USA - The Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau (MCVB) has won the bid to manage the Memphis Cook Convention Center, the centre’s board has announced.
The move represents a management change from SMG, which ran the convention centre for some 20 years. The MCVB outbid two other competitors, SMG and Global Spectrum, for the contract.
Convention Center board chairman Wayne Tabor told local newspaper Memphis Daily News the MCVB proposal was a unanimous choice. “We think that they have the passion to sell more conventions and increase the business there.
“There are some financial savings. I can’t go into detail because we are negotiating now. Financially for the city and county and the centre, it makes sense. It saves some tax dollars for the community,” he said.
It seems the board is also hoping to follow in the footsteps of cities such as St. Louis and Richmond, whose convention centres are run by the city CVB.
