Kevin Kane
If you weren’t at the Peabody Hotel on Tuesday, you missed one big show celebrating Memphis. That’s when the who’s who of Memphis tourism gathered at the Peabody for the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (CVB) annual luncheon meeting.
With hundreds in attendance, from Mayor A C Wharton to the ducks from the historic hotel, the Convention & Visitors Bureau celebrated their accomplishments in flashy style. Multiple awards were given out throughout the lunch, including one given posthumously to B.B. King to celebrate his contributions to Memphis and what he meant to the city. His granddaughter and drummer accepted the award on his behalf.
The event celebrated the progress the city has made in increasing revenue from tourism, including hotel occupancy increasing by nine percent last year. In addition, Memphis attractions had five million visitors last year.
Throughout the event, videos showcasing Memphis neighborhoods and positive city reforms were screened. This included a video celebrating the success of Overton Square in Midtown.
To close off the event, CVB President and CEO Kevin Kane issued a call for improvements to the Cook Convention Center, so that even more people and groups would be attracted to Memphis.
