Acapulco Targets MICE Traffic with PR Campaign, Digital Guide

Acapulco is looking to increase its meeting traffic. Two initiatives are currently underway by the Acapulco Destination Marketing Office to achieve this objective: a public relations campaign designed to keep the destination top of mind with planners and a new digital meeting and incentive guide.

The public relations campaign promotes Acapulco as a premiere destination for meetings and conventions. Although this has coincided with press reports of violence in Mexico which might have deterred some planners from planning events there, Daniel Martinez, groups & conventions manager for the Acapulco Destination Marketing Office reported: “Although the past year has proved challenging for the meetings & incentive industry in Acapulco and other destinations throughout the world, we have not experienced any cancellations in regards to our meetings business.”

Of the main venues for MITE business, the Diamante Exhibition Center is being promoted as one of Acapulco’s newest meeting facilities, a $3 million investment offering 20,000 sq ft. of exhibition space with additional space to host conferences and events with a maximum capacity of 4,300 people. Located at the Plaza Las Fuentes within the Fairmont Acapulco Princess, new Exhibit Hall faces gardens and fountains and offers an ocean view.
 
One of the most advanced convention centers in the world, the Il Duomo Convention, Exposition and Entertainment Center is located within the highly anticipated Mundo Imperial development. With over 730,000 sq ft of convention space, Il Duomo features 50 ft high ceiling, 50 divisible meeting rooms and a business center. This state-of-the-art facility is conveniently located near the Acapulco International Airport and is slated to officially open in early 2011.
 
Located in the heart of Acapulco’s Hotel Zone, the Acapulco International Convention is about 25 minutes from the airport and can serve up to 15,000 people at any given time. One of its most famous halls is the Salón Teotihuacan, which is approximately 68,000 sq ft, free of columns and with a 120-foot-high ceiling. It also has two 54,000 sq ft halls; an open-air theater for an audience of 2,000; an enclosed theater for 1,200 people with state-of-the-art theatrical technology and air conditioning; and a parking area for 350 cars.

Set along the famous Acapulco Bay, the Grand Hotel Acapulco & Convention Center features 14 meeting rooms and the El Cabaret Ballroom, that can accommodate up to 900 guests in theatre style seating and up to 600 guests for a themed banquet. The Grand Hotel Acapulco has also begun an extensive renovation project this year, with 200 remodeled guest rooms opening in December 2009 as part of Phase 1. The second and third phases will ultimately focus on hotel lounges, restaurants and pools as well as include the construction of a new, exclusive spa.

Digital Directory

The Acapulco Destination Marketing Office also has launched a new, digital tool to assist meeting and incentive planners. The Acapulco Meetings & Incentive Directory is a complete, up-to-date guide on all of the venues, hotels and services available throughout the destination with regards to planning events such as conventions, conferences, corporate meetings, expositions, incentive travel and other special events. 

“We are confident that the new Acapulco Meetings & Incentive Directory will be an important tool for meeting planners throughout the world interested in bringing their groups, meetings and events to Acapulco,” said Jesus Radilla Calderon, General Director of the Acapulco Destination Marketing Office. “Our goal is to effectively highlight the destination’s impressive array of state-of-the-art meeting facilities, new hotels, cultural attractions, innovative restaurants and more to provide planners with the support and resources required to run a successful event.”

The Acapulco Meetings & Incentive Directory can be found at www.visitacapulco.com.mx/boletin/DIRECTORIO_HTML/directorio.html.

For more information about Acapulco, visit www.visitacapulco.com.