This release comes from The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau:

The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau, formed in 2007 to promote the area just north of Houston as a regional leisure destination, has launched an initiative to promote the area for SMERF (Social Military, Education, Religious and Fraternal and Sporting Events) and meeting planners groups.
Casey Snyder, general manager of The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau, will manage the Bureau’s new SMERF sales initiative, which includes a new website, www.meetingsinthewoodlands.com, and sales efforts to present the area as an ideal location for SMERF gatherings.
“Tourism and meetings are very important components for tourism revenues,” says Nick Wolda, president of The Woodlands Convention& Visitors Bureau.
The Woodlands is home to eleven hotels, including select service, limited service, resort, upscale and boutique properties, which collectively house more than 1,400 guestrooms. The area offers more than more than 130,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including 60,000 square feet of space at The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center and 70,000 square feet at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center.
“The local hoteliers are extremely pleased that this new initiative has been raised by The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau, “says Kent Johnson of The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center. “Not only will this new program benefit the local hotels, it also will create repeat business to The Woodlands, increase attendance at local restaurants and shopping centers, and create additional business and revenue for other local businesses in The Woodlands.”
Amenities in The Woodlands include the Bear Branch Sports Complex with seven, adult-sized soccer fields; the Riva Row Boat House, where groups of all sizes can rent kayaks to enjoy on The Woodlands Waterway®; The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, a 17,000-seat amphitheater which showcases over 60 world-class concerts a year; and more than five million square feet of retail, entertainment, hospitality and dining space.
“Attracting new markets and groups is what’s going to lead us out of this economic downturn,” says Fred Domenick, general manager for The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center.
SMERF groups also will find accessible local transportation options including air-conditioned water taxi service and free trolley service throughout The Woodlands Town Center.
Other popular amenities in The Woodlands for SMERF groups include Town Green Park and The Fountains at Waterway Square™, where a 120-foot water wall performs a nightly choreographed water display.
“We’re confident we’ll be able to build upon our success of promoting The Woodlands as a leisure destination as we approach the SMERF market,” says Synder. “So far, the feedback has been very encouraging. Planners are very impressed with the variety of hotels and amenities in the area.”
Recently, The Woodlands hosted the 2010 Texas Rush Blue Chip Showcase, a weekend event for high school soccer players to showcase their talents in front of college coaches from around the nation. Held at the Bear Branch Sports Field, the event attracted more than 10,000 participants and filled approximately 12,000 hotel room nights.
For more information on hosting an event in The Woodlands, go to www.meetingsinthewoodlands.com or call 281-363-2447.