About the Convention Bureau
The Greater Woodfield Convention and Visitors Bureau was started in 1983 and is currently headquartered at 1375 E. Woodfield Road in Schaumburg, Illinois. In 2007, with the addition of the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, CoCo Key Water Resort, and the Sears Centre, the bureau incorporated Chicago Northwest into its name evolving to the new organizational identity of Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau.
The Convention Bureau is a non-profit (501C6) quasi-governmental destination marketing agency that serves several municipalities in Chicago's northwest suburbs with a population (count taken at the 2000 census) of 520,463. It's one of Illinois' 39 certified bureaus funded by the Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity/Office of Tourism through its Grant Program.
Arlington Heights, Bloomingdale, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Roselle, Schaumburg, Streamwood and Wood Dale.
Convention Bureaus traditionally known as DMOs or Destination Marketing Organizations, concentrate on producing programs to promote the area they serve in order to increase overnight hotel bookings thereby stimulating the local economy through visitor spending. CVBs identify growing market niches including sports, associations, motor coaches, corporate, and SMERF (social-military-educational-religious-fraternal) groups. Leisure Tourism has become a major focus for the convention bureau staff as well.
With the wealth of hotels and attractions, the WCNCB, as a Membership-driven DMO develops programs to highlight individual stakeholders to the visitor market. These affiliations have us partnering with village/city/chambers; hotels; attractions including shopping centers; restaurants/nightclubs; and support services encompassing corporations that choose to support the Bureau's efforts toward greater economic health.
Mission
A regional organization supporting the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Region as a premier destination for tourism, conventions, meetings, and visitors; an economic driver for its membership
Destination Overview
- Non-profit organization 501C6
- Board of Directors with representation within the hospitality industry, municipalities, attractions, educational institutions, and transportation
- Employees: 14 employees
- Functional areas of, Marketing, Sales, Membership and Administration
WCNCB Hotel Features
- 65 Hotels and 9,589 rooms report to Smith Travel Research
- 18 hotels and 4,628 full service
- 47 hotels/4,961 Select or limited service
- Largest space 100,000 square foot exhibit space at the Schaumburg Convention Center
- 16 properties with meeting space (minimum 2,000 square feet)
- CoCo Key Water Resort in the Sheraton Chicago Northwest
Attractions
Arlington Park Racecourse, CoCo Key Water Resort, Sears Centre Arena, Woodfield Mall, Lynfred Winery, Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, Prairie Center for the Arts, Metropolis Performing Arts Theater, Chicago Comedy Improv, and The IMPROV Comedy Showcase and Restaurant, Long Grove Historic District, Alexian Field. Legoland is opening in August of 2008.
How does the bureau actually function?
- Printing hundreds-of-thousands of publications and distributing to appropriate audiences.
- Servicing stakeholders through marketing programs appropriate to their needs.
- Telemarketing via thousands of trace files for sports promoters, tour operators, group leaders, party organizers and meeting planners from every region in the U.S. and Canada
- Meeting with, and becoming industry leaders.
- Creating promotions aimed to lure visitors to our area.
- Holding special events.
- Attending and exhibiting at dozens of tradeshows annually.
- Conducting site inspections and planning sales blitzes
- Hosting familiarization tours for travel writers, meeting planners, group tour operators, etc.
- Participating and involvement in pertinent industry events on an on-going basis.
- Providing collaborative and co-op advertising opportunities.
- Many other endeavors necessary to promote our area and stakeholders
WCNCB's president and staff keep visible within the marketplace by serving in leadership positions on committees and boards both locally and statewide and by working with and for, scores of industry organizations.
The Bureau is funded by the Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity/Tourism Grant Fund Program and matched by local dollars which come from:
- 10% of the municipalities' local hotel tax
- Membership fees
- Fundraisers such as Chefs' Fest