Review2017 ANNUALBUSINESS

VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM

Our new Unexpected Buffalo marketing

campaign introduced visitors to Buffalo’s

transformation

Dear friends in tourism,

Few periods have been as exciting or rewarding

in my 25-year destination marketing career as

my tenure at Visit Buffalo Niagara. The region has

transformed in profound ways since my arrival

four years ago, from repurposed waterfront grain

silos hosting rock climbing and zip lining to former

mansions, office buildings and a hospital finding

new life as boutique hotels. Projects 20 years in

the making, like the restoration of Frank Lloyd

Wright’s Martin House Complex and Graycliff Estate,

are finally coming to fruition, and new public art,

restaurants, breweries

and distilleries can be

found in now resurgent

neighborhoods.

Visit Buffalo Niagara left no

stone unturned in 2017 to

promote this renaissance

to consumers, travel media,

meeting planners, group tour operators and sports

tournament organizers.

Our new Unexpected Buffalo marketing campaign

introduced hundreds of thousands of prospective

visitors within key drive markets to Buffalo’s

transformation through print, television, digital

and out-of-home advertising. VBN also set a new

media relations record, hosting 45 travel journalists

and securing over 125 stories worth more than $5

million in ad equivalency value in outlets like USA

TODAY, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and

the Cleveland Plain Dealer. We remained on the

cutting edge of social media, launching the first DMO

chatbot on Facebook Messenger. And our African-

American Heritage Initiative commemorated the

100th anniversary of the Colored Musicians Club

Union through a targeted print campaign in nearby

drive markets.

We continued to build buzz about Buffalo by

organizing a travel industry summit last fall that

showcased our destination to top tourism

officials from across the United States. And thanks

to the hard work of the Buffalo Niagara Sports

Commission, the region further cemented its

growing reputation as a first-tier destination for

college and amateur athletics. Thousands of fans

experienced Buffalo’s renaissance thanks to the

return of signature athletic events like the NCAA

Men’s Basketball Tournament and the World Junior

Hockey Championship, as well as the first-ever

Gaelic Athletic Association Continental Youth

Championships played here.

VBN also pushed for

improvements to the Buffalo

visitor experience through our

advocacy for ridesharing in

New York State and partnering

with Erie County to evaluate

the future of the Buffalo

Niagara Convention Center.

Our efforts gained state and national recognition

in 2017: the U.S. Travel Association recognized

our Girlfriend Getaways Marketing Initiative with

a Destiny Award at the ESTO conference last

August, while the New York State Tourism Industry

Association lauded us for the Buffalo Niagara Garden

Tourism Initiative and our Visit Buffalo Niagara

University program.

Developments like the Lipsey Architecture Center of

Buffalo and the Explore and More Children’s Museum

at Canalside will give our team new stories to tell in

the year ahead. Our team and our region reached

new heights in 2017, and the best is yet to come.

Very truly yours,

PATRICK J. KALER

President and CEO

Visit Buffalo Niagara

JUST THE FACTS: 2017 AT A GLANCEVisit Buffalo Niagara spared no effort to promote the transformation of Buffalo to leisure travelers, meeting planners, group tour operators, sports tournament organizers and the media in 2017. VBN’s media relations team broke records in 2017 by pitching and facilitating over 125 stories worth more than $5 million and hosting nearly four dozen writers and bloggers. VBN’s social media pages added thousands of new followers in 2017, while the sales team and Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission continued to play an integral role in Buffalo’s renaissance by booking and servicing hundreds of meetings, conventions and athletic events.

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VBN CONVENTION, SPORTS & GROUP TOUR SALES

$154 million Future economic

impact

715 sales leads

451 Conventions, meetings,

amateur athletic events or group tours booked

181,261 Hotel room

nights booked

BUFFALO NIAGARA CONVENTION CENTER

252,721 People attended

events at the Convention Center

31,620 Hotel room nights utilized due

to events at the Center

281 Days the Center

was occupied

85BUFFALO NIAGARA SPORTS COMMISSION

Amateur sporting events serviced

in 2017

102,511 Hotel room nights

126,871 Attendance

VBN MARKETING

$5.4 million

Media value of out-of-town

media coverage

45 press visits

82,902 Facebook followers

975,846 Unique visits to

the website

130 Out-of-town

media placements

148 Events hosted

25,770 Twitter followers

23,634 Instagram followers

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Visit Buffalo Niagara launched a new marketing

campaign in nearby drive markets last spring.

The Unexpected Buffalo campaign, made possible

through a partnership with the Seneca Gaming

Corp. and the City of Buffalo, highlighted Buffalo’s

resurgence to consumers in Toronto, Rochester,

Erie, Pittsburgh and Cleveland through a television

commercial and print, digital and transit advertising.

Focus group response and anecdotal feedback to the

Unexpected Buffalo creative, which showed a buffalo

enjoying the unexpected attractions and amenities of

our destination, was enthusiastic and encouraging.

To gain further insight into consumer response and

behavior, Visit Buffalo Niagara commissioned an

awareness study through our digital agency, Street

Sense, and their colleagues at Texas A&M University.

The results are in – and in the words of Street Sense,

“The Unexpected Buffalo is a home run.” The study

showed a high degree of awareness in the markets

targeted by the campaign and an increased likelihood

among consumers to travel to Buffalo. Nearly 37

percent of the study respondents made at least

one trip to Buffalo in the last year. Of that total,

12 percent reported they were heavily influenced

by the advertising they recalled.

According to the Texas A&M study, more than 105,000

visitor parties spent $1,029 on average per visitor

party for a total incremental visitor spend of $108

million. For every $1 VBN invested in outreach, we

returned $84 in economic impact to the community.

Television and video ads placed online were the most

influential media identified by consumers. VBN intends

to produce a second Unexpected Buffalo commercial in

2018 and continue the campaign.

“The Unexpected Buffalo is a home run!”

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TIME TO #TRAVELBUFUser-generated content continued to play an important role in promoting Buffalo in 2017. VBN encourages its nearly 25,000 Instagram followers to snap beautiful photos of Buffalo using #travelBUF; our fans responded in 2017 by submitting nearly 20,000 images to that hashtag, spreading images of Buffalo’s renaissance far beyond VBN’s page and following. We then repurposed these beautiful, user-generated photos across our social media channels, in our touring guide and our annual #TravelBUF compilation video. This campaign has resulted in thousands of new images of Buffalo being disseminated online.

BUILDING THE BUFFALO BUZZVisit Buffalo Niagara’s media relations efforts achieved

new records in 2017. VBN hosted an all-time high 45

travel writers, bloggers and influencers in 2017 and

helped facilitate over 125 articles and blogs in out-of-

town media outlets across North America and overseas

worth $5.4 million in ad equivalency value, another

record. Some of the notable coverage VBN assisted

with appeared in USA TODAY and other Gannett outlets

nationwide, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star,

The UK’s Daily Express and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

VBN attended

the Travel Media

Association of

Canada conference in

Quebec City and the

Society of American

Travel Writers in

Oregon last year

to forge new

relationships with

travel media and

continue to build

the Buffalo buzz in

the years to come.

Millenials in Ontario do not have the same negative

stereotypes about Buffalo as previous generations,

according to research VBN completed in 2016.

That conclusion spurred VBN to launch a Millennial

marketing campaign, called “Find the Unexpected,”

in Toronto from August – September 2017. The

campaign aimed to generate intrigue, curiosity

and awareness of Buffalo among the 25-34 age

demographic in Toronto and included ad buys on

YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and BlogTO as well

as posters placed within city restaurants and on

building walls. “Find The Unexpected” also featured six

15-second commercials that highlighted experiences

appealing to millennials. The videos generated 266,000

views over the course of the campaign and attracted

over 7,100 visits to findtheunexpected.com.

Finding The Next Generation Of Visitors

ASK THE UNEXPECTED BUFFALOVisit Buffalo Niagara has made it easier than ever for

visitors to access information about Buffalo on their

smartphones. In July, VBN launched the first chat bot

by a destination marketing organization in the United

States, “Ask the Unexpected Buffalo,” which is housed

on Facebook Messenger. Visitors can send a private

message to Visit Buffalo Niagara’s Facebook page,

which will automatically reply to them with information

on upcoming events, restaurants and things to see and

do. In the eight months since launch, the Unexpected

Buffalo Bot has provided information to over 500 unique

visitors. Visit Buffalo Niagara presented about this

innovative tool at the etourism Summit in San Francisco

in October 2017.

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Lights, Camera...Videos played a growing role in Visit Buffalo Niagara’s content strategy in 2017. VBN’s staff created and produced more in-house videos in 2017 than any previous year. These videos included “Buffalo Live” interviews at popular attractions broadcast directly via mobile device to our 87,000+ Facebook followers, 30-second commercials shared on social media about top Buffalo events, Instagram Stories, and longer-form professional productions highlighting the people and places that make Buffalo a special destination. These videos received high levels of engagement as audiences increasingly spend more time consuming video on social media.

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Girlfriend GetawaysVisit Buffalo Niagara continued to promote Girlfriend Getaways to the Southern Ontario market. The campaign featured e-newsletter distribution to 30,000 Canadian subscribers, attendance at the National Women’s Show in Toronto, Facebook advertising and relevant content on visitbuffaloniagara.com. We also created a custom collateral piece to use as a handout at the National Women’s Show that highlighted 10 reasons why Buffalo Niagara makes for the perfect girlfriend getaway. This piece was a collaboration between VBN and Destination Niagara USA that highlighted experiences such as boutique shopping, Broadway shows, distinctive dining and one-of-a-kind accommodations.

Visit Buffalo Niagara garnered

state and national acclaim for its

work in 2017.

U.S. Travel presented a Destiny

Award for niche marketing to

VBN for its Girlfriend Getaway

Marketing Campaign at its annual

ESTO Conference last

summer. VBN, which

collaborated with

Destination Niagara

USA on the campaign,

beat out other finalists

in the niche marketing

category from Travel

Portland (Ore.) and

Visit Kansas City.

U.S. Travel lauded

VBN for the skillful

implementation of the

2015-2016 campaign, which used a

multi-faceted approach of printed

collateral, digital marketing and

broadcast advertising to promote

travel experiences in the area aimed

at women in Southern Ontario.

“From the start, they had a

targeted, specific audience

identified by research,” the

U.S.travel judges noted. “The final

result that didn’t measure just soft

metrics, but rather hard-earned

tourism dollars, stood out from the

other entries.”

In addition, the New

York State Tourism

Industry Association

presented VBN with

a Tourism Excellence

Award for Visitor

Service last fall for

its Visit Buffalo

Niagara University

program, featuring a

variety of seminars

and informative

programming to keep

members of the local tourism

industry connected, learning

and collaborating. NYSTIA also

awarded VBN a regional level

Tourism Excellence Award for

Tourism Marketing for its Buffalo

Niagara Garden Tourism Initiative.

State and National Recognition

Visit Buffalo Niagara

has created one of the

top digital storytelling

platforms in Buffalo. VBN

publishes several new blog

articles every week on its

website, authored by staff

and a team of contributing

local writers, about the destination’s dining, sightseeing, art, architecture

and other amenities. Staff then shares these blogs to VBN’s Facebook and

Twitter followers. Blogging has become one of the primary tools VBN uses to

spread the word about the destination’s transformation.

Blogging About Buffalo

African American Heritage Funds from a Market NY grant were used to run a targeted print campaign in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Colored Musicians Club Union.

SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH ERIE COUNTY HOTEL REPORT

OCCUPANCY AVERAGE HOTEL RATE REVENUES 2017 63.7% $104.32 $249,243,982 2016 61.7% $102.74 $239,710,239 2015 62.2% $101.23 $235,913,402 2014 64.1% $99.56 $228,301,134

Buffalo’s hotel industry had one its strongest years ever,

according to key indicators compiled by Smith Travel

Research. The average daily rate of $104.32 and the total

revenue at hotels countywide ( $249,243,982) both set

all-time records.

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

ERIE COUNTY

JAN

NATIONAL AVERAGE

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

40.348.3

56.258.1

66.0

75.2

81.8 80.5

73.170.2

58.054.0

53.857.9

68.668.870.2

74.4

73.167.066.461.7

54.0

68.1

MONTHLY OCCUPANCY PERCENTAGE, 2017

A Record Setting Year

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Making Inroads OverseasVisit Buffalo Niagara continues to implement its strategy to

bring more international visitors to the region. In 2017, VBN

participated in sales missions to Ireland, Scotland, Germany and

Switzerland targeting markets for both groups and independent

travelers. Several key global receptive operators visited Buffalo

on a FAM tour and site inspections helped spur additional

opportunities. There are now over 25 bookable packages

available to Buffalo from tour operators in the UK, Ireland,

Scotland, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, China and Japan.

TOP MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS IN BUFFALOBelow are major conventions and events that came to Buffalo in 2017, in order of the most significant economic impact. ESTIMATED ROOM NAME ECONOMIC IMPACT DATE NIGHTS ATTENDEES

New York State Board of Law Examiners $3.9 million July 23 5,900 3,000National Homeland Security Association $2.3 million June 5 3,600 1,200National Association for Campus Activities $2.1 million October 10 1,000 1,200Gauverband Nordamerika $2.1 million June 28 1,800 850New York State Board of Law Examiners $1.9 million February 19 3,800 1,800Church of God and Saints of Christ $1.9 million April 9 1,435 700National Veterans Creative Arts Festival $1.9 million October 22 1,400 1,000Niagara Frontier Automobile Dealers Association $1.8 million February 6 600 4,000Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas $1.8 million June 17 2,580 375UB Dental $1.6 million October 9 560 2,000American Association of Airport Executives $1.5 million April 21 1,325 400Garden Writers Association $1.3 million August 3 1,005 600Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company $1.2 million April 4 853 850DeMolay International $1.2 million June 11 1,424 700

VP of Sales Mike Even and Director of Tourism Sales Leah Mueller promoting Buffalo to German tour operators

Sowing the Seeds of RebirthBuffalo became the center of the gardening

world last August as it hosted the Association

for Garden Communicators conference. Nearly

350 garden writers and bloggers attended the

conference, which generated $1.4 million in

economic impact and showcased some of the

city’s top gardens, the Olmsted Park system and

the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens.

The GWA’s decision to host its conference here

was validation of the investment Buffalo has made in gardening and landscape architecture over more than 20 years.

VBN assisted with the logistical details of the conference, assembled a press kit for the writers and sponsored a

grab-and-go breakfast as the garden media toured the Elmwood Village.

SHOWING OFF BUFFALOVisit Buffalo Niagara hosted 15 out-of-town meeting planners and group tour operators in September who had the potential to bring future conventions, meetings and group tours to Buffalo. The group participated in a multi-day familiarization tour that included stops at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Niagara Falls. VBN also treated the attendees to a theatrical presentation on a double decker bus tour that acquainted them with the city. Opportunities such as these help make the right impression and are critical for ensuring future success in generating sales activity.

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IEWCONGRATULATIONS!

Visit Buffalo Niagara hired two new

staff members and promoted a third

employee within its sales department

in 2017. Jennifer Gregory and Jenilyn

Mescall are VBN’s new national sales

managers, while Dionne Williamson,

a 13-year employee, was promoted to

national sales director.

All three work to bring additional

convention business to Buffalo and

Erie County. Williamson’s new markets

include corporate and national

associations such as education,

environmental and multicultural

groups. Mescall’s market segments

include fraternal, heritage, patriotic,

veterans, hobby and vocational, military

reunion and religious groups. Gregory

focuses on attracting conventions

for government, health and medical,

manufacturing/distribution, scientific,

engineering, technical, labor union,

trade, commercial and business groups.

Members of the Association for Garden Communicators explore Buffalo during their meeting in August

Jennifer Gregory

Jenilyn Mescall

Dionne Williamson

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AN AMATEUR SPORTS MECCABuffalo hosted a series of major athletic events in 2017,

elevating its reputation as a first-tier destination for

college and amateur sports.

KeyBank Center hosted rounds one and two of

the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in March,

bringing thousands of visitors to downtown Buffalo

and generating $8 million in economic impact. In July,

the Gaelic Athletic Association’s Continental Youth

Championships took center center stage, filling a total

of nearly 5,000 hotel room nights, drawing teams and

visitors from as far away as Ireland and generating

$3 million for the local economy. The organization is

already planning on returning to Buffalo.

And in December, the World Junior Hockey

Championships returned to Buffalo for the first time

since 2010. The core group of teams from Canada,

Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Belarus, Russia, Sweden,

Denmark and the U.S., as well as team and tournament

officials, generated $7 million in economic impact and

occupied 7,300 hotel room nights.

The Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission was integral to

each event and dozens of other smaller competitions

throughout 2017, working behind the scenes to ensure

tournament teams and visitors had a great stay

and coordinating volunteer efforts. BNSC staff and

volunteers implemented a “Random Acts of Kindness”

program during the NCAA tournament that took care

of the dinner bill for pleasantly surprised visitors at

restaurants near KeyBank Center.

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

WORLD JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

GAA CONTINENTAL YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS

Showcasing Buffalo’s TransformationTourism and hospitality leaders from across the United

States experienced the rebirth of Buffalo firsthand

at Visit Buffalo Niagara’s Travel Industry Summit on

October 18 and 19.

The summit, the first of its kind held in Buffalo,

provided an opportunity for leading travel experts to

witness our transformation and provide feedback to

the local tourism industry on positioning Buffalo for

continued growth as a leisure, convention and amateur

sports destination. Our guests – including officials

from the U.S. Travel Association, Destinations International, The American Society of Association

Executives, the National Tour Association and the National Association of Sports Commissions –

left here energized and ready to spread the word about our destination’s exciting resurgence to their networks

across the United States. VBN conceived of the summit during the development of its last five-year strategic plan.

Catherine Prather from National Tour Association answers a question at the Travel Industry Summit

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OUTSTANDING LODGING EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Sina Razavi Buffalo Niagara MarriottOUTSTANDING LODGING MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Michael Kucinski, Millennium BuffaloOUTSTANDING LODGING G.M. OF THE YEAR

Huseyin Taran Buffalo Marriott HarborCenterOUTSTANDING TOURISM EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Shirley Landsittel Penn Dixie

In May, we celebrated National Travel and Tourism Week, bringing

attention to the economic impact of tourism in Erie County. Activities

included our 7th annual Beacon Awards luncheon, attended by a record

600+ industry partners, elected officials, volunteers and local vendors.

Working with the former WNY Hospitality Association, we continued

the Hospitality Scholarship – the 2017 recipient was Kaitlyn Norsen,

a graduate of Depew High School, attending the Russell J. Salvatore

School of Hospitality at Trocaire.

The 2017 Beacon Award recipients were:

A Beacon of Excellence

TRAVEL

& TOURISM

P R E S E N T E D B Y

OUTSTANDING TOURISM VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Chuck LaChiusa Explore Buffalo Tours

OUTSTANDING TOURISM EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Verity Folan Grayline ToursOUTSTANDING TOURISM INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

World’s Largest DiscoBUFFALO AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR

Buffalo Place Rangers

BRING IT HOME AWARD – SPORTS

Rick Zacher The Cup North American Championship

BRING IT HOME AWARD – CONVENTIONS

Steve Eden Delaware North

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR (TIE)

Dan Garvey Roycroft Inn Jay Manno Soho Burger Bar & Frankie Primos +39

THE CENTER OF IT ALLThe Buffalo Niagara Convention Center

(BNCC) had another successful year as

Buffalo’s most expansive conference and

event space. More than 250,000 people

attended 148 different events and occupied

the center on 281 days in 2017. These events

contributed more than $34 million to the local

economy, based on the Association of Venue

Managers calculator. Among the notable

events hosted at the Center were the U.S. Sales Kickoff for

Ingram Micro, Gaufest, and the Garden Writers Association Annual

Conference & Expo. Collectively, these events led to 31,620 room night

bookings at surrounding hotels. The BNCC had another stellar year of

service, too, earning an impressive average score of 4.72/5 on their

Guest Satisfaction Surveys.

252,721 148

people attended

different events

Visit Buffalo Niagara University, launched in 2017,

is a comprehensive training and educational program

for our industry partners designed to enhance a

visitor’s experience at every opportunity. The program

provides our partner hotels, attractions, restaurants

and volunteers with information on new developments

in our destination, resources to better assist our guests,

and best-practice training in customer service through a

series of e-communications, industry

gatherings, familiarization tours and

subject-specific training sessions.

VBN University’s inaugural year

was a success. Attendance at VBN’s

15 industry meetings, front line

training sessions, Beacon Awards,

Travel Industry Summit and

familiarization field trips reached

an all-time high of 1,468 in 2017.

Subscribers to Buffalo Niagara

This Week, a weekly email with

recommendations for things to do is approaching 700,

and 1,700 partners subscribe to Travel Pulse, a monthly

report of metrics impacting tourism. Our two visitor

centers also provided 43,152 referrals to nearly 83,000

visitors, an increase of nearly six percent over 2016.

We also introduced Delila, our Destination Extranet

for Leads, Information, Listings and Activities portal, in

2017. Delila allows partners to update

their listing to our website, adding

photography and video, linking

to Trip Advisor, social media and

giving access to VBN’s website event

calendar which, in 2017, included over

1,000 local events from which visitors

could choose to attend.

VBN University received the 2017

Tourism Excellence Award for Visitor

Service from the New York State

Tourism Industry Association.

Educating Our Partners

U N I V E R S I T Y

delila

d

de12

Cindy Abbott-Letro Law Offices of Francis A. Letro

Donald K. Boswell WNY Public Broadcasting Association

Steve Boyd, Esq. Steve Boyd, P.C.

Jonathan A. Dandes Rich Baseball Operations

Dottie Gallagher-Cohen Buffalo Niagara Partnership

Lesley Haynes Erie County Legislature Appointment

Thomas R. Hersey, Jr Erie County Commissioner of Environment & Planning

Patrick J. Kaler Visit Buffalo Niagara

Randall Kramer MusicalFare Theatre

Dennis P. Murphy InnVest Lodging Services, Inc.

Bridget Niland Daemen College

Minesh Patel Adam’s Mark Hotel & Event Center

Edward A. Rath, III Erie County Legislature

Mary F. Roberts Martin House Restoration Corporation

Brent Rossi Pegula Sports & Entertainment

James T. Sandoro The Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum

Paul Snyder, III Snyder Corporation

Donald Spasiano Trocaire College School of Hospitality and Business

Huseyin Taran Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTER

Toni L. Vazquez Urban Family Practice

Leslie H. Zemsky Larkin Square

2017 VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2017 COMMITTEES

CHAIR: Jonathan A. Dandes Rich Baseball Operations

COMMITTEE MEMBERSCHAIR-ELECT: Mary F. Roberts Martin House Restoration Corp.PRESIDENT & CEO: Patrick Kaler Visit Buffalo Niagara

SECRETARY: Toni L. Vazquez Urban Family PracticeTREASURER : Cindy Abbott-Letro Law Offices of Francis A. LetroIMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR: Dennis P. Murphy InnVest Lodging Services, Inc.

Executive Committee

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} Heartland Travel Showcase – February 16-18, 2018 North America’s largest regional motor coach trade show recently came to Buffalo, creating lasting benefits for the region’s tourism industry. The Heartland Travel Showcase pairs those who sell group travel experiences, such as bus travel, with local attractions. Tour operators had a firsthand look at Buffalo and its many attractions, positioning the city for bookings and future tours with busloads of visitors. Heartland Travel Showcase generated $1 million in economic impact for the region, and the group tours booked in Buffalo as a result of the conference may bring in millions more in the years to come.

} Costa FLW Series – July 26-28 » Buffalo will welcome approximately 150 boats and 350 anglers and staff to compete in the FLW (Fishing League Worldwide) Series. The series is expected to generate approximately 1,200 hotel room nights and produce more than $800,000 in economic impact.

} 2018 National Softball Association Girls Fast Pitch World Series B Division – July 23-28 » Buffalo will become softball central this July, as the National Softball Association Girls

Fast Pitch World Series at the Amherst Audubon Recreation Complex and West Seneca’s Sunshine Park will bring in 150 teams from across the country. The series will generate $3 million in economic impact and fill 5,000 hotel room nights.

} The Marine Corps League – August 10-18 This military reunion will draw more than 800 attendees over an entire week, fill 3,000 room nights in downtown Buffalo and generate over $2 million in economic impact.

} EO NERVE – September 12-14 » The Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s annual East Region Conference will draw over 500 attendees, fill over 400 room nights and generate more than $500,000 for the economy. EO is a global business network of over 12,000 leading entrepreneurs in 170 chapters and 53 countries.

} The American Wine Association Society – November 8-11 Wine connoisseurs from across the country will converge on the Queen City, attracting 650 attendees and generating 1,000 room nights and $1.4 million for the local economy.

Top Events of 2018

CHAIR: Leslie Zemsky Larkin Square STAFF: Ed Healy VP of MarketingCOMMITTEE MEMBERSE. Frits Abell Impact IndustriesJim Charlier JCharlier Communication DesignCaitlin Deibel Martin House Restoration Corp.Nicholas Delmonte Hart HotelsAndrea Gallagher Buffalo Museum of ScienceDora Kukuliatas- Tom’s Restaurant WisniewskiErin Marra Canalside Buffalo

Katie McKenna University at BuffaloDiana Principe The Mansion on Delaware AvenueMary Roberts Martin House Restoration CorporationKathleen Rooney Kathleen Rooney CommunicationsJames T. Sandoro Buffalo Transportation/

Pierce-Arrow MuseumMaria Scully-Morreale Albright-Knox Art GalleryZach Specht Pegula Sports & EntertainmentSandy White Freelance Writer

Marketing Committee

CHAIR: Randall Kramer MusicalFare TheatreSTAFF: Cindy Kincaide Director, Industry Relations &

Destination DevelopmentCOMMITTEE MEMBERSConstance Caldwell Buffalo History MuseumRob Free Consumer’s Pub/NYS Restaurant Assn.Dan Garvey Roycroft Inn/NYS Restaurant Assn.Todd Geise Buffalo Zoo

Brad Hahn Explore BuffaloLeslie Haynes County of Erie AppointmentLynn Marinelli Empire State Development Corp.Megan Porter Hampton Inn & Suites Buffalo AirportGary Praetzel Jen Swan Arts Services Initiative

Destination Development Committee

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CHAIR: Huseyin Taran Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTERSTAFF: Mike Even VP of SalesCOMMITTEE MEMBERSClorissa Bapst Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTERKim Bauer Residence Inn Buffalo Amherst Britton Buczkowski Holiday Inn Buffalo AirportMelissa Burke Buffalo Niagara Convention CenterMatt Carlucci Garden Place HotelWendy Clubine Buffalo LodgingJoyce Curry SpringHill Suites Buffalo AirportMichael Dobell Hyatt Regency BuffaloAnn Dugan Buffalo LodgingKelly Fox Aloft Buffalo Airport

Thomas Keane Hart HotelsDavid Lacki Ellicott DevelopmentKaila Kise Hilton Garden Inn Buffalo DowntownRuss Papia The Westin Buffalo Megan Porter Hampton Inn & Suites Buffalo AirportJeff Rapini Millennium Hotel BuffaloMonica Rapini Embassy Suites by Hilton BuffaloEdwin Shelp Adam’s Mark Hotel & Events CenterMatt Spencer Holiday Inn Express & Suites DowntownRenee Stupski-Pundt Wyndham Garden Buffalo DowntownAnnMarie Taft Buffalo Niagara MarriottLaToya Williams Hyatt Place Buffalo/Amherst

Sales Committee

CHAIR: Cindy Abbott-Letro Law Offices of Francis A. LetroSTAFF: David Marzo Chief Financial Officer

COMMITTEE MEMBERSSteve Boyd, Esq. Steve Boyd, P.C.Donald Spasiano Trocaire College School of Hospitality and BusinessToni L. Vazquez Urban Family Practice

Budget/Finance/Audit Committee

2017 BUFFALO NIAGARA SPORTS COMMISSION ADVISORY COUNCIL

2017 BUFFALO NIAGARA CONVENTION CENTER STAFFRichard Arnold Sous ChefMelissa Bean Convention & Event Service ManagerTom Beiter ControllerMelissa Burke Senior Director of Sales and MarketingLorna Cullen Executive AssistantSusan Kimmins Sales & Catering ManagerEddie Krecisz Assistant Operations ManagerMaryAnn Martin Accounting & Benefits ManagerPaul Murphy Facility DirectorTerry O’Brien Director of Operations

Heather Petrino Sales & Service CoordinatorKeith Pitman ElectricianKenneth Sandford Chief EngineerPaul Scime Food & Beverage Manager Raymond Thom Executive ChefAmy Trautman Convention Sales ManagerLisa Vega Lobby ReceptionistBrooke Williams Banquet ManagerRaymond Williams Timekeeper/Security Danielle Winiarski Convention & Event Service Manager

Kathy Benzel Information Technology ManagerDrew Brown Marketing ManagerMichele Butlak Accounting and Benefits ManagerJoAnn Blatner Industry Relations AssistantKaren Cox Convention Services ManagerDenise Drews Visitor Center ManagerMichael Even Vice President of Sales & ServicesKaren Fashana Director of Marketing Charles Giglia Director of Sports SalesJennifer Gregory National Sales ManagerPete Harvey Director of Sports DevelopmentBrian Hayden Communications ManagerEd Healy Vice President of Marketing

Patrick Kaler President & CEOCindy Kincaide Director, Industry Relations and

Destination DevelopmentTracy Martell Convention Services ManagerDavid Marzo Chief Financial OfficerJenilyn Mescall National Sales ManagerLeah Mueller Tourism Sales DirectorAllison Pawarski Sports Sales and Services ManagerJudy Smith Director of AdministrationMatt Steinberg Director of Creative ServicesLauren Vargo Administrative AssistantDionne Williamson Sales Director; Specialty Market

2017 VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA STAFF

CHAIR: Bridget Niland Daemen CollegeCOMMITTEE MEMBERSRuss Brandon Buffalo Bills & Buffalo SabresAnn Brooker Buffalo NewsMike Buczkowski Buffalo BisonsStephen Butler Niagara UniversityChris Catanzaro Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp.Brian Cavanaugh D’Youville CollegeDrew Cerza National Buffalo Wing FestivalChristopher Ciamaga HARBORCENTERRob Crean Buffalo SabresJonathan A. Dandes Rich Baseball OperationsTherese Forton-Barnes Events to a TeeSean Green RiverworksKathleen Gregoire Skating Club of WNYEric Guzdek Northtown Center at AmherstC. Douglas Hartmayer NFTAThomas Hersey County of Erie

Peter Jerebko Erie Community CollegeLeo Kaminsky NYSPHSAATom Koller Buffalo State CollegeJohn Lambert University at BuffaloMatt LaSota Canalside BuffaloJoe Lojacono Valmark AssociatesJohn Maddock Canisius CollegeBill Maher Canisius CollegeLynn Marinelli Empire State Development Corp.Ron Raccuia AdPro Team SportsEdward Rath, Jr. Erie County LegislatureNicholas Salvatore Salvatore’s HospitalityBob Schell Amherst Youth HockeyLisa Scherer Scherer Event ManagementTimm Slade Section VICharles C. Swanekamp Bond, Schoeneck & KingKathleen Twist University at BuffaloJennifer Van Rysdam Pegula Sports & Entertainment

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WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT BUFFALO

TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE TWO VIEWS OF THE RICHARDSON COMPLEX – THE GLAMOROUS NEW HOTEL AND ITS ADJOINING, NEGLECTED BUILDINGS – MIGHT WELL REPRESENT BUFFALO AS A WHOLE:

HISTORIC, GRITTY, AND ON THE CUSP OF A RENAISSANCE.CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER

Crazy about American architecture? This is where to see commercial, residential and institutional buildings by America’s most revered trio of architects – H.H. Richardson, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. USA TODAY

Buffalo is making a big comeback in large part by repurposing its

historic buildings and long-dormant grain silos.

Downtown Buffalo now buzzes with

life thanks in part to the ever-expanding

Canalside entertainment and recreation

complex and a host of new dining

and drinking establishments.THE NEW YORK TIMES, 52 PLACES TO GO IN 2018