Delta Gateway Showcase 2004 - A Successful Take-Off

Bhisham Mansukhani - Cincinnati

The Delta Gateway Showcase has journeyed from an event status to an institution that accentuates the urgency of the convergence of aviation and tourism efforts. In an exclusive with Express Travel & Tourism , The Gateway Showcase alliance executive director Andrea Shamoian at the event's Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky edition in 2004 outlines present objectives and charts the future of what could become a defining event. Shamoian explains, " The Delta Gateway Showcase was initiated in 1999, when a solution was being sought as to how best to bring European meeting planners in contact with American suppliers. The first ever Gateway Showcase took place in Atlanta in 1999 with Convention and Visitor Bureaus (CVB) from Atlanta, Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati participating. Cincinnati played host in 2000 followed by Boston in 2001 which is when I got involved. That was the biggest posit to date with 95 buyers and 130 suppliers."

Commenting on whether the event would benefit Delta Airlines, he said, "Our biggest challenge remains gauging returns on investment. Delta Airlines has reported that its group travel into United States has grown by 38 per cent. There are a lot of things that Delta Airlines does to promote its product and there are other factors at play. The Gateway Showcase may have played a part in it but I cannot attribute the growth to it. Correlation apart, it is a positive trend."