What makes your city a top meeting/convention destination? Our great location is one factor. Memphis International Airport is a hub for Northwest Airlines, and more than 600 flights land at and depart from the airport daily. Two major interstates (I-40 and I-55) intersect here as well. As second-tier cities go, Memphis is also very affordable. Of course, we also offer fabulous amenities and one-of-a-kind experiences of the musical (Graceland and much more) and non-musical (National Civil Rights Museum) kind.
Tell us about a meeting you're thrilled to have just signed on or a recent meeting you're very pleased with. The Church of God in Christ holds its annual Holy Convocation here, bringing up to 50,000 visitors to the city. Our sweet spot, though, is groups of 1,500 to 2,500 delegates, using our downtown hotels. Memphis has 21,000 rooms, 3,500 of which are downtown.
What is your perspective on destination leadership?
Collaboration with industry partners is key. Destination leaders must move beyond marketing their own cities. In our case, we're selling a region, not just Memphis, as a destination. As such, we maintain strong relationships with the Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Tennessee Department of Tourism & Economic Development, and others. Destination leadership is about more than putting heads in beds and filling restaurant seats. It's about promoting a city's image.
What is your city's roadmap for the future?
Memphis' future remains bright with the growth of our hotel package and other developments. A multibillion-dollar downtown renaissance and the recent $100 million expansion of the Memphis Cook Convention Center have resulted in outstanding facilities and space. A 200-room Westin Hotel has opened adjacent to the FedEx Forum, and a 250-room Hyatt property will open on Beale Street in 2010. What green initiatives is your destination undertaking? The Memphis Cook Convention Center is in the first phase of an initiative to become completely green. A cardboard recycling program has been introduced, and 20 tons of cardboard will be recycled during the program's first year. Compact fluorescent lamps are being used in some parts of the building, reducing energy consumption by about 60 percent. The next phase of the initiative involves plastic and glass recycling and the practice of a "green" mentality in purchasing supplies and more. As for our community, an electric trolley system to replace buses in the center of the city has reduced emissions. We're paying special attention to parks and landscaping.
How have destination marketing organizations (DMOs) evolved over the past 10 years, and how do you see the role of the bureau changing in the future?
The advent and development of technology, and the access to information it provides, has compelled DMOs to become more aggressive and sophisticated in the way they deliver unbiased, official messages about their destinations and the strength of those destinations.

On the convention sales side, DMOs have had to adopt more of a vertical sales strategy, pursuing specific market niches. Both of these will continue moving forward.
What is your biggest challenge as a DMO?
Balancing the need to acknowledge and address the social problems common to large cities with offering meeting and convention delegates a comfortable, safe experience.