You have probably heard us talk about the Go West Summit a time or two now. But if you were not able to join us on May 17 for our Collaborate to Elevate event, you may be left wondering what all the buzz is about.
Below is a snapshot of the Go West Summit and why we are so excited to bring it to Pierce County. Make sure to register for this tradeshow if your business is an attraction, museum or hotel interested in the group tour market!
GO WEST SUMMIT OVERVIEW
What is the Go West Summit?
Business-oriented travel tradeshow selling a 14-state region of the Western United States. The focus is on group tours, from small groups of 2+ to motorcoach bus tours.
Why is Go West Important to Pierce County?
The Go West Summit has never met in Washington State in its 25-year history. But that all changes in February of 2014 when it comes to Pierce County! 150 pre-qualified tour operators will be here to meet with suppliers and explore the region. Think of it as the biggest familiarization tour ever hosted in Pierce County!
Who Attends?
- 150 buyers [international tour operators, wholesalers and receptive operators]
- 300 suppliers [CVB?s, hotels and attractions]
- Limited number of pre-qualified media
- U.S. Embassy Delegates from around the globe
- Airline representatives
When + Where?
When: Feb. 24 - 27, 2014
Where: Greater Tacoma Convention + Trade Center [meeting venue] and Hotel Murano [headquarter hotel]
Format of Go West Summit
- Pre-FAMs [Familiarization Tours]: Takes buyers throughout all regions of Washington state prior to official beginning of Go West Summit
- Day 1 Buyer Site Tour [Monday, Feb. 24]: Buyers-only tour of destination
- Day 1 Education Day [Monday, Feb. 24]: Industry educational sessions for suppliers
- Day 2 + 3 Marketplace Meetings [Tuesday, Feb. 25 and Wednesday, Feb. 26]: One-on-one, 12-minute appointments between buyers + suppliers. Suppliers can typically expect between 15-25 total appointments
- Evening Events:
Monday, Feb. 24: Evening event will be at Museum of Glass
Wednesday, Feb. 26: Evening event will be at LeMay-America?s Car Museum
Evening events open to registered GWS attendees
- Dine-Around [Tuesday, Feb. 25]: All Go West Summit delegates will have the evening to experience local restaurants
- Day 4 Adventure Day [Thursday, Feb. 27]: Five optional tours for all Go West Summit delegates to experience Pierce County
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
- Register to attend Go West Summit [registration details below in next steps]
Most applicable to: attractions, museums and hotels [suppliers] and tour operators [buyers]
- Airport Greeters: Will be needed for arrivals on Sunday, Feb. 23 and Monday, Feb. 24 at Sea-Tac International Airport
Most applicable to: Everyone! Community partners; elected officials; hotel, attraction, museum and restaurant representatives
- Dine-Around Escorts: will be needed on Tuesday, Feb. 25 to escort Go West Summit delegates to restaurants
Most applicable to: community partners [if you are a hotel/attraction representative not registered for Go West, this may be a good opportunity, too]
- International Delegation Sponsorships: Sponsoring an international delegation's lodging during Go West Summit
Most applicable to: businesses specifically targeting select international markets
- Additional Sponsorship Opportunities: We are working on creating additional sponsorship opportunities to get as many members involved as possible, stay tuned for further communications!
NEXT STEPS
- Register to attend Go West Summit!
Registration opens Monday, June 3. Early bird registration is $1,795 and is available until June 17. Standard registration is $1,995 and begins June 18. You can register a second delegate from your business for an additional $1,150. The secondary delegate will get to share one set of appointments with primary delegate. There are limited supplier [attraction, museum and hotel] registrations available to maintain supplier-to-operator ratio. Register early to secure your spot!
Registration includes:
- 1 badge [i.e. attendance for one]
- 1 set of appointments with tour operators during Marketplace Meetings
- 1 breakfast, 3 lunches and 2 dinners
- Delegate profile directory
- Access to evening events
- Complimentary or reduced rates to Adventure Day tours
You can also register for the Educational Day ONLY on Monday, Feb. 24 for $650. This registration is for one day only and does not include appointments with operators or access to evening events. The educational sessions include: International Travel Forecast 2014, How to Contract with Receptive Operators, Emerging Markets session, Developing Trends in Technology and Social Media and more.
- Informational meeting in Aug/Sept 2013 to share additional sponsorship opportunities and provide final details for Adventure Day and the Buyer Site Tour.
- Collaborate to Elevate: Go West Summit Final Update will be on Friday, Dec. 6 from 9-10:30 a.m. Location TBD. This will be the final briefing before the event comes to town.
If you have additional questions regarding the Go West Summit, please contact me at [253] 284-3277 or paul@traveltacoma.com.
