Keeping in tune with its proactive approach in 2009 to regionalize three destination organizations around the Great Lakes Bay in Michigan, the Great Lakes Bay Regional CVB later published a comprehensive guide to continue engaging its stakeholders in travel and tourism-related legislation.
Sharing its expertise and experience through the Legislative Guide helped establish the CVB as a leader in advancing the legislative agenda and as a key contributor to the Region and State’s economic growth.
Regionalizing the Bay
2009 marked an important summer for the Great Lakes Bay region of Michigan, as three of the area’s DMOs in Bay, Midlands, and Saginaw Counties embarked on a mission to establish a single convention and visitors bureau to represent and market the entire region to investors, industry, and visitors. The effort coincided with similar collaborative initiatives through the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance (GLBRA). The GLBRA office helps coordinate activities of the three counties’ economic development offices and chambers of commerce.
By September, the regional CVB was well on its way towards formalization, under the guidance of a dedicated task force that would work towards the government ratification. The Great Lakes Bay Regional CVB was officially established in 2011 and maintains a seat in the GLBRA Executive Committee.
Providing a Roadmap
Taking the lead on an unprecedented collaboration between several counties required the alliance to provide not only the vision, but also an actionable roadmap. The task force found that publishing a guide would help educate and mobilize fellow Michigan-based CVBs and industry representatives around the legislative process during the regionalization process.
Powering an Education & Information Engine
The organization takes a proactive stance on advocacy and makes and effort to:
- Actively share information directly to elected officials and their staff,
- Host community gatherings,
- Provide presentations, and
- Conduct legislative familiarization tours that highlight the top issues to be addressed within the fiscal year.
Moreover, the CVB collaborates on non-tourism issues as well, actively supporting those legislative issues that impact other types of commerce within the region.
“We accept the responsibility of being the tourism legislative champion. The destination organization’s role is to actively initiate communication with elected officials on all levels of government depending on the issue at hand.”
Legacy of Leadership
Following the successful formation of the new Great Lakes Bay Regional CVB, the Legislative Guide remains a valuable resource and vehicle to share the organization’s approach with fellow industry members and those outside of the tourism industry. The CVB continues to lead activities to formulate legislation that benefits the industry, and serves to opposition legislation that would negatively impact it.