NKYCVB Marketing Plan and Ambassador Program Launch
1. 2012
The Northern
Kentucky Convention
and Visitors Bureau
Analysis
Amanda Batta, Tiffany Hopkins, Kelly Parker, and Nicole Stadtlander
Dr. Stephanie Hughes’ Business Policy Class – Fall 2012
12/5/2012
2. Table of Contents
Synopsis .........................................................................................................................................................................3
Overview of NKYCVB .................................................................................................................................................5
Environmental Trends Analysis ....................................................................................................................................5
Five Forces Analysis ................................................................................................................................................... 14
Competitive Analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 19
Strategic Group Analysis ............................................................................................................................................. 24
Internal Analysis .......................................................................................................................................................... 27
Resource and Capability Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 27
Value Chain and Outsourcing Analysis .................................................................................................................. 30
Financial Ratio Analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 31
Balanced Scorecard Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 32
Competitive Strength Assessment ............................................................................................................................... 34
Business (and Corporate Level) Strategies Assessment .............................................................................................. 40
Extent and Type of Firm’s International Strategy ....................................................................................................... 42
Composition of Board Members ................................................................................................................................. 44
Structure of the Firm.................................................................................................................................................... 45
Issue Identification ...................................................................................................................................................... 46
Proposed Strategies and Implementation Schedule ..................................................................................................... 47
Incentives ................................................................................................................................................................ 47
Social Media............................................................................................................................................................ 50
Seminar ................................................................................................................................................................... 52
Partnership .............................................................................................................................................................. 54
Background and Information .............................................................................................................................. 54
Benefits to NKYCVB ......................................................................................................................................... 58
Competition ........................................................................................................................................................ 59
Program Name/Questions ............................................................................................................................................ 63
NKY’s Happenin’ ................................................................................................................................................... 63
Proposed Implementation Schedule............................................................................................................................. 65
Proposed Means of Evaluation of Strategies ............................................................................................................... 68
Timeline .................................................................................................................................................................. 68
Ensuring Achievements Through Controls ............................................................................................................. 69
Additional Notes .......................................................................................................................................................... 71
Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................................. 72
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3. Synopsis
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau is currently in the process of
creating an ambassador program that will help local businesses, employees, and citizens become
more informed about the Northern Kentucky area in addition to being aware of what events and
attractions a visitor or tourist might want to attend while visiting the area. The bureau has asked
for help with a Marketing Plan, a Program Name, and the first tier (of a three tiered test) to be
created. This detailed analysis includes strategies to solve these problems along with other key
information that can be used to benefit and inform NKYCVB of their competitors and industry
as a whole.
The first section of this report focuses on the internal and external factors that affect the
NKYCVB. From the environmental trends to key competitors as well as an assessment of
NKYCVB from an internal perspective, the main focus is the breakdown of the industry in every
aspect in addition to understanding how competitors work and where NKYCVB stands among
their competitors. This is in detail more in the first 39 pages of this analysis report.
The second section is focused on the NKYCV Commission, along with International
Business and the structure of the firm. These are important topics that need to be analyzed before
creating strategies due to getting a better understanding of how NKYCVB functions and where it
stands on a global perspective.
Strategies are then proposed. The first strategy that is proposed is the use of incentives
with the ambassador program being created by the NKYCVB. These incentives range from lapel
pins for completion of the program from the participants perspective along with the companies of
these students also getting recognized for promoting the program and informing participants of
the benefits and rewards that they can receive. A second strategy is the increase of monitoring
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4. social media sites. Looking at all social media platform, the NKYCVB is lacking. Twitter is
outshining Facebook which is outshining Pinterest which is more existent than LinkedIn. With
an increase of posts, NKYCVB can bring more awareness to themselves along with the
upcoming ambassador program. A third strategy is to create a seminar that allows business
owners, managers, employees, and local citizens to become informed on the program in hopes
that these attendees will then participate and be the first to take the test once it is launched. A
forth and final strategy is to partner with a great, new mobile company, called Text and the City
to help promote Northern Kentucky through a mobile device. Think of this as the yellow pages.
It will help navigate visitors to local ‘hotspots’ and attractions if no one is around to help them.
With those strategies in place, a name to be proposed for the program is discussed.
Tourists want to know what is happening in the Northern Kentucky area and for that reason, the
name NKY’s Happenin’ was created. This name has a modern twist that will be appealing to all
target markets that will be attracted to taking the test in addition to tourists being aware that the
program exists. Along with the name of the program, a list of questions was created for the first
tier of the program to help show NKYCVB the format or outline that should be used when
created the second and third tier.
This report finishes up with discussing a timeline of when these strategies need to take
place and the next steps that need to take place in order to get the maximum opportunity for
NKY’s Happenin’. Contact information is given at the end for any additional information or
help.
Our team is excited to help launch this great program to the Northern Kentucky area and
are honored to of had the privilege to work with the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors
Bureau with this topic over the past 16 weeks.
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5. Overview of NKYCVB
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau (NKYCVB) is located in the
heart of Covington, Kentucky. The NKYCVB serves three Northern Kentucky counties: Boone,
Kenton and Campbell counties. The NKYCVB is the largest promoter of the three Northern
Kentucky counties and promotes the largest events in those areas.
The NKYCVB intends to create an ambassador program that will be offered to
employees who work in the hospitality industry (such as restaurants, hotels, bars, etc.)
throughout Northern Kentucky. This program will educate employees so they will be able to
interact with and inform tourists and visitors of events happening throughout Northern Kentucky
on any given date along with the best restaurants and local attractions to visit while in the area.
This program will include an exam testing employee’s knowledge on Northern Kentucky and its
attractions. It is a goal of the NKYCVB to make the test both entertaining and informative.
Our intention with the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor Bureau is to help with
the creation of the ambassador program being created in addition to generating incentives and a
marketing plan. A name for this program will also be produced and presented in this company’s
strategic analysis. NKYCVB will be able to launch a successful and worthy program that will
attract citizens as well as inform visitors.
Environmental Trends Analysis
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor’s Bureau’s (NKYCVB) main objective is
to positively impact the Northern Kentucky economy through conventions, meetings, and visitor
expenditures and ultimately create a high percentage of visitor return. In order to maintain the
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6. company’s existing efforts to maximize visitors’ expectations and experiences in the Northern
Kentucky (NKY) area, NKYCVB can utilize multiple analyses to determine the external factors
that have a direct and/or indirect effect on their organization. One of these analyses includes the
PESTEL analysis that concentrates on the environmental trends in the NKY area. The PESTEL
analysis identifies the merits the company can leverage and any possible external risks they can
mitigate in order to uphold their business-level strategy. These forces are within the following
six segments: political, economic, sociocultural, technological, ecological and legal.
Political
From a political standpoint, there are some tax elements that alter a visitor’s decision to
visit this area. One particular advantage that has a direct effect on a visitor is the difference in
“bed tax rate” between NKY and Cincinnati hotels. NKY has an advantage over Cincinnati on
this element because NKY’s rate is distinctively lower than the hotels located in Cincinnati. The
lower rates benefit the visitors and ultimately the NKY area becomes more attractive and overall
creates revenue across the area. Local and state governments like to impose these kinds of hotel
taxes because they weigh heavy on primarily out-of-town guests, which eliminate the chance of
levying the tax. Thankfully, the NKY area already offers lower bed tax rates compared to the
surrounding competitors; however there is still the possibly those rates could increase
eliminating this advantage all together for the NKYCVB.
Unfortunately, there are other tax issues that can play a major part within the NKY area
that could create a loss. Companies that are successful and assist in bringing more visitors to the
area for conferences or meetings can face difficult decisions when presented with incentive
packages from other regional cities. For example, Omnicare was offered an $8 million dollar
incentive package by Ohio and Cincinnati, forcing them to move downtown. (Pilcher) This is a
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7. major political tax conflict that does not help keep Omnicare’s business and conference
possibilities in NKY.
Another tax element that falls under the political aspect involves a tax credit for the film
industry. Film production companies have the choice between a sales tax refund incentive and
an income tax credit incentive up to 20% of approved expenditures. (Greater Cincinnati &
Northern Kentucky Film Commission) Unlike the incentives to draw companies out of the area,
these kinds of incentives help attract major revenue players. This incentive related to the film
industry also overlaps with the sociocultural segment of this analysis.
Economic
Economically, the NKY area has recently seen a large increase in growth development
and job opportunities. Business growth has shown almost a 2% increase since 2009. Although, it
is on the rise, it has not surpassed the economic position pre-recession. (Pilcher) Clearly the
growth within this area is a major benefit. This kind of rise within the economy can open more
doors to both potential visitors and the NKYCVB. This is a good indicator that the businesses
across the NKY will be profitable.
This rapid growth rate could continue to rise due to some of the future (proposed)
projects within the NKY area that include the following: Purple People Bridge, Brent Spence
Bridge, Walking Path, and CVG Airport Hubs. Some of these projects have the potential to
bring additional economic value to NKY and while others could create obstacles for visitors to
this area. These kinds of forces are good to identify so NKYCVB will have a better
understanding of what kind future economic status NKY has to work with.
Just recently there has been discussion of creating a hotel, retail and entertainment development
on the Purple People Bridge located in Newport. The idea of could create an economic boost for
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8. this area. Additionally, this development could generate more job opportunities and
knowledgeable employees to demonstrate the best service to out-of-town guests. The bridge
connects two riverfronts in Cincinnati and Newport and with this new development of attractions
there would be an overall positive impact to the businesses in both cities.
On the other hand, just a few miles south down the river, there has been a major bridge
project in debate for years involving the Brent Spence Bridge. For years there has been
discussion to rebuilding the bridge because of years of deterioration due to the massive influx of
commuters. There have been thousands of state dollars spent on multiple studies, roadway
alternatives, and town meetings in determining the best execution plan. Even though the new
bridge is desperately needed in this area, considering it is the backbone of commerce and travel
in this region, it may pose a temporary halt in retail and entertainment profitability. If there are
not favorable roadway alternatives to the businesses along the Riverfront, those businesses will
suffer greatly and ultimately lose their appeal to any outside visitors.
Another smaller project is the past proposal of the Covington Riverfront Commons Trail.
This multi-use trail will be four miles in length and run from Covington to Bellevue. Although,
this may be more attractive to local residents, it does offer visitors an alternative route of
transportation to visit all the riverfront cities. Although this maybe a smaller development, it can
have just as a positive impact as larger developments.
Finally, the Northern Kentucky area is home of one of the best airports nationwide,
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). The airport is just minutes away
from the riverfront cities in NKY and Cincinnati. Additionally, CVG is partnered with one of
the biggest airlines, Delta. However, just recently CVG has reduced their size to only one
available concourse; this creates the problem of lowering the flight availability. On the positive
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9. side; however Delta, who has historically been known to have very expensive prices, has reduced
airfare from 5 to 60 percent.
Additional economic growth factors that support the area on the rise include the level of
employment and wage indicators. Although, the unemployment rate is only down slightly from
2010 to 2011 (1.5%), it does show growth. Another important factor that can be appealing to
local workforce is the average weekly wage. Compared to the rest of the state, in 2010, Northern
Kentucky had an average weekly wage of $788, which is nearly $50 more than the rest of the
workforce in Kentucky ($745). True, this maybe a small incentive for those looking for job
opportunities but still effective at that the same time. If the workforce knows they have above
average income, there is a good chance they are more willing to display the best customer
service to any kind of visitors to the area. However, just across the river, Ohio’s average weekly
wages are over $800. (Bureau of Labor Statistics) This poses the problem of attracting a potential
workforce from the Kentucky side.
Sociocultural
One major advantage the NKY area offers to local businesses are the large number of
colleges and universities located in the Tri State region. Some of these educational institutions
include the following: Northern Kentucky University, University of Cincinnati, Xavier
University, Cincinnati State Technical College, and Gateway Community College. These
institutions feed into the NKY area’s job opportunities. The benefit to having so many graduates
from these schools available to work in the NKY area, is the thorough knowledge they bring to
the table. The students that are about to graduate have the ability to market themselves to local
thriving businesses as a crucial element to their team because they have the knowledge of the
local area and most importantly are aware of the effects the local economy may have on their
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10. company. NKY presents a local culture that concentrates on thriving in the education process,
which in turn makes the surrounding businesses viable. This sociocultural element of education
is indirectly attracting more businesses to the area as well as visitors.
As mentioned before, the film industry incentive also assists in bringing out the art
culture in this area. This industry presents an opportunity to visitors and especially students that
attend the Cincinnati School of Performing Arts. Those students have the chance to become a
key player when film productions come to the area. They are an intricate part of helping create
revenue across the board to the NKY area. There have been many movies filmed in this area
over the years; to name a couple Rain Main and Ides of March. The film industry creates large
revenue and NKYCVB can use this as a positive reinforcement to NKY by making the area
readily available to production teams.
Along with the film/media industry, the NKY area is also very prominent within the
music culture. Hundreds to thousands of musicians circle through the Tri State area that
generates revenue among the local businesses and creates a reason for visitors to come back to
the area. For the longest time, Riverbend Music Center was one of the only large music venues,
which is actually located in Ohio. However, in 2008, The Bank of Kentucky Center was opened
as a new venue that has the ability to hold a variety of events. Now the NKY area has a larger
music venue to take advantage of and to help create a larger percentage of visitors to return. The
Riverbend Music Center still generates a large profit for the city of Cincinnati and creates
competition for The Bank of Kentucky Center. Overall these cultural elements are what help
assist NKYCVB leverage their strong points throughout the NKY area.
Technological
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11. Technology is constantly changing and it is one of NKYCVB core competencies to stay
up-to-date with any external technological developments. Just this past summer a recent startup
company, Text and the City, entered into the NKY market offering businesses and communities
an electronic connection via simple text messaging. This company is also teaming up with the
NKU College of Informatics for structured feedback and revamping. The idea of this
technological innovation is to alert businesses of any local news and to create a connection
among one another through “hyper-local markets.” (Henderson) This is also a great idea for
visitors that want to stay connected to the local business’ availability and offerings.
NKYCVB could use this technology to help market the businesses within the NKY area.
It is also a great way to promote the destination education program NKYCVB is promoting to all
local businesses/individuals that have any kind of contact with visitors. NKYCVB could also
sync up their event calendar as text messaging alerts to individuals. Text messaging and mobile
alerts have been on the rise in the technology industry and it would benefit NKYCVB to partner
up with companies like Text and the City. At the same time; however, even though this can be a
great way for businesses/individuals to stay connected, there needs to be structured policies in
place that will not allow this feature to become an annoyance to people. NKYCVB does not
want negative attention from visitors and/or businesses involving an overload of information.
Earlier this year the National Risk Management Research Laboratory held a workshop in
Cincinnati, educating small businesses on the advantages and funding resources the Small
Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer departments offer.
These programs allow small businesses to develop on their technological abilities and ultimately
become profitable. This kind of funding is available through a three phase process; however this
is the kind of technological developing that needs a strong presence in the NKY area. Through
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12. the NKYCVB’s own technology resources i.e. website, they can use this to attract businesses and
outside of the state businesses to relocate to an area that is thriving in the technology industry.
Ultimately these are steps into creating jobs, expanding technology, and creating revenue, all
which can benefit visitors and businesses from outside this region.
Ecological
NKYCVB is an organization that is in the heart of downtown Covington, an area that
thankfully does not have major ecological factors locally. However, with that said, the NKY
area is indirectly affected by weather and climate occurrences all over the nation. Hurricane
Sandy is a prime example of how local businesses can have an indirect effect. Hurricane Sandy
shut down major airports near the East Coast and in the New England states, which temporarily
created a reduction of tourism to this area. Additionally, Hurricane Sandy’s greatest direct effect
to the NKY area was the increase of flooding. Flooding along the Ohio River is one of the major
ecological events that have the potential to bring a negative impact to businesses along the river.
When flooding occurs it creates soil erosion and land shifting. The Riverfront Common Trail is
a proposed project involving a multi-use trail connecting the river cities of NKY. Before this
trail can be incorporated along the river, studies must be conducted to evaluate this kind of land
erosion and shifting. The Brent Spence Bridge Project is also another example of using
environmental studies. Thousands of dollars have gone towards land studies and evaluations in
order make sure the different land masses will withstand the alternative routes the state(s) present
to local businesses and homeowners. These kinds of studies in this area are the most challenging
because of the high cost and the delays they create for potential businesses.
Overall ecological factors have the ability to not only affect visitors to the area but
businesses that are within the region as well. Unfortunately, weather is almost unpredictable and
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13. unstoppable and NKYCVB will not be able to eliminate these negative forces when they occur.
Instead, NKYCVB can turn a negative into a positive by promoting assistance for disaster relief
for areas in the country that have been affected in a worst way, just as NKYCVB has currently
displayed on their website. This kind of positive attention allows outside communities and
governments know that the NKY businesses and citizens care about the well-being of America as
a whole. It also encourages other local businesses to do the same in the time of need.
Legal
One major difference that exists for NKY businesses lies within the smoking law(s)
between Kentucky and Ohio. The smoking laws have been addressed over the past several years
and certain exemptions have been made. In 2006, Ohio became 100% smoke-free in all public
places. (Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights) Between 2010 and 2012, the NKY counties
gradually became smoke-free in public places. However, in Kentucky some businesses are
granted exemptions, primarily drinking establishments. The exemptions include split ventilation
systems and/or “split-shift.”
These exemptions can be considered both advantages and disadvantages depending on
the individual’s preference. For the NKY area, having the availability to smokers is an
advantage because Ohio does not offer this option at any of hospitality businesses. Kentucky
stands out from the 36 states that are completely 100% smoke free. (Americans for Nonsmokers’
Rights) It can be debated however that allowing some businesses (mostly bars) to continue to
have smoking establishments can discourage potential customers/visitors. NKYCVB focuses on
individual visitors; however they have a larger section of trying to attract corporate events and
business groups that will bring more revenue. It is more likely that larger groups would go to an
area that is completely smoke free.
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14. Five Forces Analysis
In order for NKYCVB to compete with the programs their competitors have available,
they will need to identify any and all threats. Threats may occur from any of the five forces:
Threat of Entry, Power of Suppliers, Power of Buyers, Threats of Substitutes, and Rivalry
Among Existing Competitors. The threats may come individually in staggered intervals or,
NKYCVB could face multiple threats at the same time once their ambassador program is
launched and gets publicity. The likelihood of competitors, close ones at that, increasing their
competition is strong and so the following will help analyze these five components to a more
detailed degree.
Threat of Entry
The entry barriers for convention and visitor bureaus are high for its industry.
Convention and visitors bureaus serve many counties within its region and try to have a
competitive advantage over other convention and visitors bureaus to draw visitors and companies
to their region instead. It is estimated that convention and visitor bureaus are in the mature phase
of its life cycle due to web-based technological change in conference and convention
arrangement, travel information and packaging, distribution, reservations and bookings, and
sales.
Of the many entry barriers that each convention and visitors bureaus face in today’s
marketplace, some of the more prominent ones are capital costs, organization (complex
operations are necessary for success), regulations (legal obstacles), and customer loyalty
(existing businesses have strong market advantage). Although each is important, perhaps the
customer loyalty aspect is the most substantial. It is the repeat client that sustains any business.
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15. Each region, often serving three counties in each region, has its own Convention and
Visitors Bureau that try to make their locale more appealing than the other by offering various
incentives like more local events, appealing to a wider audience (for example high schools for
graduations), and financial incentives (a buy one/get one offer), and the ability to customize the
building to suit their clients’ needs.
Because there are often several convention centers within each region, in our case a very
close proximity, offering more specialized programs and events can be used to create obstacles
for the other centers. You now become “the competition” that everyone else tries to beat. The
threat of entry is high when new entrants into the field expect that the incumbents will not or
cannot retaliate; the customer switching costs are low; and capital requirements are low. It is at
this level where the incumbent must be willing to make hard financial decisions to retain their
customer base. Customers want more ‘bang’ for their buck and will go where they can get it.
Power of Suppliers
Suppliers have power when they are offering a product that is unique and differentiated
from the competition and when a company faces high or low switching costs. Suppliers know
they have the upper hand when competition among other suppliers is low. This gives companies
more of an incentive to choose a particular supplier (which means more loyalty to a supplier).
Suppliers to the NKYCVB include local restaurants, various stores, lodging (hotels), and
attractions. Many of the lesser known businesses tend to get overlooked when there are popular
businesses and attractions. These suppliers to NKYCVB are able to offer special promotions to
the guests, which encourages these guests to spend more time and money in their establishments.
It would behoove the NKYCVB to include the lesser known businesses in their itinerary of
attractions, thereby increasing customer satisfaction. Being able to offer the customer their
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16. choice of attractions, large versus intimate, the NKYCVB can position themselves as the leader
in client satisfaction. And satisfaction equals revenue.
Power of Buyers
The NKYCVB is a large, well known industry that provides strong business to suppliers
and the surrounding businesses. Because they provide so much business for suppliers,
NKYCVB is able to ask for a lower rate than other companies receive. This is an incentive for
the suppliers since they want the continued business.
Since the NKYCVB is a large business, they have a strong bargaining power when
dealing with companies such as hotels and restaurants. Often times, suppliers will give buyers a
discount for partnering with the company due to the increased business from recommendations
to other customers. The down side to this is, of course, the smaller, lesser known business tend
to get pushed out. There is no way for these businesses to compete with the larger ones when it
comes to offering discounts or other incentives.
Many times these small businesses operate on a shoestring budget and cannot afford to
offer financial incentives. However, what they can offer is the enticement of great customer
service and the personal touch that sometimes gets lost when you deal with a larger supplier.
Again, NKYCVB must include these smaller businesses because it benefits the NKYCVB by
offering the client choice.
Threat of Substitute, Products or Services
The NKYCVB has several other competitors that offer similar but very distinct services.
Often these competitors can offer these services at a better fee with better service. One of the
NKYCVB’s competitors, Duke Convention Center, is located less than five miles away.
Because the Duke Convention Center is merely a river away, it reduces the meeting and
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17. conference opportunities to the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau. However,
NKYCVB has as many if not more attractions and that can put the Duke Convention Center at a
disadvantage.
NKYCVB’s location is better than most. They are easily accessible with three major
interstate highways, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport nearby, and every major hotel
brand is represented. Logistically, it really is better to select the NKYCVB over the Duke
Convention Center simply because you would have less traffic congestion trying to get to the
facility. The bridges leading into Cincinnati are known for their overcrowding, whereas one can
simply take the Covington exit off the Interstate and avoid the Cincinnati bottleneck. Any
entrance into Cincinnati poses the problem of traffic jams. Covington is just easier to navigate in
to and out of.
Since the offerings of both convention centers are so similar, the very ONE thing that sets
the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau above the rest is easy access. And if
you can remove that impediment from potential clients, they will select you for their provider.
Rivalry Among Existing Competitors
The NKYCVB considers their competitors to be: Columbus, Ohio; Dayton/Springfield,
Ohio; Lexington and Louisville, Indianapolis, Indiana; Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; St. Louis,
Missouri; Nashville and Charlotte Tennessee. Often these competitors are able to attract clients
from around the country with better customer service and better accommodations. With intense
rivalry among the competitors, price discounting, industry profitability, increase advertising and
improved service all become a main focus.
But here is what makes NKYCVB a sure winner: The NKYCVB guarantees a
“commitment to service by the entire hospitality community and declares that if a customer is
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18. not completely satisfied with the service they receive, they will refund one day’s rental in the
NKU Convention Center.” When a facility can offer a guarantee like that, coupled with such a
beautiful city, amenities, and great customer service, why would anyone chose to go elsewhere?
NKYCVB wants your business and they are willing to go the extra mile to get it.
Yes, many corporations are choosing video conferencing in today’s business world. The
emphasis in some companies seems to be on completing just the task at hand. However,
NKYCVB isn’t just offering a place to hold your meetings. The NKYCVB is offering an
experience that will leave the customer with a sense of appreciation, satisfaction, and relaxation.
It can complement a business’ goal of appreciating their employees. And that appreciation
translates into better production which means increased revenue.
Reflection
By using the Five Forces, the NKYCVB is able to determine how to surpass their
competitors by offering a better product and better service. They can determine if an existing
competitor will introduce the same product at a better price or which competitors are getting a
bigger bang for their buck. In other words, which Convention and Visitor Bureau is
outperforming the NKYCVB. Also by using the five forces, they are able to negotiate a better
price with their suppliers. If the suppliers are unable to meet the bottom line of the NKYCVB,
NKYCVB will be able to negotiate and obtain a better deal and a better product with a different
supplier.
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19. Competitive Analysis
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, also known as NKYCVB,
have a handful of competitors that they compete with, although among those there are two key
competitors that are worth analyzing; the Lexington Convention and Visitor’s Bureau as well as
the Charlotte Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Both of these competitors currently have what
NKYCVB is trying to create; a program that helps local citizens and employees in the hospitality
and food service industry gain knowledge about their designated cities in order to help tourists
when they have questions about the area and what attractions are best to visit based on their
personal interests. These cities ambassador programs, as they call them, seem to be a great
comparison to what the NKYCVB would like to create. More analysis into these cities’ current
programs will be looked into in a way that will help NKYCVB benefit and understand what key
things they can use from each cities programs in order to create a similar program that will
ultimately be better, or have a competitive advantage compared to their competitors. We will
first begin looking into Charlotte’s current ambassador program that is ‘fit for royalty’.
Nicknamed the Queen City, Charlotte and its resident county are named in honor of
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who had become queen consort of British King George III,
the year before the city's founding. Due to this nickname, the ambassador program created the
name, The Crown Ambassador (CA) Program. Developed for the hospitality and tourism
professional, this program provides information about Charlotte's history, attractions, and events
along with map orientation and ways to navigate the city. Designed for the front line employee,
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20. competency is achieved through participation in a seminar, city tour and successful completion
of an exam. Additionally, Charlotte Crown Guides has partnered with Goodwill of the Southern
Piedmont to provide Crown Ambassador Certifications to students enrolled in the Goodwill
Hospitality Training classes. Since launching the Crown Ambassador Program in December
2009, over 200 hospitality and tourism professionals have participated from over 30 businesses
and organizations (Crown Ambassador Program). Additionally, the program has added the
Hospitality and Tourism program at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont whose
students now achieve the Crown Ambassador certification as a part of that program. The Crown
Ambassador Program was created by two women, Genie Hufham and Mary Schultz, who have
worked both collaboratively and individually in the local tourism industry to support and
promote Charlotte as a destination. This program has partnered with multiple Charlotte tourism
sites along with Charlotte’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Along with Charlotte’s
Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Goodwill, the Crown Ambassador Program also partners
with the Greater Charlotte Hospitality and Tourism Alliance as well as being a member of the
Charlotte Commerce (Crown Ambassador Program). With these partners and alliances, word of
mouth seems to be the way that this ambassador program is marketed to the public.
A few important notes to make about the ambassador program are the price, the time, and
the opportunity to take the program. At the top of the list is the price. The current price to
become a Crown Ambassador is $125 per person. On top of that large amount is the fact that this
price is non-refundable. If something comes up personally with you and you are unable to make
the session, you will be assigned to the next session that is scheduled instead of receiving your
money back. Second, is the timing of the event. It seems that the opportunity to take the class is
very limited to the public. From searching on the Crown Ambassador Program website,
NKYCVB-Batta, Hopkins, Parker, and Stadtlander 20|Page
21. charlottecrownguides.com, there are four opportunities a year to register for the six hour session
that includes a three hour lecture, followed by a three hour tour of the city. The lecture covers the
following topics: Customer care/Professionalism, statistics and history of the city, map
orientation and transportation options, attractions, venues, dining, shopping and nightlife, annual
events and Resources. Following the lecture, is the three hour city tour which includes the
following: Center City Charlotte’s Four Wards, a stop at the visitor info center, driving
directions, map orientation and transportation options, as well as Neighborhood attractions.
Following this six hour event, a competency test is to be taken to evaluate how well you took in
all the information that was given to you during the event. This seems like a lot, and it is for a
citizen to have to participate in.
Although this may seem like a great procedure, a better approach can come about from
the NKYCVB from looking at the analysis of the Crown Ambassador Program. From the hassle
of registering for the event as well as having to request off work to attend the session to paying
for this certification seem to be big problems with the programs’ layout. The Crown Ambassador
Program strives to inform citizens of the city to Make Charlotte into the “Premiere Regional
Destination”, but do they have the best strategy is the question to ask. Charlotte is not only the
competitor that the NKYCVB has to compete with. Lexington is even more of a competitor than
Charlotte due to it being located only 80 miles from the NKYCVB.
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22. The Lexington Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) has a bit of a different approach
to their ambassador program. A third party is used for Lexington CVB instead of creating a
unique one themselves, although it is termed the Bluegrass Tourism Ambassador Program.
Launched in February, 2008, the Bluegrass Tourism Ambassador program creates a pool of front
line staff and volunteers who are specially trained to interact with visitors. This training helps
ensure that the city conveys consistency in message, accuracy in details and a high level of
hospitality throughout the region. The primary goal of the program is to educate participants
about the tourism product. Key components of the course are: the impact of tourism, navigating
the Bluegrass Region, knowing the best information resources, exceeding customer expectations
and cultural competence (Lexington, KY - Horse Capital of the World). The Lexington
Convention and Visitors Bureau contracted with renowned hospitality trainer Mickey Schaefer,
owner of Mickey Schaefer & Associates and founder of the Tourism Ambassador Institute to be
the accredited provider for Certified Tourism Ambassadors. Citizens, who decide to go through
the Bluegrass Tourism Ambassador training and pass the exam at the end of the course, receive a
national certification with the designation of "CTA" (Certified Tourism Ambassador) through
the Tourism Ambassador Institute (Lexington, KY - Horse Capital of the World). This program
seems to be marketed through word of mouth in the Lexington area. Along with word of mouth,
there is an online overview of the program and the overview of how you proceed to sign up and
receive a certification.
The Tourism Ambassador Institute site offers multiple ambassador programs in the
country, with Lexington being among one of the cities. The procedure is as follows: Register and
pay the fee of $25, read course materials, attend a half day CTA training session, and pass an
open book exam at the end of class. What is not clearly mentioned is that along with the $25
NKYCVB-Batta, Hopkins, Parker, and Stadtlander 22|Page
23. enrollment fee, there is an annual fee to keep your certification valid, which is a range from $20-
$50 a year. There wasn’t a clear cut amount on the website for Lexington when it was searched
for. This option seems that it might be a little ‘easier’ for the Bureau, being that all the
maintenance of the program is through the Tourism Ambassador Institute, but not convenient for
the participants of the program. The down side to this program is the fact it doesn’t seem like a
personal approach along with the reoccurring cost of maintaining the certification. In addition,
the participant also may have to request off of work to attend the half a day CTA session that is
required to receive the certification.
Both Charlotte and Lexington have a good approach at an ambassador program to inform
and teach citizens of their cities about the area in order to help tourists along with visitors.
Looking over these analyses, it is clear that the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor’s
Bureau can create a program that is based off of both cities current programs. To have the
competitive advantage, though, NKYCVB will have a couple of great opportunities to tweak
their program to not only be different than Charlotte and Lexington but become a city that the
current and even future competitors will want to align with.
Based on this information, NKYCVB will be compared to both Charlotte and Lexington
on six different measures (see below) in order to see where NKYCVB can improve at and where
they currently excel at in the market.
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24. Strategic Group Analysis
Percentage of Time Available to Communicate vs.
County Spread of Bureau
County Spread for Convention and
20
Charlotte, NC
18
Visitor's Bureau
16
Lexington, KY
14
12
10
8
6
4 Northern
2 Kentucky
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Percentage of Time Available to Communicate to Visitor's
See Above Graph: Along the X Axis, The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
now promotes that they are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their competitors, both
Lexington and Charlotte are available for a specific amount of hours per week. Charlotte is
available 52.5 hours per week to visitors and tourists of this North Carolina region. Likewise,
Lexington is available 54.5 hours per week to their visitors and tourists of this Kentucky region.
All three of these Bureaus also spread a certain amount of counties in their areas. Along the Y
Axis, The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor’s Bureau covers 3 counties, although
Cincinnati can account for this area in some cases. With Charlotte, this region spans over a 16
county area, while Lexington spans over a 15 county area. All of this information leads us to the
above graph and data points.
Sources: http://www.northernkentuckycvb.com/ ; http://www.charlottesgotalot.com/;
http://www.visitlex.com/
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25. Space Available at Local Convention Hotel Tax vs. Space Available at Local Convention Center
140000
120000
Northern
Kentucky Lexington, KY
100000
Center
Charlotte, NC
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
0 5 10 15 20
Hotel Tax
See Above Graph: Along the X Axis, The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
area currently has a hotel tax of 11. 8%. The Charlotte Convention and Visitor’s Bureau area, on
the other hand, has a hotel tax of 16.25%. Lastly, the Lexington Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
area has a hotel tax of 13.4%. Along the Y Axis is the amount of space that is available in the
Convention Centers that are near the three Bureaus. For the Northern Kentucky Convention and
Visitor’s Bureau, 110,000 sq. ft. of space is available at their convention center. In Charlotte,
there is 90,000 sq. ft. of space that is available for use in the area. Lastly, the Lexington
Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has 106,000 sq. ft. of available space available at their
convention center for reserving.
Sources: http://www.northernkentuckycvb.com/ ; http://www.charlottesgotalot.com/ ;
http://www.visitlex.com/
NKYCVB-Batta, Hopkins, Parker, and Stadtlander 25|Page
26. Distance from Airport vs. Number of Employees
25
Charlotte, NC
Minutes from Airport
20
Northern
15
Kentucky
10 Lexington, KY
5
0
0 5 10 15 20
Number of Employees at Convention and Visitor's Bureau
See Above Graph: Along the X Axis, the number of employees from each Bureau is shown. The
Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor’s Bureau currently has 15 employees serving for the
organization. As for Charlotte, the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has 14 current employees
working for the organization. And lastly, the Lexington Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has 10
employees along with 7 sales and convention services staff members. Now, along the Y Axis are
the minutes from the airport to the downtown area where the convention center and/or hotels are
where the tourists and visitors will stay. For the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor’s
Bureau, the downtown area is a short 15 minutes from the Cincinnati Airport. In Charlotte, the
distance between the airport and the downtown area is 20 minutes. And lastly, the Lexington
Convention and Visitor’s Bureau posted a 10 minute trip from the area’s closest airport to the
downtown Lexington area.
Sources: http://www.northernkentuckycvb.com/ ; http://www.charlottesgotalot.com/ ;
http://www.visitlex.com/
NKYCVB-Batta, Hopkins, Parker, and Stadtlander 26|Page
27. Internal Analysis
Resource and Capability Analysis
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau have a number of valuable
resources available at their disposal. First, NKYCVB has a strong, in-depth website that
potential customers can easily access. The website provides large amounts of information for
tourists on deciding which possible venue suits them best. As well, it offers an entire list of
different resources these clients would need when planning their event. The list features local
websites and phone numbers of different places and services-anywhere from booking airline
reservations to finding speakers for their event. NKYCVB’s website is a vital resource for the
company.
Second, NKYCVB has access to over 65 brand name hotels including The Marriott,
Comfort Inn, Hilton, The Radisson, Holiday Inn, and Drawbridge Inn. These hotels combined
can offer more than 7,000 rooms. The brands of all these major hotel chains assist the
convention and visitors bureau in providing exceptional services to all their customers, as well as
being a valuable resource to NKYCVB.
In addition, NKYCVB has access to different types of meeting spaces. Every meeting or
convention requires a variety of needs and accommodations. The NKYCVB is able to offer the
METs Center for Corporate Learning, Northern Kentucky Convention Center, and the Bank of
Kentucky Center to possible clients. For example, if a company needed access to high-tech
technology, the METs Center would be a reasonable choice. If they were planning a rather large
conference, the Northern Kentucky Convention Center would be the one of use. These diverse
meeting spaces are all needed resources for NKYCVB.
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28. Third, NKYCVB’s network of top-notch sales, marketing, and management team is also
a resource to the company. These 25 full time employees help in e-marketing by promoting the
meetings and conventions through e-mails, graphics, and digital images. Moreover, they offer
pre-event promotion by providing visitors’ information on the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati
area to attendees. They realize how important it is to generate excitement and buzz about an
event in order to increase attendance and meet clients’ needs. They are an exceptionally eager
team ready to help.
Last, but not least, the convention center’s implementation of the ambassador program,
web-based teaching module will be a particularly valuable asset for NKYCVB. This module
will teach and emphasize the value of tourism in Northern Kentucky. Any employee (of local
hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc.) that comes in contact with a tourist would take this test in
order to guide visitors in the right direction and to become more educated on the NKY area.
All of these resources are necessary in order for NKYCVB to continue operating efficiently and
effectively. They just have to continue leveraging them to stay ahead of their competition.
Core Competencies and Sustainability of Core Competencies
One significant core competency of Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau
is their commitment to technology. They are well-known for keeping up with the evolving
technology of today. To remain competitive and prepared for what is up and coming with
technology, they make sure to do their absolute best to stay ahead. This strategy assists them in
improving and adjusting efficiencies and in projecting the brand they desire. In addition, it helps
to convey and market their image and obtain what they want and need to be a successful
company.
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29. From a sustainability standpoint, NKYCVB commitment to technology can one day be
forsaken, unless they work hard to remain proficient. Continuously, they have to be willing to
spend large amounts of money when needed to keep up with the developing technology.
A second vital core competency for NKYCVB is that they frequently aim for the highest quality
standards in everything that they do. This means that whoever they hire, the marketing they
deliver, the aggressive sales strategies they obtain, and the high quality customer service
projections they yield will be elite. NKYCVB has effectively been able to accomplish this
throughout the years.
Along with their commitment to their previous competency, aiming for the highest
quality standards may also be difficult to sustain. NKYCVB must spend a vast amount of time
in searching for the best candidates in order to create the best marketing strategies and have the
best team. In order to reach the customer service scores they desire, it’s important that they are
patient and to make sure that their employees are trained appropriately for the job.
A final crucial core competency for the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau is
that their high-class services differentiate and distinguish them from their competitors. This
includes being able to maintain excellent customer service satisfaction scores and ratings and
influencing travelers to come back to the Northern Kentucky region. For example, NKYCVB
has held a 98.7% excellent customer rating and a 97.2% rating on “intent to return.” These are
the highest customer service scores in the area. Thus, because of their success and confidence in
their customer service, they are able to offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Additionally,
NKYCVB provides planning and meeting assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They
realize that productive and beneficial conventions are not just planned on a 9-5 basis. Customer
NKYCVB-Batta, Hopkins, Parker, and Stadtlander 29|Page
30. service is by far NKYCVB’s primary competency. Therefore, this must remain sustained in
order for NKYCVB to keep their competitive edge.
Value Chain and Outsourcing Analysis
Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau’s value chain is very successful,
comprehensive, and straight-forward. Their main output is actually persuading visitors to come
to Northern Kentucky and successfully booking a conference or meeting with them. It all starts
with a sales manager. It is their job to begin the activity of networking and finding possible
clients for NKYCVB. In addition, since NKYCVB is so customer-focused, every step in the
value chain revolves around providing the best customer service imaginable.
Visit Northern
Creating Kentucky and
Sales Manager Networking Negotiations
Proposal Book
Conference
NKYCVB’s Support Activities: CUSTOMER SERVICE, sales, interpersonal skills, review
and renegotiations of contracts, site visits, decision-making, contracting, following up with
clients, tourism, research and development, information technology
Since NKYCVB already has a top-notch sales team, excellent customer service sores, and
a good reputation in place, outsourcing would be risky for them. The business is better off
keeping control over their activities since it is so customer service oriented. Outsourcing certain
parts of the company may put them in harm’s way and may also have a negative impact on their
value chain.
NKYCVB-Batta, Hopkins, Parker, and Stadtlander 30|Page
31. Financial Ratio Analysis
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau obtain the majority of their
commission from sales: booking meetings and conventions, along with sponsorships and
partnerships they have with local hotels and restaurants. In the past two years, tourism has
increased dramatically for the state of Kentucky. From 2010 to 2011, there was a $9 million
dollar increase just in the amount of money spent on lodging. This accounted for more than 50%
of visitor spending. In addition, this also displays just how much money the tourism industry can
make and how vitally important it is to bring tourists to the Northern Kentucky region. Other
economic impacts from tourism included restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and local
transportation.
http://www.northernkentuckycvb.com/annual-report/
As the chart displays above, throughout the past few years, NKYCVB has been
successful with the tourism industry. If they continue to do their job efficiently and effectively,
revenue will only continue to increase yearly. It is acknowledged that NKYCVB knows how to
NKYCVB-Batta, Hopkins, Parker, and Stadtlander 31|Page
32. bring visitors to the area and knows how to satisfy their needs; hence their 98.7% customer
service score and 97.2% score on intent to return.
Balanced Scorecard Analysis
Currently the bureau does not have a balanced scorecard concerning their company. A
balanced scorecard is simply a way to measure performance more than just through financial
measures. It shows where a company should be headed and is used to make better, more
informed decisions. Additionally, there are four main categories or business perspectives that
need to be taken into consideration with this particular analysis: customer strategy, learning and
growth strategy, internal business strategy, and financial strategy. All of these measures have to
be effectively analyzed and improved frequently in order for the bureau to prosper. Below are
scorecard proposals for NKYCVB:
Customer Strategies
Goal #1: Attract Businesses and Participants for the Program
Measures: Offer incentives and bring awareness
Target: 10% of each company’s employees
Initiative: Utilize current network
Goal #2: Maintain Customer Service Satisfaction Rates and Intent to Return Rates
Measures: MP’s measures
Target: 98.7% customer service satisfaction rate and 97.2% intent to return rate
Initiative: Continue performing above and beyond industry standards
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33. Learning and Growth Strategies
Goal #1: Maximize Use of the Web/Information Technology
Measures: Number of followers and likes on social media sites
Target: 10% increase in measures after 3 months
Initiative: start using sites to market program and get name out
Goal #2: Increase Workforce Knowledge and Skills
Measures: Number of people taking the test and reaching the next level and through
seminar
Target: In next 6 months, have at least 10% of each business’ employees participating
Initiative: Create partnership with local mobile application, seminar
Internal Business Strategy
Goal #1: Create Marketing Strategy for Roll Out of New Program
Measures: Effectiveness of the strategy, how many people are actually taking the test
Target: Immediate word of mouth
Initiatives: Post to social media sites, attend promotions/festivals, hire interns
Financial Business Strategy
Goal #1: Minimize Cost
Measure: Monitor budget and costs
Target: Minimal costs with program
Initiatives: Use technology and social media to advantage, make use of free resources
NKYCVB-Batta, Hopkins, Parker, and Stadtlander 33|Page
34. Competitive Strength Assessment
The competitive strength assessment is a table that is put together to help show where a
business or company falls when looking at multiple key factors that are used to measure success
in the industry. Along with the company, a handful of rivals are also being analyzed with the
same key factors. In this case, NKYCVB is the main company at hand. Their competitors that we
will be comparing the key factors to are the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau along
with the Charlotte Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The competitive strength assessment can be composed of two tables: an un-weighted and
a weighted. In this analysis, both tables are below to show how even though they are the same;
there is a difference between the two. The first table (Un-Weighted) is shown below:
Strength Rating (1 = Very Weak; 10 = Very Strong)
NKYCVB Lexington CVB Charlotte CVB
Key Measures
Space Availability 10 9 7
Customer Service 10 9 7
Travel Options 7 8 10
People in Convention Center 7 10 6
Major Attractions 9 10 7
Number of Employees 10 7 9
Adaption to Technology* 6/8 7 4
Hotel Tax 10 8 6
Marketing (of Program)* 0/7 6 3
Un-Weighted Overall Strength Score 69/78 74 59
As you can see from the graph above, there are 9 key factors that we used to measure
NKYCVB along with Lexington CVB and Charlotte CVB. The three bureaus’ get rated on a 1-
10 point scale on where they stand currently in each key measure. To score a 1, means that that
NKYCVB-Batta, Hopkins, Parker, and Stadtlander 34|Page
35. measure is very weak with that bureau, while scoring a 10 is when a bureau has the maximum
advantage in that factor. No bureau can get the same number for each measure. After analyzing
each bureau in each measure, the above data was determined.
The second graph is very similar in the aspect of the key factors and scoring, but another
calculation is incorporated and creates the weighted competitive strength assessment. This
weighted data is listed below:
Strength Rating (1 = Very Weak; 10 = Very Strong)
NKYCVB Lexington CVB Charlotte CVB
Importance Strength Strength Strength
Score Score Score
Weight Rating Rating Rating
Key Measures
Space Availability 0.20 10 2 9 1.8 7 1.4
Customer Service 0.15 10 1.5 8 1.2 7 1.05
Travel Options 0.15 7 1.05 8 1.2 10 1.5
Seats in Convention Center 0.15 9 1.35 10 1.5 8 1.2
Major Attractions 0.10 9 0.9 10 1 7 0.7
Adaption to Technology* 0.10 6/8 0.6/0.8 7 0.7 4 0.4
Hotel Tax 0.05 10 0.5 8 0.4 6 0.3
Number of Employees 0.05 10 0.5 7 0.35 9 0.45
Marketing (of Program)* 0.05 0/7 0/0.35 6 0.3 3 0.15
Weighted Overall Strength Score 1 69/78 8.40/8.95 73 8.45 61 7.15
Where this graph differs from the previous is that importance weights are established and
placed with the previous score to create a ‘weighted’ competitive strength assessment. The more
important key measures have higher weights along with the lesser factors have a lower
importance weight. Once the weight was determined, it was then multiplied by the score from
the first graph and the total is displayed in yellow out of a total score of 9 (since there are 9
factors and the total importance weights have to equal 1 or 100%).
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36. The order and decision of what factor was more important was a choice that our group made
and will explain in the following:
1. Space Availability – When a group of people are joining together for a gathering,
whether it be a meeting or a party of some sort, the first thing they look at when visiting
venues is space. Will it fit the amount of people attending? Will there be enough room?
Will participants be crowded? These are all questions that the host will want immediate
answers to. As a group, we felt that this was the most important key measure to both the
bureaus and the host trying to find a venue. Due to this importance we weighted this
measure with a 0.20 weight.
With the scoring, we had NKYCVB with the highest, a 10, due to them having the
largest amount of space with the NKY Convention Center, at 110,000 square feet.
Lexington is very close with 109,000 square feet. which is why they received a close 9 on
the assessment table. Charlotte was scored a 7 due to their much smaller amount of space
in their facilities, with 90,000 square feet. Although that space is large, Lexington and
Northern Kentucky are just a few steps ahead with square footage, which set them both
apart from Charlotte.
2. Customer Service – Once the visiting company or group picks a venue, customer service
is very important, especially when the visiting group isn’t familiar with the area. The
amount of access the company can have with the bureau to help keep track of how plans
are coming or additional needs that need to be met is crucial. This was the reason for
ranking this measure second among the nine. With this being second, an importance
weight of 0.15 was given.
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37. With the scoring, NKYCVB clearly deserved a 10, due to their 24 hour customer
service that they provide to all of their guests and clients. Lexington was scored an 8,
due to ‘normal’ hours available to be contact, along with a few hours over the weekend
to be open to clients. Charlotte was very similar to Lexington, but had fewer hours
available to the public on the weekends, so a score of 7 was given to their bureau.
3. Travel Options – When having a gathering in a big city, transportation is key when time
is available for the parties to see around the area. With that reason, we ranked this
measure as third and gave an importance weight of 0.15.
With the scoring, Charlotte was given a 10 due to their broad range of
transportation. From their light rail system that is run daily to their bus transportation,
Charlotte offers a lot to its visitors in terms of transportation. With Northern Kentucky
and Lexington, both offer a great bus transportation. With this in mind Lexington
received a score of 8, while Northern Kentucky received a score of 7. This small
difference was due to the price of fares. With a 50 cent difference, Lexington pushed
through to receive the 8.
4. Seats in Convention Center – This measure coincides with space available. This is from
the aspect of how many people each convention center is able to hold comfortably.
Because this is a more important measure, we ranked it forth and gave an importance
weight of 0.15
With the scoring, Lexington was given a 10. Knowing that both Lexington and
Northern Kentucky are very close in size, Lexington states that they are able to seat 4,500
people. The down side is that there is more ‘hype’ about Rupp Arena than the convention
center, so the 23,000 seat arena is more talked about. Right behind Lexington, with a
NKYCVB-Batta, Hopkins, Parker, and Stadtlander 37|Page
38. score of 9 is Northern Kentucky. The Northern Kentucky Convention Center can seat up
to 3,900 people and does a great job stating exactly what the area can hold with other
topics such as exhibitors and conferences. With a score of 8, Charlotte states that their
convention center holds 3,500 at once. Although there is a large amount, both Lexington
and Northern Kentucky is larger.
5. Major Attractions – When a client comes into town, or uses a venue for meeting or
gathering purposes, major attractions in the area is an important factor. When down time
is available, these attractions are what visitors like to attend or see. For this reason, this
measure was ranked fifth and given an importance weight of 0.10.
With the scoring, Lexington was given a 10, due to their recent success in NCAA
basketball, along with attractions such as the University of Kentucky, Rupp Arena, Horse
Farms and Parks and others that attract a variety of guests. With a score of 9, Northern
Kentucky has similar attractions that help promote themselves. Being close to Cincinnati,
NKYCVB is able to market that side of the river along with places such as Newport on
the Levee and the Purple People Bridge. Finally, Charlotte was given a score of 8. Their
attractions seem to revolve around a niche group of individuals, such as the NASCAR
Hall of Fame and the large number of art centers.
6. Adaption to Technology – Technology is the fastest and most up to date form of
communication. It is something that bureaus need to adapt, because it will only be getting
more advanced with time. The faster bureaus are able to adopt to better inform clients and
visitors, the better they will be as a bureau and the more visitors will appreciate them for
their adaption ability. This is why this measure was ranked sixth and given an importance
weight of 0.10.
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39. With a score of 7, Lexington has a few advantages such as their regular updates to
social media along with an app for visitors when visiting the area. With a score of 6,
NKCVB is lacking in the social media world and has no app for visitors at the moment.
We believe with our ideas, that this number could surpass Lexington if they are
implemented. Finally, with a score of 4, Charlotte lacks in both social media and app
availability.
7. Hotel Tax – Hotel tax is important because the less money that the visitor or client has to
pay, the happier they are and in turn, the happier the bureau is. For this reason, this
measure was ranked seventh and given an importance weight of 0.05.
With scoring, NKYCVB received a score of 10 with their hotel tax at 11.8%.
Lexington CVB received a score of 8 due to the 1.6% jump to 13.4% hotel tax. Finally,
with a staggering 16.25% hotel tax, Charlotte received a score of 6, putting them in third.
8. Number of Employees – This measure is a factor that is important more to the bureau
itself than the visitor, although it does benefit them when wanting to get contacted with a
representative. Employees help run a business, or bureau in this case. For that reason, this
measure was ranked eighth and given an importance weight of 0.05.
With scoring, again, NKYCVB received a 10 due to its current 15 employee staff.
Right behind them, with a score of 9, Charlotte currently has 14 employees on at their
bureau. Finally, with a score of 7, Lexington currently has a staff of 10 employees,
although, in addition, they have a 7 employee staff outside of the bureau that helps with
sales of the convention center.
9. Marketing (of the Program) – This measure seemed to be a measure in the sense that
when the ambassador program is live, that this will be a great key factor with clients.
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40. Having knowledgeable citizens and locals help guests find things that might not be
noticed with a pamphlet given when arrived. For that reason this measure was ranked
ninth and given an importance weight of 0.05.
With scoring, Lexington received a score of 6. Their current marketing of the
program is well known to the visitor, but is stated in information given, but not standing
out to the eye. There could be more if the bureau put a bit more effort into marketing.
With a score of 3, Charlotte has very low marketing of their program. After receiving an
email that they only marketing was through friends, it is clear that the Charlotte bureau
could do much more to promote and market the program. With NKYCVB implementing
this program, we feel that this is the bureaus time to shine, in this measure. With the help
of our strategies explained later, there is very much potential for a great marketing plan to
arise.
This overview hopefully helps you understand the competitive assessment table more and
gives a better comprehension of the strengths and weaknesses of the Northern Kentucky
Convention and Visitors Bureau stands among its competitors Lexington Convention and
Visitors Bureau and Charlotte Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Business (and Corporate Level) Strategies Assessment
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau currently have a board of
directors, also known as the Commission. The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors
Commission was formed by an interaction of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce,
Northern Kentucky Hotel/Motel Association, and the Northern Kentucky Restaurant
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41. Association, as a result of enabling legislation passed by the General Assembly of Kentucky at
their 1974 session. The Commission was authorized by official actions of the Fiscal Courts of
Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties, Kentucky. The Commission current has 18 members,
who vary in the hospitality industry. Membership is composed of 6 members from each County
comprising the Commission appointed by the County Judge/Executive (Objectives, Policies and
Procedures of the NKYCV Commission 1).
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Commissions mission statement is as
follows:
“To promote the economic growth of Northern Kentucky through the expenditure of the
Transient Room Tax to attract conventions, meetings and visitors to the area by acting as an
aggressive sales, marketing and service organization..” (Objectives, Policies and Procedures of
the NKYCV Commission 1)
Along with their mission statement, the NKYCV Commission objectives are as follows:
1. To increase business to every establishment that directly or indirectly serves the
conventioneer and/or the traveling public through active sales, marketing and service
programs.
2. To encourage those serving the traveling public to always render a high standard of
performance; and to levy charges proportionate to the quality and quantity of service
and/or products supplied.
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42. 3. To extend the hand of welcome to all visitors, and visitor prospects, in keeping with the
highest traditions of hospitality expected of our area; and in keeping with fair and honest
business practice.
4. To lend consultation, advice and encouragement to the development of programs and
projects that will enhance the general appeal of the area to tourists.
5. To maintain the Transient Room Tax for the sole purpose of promoting convention and
tourist activity to the area and not for the support, administration or operation of special
interest group projects, programs or facilities.
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Commission is currently filled, buy when
vacancies occur, they are filled based on appointment. The positions stated in the previous table
consist of various people in the hospitality industry around the 3 county (Boone, Campbell, and
Kenton) span.
There are four committees that the commission offers members to participate: Executive
Committee, Marketing Committee, Budget Review Committee and Compensation Committee.
Many of the members are a part of at least of the committees listed and help with future
community decisions along with the NKYCVB.
Extent and Type of Firm’s International Strategy
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau currently has a third party, the
Regional Tourism Network, promote their international travel. Although leisure travel is the term
used synonymously with international travel, the bureau is linked with the Greater Cincinnati
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43. Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as various community partners to collaborate with the
Regional Tourism Network to market the region.
According to the Regional Tourism Network’s website, www.cincinnatiusa.com, they are
a destination marketing company that promotes leisure travel to drive overnight visitation to
regional hotels, attractions and entertainment experiences in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Founded in 2005, the RTN attracts new leisure visitors and dollars to the region while
consistently building a loyal base of repeat visitors.
The Regional Tourism Network helps showcase attractions, hotels, and dining options
among other unique places to visit while staying in the region. With the website come
advantages and disadvantages with consideration to the Northern Kentucky Convention and
Visitors Bureau. An advantage is that this option exists. The fact that the bureau can be promoted
international is a huge benefit to the both the city and the bureau and can help increase visitors
by reaching the maximum areas around the world. The risk or disadvantage of this network is
that both Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky’s Convention and Visitors Bureau is merged and
promoted on the same platform. Although these cities don’t consider themselves competition,
Cincinnati will outshine Northern Kentucky as of right now in time. People outside the country
will be more aware of Cincinnati rather than Northern Kentucky and decide to work with
Cincinnati due to being more aware of the city more than Northern Kentucky. An advantage to
this merge though, is the fact that this puts Northern Kentucky ‘on the map’ and makes
foreigners aware that the area exists and is a place that could be visited along with Cincinnati.
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44. Composition of Board Members
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Commission, like previously stated, is
composed of 18 people from within the hospitality industry in the Northern Kentucky area. The
current members, with titles, organizations associated with, county from and company related to
is listed below:
Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Commissioners
Prefix First Name Last Name Title Organization County Company
Restaurant Hofbrauhaus
Mr. John Ellison Chair Campbell
Association Newport
Hotel-Motel Winegardner &
Mr. Michael Conway Vice-Chair Kenton
Association Hammons, Inc.
Hotel-Motel
Mr. Alan Bernstein Treasurer Campbell BB Riverboats
Association
Restaurant Commonwealth
Mr. Gordon L. Snyder Past Chair Kenton
Association Hotels, Inc.
Hotel-Motel Hofbrauhaus
Mr. Nicholas Ellison Campbell
Association Newport
Hotel-Motel Commonwealth
Mr. Daniel T. Fay Boone
Association Hotels, Inc.
Fiscal Court Kentucky
Mr. Tim Bray Kenton
Appointment Speedway
Fiscal Court
Mr. William I. Donnermeyer Campbell
Appointment
Legislative
Rep. Joseph Fischer Campbell
Appointment
Chamber of
Mr. Jack Gordon Boone Turfway Park
Commerce
Legislative
Rep. Adam Koenig Kenton
Appointment
Hotel-Motel Ambridge
Mr. Lee Palaschak Kenton
Association Hospitality
Chamber of
Mr. Charlie Pangburn Kenton UC Health
Commerce
Hotel-Motel Keystone Hotel
Mr. Subhas Patel Boone
Association Group
Chamber of
Mr. Eric Rose Campbell Newport Aquarium
Commerce
Fiscal Court House of
Mr. Sal Santoro Boone
Appointment Representatives
Restaurant Cincinnati Airport
Mr. David Smith Boone
Association Marriott
Legislative
Rep. Addia Wuchner Boone
Appointment
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45. Having this many members currently on the commission shows that this board is very
determined and motivated to help improve the Northern Kentucky area as much as they can in
the hospitality industry in order to help attract the area to current and future visitors. The variety
of the members is very useful when making decisions for the area and every aspect of each area.
In addition, there are members from all three counties represented by the NKYCVB, so everyone
is incorporated and knowledgeable about what is going on with the bureau and in the area.
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Commission is comprised of a great
number of members who range with knowledge that will only benefit the Northern Kentucky
area along with the bureau.
Structure of the Firm
The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau is structured as a quasi-
governmental business. This means that it is treated by national laws and regulations to be under
the guidance of the government, but also separate and autonomous from the government. These
organizations are often partially or majority funded by the government. They are usually
considered highly important to smooth running of society, and are sometimes propped up with
cash infusions in times of crisis to help surmount situations that would bankrupt a normal
privately owned business (merriam-webster.com).
With this structure and the help of the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors
Commission, all appropriate strategic and financial controls are in place. With our proposed
strategies to follow, controls are in place to keep costs down, due to the low money available to
the bureau to help promote and award participants in the program. Creative strategies are also in
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46. place to help bring awareness to the ambassador program and to convince locals that it is worth
participating. With the following issues being addressed, this quasi-governmental business will
have plenty of reachable recommendations to get maintain appropriate strategic and financial
controls in the bureau.
Issue Identification
There are four issues that have been identified by the NKYCVB that we creat strategies
to help with solutions. There are as follows:
The first issue facing the bureau is the lack of marketing for the ambassador program.
They currently have no marketing plan for the roll out of their ambassador program to the
community. One of the main reasons for this is their lack of social media expertise and usage.
They are currently struggling immensely with their online capabilities. Consequently, since
NKYCVB has no marketing strategy in place at this time, this puts their whole program at risk
and the successfulness of it.
Second, the bureau has no incentives for the new ambassador program. They currently
do not recognize a way to get employees and employers involved in the program and keeping
them engaged. As a result, this also puts the effectiveness and successfulness of the program in
danger. The individuals taking the test need motivation to complete the increasing tiers of the
programs. For these reasons, the bureau needs to have enticing incentives.
Another huge issue that they have at hand is that NKYCVB needs assistance in designing
and implementing the test questions and answers. They currently have no test questions created.
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47. The company would like to produce three levels of testing for the program and currently there
are none.
Finally, we believe the idea of partnering with a local company can be raised. This is
seen as not necessarily an issue, but as an excellent opportunity for the bureau as well as the
other organization.
Our group has created four strategies to help solve these problems and they will be
discussed as our next topic.
Proposed Strategies and Implementation Schedule
Incentives
One of NKYCVB’s challenges for the destination education program is keeping the
“students” engaged and interested in becoming an ambassador of NKY. We are proposing that
NKYCVB utilize incentive marketing and offer incentives to both the participants and local
businesses. NKYCVB’s target market is anyone that comes in contact with visitors and a large
percentage of these individuals come from hotels, attractions, restaurants, etc. We believe
NKYCVB would benefit by contacting owners/managers of these local businesses and informing
them of the advantages not only their business would be receiving but their direct employees as
well.
One way to attract both the employees and employers to participate with this program is
to give them incentives. NKYCVB will offer the students or employees discounts/coupons from
the local participating businesses. We propose after completion of the first and second levels of
testing, the student will be directed to the area on the website to print off their sheet of coupons.
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48. Since NKYCVB can’t create local businesses’ coupons, NKYCVB can propose to the businesses
to participate in this program with the only cost of an available coupon or discount. There will
be a 3”x4” space available for each coupon a business has to offer.
Along with the business’ participation, NKYCVB can guarantee them that their business
will be listed on the Official NKYCVB Vendor Referral Brochure. However, to generate more
participates; NKYCVB can place a certain percentage of businesses’ employees that would be
required to take the test in order for the business to be in the referral brochure. We are proposing
that each business have at least 10% of their employees complete all three levels of testing.
This proposal should entice the businesses to participate for multiple reasons. Not only are they
assisting in educating individuals of the tourism community, but they are also advertising their
business through the coupon availability. Additionally, these businesses will be promoted by the
NKYCVB on their referral brochure, which will be especially beneficial during major events that
come to the Northern Kentucky area. Lastly, the biggest benefit these businesses will receive is
being NKYB Accredited.
NKYCVB’s mission statement demonstrates their responsibility of positively impacting
the NKY economy through marketing and informative organization focusing on tourism. The
NKYCVB has demonstrated to local businesses and visitors that they are a credible source of
tourism, most knowledgeable, and competent in displaying the most excellent customer service.
This level of credibility should be recognized by offering the tourism community the chance to
be NKYB Accredited. One way for businesses and individuals to become NKYB Accredited is
by completing this program. This program is an entry strategy for NKYCVB in elevating their
tourism image.
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