It seems like we were decking the halls just the other day, but suddenly it's late February. The groundhog has seen his shadow and we're looking at six more weeks of winter. Lucky for us, it's been a pretty mild one (so far) and there's always something going on in Providence, so let's take a look at what's happening at the PWCVB and with you, our partners.
PWCVB UPDATES
Our annual holiday campaigns, Buy Local and the Holiday Gift-a-Day-Giveaway, were a success. Thank you to everyone who donated giveaway prizes. And despite Mother Nature being a bit uncooperative, Providence's first Three Nights of Lights was a big hit! We look forward to bringing it back again next year.
The spring/summer edition of the GoProvidence Visitors Guide is in the works and due to arrive April 1. Thank you to all of our advertisers. Don't forget — online and train station advertising opportunities are available year-round. Contact Christine Phillips, director of community affairs, for more info.
Do you have new photos of fabulous dishes, recent renovations, fun events or anything else that displays your business? We'd love to showcase them on GoProvidence.com and our GoProvidence social media accounts. Head over to our photo uploader page and show us your stuff.
Please make sure our Visitor Center is fully stocked with your rack cards and menus. It's the first stop for convention and meeting attendees looking for information on what to do and where to eat. Email Ednita Colon, visitor center manager, to ensure your organization is represented.
If you have any St. Patrick's Day or Easter fun, spring specials or other events planned, please let us know so we can share them. And, as always, please be sure to add any events or promotions to our online calendar. If you have any questions or difficulties, please reach out to Community Affairs Coordinator Sandra Olson.
PARTNER NEWS
Want to hang with the cool kids? Join the GoProvidence Partner Group on Facebook. It's the perfect place to network and stay up to date on what's new and exciting with GoProvidence and your fellow partners.
More than 60 restaurants participated in this year's Restaurant Weeks in January! Don't miss out on your opportunity to be a part of Providence Pizza Week (April 16–22). Keep an eye out for more info to be emailed soon. Speaking of pizza, check out which city is first on Best Life's list of "The Best Pizza Cities in the U.S." Spoiler — it's Providence!
Johnson & Wales University will be hosting the Third Annual Food, Innovation & Technology Symposium on March 6 and 7 at their Harborside Campus. Topics will include food service, food security and access, and food system sustainability. Sessions will be offered in person and online.
We're excited to welcome Hope & Main's Downtown Makers Marketplace to their new home at 100 Westminster St. We can't wait to stop in for a cup of coffee and lunch on the go.
Providence Performing Arts Center has once again been ranked in VenuesNow as one of the top 10 theaters in the U.S. for sales and attendance. Bravo!
Big congratulations to chefs Robert Andreozzi of Pizza Marvin and Milena Pagan of Little Sister on their James Beard semifinalist nominations for Best Chef: Northeast!
SALES & SERVICES SPOTLIGHT
We're pleased to announce that Kerri Furtado has been promoted to the position of director of national accounts — New England! Kerri's talent for developing relationships with her customers, both in New England and with the religious and fraternal organizations market, has resulted in record-setting levels of new business along with reliable repeat business.
The sales team hit the mid-year mark at 70% to the year-end goal, indicating that our pace for future business is strong.
Some recent & upcoming groups are:
- VolleyFest–Providence (Feb. 16–20) — This volleyball tournament will utilize more than 1,300 room nights, with an attendance of 1,000.
- New England Turfgrass Conference and Expo (March 7–9) — Celebrating its 27th year, this event will utilize 1,107 room nights.
- 2023 Spirit Fest Grand Nationals (March 16–19) — Spirit Fest will utilize more than 4,000 hotel room nights, with an attendance of 3,000.
- JLC Live Construction Training Showcase (March 19–26) — JLC will have 2,000 in attendance and will utilize more than 2,600 room nights.
- EDUCAUSE NERCOMP 2023 (March 26-29) — This group will utilize more than 400 room nights, with 400 in attendance.
- JVC Tournaments 2023 RI Rumble (April 13–16 & April 20–23) — This two-week volleyball tournament will have 1,000 in attendance and utilize more than 1,500 room nights each weekend.
IN THE NEWS
There's a lot of great news in the press about Providence and our destination in general. Check out some recent headlines below:
"Why You Need To Visit Providence in the Winter" — Matador Network
"How To Experience the Arts and Culture of Rhode Island at Meetings" — Meetings Today
"Providence Makes for a Perfect Winter City Escape" — Boston Herald
"Rhode Island: Small, but Oh My!" — Smart Meetings
