Portland

Celebrating all the quirks that lend Portland its hipster identity, the Independent Film Channel’s sketch comedy Portlandia is not only creating a buzz throughout the city, but exposing Portland and its endearing eccentricities to the nation in prime time.

"Frankly, we’re thrilled to have a show filmed in Portland about Portland," says Mike Smith, vice president of convention sales for Travel Portland.

The television show spotlights what makes Portland unique, from its ardent bike culture to its alternative music scene, and also gives nods to the city’s greenie way of life, which has been a selling point for Travel Portland for years.

"Emphasizing green, that’s very important to us—it’s in our DNA," Smith says. "For a number of years that was our key marketing message. But we held a series of focus groups last year in Chicago and Washington, D.C., and planners were saying, ‘Okay, we get it, you’re green. But what else have you got?’"

Smith says now there is a push for a broader reach, focusing on what delegates can expect once they are in the city—what they will take home as a positive experience. In response, Travel Portland is focusing on experiential marketing.

"One of the things that always will be a staple is the monetary savings—no sales tax, food tax, beverage tax," Smith says. "It’s an educational process with a lot of planners, to show them the chart of what a lack of taxes will mean. It’s an incredibly substantial dollar savings."

While green groups remain Portland’s bread and butter, according to Smith, "What we’re seeing is that thankfully the corporate market is starting to come back. The fact that it is coming back is making everyone smile a lot more than they were last year."

Smith notes that the group market held up well in the economic downturn.

"We in convention sales were heroes," he says. "Fiscal year 2009-2010 was amazing."

Though calendar year 2011 is not to the level of the last two years, Smith says aside from a growing corporate market, Portland is also seeing a resurging religious market.

The city is resuming its push for a headquarters hotel for the 255,000-square-foot Oregon Convention Center, though plans are still in the talking phase. While hotel growth has slowed overall, there is one new property making its debut this year. McMenamins Crystal Hotel, a former night club in the West End District, is slated to open in Portland in May, the first venture into downtown lodging by brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin, who operate bars, clubs and other properties in Portland and the surrounding area. The 51-room hotel will offer a subterranean saltwater soaking pool, a cellar bar with live music and dibs on tickets to McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, even for sold-out shows.

Other popular boutique properties include the Ace Hotel, Hotel Vintage Plaza, Hotel Monaco Portland and the Heathman Hotel.

"One of the strengths of Portland is to have such a multitude of boutique-style hotels that all play in the group market," Smith says. "Attendees have the ability to stay at a boutique hotel at a group rate."

Other meetings-friendly hotels include the The Nines, Doubletree Hotel Portland, Courtyard Portland City Center, Governor Hotel, Crowne Plaza Portland–Downtown Convention Center, Hilton Portland & Executive Tower, Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront and Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel.

Though hotels are relatively spread out, access is easy with Portland’s MAX Light Rail system, which connects downtown to the convention center district for free. The Portland Streetcar also runs downtown, and service is expanding to the Eastside in 2012 with a line that will connect the convention center with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), among other stops.

Another lure for groups to Portland is its diversity, reflected in its myriad neighborhoods. The Pearl District, which just a decade ago was filled with empty warehouses, is now bustling with restaurants and nightlife. Northwest Portland is home to Nob Hill, known for its boutique restaurants and shopping, while one of the city’s treasures, Powell’s City of Books, borders both neighborhoods.

Downtown boasts the Portland Saturday Market, the country’s largest continually operating outdoor crafts market, while the Sellwood District is known for its antique shopping. Burgeoning areas include restaurant-heavy Mississippi Street, as well as the Alberta Arts District.

As varied as its neighborhoods, Portland offers a gamut of off-site venues, including the Portland Art Museum, OMSI, the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Chinatown and the Japanese Gardens, featuring a pagoda for events and views of both downtown and Mount Hood.

"Another venue we’re having a lot of fun with is the Oregon Zoo, which has nice meeting space," Smith says. "One of the joys of meeting up there is that they have the ability to take you behind the scenes. You can feed an elephant or touch a baby rhino."

Outside the city, groups can take wine country tours to Washington County and the Willamette Valley with Grape Escape Tours or Evergreen Escapes, among other operators. Bike rides along Waterfront Park or the Eastbank Esplanade can be arranged.

Vancouver, Wash.
Across the Columbia River, Vancouver, Wash., prides itself on its welcoming community.

"I think we’re a great size for groups," says Rosemary Cooke, director of sales for the Vancouver USA Regional Tourism Office. "We like to peak at 600 or 700 room nights. They will own our community while they are here. When they are having something at one of our venues, it’s their venue, specific to them."

The destination, which also touts its ease of access along Interstate 5 and from Portland International Airport, is also seeing a turn for the better in bookings.

"We’ve got more groups looking at space right now, signing contracts. We’re optimistic for the next few years. We’re seeing opportunities up to 2017 right now," Cooke says. "We’re being more focused on our specific market and what works best, more regional and a lot of association groups and SMERF groups."

Though the area is not growing in new hotels, a new building is opening this summer to house the Vancouver Community Library, which will offer some meeting space and an outdoor reception area.

Groups can tour historic Fort Vancouver then have an event at the Pearson Air Museum, according to Cooke.

Other options include a bowling tournament at Big Al’s or tournaments on more than a half-dozen golf courses in the region. The destination is also taking advantage of the viticulture surrounding it. Possibilities include private tours of boutique Clark County wineries and hosting events at Niche Wine and Art, a new downtown venue.

Meetings-friendly properties include the Hilton Vancouver Washington, home to the Vancouver Convention Center; Heathman Lodge; Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay; SpringHill Suites Vancouver-Columbia Tech Center; and Fairgate Inn Bed & Breakfast in Camas.