EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine November 2018 | Page 17

hotel rooms, at more than 12,000, as well as plentiful options for bars, restaurants and other activities is important for the Ocean Center, a large convention center 400 feet from Daytona Beach’s shoreline. “We can be a great building and a great destination, but you also have to have pretty good hotel capacity and availability,” said Tim Riddle, deputy director of the center. “If we had a beach but nowhere good to eat at night, we wouldn’t be that attractive,” he said. Riddle said people go to conventions for the professional development, but the leisure activities during the breaks are just as important. This is where Daytona Beach gives his center an edge on the national competition. “When you have a choice of going to the Midwest in February versus coming to the beach, we’re a pretty easy sell,” he said. But he admits that it still takes more than this to compete. “Where you really make a difference is with your people — customer service,” Riddle said. “We take good care of our clients because we all want new business, but repeat business is great too.” This means helping customers and making sure the facilities are clean is important. If there is an off-the-street site visit, having tables and chairs put away between events “shows that you have your act together,” he said. The approach is boosting attendance and bookings. Riddle expects the number of events to reach 136 in the October- September fiscal year, up from 123 in the previous period when attendance totaled 286,000 people. To promote the venue, the Ocean Center advertises in specialty magazines in the association, business, religious and sports markets. But it is the sales team that brings in most of the business by attending trade shows, Riddle said. “It is a relationship-based selling world,” he said. NOT AN ISLAND While the first sales point for the Ocean Center is the venue, the second is the area itself. “We are not an island,” Riddle said. “We sell the hotels, we sell the entertainment, and we sell the leisure part of our destination every time we sell our venue. It is a package.” To do this, the Ocean Center works closely with the advertising authorities, through activities such as sharing booths at trade events and running ads side by side in publications. “It shows that the service will be even better because there is cohesion,” he said. The center also sends business to other venues in the area if it can’t fit them into its schedule. It’s not alone in this sharing. “By collaborating and using our marketing resources strategically,” said Campbell Baker, “the message we’re sending out becomes stronger and more inclusive. It’s just good business, and it’s a win-win for the destination and for our visitors.” Charles Newbery is a freelance journalist and writer. His work has appeared in the Financial Times, LatinFinance, The New York Times and other publications. He also writes business content for companies and ghostwrites op-eds for executives. He can be reached at [email protected]. When we understand your priorities, we can make them ours. Whether you’re looking to buy a house, a vacation home or an investment property, or you’re ready to renovate or remodel, your home is an important asset that should be part of your overall financial strategy. Speak with your Merrill Lynch financial advisor today about access to financing options to help you pursue the home — and lifestyle — you’ve always imagined. When it comes to your financial life, there’s no place like home Let us help you pursue what matters most to you Lucas D. Haber, CFP ® Managing Director Senior Resident Director Portfolio Manager NMLS#: 521574 386.274.3033 [email protected] Merrill Lynch 1616 Concierge Boulevard Suite 201 Daytona Beach, FL 32117 fa.ml.com/coughlinhaber Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a registered broker-dealer and Member SIPC, and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A., and affiliated banks, Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value The Bull Symbol and Merrill Lynch are trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the U.S. © 2018 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. | AR9NTDT7 | AD-09-18-0473 | 471101PM-0118 | 09/2018 NOVEMBER 2018 | 17 |