Vancouver CVB Finds Solution to Market and Sell Destination more Cost-Effectively.

Vancouver, British Columbia, March 1, 2005:

Tourism Vancouver (TVan), a business association representing tourism and related industries/activities in Canada's third largest urban community, faced a unique set of sales and marketing challenges.

Like many CVBs and destinations in the travel and tourism industry, Tourism Vancouver (TVan) was suffering lingering effects from 9/11 and SARS, an economy in recession, and dealing with various software systems which had become obsolete. These conditions have led to reductions in budget, staff, and marketing resources.

Compounding the typical industry challenges were significant needs.  Vancouver is building a new, larger convention center that is scheduled to be completed by 2008 and in 2010, it will host the Winter Olympics. These factors will lead to increased demand and corresponding operational and support activities.

"Our members expect us to effectively market and sell Greater Vancouver as a destination for leisure, meeting and event travelers, regardless of market conditions, internal resources or growth plans" began Ted Lee, TVan's Chief Financial Officer.

"So in order to deal with typical industry challenges as well as handle new needs caused by growth, we had to analyze our sales and marketing infrastructure to see what we needed to do."

"Our review of our marketing and sales infrastructure revealed one significant challenge… That each of our seven internal departments was using a discrete software program" stated Lee.

"This situation was causing an enormous amount of inefficiency within our operation by:

• Dealing with different vendors
• Paying for upgrades
• Converting data
• Integrating with Windows."

"And we needed a huge amount of effort to compile reports and information across these departments that otherwise could be used toward generating more business."

Lee and TVan had identified their challenges, and were now ready to turn attention toward locating the ideal solution. "To link all of our departments seamlessly, we needed a comprehensive, integrated solution. We needed to find the right technology."

"We looked at a number of products and solutions available on the market" Lee continued. "While some had individual pieces we liked, there was only one solution that could substantially meet our needs on an integrated basis. In addition to an integrated platform, our checklist of requirements included mobility and access, security, ability to integrate with existing platforms such as Microsoft Outlook and an affordable and sustainable business model over the long term."

So Lee and his organization turned to Dallas-based New Media Gateway (NMG) and its Destination Business System (DBS). The DBS is a web-based, patent-pending application that enables destination organizations like CVBs, resorts, and arenas to market and sell more cost-effectively.
 
Dave Whitney, President/CEO of New Media Gateway's Hospitality Division, commented on the importance of TVan's selection of the DBS: "The technology in our solution is unsurpassed in our industry. Likewise, no other CVB in the world leverages technology more effectively than Vancouver. In fact, ‘utilizing technology' as a means to achieve results is right there in their mission statement. Having Vancouver as a client says a lot about our DBS solution."

According to Lee, the DBS addressed each of TVan's key issue completely:  "It's ONE comprehensive system, so every single staff person, stakeholder, member, partner, ‘sings off the same sheet of music', saving time, energy, resources, and of course money."

"Because it's a web-based application, it's available to everyone, everywhere, 24/7. It also integrates well with other programs like operating systems, eliminating issues software programs can cause."

"The system's platform is scalable, so it can meet the needs of all who use it, when they need it. And all upgrades and improvements made to the system are delivered universally to all clients, free of charge."

Mr. Lee summarized the outcome: "We went searching for the ideal solution for our sales and marketing needs, and we found it."

The DBS is scheduled to be deployed for TVan by late Spring, 2005.

About Tourism Vancouver

Tourism Vancouver is a business association representing approximately 1,050 members in tourism and related industries/activities. Its purpose is to effectively market Greater Vancouver as a destination for leisure, meeting and event travelers, and its goals are to attract visitors to the region, encourage them to stay longer and ensure they return. Additional information on Tourism Vancouver can be found at http://www.tourismvancouver.com.

About New Media Gateway and Its Hospitality Division

New Media Gateway packages technology into unique sales and marketing solutions, delivering 2,000 projects a year to 2,400 companies worldwide. Additional information on NMG can be found at http://www.newmediagateway.com. NMG's hospitality division provides innovative business solutions to CVBs, hotels, resorts, associations, and arenas across North America. Additional information on NMG's Hospitality Division can be found at http://hospitality.newmediagateway.com.

This Web-based press release may be considered For Immediate Release. Please contact Lou McErlean at 800.330.9450 for further details.