The Destination Group Sales Division confirmed 55,094 total room nights in August. This production includes Workhuman’s 2020 Workhuman Live event, which will bring close to 12,000 total room nights and more than 6,000 attendees next May. The Sales Division also confirmed Avon for its 2020 AvonCon in August, with more than 6,700 total room nights and 6,000 attendees.

In September, we participated in the following customer events:

  • IMEX America – This annual event had Visit San Antonio hosting its first San Antonio booth. There, we had five area partners join on this top-tiered, appointment-based tradeshow. We also participated in a San Antonio-focused client dinner, along with a networking event with our Synchronicities partners.
  • ConferenceDirect CDX – This event is ConferenceDirect’s customer-focused event, located in Louisville, Ky., this year. There we had the opportunity to meet with our ConferenceDirect representatives, along with their direct customers.
  • TSAE New Ideas Conference – This annual meeting is always a “must-attend” event in the Texas association events world, providing industry education and first-class networking opportunities to one of our destination’s largest feeder markets.
  • ASAE Five-Star Weekend – This is a CEO-only event hosted by ASAE annually. This year’s meeting, held in Austin, featured our destination along with our Synchronicities partners hosting nine CEOs who were top customers.

October is another busy month for the Destination Sales Team. We will participate in the following events:

  • Connect Texas – This annual appointment-based show will take place in Grapevine. There, we will spend two days in business appointments with Texas-based customers.
  • NYPCMA Education Day – This is a first-time event for Visit San Antonio. We will be supporting our New York-area chapter of PCMA in its annual day of industry education and networking.
  • Dallas Sales Mission – For Visit San Antonio, this is our first partner sales mission to the Dallas area. There, we will host several high-end customer dinners, lunches and group sales calls. We cap the week off with customer events at the Texas State Fair and a concert at the Texas Rangers stadium.
  • Connect Med/Tech – This is another first-time event for both Visit San Antonio and Connect. This meeting will focus on professionals who plan meetings in the medical and technology sectors. This is another appointment-based show and will be hosted at the Omni Dallas.

To see what other opportunities there are to partner with Visit San Antonio, please go to our partners’ website (members.visitsanantonio.com).

During August, the Destination Experience Team provided support to 15 groups convening in San Antonio, totaling 34,150 attendees and more than 28,698 total room nights. The Destination Experience managers coordinated and led seven planning-site visits during the month for groups that will meet in San Antonio between 2019 and 2020.

Representatives from Destination Experience were present to promote San Antonio at the prior-year meeting for Avon, held in New Orleans in August. AvonCon will be held July 31-Aug. 2, 2020, with an anticipated 6,000 attendees in celebration of the launch of the rebranded annual event.

Coming key groups meeting in San Antonio in October:

  • American College of Gastroenterology
  • American Association of Blood Banks
  • North American Wholesale Lumber Association
  • Texas Municipal League
  • ESC Region 13

San Japan is the largest anime and gaming convention in the South Texas region. The annual event was held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio Grand Hyatt and Marriott Riverwalk over Labor Day weekend. This year’s event hit several milestones with not only attendance but also in supporting our city. Attendance exceeded projections by 25 percent. During the show, event organizers raised just under $6,000 for local charities and set up a drive to help with the local blood-shortage crisis in our city. We sincerely appreciate conventions like San Japan that provide not only great economic impact to our community but also give back!