and FunDome will be the host hotel for the conference June 3-7,
2009. An expected 1000 delegates will converge on Odessa to
participate in educational seminars, ordination ceremonies and other
church business at both the hotel and local churches.
We are very excited
about the magnitude of economic impact this conference will bring to
Odessa. It is estimated that each member will spend at least $100 a
day while in our city and those new dollars will turn over 2.5
times. The projected economic impact for the New Mexico Annual
Conference of the United Methodist Church is $625,000.00!!!!
Texas NAHRO Convention
News Release
For Immediate Release
From: Molly Thorn, State Association Sales Specialist
Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau
700 N. Grant, Suite 200
Odessa, TX 79761
Phone: 432-333-7874
Re: Texas National Association of Housing and Redevelopment
Officials
(Texas NAHRO)
Great victory for the Odessa Housing Authority, MCM Grande Hotel
and the Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau for April 2007! Texas
NAHRO will convene in Odessa with 300+ delegates to meet and enjoy
all that Odessa has to offer.
Bernadine Spears, Director of the Odessa Housing Authority
invited Anita Werner with the MCM Grande Hotel and Molly Thorn with
the Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau to travel to Corpus Christi
to make a presentation to the Texas NAHRO site selection committee
for the Annual Convention 2007 or 2008, for which Ms. Spears was
Chairperson. The bids submitted were from Abilene, Wichita Falls
and Marble Falls.
Molly Thorn, State Association Sales Specialist with the Odessa
Convention & Visitors Bureau said, “We hosted Texas NAHRO for their
annual convention in 2003 and it was a huge success. We know April
2007 will be an even larger success due to the group’s growth and
they know that each entity involved in the bid process will make
their stay memorable and enjoyable.”
To secure any convention in Odessa there must be a cooperative
effort between our local support and hotel facility to be able to
bid and succeed. The Odessa CVB would like to thank Bernadine
Spears and the MCM Grande Hotel for their efforts. We are all
excited for the opportunity to be a part of this success.
Texas Phi Theta
Kappa Convention
News Release
For Immediate Release
Subject: Texas Phi Theta Kappa March 2007
Contact: Molly Thorn, Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau
333-7874
Theresa Evans, Odessa College
335-6400
The Texas Phi Theta Kappa 2007 Site Selection committee converged
in Odessa a couple of weeks ago to look at the MCM Grande Hotel and
FunDome and to meet with local member Theresa Evans with Odessa
College and the Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau. They were very
impressed with the entire presentation and the hotel. Once here
they traveled to Lubbock to check out what they had to offer.
After a week of suspense, we got the call that Odessa was the
choice! The Texas Phi Theta Kappa’s March 2007 Annual Convention
will be in Odessa at the MCM Grande Hotel and FunDome. This group
will consist of 300-400 delegates. They spend most of their time in
the hotel in meetings but will have one fun evening activity out and
about.
The success of the Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau weighs
heavily on local support and our hotels…Thanks to Theresa Evans and
the MCM Grande Hotel and FunDome!
Adlerian Psychology Convention
News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Molly Thorn, Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau
(432) 333-7874 , Al Milliren, West Texas Institute (432)
967-1509
Re: North American Society of Adlerian Psychology
2008 Annual Convention
Today’s Date:
April 18, 2006
Dr. Al Milliren, Education Director of the West Texas Institute
for Adlerian Psychology and Vice President of the North American
Society of Adlerian Psychology contacted the MCM Grande Hotel and
FunDome and the Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau to assist in his
efforts to bring the June 2008 Annual Convention for the North
American Society of Adlerian Psychology (NASAP) to Odessa. Of
course our response was swift and matter of fact, “Yes we will
help”!
The hotel and the CVB created a written proposal and e-mailed it
to the President of the organization in Chicago, IL and sent a copy
to the meeting planner in Tucson, AZ. This conference averages
approximately 300-400 delegates and has rotated for the past 12
years from Tucson to Chicago to Vancouver. With the insistence of
Dr. Milliren and the local West Texas Institute support as well as a
super proposal brought forth by the hotel and CVB…we won! Dr. Joyce
McKay, meeting planner for NASAP is very excited about coming out to
see our facilities and is looking forward to meeting up with the
entire planning committee. She feels like our location in the
United States is perfect and having an international airport just 10
minutes from the hotel should insure great attendance.
The economic impact for this convention is estimated at $225,000
of new dollars that will come into our community before turning over
2.5 times and leaving.
Convention
Victory
For Immediate Release
To: All Media
From: Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau
700 N. Grant, Suite 200
Odessa, TX 79761
Phone: 432-333-7871 Fax: 432-333-7858
Re: Announcement of Convention Victory
The Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau staff traveled to Austin
last week to bid on the Texas Association of Convention & Visitors
Bureau’s 2008 Mid-Winter Conference. The TACVB Board of Directors
solicited bids from the “Western” region. Bids submitted to the
board included Midland, El Paso and Odessa.
The announcement that Odessa had secured the conference came
during the Tuesday luncheon in Austin. Linda Sweatt, Odessa CVB
Director said, “We were delighted to hear of the victory and to also
know it was unanimous! I’m so proud of the Odessa CVB sales team
and the MCM Grande’ Staff for their hard work and their professional
presentation.”
TACVB Mid-Winter will converge in Odessa at the MCM Grande’ Hotel
and Fundome in January 2008. “We are expecting 150-200 delegates
and are very pleased that we received this conference of our
peers. The estimated economic impact should be around $110,000.”
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