Columbia Hospitality + Tourism

Ad sales for the Columbia 2013 Official Visitors Guide will begin on April 2, 2012. The Columbia Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau is partnering with Journal Communications once again to publish this piece. We will print 160,000 copies and will offer an online guide for our 300,000 + annual online unique visitors. Our sales rep is Jordan Moore. He will be in touch with Columbia area businesses soon regarding space reservation in the 2013 guide.

Barbara Chambers

Partnership Services Manager
Columbia Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau

1010 Lincoln Street | Columbia, SC | 29201

Phone 803.545.0021 | Fax 803.545.0102 | Toll Free 800.264.4884

www.famouslyhot.com

 

The Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Lexington Chamber of Commerce, Richland County, Lexington County, Town of Lexington and the cities of Columbia and Forest Acres are pleased to announce that the Columbia region will be the featured destination in the June 2012 issue of US Airways magazine, the award winning in-flight publication of US Airways.

Columbia's leadership organizations look forward to working in conjunction with the US Airways magazine staff in developing this comprehensive editorial feature. Profile: Columbia, SC will highlight our local economic development initiatives and tourism industry, and also will focus on education and healthcare resources, real estate, technology and other facets of our area. We are confident that this is an ideal opportunity to showcase the unique combination of culture, business and lifestyle that makes the Columbia region an unmatched place in which to work, live and play.
In addition to being featured in the June issue, Profile: Columbia, SC will also be available for one year on US Airways magazine's website, usairwaysmag.com.

It is phenomenal editorial coverage for our area, and we strongly encourage you to support this effort through the submission of story ideas or through the purchase of advertising space in the publication. We hope you will welcome them and take advantage of the promotional potential this feature offers your organization and our region overall.

For more information about participation in the editorial and advertising components of US Airways magazine, Profile: Columbia, SC, please contact Heather Buchman by April 13, 2012 at 336.255.0195 or heather.buchman@paceco.com.

US Airways is the dominant carrier in the eastern United States, serving more than 200 destinations and boasting more than 80 million passengers worldwide; it's also the top carrier into Columbia Metropolitan Airport. US Airways magazine is seen each month by more than 7 million of the world's elite business and leisure travelers, making this feature an effective venue for promoting our area's businesses and organizations.

We believe this is a strong opportunity to expose Columbia to a broad national and international audience. We look forward to you joining our efforts to promote Columbia, the region we are so fortunate to call "home."

Columbia Design League, a Columbia Museum of Art membership affiliate group, announces a Call for Entries for its fifth annual Runaway Runway: A Recycled Fashion Show. Entry is open to everyone and the entry fee is $10. Garments must be made from recycled materials and entrants are required to attend a rehearsal on Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 6:00 pm. The registration deadline is April 6, 2012. Raid your trash bins, recycling containers, and closets and come Strut Your Junk!
 
Runaway Runway is a design competition that brings together talented designers to turn trash into sustainable fashion treasures. The event is Columbia's premiere spring fashion show and highlights the value of recycling and living green. Be a part of this fun and funky event that attracts a wide audience - from the young, hip and creative to long time patrons of the arts in Columbia. All come together to marvel at what designers can create from such a variety of used materials such as coffee filters, bottle caps, empty containers, industrial scraps, newspapers and plastic bags.
 
Runaway Runway: A Recycled Fashion Show will be held on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the Township Auditorium. The Presenting sponsor is Palmetto Clean Energy (PaCE). Additional sponsors are Companion Global Healthcare, 360 Vodka/Fetzer and Ben Arnold, Revente/Sid & Nancy, Rosso Trattoria Italia and the Abacus Planning Group. 
 
Runaway Runway reinforces the recycling message in a festive style. Collect your garbage and get out your sewing needle! To enter, visit columbiadesignleague.org.
 
For inspiration, get up close and personal with outfits from the 2011 Runaway Runway fashion show and learn about the conceptual and construction process behind each outfit at the Meet the Designers: Runaway Runway community gallery installation at the Museum. From a bubble wrap gown to a Mad Hatter spin-off, these creations feature post-consumer materials, range in theme and materials and are wild eco-friendly fashions! The installation opens with a CDL reception on Friday, April 6, 2012 and is on view through May 13, 2012.
 
Since 1997 the Columbia Design League has brought speakers from around the nation and around the corner to engage, challenge and inspire us all to appreciate the impact of design on our lives.  Join the Columbia Design League and become part of Columbia's dynamic community of citizens who are working for a brighter future by design.  For more information about the Design League, visit columbiadesignleague.org.

 

The Richland-Lexington Airport Commission (RLAC) will host a Public Information Meeting (Open House format) on Monday, January 23, 2012 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm to provide an opportunity for the public to review the recently proposed update to its 20-year Master Plan. The meeting will be held in the Carolina Room located on the lower level of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) terminal. The general public is encouraged to attend and provide comments.

The purpose of the Public Information Meeting is to provide a forum for public review and comment relative to the 20-year vision and recommended strategies for airport development being proposed in the Airport Master Plan Update. The “open house” meeting format is intended to provide an opportunity for the general public to have interactive discussion with the Airport Commission and staff as well as the Master Plan Update consultants regarding the airport improvements proposed in the Master Plan Update.

The primary goals of the Airport Master Plan Update are to define the current and projected future aviation demand at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport; determine the strategies and alternatives for addressing this demand; to clearly identify the role of the airport in the local, regional and national aviation system; and to assess the need and financial feasibility of developing new airport facilities and infrastructure.

Please note that airport parking is complimentary to everyone attending the public information meeting on January 23 and attendees should bring their parking tickets to the meeting to receive a complimentary parking stamp.

We look forward to seeing you there. If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Lynne Douglas at 803-822-5020 or l.douglas@columbiaairport.com.

 

The Business Services Review Task Force, a partnership between the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the City of Columbia and Richland County to establish a more business friendly environment in the Midlands, will hold a community forum on Monday, October 17, 2011.

The Chamber, City and County created the Task Force, which held its first meeting last month, as a result of concerns raised by local businesses related to delays and difficulties within the various departments responsible for approvals and permits required for current or planned projects. The forum will give businesses that have participated in the government approvals process an opportunity to offer feedback.

The community feedback will be used by the Task Force as it works to review the government approval processes, identify strengths and weaknesses with the processes, recommend methods to improve the processes, and establish measurable standards to increase speed, accuracy, consistency and customer service.

Watch a video with David Brands, Chairman of the Business Services Review Task Force.

The forum will take place at 4:00 pm at the South Carolina Bar Conference Center located at 950 Taylor Street in downtown Columbia. The forum is open to the public.

WHAT:
Business Services Review Task Force Community Forum

WHEN:
Monday, October 17, 2011
4:00 pm

WHERE:
South Carolina Bar Conference Center
950 Taylor Street, Columbia, SC 29201

Join the Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau and The SC Tourism and Hospitality Educational Foundation for the next Hospitality Hotspotters program this Friday, April 15. This program will be a special "Downtown Columbia 101" session, as we will be welcoming the new Mast General Store employees. The cost of the session is only $15, which  covers the cost of coffee and danishes in the morning and a boxed lunch. The Hospitality Hotspotters program is a hospitality training program with a focus on hospitality, tourism, retail, entertainment, economic development and community organizations. Please dress comfortably and be prepared for a walking tour. This tour will go on rain or shine.

Order tickets via Eventbrite:
http://aprilhotspotters.eventbrite.com

Agenda

8:30 am Registration & Coffee/Danishes at South Carolina State Museum

9:00 am Welcome, introductions and overview of South Carolina State Museum

9:15 am Walk to EdVenture Children's Museum

9:30 am Overview of EdVenture Children's Museum

9:45 am Morning Break/Board Bus

10:00 am Driving Tour of Columbia Area Hot Spots

11:00 am Overview & Tour of West Columbia Riverwalk

11:30 am Boxed Lunch Picnic at West Columbia Riverwalk Amphitheater
(*Alternate lunch location in case of rain)

12:00 pm Board Bus

12:15 pm Walking Tour of South Carolina State House Grounds

1:00 pm Walking Tour of Main Street

2:30 pm Board Bus

2:45 pm Return to South Carolina State Museum

3:00 pm Conclude

*Destination Marketing Program employee registration is only $5.00. Please request your discount registration code from Barbara Chambers at bchambers@columbiacvb.com or Mandi Engram at webmaster@columbiaauthority.com.

Join the Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau and The SC Tourism and Hospitality Educational Foundation (T.H.E. Foundation) for the next Hospitality Hotspotters program this St. Patrick's Day, Thursday, March 17, 2011. The cost of the session is only $15, which covers the cost of coffee and soda in the morning and lunch. The Hospitality Hotspotters program is a hospitality training program with a focus on hospitality, tourism, retail, entertainment, economic development and community organizations.
 
View the agenda and register online at:
http://www.columbiacvb.com/partners/hospitality-hotspotters/march2011

*Destination Marketing Program employee registration is only $5.00. Please request your discount registration code from Barbara Chambers at bchambers@columbiacvb.com or Mandi Engram at mengram@columbiaauthority.com.

Now is the time to prepare for sales success in 2011. Learn techniques to increase sales by going back to basics to evaluate your current sales strategies, tweak your sales techniques and create a winning plan for next year. Topics include sales presentation skills, how to nurture your network, business etiquette, and how to convert lost sales into profitable business relationships.

Join the Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, The SC Tourism and Hospitality Educational Foundation (T.H.E. Foundation), and Chakisse Newton of Cardinal Consulting for the next Hospitality Hotspotters program on Tuesday, December 16. Chakisse Newton is an award-winning speaker and has presented to and provided training for groups across the country on topics including business results improvement, improving effectiveness and individual motivation. In both 2005 and 2009 Toastmasters International recognized Chakisse as one of the 10 best speakers in the world. The Hospitality Hotspotters program is a hospitality training program with a focus on hospitality, tourism, retail, entertainment, economic development and community organizations.

The cost of the session is only $15, which includes coffee and soda in the morning and fajitas and tortilla soup for a festive "Feliz Navidad" lunch.

View the agenda or register online.

If you weren't able to attend our last session on social media, read about what you missed from our expert panelists and speakers:
http://www.columbiacvb.com/partners/hospitality-hotspotters/september2010

Welcome to our partnership blog. We will post partnership opportunities and the latest news on hospitality and tourism in the Columbia region, including upcoming partner meetings and events, advertising and sponsorship opportunities, sales updates, media leads, educational information, and industry and community news and trends.

If you have questions about how to get involved as a partner of the Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau or the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism, please feel free to contact us. Employee contact information may be found on our website at http://www.columbiacvb.com/about/contact-us.>