The new “Escape the Meeting Blah!” promotion provides an important platform for Meet Puerto Rico to raise awareness and secure business in Latin America, one of the most important regions of the travel and tourism industry worldwide.
SAN JUAN – Meet Puerto Rico successfully launched, in Brazil, the new “Escape the Meeting Blah!” promotion at World Travel Market (WTM) Latin America, the main Latin American travel industry show, held annually in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This three-day event provides an important platform for Meet Puerto Rico to raise awareness and secure business in Latin America, one of the most important regions of the travel and tourism industry worldwide.
Milton Segarra, president & CEO of Meet Puerto Rico, said the organization’s participation in this event has exceeded expectations, with Brazil seen as a market with great potential for the island’s meeting and convention offerings. “The promotion has been an excellent tool for generating interest in the destination. Our sales representative has already generated good business leads and has been well received by corporate event planners from Brazil,” he remarked. “They want to learn more about Puerto Rico and the opportunities, this year, for meetings and conventions. There is a good chance our participation will result in booking corporate incentive groups from industries such as pharmaceutical industry and surfing.”
Results from participating in WTM LatAm could generate approximately eight groups with a potential of about 1,500 rooms between 2014 and 2015. Similarly, airlines Avianca and Copa showed enthusiasm in growing the group and meetings/conventions market between Puerto Rico and Brazil. “Many attendees congratulated us on our promotion, so we are very excited to see the results all of these efforts will generate for the benefit of the tourism industry and the local economy,” said Segarra. Meet Puerto Rico participated in the event along with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and representatives from the local industry.
Promoting “Escape the Meeting Blah!” to the Latin American market, provides attractive benefits for event organizers encouraging them to sign contracts during the promotion period ending on May 30, 2014. As part of the incentives, Meet Puerto Rico will offer the group fifteen dollars for each room per night for groups of any size and meetings on any if contract is signed during the promotion period. This contribution may be used only for outsourcing suppliers, such as food, trips, entertainment, audiovisual, decor, and transportation, among others. Also, meeting planners will be entered into a drawing to win one of five pre-paid $5,000 gift cards. In addition, as an extra incentive, meeting planners with confirmed bookings of 500 room nights or more, will be invited to a an all-inclusive rewards trip to Puerto Rico where they will experience the destination, in a way like no other.
Another important element of the promotion is the component of corporate social responsibility. For each hotel night booked for a group, the organization will be contributing to the Ricky Martin Foundation, which advocates for the welfare of children around the globe in critical areas such as education, health and social justice. Its main program, “People for Children,” condemns child exploitation as a result of trafficking.
Currently destinations like Orlando, Hawaii and Cancun offer similar incentives, making providing strong competition in the meetings and convention industry.
Photo caption: Meet Puerto Rico Promoting Puerto Rico as a groups and conventions destination in Brasil.
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She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
