At VisitPITTSBURGH’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, elected officials and senior staff celebrated the many accolades and achievements the city has had over the past year.
“It’s clear that Pittsburgh’s time has come,” says Craig Davis, president and CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH, the official tourism promotion agency for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. “What better city to live, work and visit, and to celebrate what it is today.”
Pittsburgh was mentioned in Condé Nast Traveler as a top place to go in 2015, was named “The Coolest City in America You Haven’t Been To” in the Huffington Post and was named a best all-American vacation for 2014 on the Travel Channel.
Thanks in part to this recognition, the CVB team booked 533 meetings and conventions for last year and going forward, worth an estimated direct spending of $218 million. Below is a list of major groups that booked meetings, conventions or events for last year and the future:
• National League of Cities (2016; 16,791 room nights)
• Anthrocon (2017; 6,365 room nights)
• Catholic Charismatic Renewal (2017; 5,400 room nights)
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (2018; 3,808 room nights, excluding fan room block)
• National Society of Black Engineers (2018; 10,750 room nights)
• Emergency Nurses Association (2018; 9,885 room nights)
• American Trucking Associations (2019; 5,540 room nights)
• Geological Society of America (2023; 7,973 room nights)
The CVBs marketing efforts were also successful. With such campaigns as “Pittsburgh is Performing,” “Pittsburgh is Visual,” and “Holiday Happenings,” the team worked to increased visitor volume through media markets by 10 percent.
“We have built a reputation in Pittsburgh for collaboration and hard work—and we’re being recognized for holding successful events,” says Davis. “And now, more than ever before, we’re being touted as a wonderful tourist destination. And, it’s only getting better.”
