Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association

The Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association (BACVA) is a quasi-public organization started in 1980 by then-Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer. BACVA is charged with bringing in tourists and conventions into the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore Convention Center is managed separatelty. The two organizations are not one and the same.

History

BACVA and its former C.E.O., Carroll R. Armstrong, have recently come under fire since a "Baltimore Sun" article was published in the summer of 2002 stating that the Baltimore Convention Center didn't meet projected expectations. An external review was completed in early-2003 of the organization's operations. The review showed that BACVA altered various numbers and fudged most of their results. As a result, then-C.E.O./president of BACVA, Carroll R. Armstrong was ousted from BACVA and an interim C.E.O/president was hired.

On July 17, 2003, a permanent C.E.O/president for BACVA was hired, Leslie R. Doggett, a former senior tourism official in the Clinton Administration. She promised to totally overhaul BACVA and try to bring more tourists and conventions into the city in a press conference on October 1, 2003.

In 2004 BACVA launched a totally redesigned website. An major event for BACVA in 2004 occurred in May when they officially opened a totally new Baltimore Visitors Center which was radically different from the old visitors center which was inside an antiquated modified construction trailer. The new Baltimore Visitors Center is 8,000 square feet (740 m²) and is located next to the Light Street Pavilion of Harborplace and has a unique design.

In 2005, BACVA made a joint effort with the Baltimore Development Corporation to pitch a controversial $305 million, 752-room Hilton Hotel to the Baltimore City Council in an attempt to bring in more conventions to the Baltimore Convention Center. In 2006, BACVA succeeded in its joint effort with the BDC to have a Hilton Hotel built directly adjacent to the Baltimore Convention Center. The hotel is expected to open in August 2008.

On May 10, 2006, BACVA's CEO, Leslie R. Doggett, announced that she is resigning effective immediately citing declining health and family issues. The Baltimore Sun reported that Doggett had not reported to work since February 10, 2006, and there was rumors flying around regarding her absence. Doggett had a three year contract that was going to expire in June 2006, but the board approved extending her contract for three years stated Clarence T. Bishop, former BACVA Board chairman who preceded the current chairman, Ed Hale. Hale stated that Doggett had an annual salary of $180,000 but noted that she had not been paid since February 10. Hale also stated that the city will provide Doggett with an exit package but declined to comment on financial specifics because he agreed with Doggett to not reveal the specifics. Ronnie L. Burt, V.P of convention sales and services of BACVA since February 2005 has been named interim CEO/President of BACVA until a permanent replacement is named. (Source: [http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-md.bacva11may11,1,1694712.story City's tourism director resigns - May 11, 2006 - Baltimore Sun] .)

ervices that BACVA provides

*Free hotel reservation services for any groups that use two or more hotels with a minimum of 500 rooms on peak night through the BACVA Housing Services Department. [http://www.baltimore.org/meeting/mp_housing.html]
*Temporary On-Site Registration Staffing for groups and conventions. [http://www.baltimore.org/meeting/mp_registration.html]

Types of Registration Staff that BACVA provides

*Supervisor
*Assistant Supervisor
*Service Staff/Lead Retrieval
*Speaker
*Bonded Cashier
*CRT/Data Entry Operators
*Embosser
*Information/Message Desk
*Registration Clerk
*Room/Door Monitor
*On-Site Coordinator
*Show Office

(Source: [http://www.baltimore.org/meeting/mp_registration.html On-site Registration Support] .)

External links

* [http://www.baltimore.org Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association Website]