Background
In February 1896, Detroit Evening Journal newspaper writer Milton J. Carmichael wrote an article about the usefulness of conventions in promoting the city. He suggested that local businesses and civic leaders should band together to promote Detroit as a desirable convention destination. Carmichael based this argument on his observations that during the previous five years, Detroit had built up a reputation as a convention city, with delegates coming to the city from hundreds of miles away. Manufacturers were holding their yearly consultations around Detroit hotels. And all this was done without any effort by the citizens to draw them there and no special attention paid to the visitors after they arrived. They had simply come to Detroit because they wanted to come to Detroit.
with the merchants and people of Detroit. The argument was effective. On February 19, 1896, members of the Chamber of Commerce joined the Detroit Manufacturers Club and met at the Cadillac Hotel to form the Detroit Convention and Businessman’s League. Together, they formed the founding committee of hoteliers, railroad agents, merchants, civic leaders and other interested parties. They defined the new organization’s mission as “hustling for conventions.” Attracting conventions was seen to have a two-fold value. First, there was the money that attendees and organizers spend in the city through the hosting of the convention, and second, there was the advertising value to the city or destination. This would lead to future visitors and assist in the attraction of talent, capital and investment. While Detroit may be recognized as the formal birthplace of the destination organization industry and profession, organized convention and meeting activity had been going on for some time. An increasing number of cities had sent salesmen on the road to promote their destinations. Much of the activity represented local members of various national organizations seeking to bring their national convention to their hometown. But much of it also represented the promotional efforts of local hoteliers, rail agents, retail merchants, realtors and others who recognized the economic benefits of attracting visitors to their city.
The Cadillac Hotel, Detroit at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Michigan Avenue.
Carmichael argued that if the Detroit business community and government tried, they could secure even more conventions, bringing to Detroit thousands and thousands more people from every city in the union. These people would spend millions of dollars
But it was in Detroit that destination promotion first became an industry sector.
Defining the 21 st Century Destination Organization | 3
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