ALBUQUERQUE, NM – For the 13th year in a row, the Visit Albuquerque (Visit Albuquerque) was recognized with a Gold Service Award by Meetings & Conventions magazine. Association Conventions & Facilities magazine also named Visit Albuquerque one of the 2009 “Distinctive Achievement Award” winners. These prestigious awards commend Visit Albuquerque’s Convention Services staff for the outstanding service and professionalism they deliver to meeting planner clients on a daily basis.
The Meetings & Conventions magazine Gold Service Awards Program allows subscribers, who are corporate and association meeting/convention planners, to vote for the top convention and visitors bureaus throughout the world. This award selection is based on strict criteria including: professionalism of staff; support on hotel and site inspections; assistance with ground transportation planning; guidance on local attractions; and liaison with local vendors and services.
Association Conventions & Facilities magazine asked their subscribers to vote for the bureaus that best served their association meetings during the past year to receive the coveted Distinctive Achievement Award. Meeting planners have come to depend on the recipients of these awards to maintain their high standards while still being flexible to the ever-changing needs of clients.
“Receiving these awards is a tremendous honor,” said Dale Lockett, president/CEO of the Visit Albuquerque. “The services team does an outstanding job of helping planners create memorable meetings in Albuquerque; these awards confirm that meeting planners agree.”
The winners of the 2009 “Distinctive Achievement Award” will be announced in a special August/September 2009 issue of Association Conventions & Facilities which has more than 20,500 subscribers. Visit Albuquerque will also be featured as a Gold Service Award recipient in the Meetings & Conventions Annual Gold Awards Supplement, published with the November issue. This supplement is used by the magazines 70,000 subscribers when planning meetings and conventions.
During the 2009 fiscal year, the Visit Albuquerque’s Convention Services team aided in the planning of 369 meetings held in Albuquerque. These meetings generated a total of 152,750 room nights and over $65 million in direct spending in the city.