Good Day, The Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau has been hard at work advancing important initiatives set forth in our Strategic Plan that was completed at the end of 2014. These initiatives were developed with the understanding that our industry is on the brink of a dramatic shift from a DestinationMarketing Organization to a Destination ManagementOrganization. No longer are we simply promoting our region's wonderful assets, but we are now influencing decisions, leading changes, and ultimately strengthening our community by providing a greater return on investment. I encourage you to view the document at the bottom of this email that illustrates such ROI. Below are a few additional highlights that I would like to draw your attention to. As always, I would be happy to discuss any of these objectives with you in greater detail should you be interested. Best, Michele Vennard President/CEO   Highlights of 2015 Albany Hospitality Summit & Series - More than 140 business and community leaders joined us at the Empire State Plaza on June 9 for the Albany Hospitality Summit to learn more about the progress of the Albany Capital Center & Complex, as well as to learn how we have starting building a hospitality culture here in Albany. The event was covered through many local media outlets, including the Times Union, Business Review, and Time Warner Cable News. Full-length videos of each of the presentations may be foundhere. A group of board members and community leaders have been assembled and are in the beginning stages of developing the Albany Hospitality Series. More information will be available soon at www.albany.org/hospitality.   Taxi Initiative - The Regional Transportation Task Force is still working to improve services in the Capital Region coordinating municipal ordinances and a regional clearinghouse of company information. The ACCVB is also hosting our 6th Annual Taxi Day on July 23rd at the Albany International Airport and Rensselaer Train Station to show our appreciation for the drivers and educate them on the importance of making a positive first impression for our area's visitors.   Occupancy Report - 2015 is turning out to be an excellent year for our hotel partners, who have reported a 4.3% increase in occupancy over the past 12 months.   Hospitality Grant Program - Applications for our fourth round of funding are due September 16. Eligibility information and application materials may be found here. Please share with any organizations you are involved with who are eligible and may benefit.   The Impact of Travel on Albany County - Click the image below to download our updated two-page infographic, now with complete 2014 information from the recently released Tourism Economics report.