Draft:Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau

• Comment: I am on the fence, but I believe there is not sufficient information in the cited sources to create an article. I recommend adding a mention in Philadelphia § Tourism instead. If you wish to continue working on this draft I recommend you try WP:advanced source searching, and asking on WP:WikiProject Pennsylvania. Ca ^{talk to me!} 04:30, 8 November 2024 (UTC)

• Comment: I'm having trouble with this draft. I want to accept it, but you haven;t given me any excuse to do so. As an example your reference https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/philadelphia-eagles-jalen-hurts-jason-kelce-named-2023-john-wanamaker-athletic-award-recipients/ is a regurgitated PR piece.
  Mission statements are precisely what Wikipedia is not interested in. We need to know what is said about PCVB by others in sources which pass WP:42. We don;t want nor need what it says on its behalf.
  Depth and breadth of referencing is fundamental to acceptance. This draft has neither. 🇺🇦 Fiddle^Timtrent Faddle^Talk to me 🇺🇦 14:23, 29 October 2024 (UTC)

The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) is the official tourism promotion agency for the City of Philadelphia and the primary sales and marketing agency for the Pennsylvania Convention Center.^[1] Established in 1941, PHLCVB is a private nonprofit membership organization that works to drive economic impact through the attraction of meetings, conventions, sporting events, and international visitors.^[2]

PHLCVB was formed in 1941 with the support of business leader Albert M. Greenfield to attract conventions and tourists to the city. It played a central role in booking major events ahead of the 1993 opening of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.^[3] In 1996, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (now Visit Philadelphia) was established to handle leisure tourism marketing, while PHLCVB remained focused on business and international visitation.^[4]

PHLCVB is governed by a board of directors. The current chair is Karen Dougherty Buchholz, executive vice president of administration at Comcast Corporation.^[5] Gregg Caren has served as president and CEO since June 2020.^[6] Past leaders include Julie Coker,^[7] Jack Ferguson,^[8] and Tom Muldoon.^[9]

Launched in 1987 as the Multicultural Affairs Congress, PHL Diversity was the first multicultural division within a U.S. convention and visitors bureau.^[10] By 1991, Philadelphia was ranked first in the nation for minority tourism. ^[11]

PHL Sports works to attract major athletic events to Philadelphia. It played a role in securing the NFL Draft (2017), the Army–Navy Game, NCAA tournaments, and WrestleMania 40 (2024), which drew over 145,000 attendees from all 50 states and 64 countries.^{[12] [13]} Matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will also take place in the city. ^[14]

PHL Life Sciences promotes Philadelphia to the medical, biotech, and scientific sectors. It connects meeting planners with academic and research institutions and has supported events such as the BIO International Convention and the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. ^{[15] [16]}

PHLCVB maintains representation in multiple global markets, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, India, and China. In 2015, the organization opened an in-country tourism office in China to strengthen its presence in the city's highest-spending international market. ^{[17] [18]} It was one of the first U.S. destinations to launch a verified WeChat account for Chinese travelers, featuring interactive content such as a Lunar New Year scavenger hunt. ^[19]

PHLCVB has supported marketing campaigns promoting Philadelphia as a transatlantic hub and international destination.^[20] In 2023, the organization partnered with Visit Philadelphia on the joint "Come for Philadelphia. Stay for..." campaign. ^{[21] [22]}

The organization’s headquarters features a large-scale mural titled The Energy and Vitality of Philadelphia. Commissioned by Mural Arts Philadelphia and created by artist Marcus Balum, the collage includes over 3,000 photos contributed by staff and community members. ^[23]

PHLCVB has helped bring a number of major events to Philadelphia, including:

The 2000 Republican National Convention and 2016 Democratic National Convention ^[24]

The 2015 World Meeting of Families and visit by Pope Francis/^[25]

BIO International Convention^[26]

Annual Army–Navy Game and NCAA Championships ^[27]

WrestleMania 40 (2024) ^[28]

2026 FIFA World Cup matches^[29]

Founded in 2002, the PHLCVB Foundation supports tourism-related scholarships, workforce development, and community outreach. In 2024, it received proceeds from a public auction of citywide WrestleMania banners. ^[30]

PHLCVB is a member of the U.S. Travel Association and Destinations International.

In 2023, President and CEO Gregg Caren received the Globy Award for Hospitality Leadership from the Global Philadelphia Association. ^[31]

Official website