It has become essential for all of us to utilize and develop our skills to become very organized, focused and results oriented.  If you are feeling the stresses of increased workloads, non-stop e-mails, endless supply of tasks and to-do's, meeting and project overload and a need to take control again; we have an answer for you. 

Start out with the right gear to make your Conference experience the best! Get your name badge, and conference notebook.

You don't have to BEG, but it's OK to BORROW or STEAL at this annual program which allows CVBs to share the best of their best programs and collateral pieces with colleagues in a friendly little People's Choice competition. If you are looking for great ideas - this is the place! Samples, examples and descriptions of some of the Very Best will be on display throughout the conference. Installation of the Idea Fair entries will be from 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Tuesday and until 10:00am on Wednesday. Results will be announced during the Awards Breakfast on Friday, August 8, 2008.

If this is your first time at a TACVB Annual Conference, this session will start you off right. Regardless of how long you have been in the industry, learn the ropes from the -'old timers'!  This is a casual presentation by TACVB Board and Committee veterans to provide an overview of what you can expect during the Annual Conference.

TACVB's work is done through the many Committees that are available! If you aspire to get more involved, move up in the organization, gain more experience and see how other CVBs work -sign up on a Committee at the Committee Fair. It will be some of the best volunteering you will ever do!

Wednesday, August 6: Logo Day

You don't have to love exercise or know how to dance to take this TACVB dance fitness/zumba class!  This class will be about fun!  Underlying the fun, however, is that you will get fit.  The bonus-you will learn basic steps that will help you with our "dancing with the TACVB stars" Party!

Here you will learn about TACVB's programs and our plans from the TACVB leadership. 

Step out of your shell, move away from your typical lunch partners and fellow staffers at this fun and relaxing lunch.  Challenge yourself - and your peers - to meet new people, site with someone you don't already know (or know very well) and make some new friends and contacts. 

Concurrent 1: Sports Cooperatives: How State's are getting together to promote sports

Hill Carrow, Sports & Properties, Inc; Terry Hasseltine, Kentucky Sports Authority; Lou Mengsol, CSEE, SMP, Innovations Consulting

TDM Credits: 3 to Group Sales

In this panel discussion representatives from North Carolina , Kentucky , and Illinois will discuss their successful sports promotion initiatives.  Cooperation among CVB’s and state tourism promotion is the becoming a growing trend in the nation sports marketing initiatives.  The session will discuss the trend and case studies on organizations and their successful models.

Concurrent 2: Hiring the Right Talent: A behavioral based interviewing approach

Bob Lewis, Professional Development Center, University of Texas

TDM Credits: 3 to Administration/Finance

Of all the decisions manager make, none impact the effectiveness of an organization more profoundly than hiring.  Behavioral interviewing uses a systematic method of applying objective criteria to the hiring process.  Bases on the foundation that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, participants develop a structured objective interview, and assessment techniques.  Is hiring the right employee important to you?  Be sure to attend this session, so you can start hiring the best talent ever!

Concurrent 3: Time Management

John McMichael, Priority Management

Do you have to fit 15 hours into an 8 hour day?  Are you feeling that you never complete anything?  Do you try to do everything yourself, rather than handing it off to someone else?  In this session you will learn how to select the right tasks, and the right time, every time. 

Concurrent 4: Social Networking Online with Face Book, My Space, and Blogging

Steve Lee, APR, QuickSilver Interactive Group, Inc.

TDM Credits: 3 to Communication/Technology

How do you Blog?  What can MySpace do for your destination?  Discover this new realm of social networking and its impact on your destination? 

Concurrent 5: Case Study Tour of area visitor information centers

TDM Credits: 5 to Visitor Services

Tour three of the visitor information centers in the Golden Triangle!  This tour will give you a 'behind-the-scenes' glimpse of various VIC's.  Learn where their funding came from and how they manage their centers.

Concurrent 1: So...you think your employees are honest?

Fraud & Embezzlement: How it happens and how to avoid it!

Ed McMillan, CPA, CAE, NonProfitGuru.com

TDM Credits: 3 to Administration/Finance

It's unfortunate, but the reality is that you only think your employees are honest!  This fascinating and practical workshop will walk the participants through actual fraud scenarios, discuss how the frauds occurred, and what internal controls would have prevented them.

Sponsored by

Concurrent 2: So you have the survey done...Now What?

Roger Hanagriff, Ph.D., Hanagriff & Associates Impact Consulting

TDM Credits: 3 to either Administration/Finance or Marketing

The money has been spent, the questions asked and answered, and now you have piles of information-what do you do with it?!?  Learn how to effectively communicate your results with the power brokers in your community. 

Concurrent 3: Trade Shows - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Jutta Matalka, CTP, Amarillo CVC; Nelson Gumm, AJR & Associates; and Kay Barnes Summerville, Plano CVB

TDM Credits: 3 to either Tourism Sales, Group Sales or Marketing

You are standing in your booth-and the show attendees keep going past!  Attend this session to learn the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. 

Hospitality Suite

"It's 5 o'clock somewhere"…OK -we all know what this means -it's time to wind down with friends at the Texas Monthly Hospitality Suite.

Sponsored by

The more muscles you move, the more calories you burn.  This Dance Fitness/Zumba class combines moves and interval cardio-training  It will get you ready for the "dancing with the TACVB stars"!

Concurrent Education Sessions

Concurrent 1: Negotiating Successfully Through Understanding and Recognizing Personality Differences

Jan Hargrave, Hargrave Communications

TDM Credits: 3 to Track of your choice

In attending this session you will learn to successfully recognize the four basic personalities and to identify strategies to understand and work better with others.  You will also learn to how to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each personality type as well as acknowledge their individual type of participation/role as a team player.

Concurrent 2: The CVB Experience

TDM Credits: 3 to Track of your choice

The past, the present and the future-an opportunity to hear from leaders in our profession, and our association; about where we've come from, where we are and more important the outlook for our future.  Also featured will be DMAI's Future Study.  You won't want to miss this great opportunity to Brainstorm with some of the best!

Concurrent 3: Are They Buying?

Maryellen Ferring, Up Sell Training

TDM Credits: 3 to Group Sales

This interactive session targets are you selling or are they buying.  You will discuss five blunders in closing the sale and the way to fix them.  You'll leave the session knowing exactly how to help people buy and gather the skills you can use today to improve sales results.   

This is your chance as a member to hear our leaders as they discuss the current and future status of your association. Committee and Task Force reports will bring you up to speed on what is happening in your association and be on hand for the installation of the 2008-2009 Board of Directors and Officers.

We need a quorum to be able to conduct business so we need all members and staff to attend.

Have you been drilling for new ideas?

The shirtsleeves session are among the MOST popular feature of the conference.  Participants will break-up into groups based upon professional designation (CEO, Tourism, Visitor Center, Sports Coalitions, Convention Sales, Convention Services, Marketing/PR, and Affiliate Members).  CEO's and Convention Sales will split up even further based upon budget size.  Then you get to work!

If you have ever felt that you were a dry well, this session will make your ideas gush to the surface and introduce you to a well of colleagues who will become resources for the future. 

This is your chance to bid on advertising specials, amazing trips, golf packages, Texas items, and much, much more!  The proceeds benefit TACVB's scholarships, which allow CVB professionals, whose budgets do not allow it, to attend the TACVB conferences. 

Wind down from "dancing with the TACVB stars" with our friends from Texas Monthly in their hospitality suite.

Sponsored by

Wrap up another successful TACVB Annual Conference at the Awards Breakfast.  Who will host TACVB 2010? Who won the awards at Idea Fair? We will thank the staff at the Beaumont CVB, our Sponsors, and all of you for participating.  Plus, the Waco CVB will issue a special welcome for the 2009 Annual Conference.

Sponsored by

Annual Conference Hotel Information

Host Hotel Information

MCM Elegante Hotel & Conference Center

Group rate: $95/night single and $99.00/night double

Reservations: 409.842.3600

Group code: Texas Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (TACVB)

Room block rate deadline: Monday, July 14, 2008

Downloadable Forms

TACVB Logo Shirt Order Form (Word)

CEO Vote Proxy (PDF)

Idea Fair (Word) (PDF )

Registration Form (Word )

Silent Auction (Word) (PDF)

Annual Conference Overview (PDF)

Conference Attire

Business casual. 

• Tuesday evening we will be at Gator Country (indoor & outdoor)
• Wednesday, Logo Day, all attendees are encouraged to wear their company logo shirts
• Wednesday evening will be at Star Bar on Crockett Street (indoor & outdoor)
• Thursday evening will be "dancing with the TACVB stars" Party -come as your favorite Hollywood star!

Cancellation Policy

Full refund before 5:00 pm on July 1, 2008

50% refund before 5:00 pm on July 14, 2008

NO REFUNDS after 5:00 pm on July 14, 2008

This cancellation policy was established by the TACVB Board of Directors.