NYC & Company Rebrands, Adds ‘Conventions’ to Name

 NYC & Company, the CVB for Gotham has rebranded as New York City Tourism + Conventions, adding the “conventions” to hit home the value the city has for meeting planners.

CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, Fred Dixon, debuted the name and rebrand on March 28 along with the debut of a social campaign, #whatsgoodnyc, allowing New Yorkers to share their POV on “what’s good” in NYC.

“The introduction of our new name and brand system marks a significant moment for our organization,” Dixon said. “Our new brand captures the essence of New York City in its entirety: an ever-expansive destination that offers diverse and authentic experiences that enrich the traveler and benefit all New Yorkers. This shift strategically positions us to continue leading the City’s nearly $65 billion tourism economy. It makes clear our purpose and mission as the official tourism organization for one of the world’s greatest destinations—our commitment to New York City has never been greater.”

“We are excited about this brand evolution and for the organization’s continued stewardship of New York City’s tourism industry,” said Charles Flateman, New York City Tourism + Conventions board chair and executive vice president of The Shubert Organization. “The creation of this new brand system was informed and supported by dozens of organizations and hundreds of individuals from the tourism industry including members and visitors alike. We look forward to working with all our partners and stakeholders to further the work of connecting local businesses, visitors and residents, and spreading the benefits of tourism across all five boroughs.”

Sharing the Message

The organization’s website, nyctourism.com debuts in May. New social media handles @nyctourism and @nyctourismnews will launch across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn encouraging New Yorkers and meetings attendees to share using the hashtag #WhatsGoodNYC.

Read More: New York: Secrets of the Empire State

In their announcement, the organization said that New York City’s economic recovery continued in 2022 with over 56 million travelers arriving in the City—a 72.5% increase over 2021. The City saw 9.4 million international travelers visit the five boroughs—more than triple the number in 2021. The City also hosted over 4 million business travelers signaling the return of this important segment. This activity marks the return of 85% of the City’s record 2019 visitation levels. The City remains on track to welcome 63.3 million visitors in 2023. The pace of tourism’s rebound helps fuel New York City’s economic recovery having supported approximately 340,000 jobs in the full leisure and hospitality sector, more than $40 billion in direct visitor spending and approximately $60 billion in total economic impact for 2022.

NYC and Global Meetings Industry Day

In a separate announcement on Global Meetings Industry Day, Jerry Cito, executive vice president, Convention Development, New York City Tourism + Conventions, said:

“New York City Tourism + Conventions is proud to support the Meetings Mean Business Coalition on the eighth annual Global Meetings Industry Day on March 30, 2023. Today and every day, we join our industry colleagues in celebrating the power of face-to-face meetings, conventions and business events, and the significant impact they have on our tourism and hospitality sector and local economies around the country.

In New York City, there is much to be excited about, with over $20 billion in investment across our airports; 127,000 hotel rooms in active inventory; a newly expanded and renovated Javits Center; and world-class ‘only-in-NYC’ experiences across Broadway, dining, arts and culture, entertainment, retail and more. We look forward to continuing our work with business event professionals and welcoming delegates from around the world this year and beyond.”

Meeting Planners Takeaway

New York City Tourism + Conventions morphing out of NYC&Co. is clear evidence that the Big Apple is hungry for meetings (and conventions) again. Financial incentives may be something to look forward to as the city pushes to put itself back on meeting planners’ maps.

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