The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) has announced a programme incentivising meetings and conventions booked in the city for 2025. The offer includes financial concessions, in-kind marketing support and a rent reduction at the Pennsylvania Convention Centre. Maria Grasso, senior vice-president of the convention division at PHLCVB, said: “With one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, Philadelphia is committed to the return of face-to-face meetings and events. We know the next few years are being looked at closely for bookings across the country, so our goal is to have this incentive programme be a major factor in drawing planners’ interest to our city. We can really boost Philadelphia’s already cost-effective value and offer flexibility, including great dates during peak times of 2025, given our calendar right now.” Events booked with 2,000 peak rooms and above will receive:
- $25,000 financial concessions
- $25,000 in-kind marketing support
- 25% off Pennsylvania Convention Center rental
Events booked with 1,000 to 1,999 peak rooms will receive:
- $2,500+ financial concessions
- $2,500+ in-kind marketing support
- 25% off Pennsylvania Convention Center rental
Events must be booked for 2025 before 30 June, 2022, to take advantage of the incentive programme. Throughout the pandemic, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (PCCA) has invested approximately $25m in capital improvements focused on environmental hygiene and implementation of enhanced health and safety protocols. Updates are based on guidance from the US’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and facility operator ASM Global’s VenueShield programme. These measures resulted in the Center earning its GBAC STAR accreditation in 2020 and reaccreditation in 2021.
