The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau wants to open the community to social, military, education, religious, fraternal and sport events.

The tourism arm of The Woodlands isn’t looking for Smurfs, the little blue leprechauns popular in the 1980s. Instead, they recently launched a campaign to attract group sales for social, military, education, religious, fraternal and sport events.

“The Woodlands is a great place for two to three day meetings,” said Nick Wolda, president of The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We have the facilities, we have the infrastructure, we have the environment. We have the shopping, hospitality and dining.”

The Woodlands traditionally has solicited the convention market, which caters to large professional associations and corporate business, which serves the many international firm located in and around the community.

But with the lagging economy, those sectors are declining and The Woodlands Township is going after another business area: group sales. This could include social organizations, like Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions Clubs; military groups, like reunions; education organizations, like teacher conferences, fraternal groups like sororities and sporting events.

“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

The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau recently launched a new web site to appeal to this market. Located at www.meetingsinthewoodlands.com, the site promotes the 1,400 rooms, 150,000 square feet of meeting space and five million square feet of retail and shopping available in The Woodlands.

The Woodlands already is seeing success with the sporting initiatives, where limited services hotel report a 12 percent jump in business in January from these events. With nearby facilities and organizations for running, swimming and diving and baseball, those numbers are growing, Wolda said.

For example, the Texas Blue Chip Showcase Soccer event recently attracted 3,500 visitors to the community, said Casey Snyder, general manager of the Woodlands CVB. The community is also expected to host the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Diving Championship in 2011.

Local sports facilities and organization also hold frequent competitions and tournaments, like Legends and Rush Soccer, Wolda said.

The community also is helping to market The Woodlands to their own organizations. By talking to village associations, the convention bureau has gotten leads from resident who want to bring their organization’s events to the community.

The Woodlands has 11 hotels, everything from a full service convention hotel, a resort and conference center and limited services facilities

“The Woodlands is a great place to hold your reunion, your wedding, your social gala or your sporting activities,” Wolda said.

Group Sales in The Woodlands

The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau recently launched a new web site to target the social, military, educational, religious, fraternal and sports markets. Following is the web site and what it includes.
www.meetingsinthewoodlands.com
• The Woodlands Fact Sheet
• Meeting Facilities
• Accommodations
• Local Transportation
• Attractions
Source: The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau