Benefits To Partners

The CVB's goal is to cause major economic impact for Jackson through programs designed to identify, attract, and service conventions and meetings, trade shows, group tours, and consumer travelers, while positively impacting the quality of life of local citizens.

Two major traits distinguish us from other Convention and Visitors Bureaus.

• We are not a membership-based organization. We represent our Visitor Industry Partners (all local tourism-related businesses and attractions) FREE OF CHARGE.
• We provide FREE services to Jackson's conventions, meetings, and group tours. Most other Convention and Visitors Bureaus charge for these services – services that meeting planners deem essential to successful events.

FREE SERVICES WE PROVIDE TO OUR PARTNERS

• FREE BROCHURE LISTINGS - Listing in appropriate printed materials or promotional brochures including: Visitors Guide, Meeting Planner, Group Tour Planner, and the Sports Facilities Guide. Materials are updated regularly and mailed out of the Bureau's office daily, usually in mass quantities.
• DISTRIBUTION OF LEADS FOR GROUP TOURS - Leads generated during the CVB's attendance at national and regional trade shows; contacts and networking by the CVB with group operators and leaders; inquiries that result from advertising the CVB places in trade publications, television, and radio; inquiries resulting from CVB Familiarization Tours and direct mail.
• DISTRIBUTION OF LEADS FOR CONVENTIONS AND MEETINGS - Leads generated during the CVB's attendance at national and regional trade shows; contacts and networking by the CVB with meeting planners; inquiries that result from advertising the CVB places in trade publications, television and radio; inquiries resulting from CVB Familiarization Tours, Blitzes (canvassing of a particular industry, i.e. medical community, educators); and direct mail.
• SPECIAL EVENT PROMOTION - Inclusion of area events in the CVB's calendar of events or holiday events brochure and Web site. Calendars and brochures are shared extensively with the community and sent to tourism-related businesses and contacts. We distribute event brochures to all welcome centers, area hotels, restaurants, and attractions; and assist with event publicity.
• FREE PARTICIPATION IN BROCHURE MAILING SERVICE - The CVB ships the brochures of local hotel properties and meeting facilities, restaurants, festivals, events, and attractions to Welcome Centers throughout Mississippi free of charge.
• LISTING IN JACKSON CVB CALENDARS - Local special events are listed in the appropriate CVB calendars: Annual Events, Bimonthly Calendar of Events, Annual Holiday Calendar, and the Jackson CVB Web site Calendar (www.visitjackson.com).
• LISTING ON JACKSON CVB WEB SITE - We list local hotel properties and meeting facilities, restaurants, attractions, and events on our Web site, which generates over one million hits per year. (See www.visitjackson.com)
• QUARTERLY VISITOR INDUSTRY PARTNERS (VIP) MEETINGS – Interactive meetings hosted by the CVB to inform local tourism partners and government agencies about CVB activities, special events, marketing efforts, and to provide additional tourism training opportunities. Meetings also present the opportunity to network and get valuable advice from guest speakers. Our goal for the Visitor Industry Partners (VIP) is to increase tourism by working together in specified promotional projects and programs.
• PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF MONTHLY VISITOR INDUSTRY PARTNERS NEWSLETTER - Local tourism entities receive timely information on upcoming events, conventions, and training opportunities, as well as information about CVB resources that can help increase revenue.
• FREE HOSPITALITY WORKSHOPS - An opportunity for city and state tourism industry employees to receive complete information on things to see and do in Jackson.
• GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS - The grant development program is designed to assist local non-profit tourism-related entities located within the city with their marketing programs, and is also available for projects that cause economic impact through visitor-related activities. The grant development program is a strict matching dollar program, with amounts not to exceed 50 percent of qualified expenditures.
• CO-OPERATIVE ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES - The CVB underwrites the cost of advertising in major publications and newspapers and co-ops the ads to industry partners for a very small fee.
• GENERAL PROMOTION OF JACKSON NATIONWIDE - The CVB produces videos, television and radio commercials, and trade show display booths that promote Jackson as a tourist and convention destination.
• TRADE SHOW ATTENDANCE - CVB staff attends trade shows to promote Jackson as a tourist and convention destination. Trade shows include: National Tour Association, American Bus Association, American Society of Travel Agents, African-American Travel Conference, Travel South Showcase, Group Leaders of America Market, National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, Meeting Quest - Atlanta and Dallas, Affordable Meetings, Religious Conference Management, PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference, and the Mississippi Association Executives Trade Show.
• FAMILIARIZATION TOURS - The CVB hosts several Familiarization Tours each year to acquaint meeting planners, tour operators, travel writers, and others with the unique opportunities that Jackson provides for group tours, conventions, meetings, and consumer travel.
• ADVERTISEMENTS ABOUT JACKSON IN REGIONAL AND NATIONAL TRADE PUBLICATIONS - The message of the ads varies depending on the target market of the specific publication.
• PRODUCTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MARKETING CAMPAIGNS TO PROMOTE MAJOR EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS - Previous campaigns have included The Enlightenment Series (Majesty of Spain exhibition) and The Great Jackson Renaissance (The Splendors of Versailles exhibition) that make Jackson a one-of-a-kind destination for travel, conventions, and meetings.