CVB Travel: CVB puts small-business delicacies on menu

Susan Wade is the public relations manager with the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Cake is yummy all by itself, but if I'm going to indulge, give me a multilayered slice with loads of silky buttercream between each tier.

Tourists like their visits to Springfield the same way I like my dessert.

They want cake big attractions and enjoy the frosting shopping in unique stores, dining in locally owned restaurants, participating in soft adventure activities or any number of unique opportunities offered by small businesses.

Big attractions and small businesses are the ingredients that make Springfield appealing to tourists.

That means small businesses are important when it comes to presenting a package that will bring tourists and the money they spend more than $526 million annually to the city.

Sonja Chasteen, business assistance manager at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, said at least 85 percent of the city's businesses are small, another reason to recognize their value in the tourism mix.

"Because there are so many of them, the variety of products and services they offer is huge," Chasteen said. "Small businesses are the economic engine of our region."

Small businesses also can provide the unusual and one-of-a-kind experiences tourists seek.

Cindi Runowski, owner of Gathered Together Inc. in Galloway Village, said the stores in the historic shopping area count on their distinctiveness and personal service to draw visitors.

"We have a real strong customer base from Springfield, but in the spring and summertime, we do get a lot of tourists that come through here," Runowski said. "I think they're drawn to this area because we are unique."

Tourists' desire for unique experiences is one reason shop owners in Galloway Village and dozens of other small businesses participate in Convention & Visitors Bureau marketing programs that get information about the city's amenities into the hands of thousands of visitors.

Options for business owners include advertising in the official Visitors Guide, linking with the bureau's Web site and participating in a discount card for shopping, dining and attractions. Shop owners also can promote their businesses with displays and brochure distribution in the CVB's tourist information centers, and include brochures in packets mailed annually to about 70,000 people who request information about the city. Other opportunities also are available.

Gary Blankenship, owner of Walnut Street Inn, said a link on the CVB Web site is responsible for a significant number of room nights at his bed and breakfast.

"Our Web connection to the CVB is our number one draw of unique hits," Blankenship said. "About 17 percent of our unique hits new people that have never been to my site before come from the CVB's site."

Sheryl Jones, co-owner of Ted E. Bear's Toy Factory, said she knows the CVB Web site and a Visitors Guide listing lead customers to her store. She doesn't keep track of exactly how many of those customers are tourists, but she does know their business is worth the cost of advertising.

"It has been well worth the money," Jones said. "When people go online to determine where they're going to go for their vacation or their trip, they look at everything on that list."

Shane Robinson, owner of BalloonSport USA, also is pleased with his link on the bureau's Web site and his listing in the Visitors Guide.

About 20 percent of his clients are tourists and many learn about his hot-air balloon rides through the bureau's marketing programs.

"I'm amazed at how many people find something on the Internet about me, and I think in most cases it's been as a result of something the CVB has done," Robinson said.

Besides a Yellow Pages listing, Robinson's entire advertising budget is invested in his Visitors Guide listing and a Web site link.

"I think it's very cost-effective," Robinson said.

Giving businesses value for their investment in CVB marketing programs is one of many goals for the nonprofit bureau. The CVB serves as the city's primary marketing organization working to create positive economic impact on the local economy through tourism growth.

The CVB doesn't stir the batter, bake the cake or spread the frosting. Its job is to let guests know a delicious cake is on the table and there's plenty of frosting between each layer.

To learn more, visit the bureau's Web site at www.springfieldmo.org.