Work on the new destination marketing website of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau has been started by simpleview. Chicago will also implement simpleview CRM. Meeting sales, membership management, leisure marketing and performance reporting information will be now stored in simpleview CRM. According to an announcement made by simpleview, the project will also include creative design by Chicago-based digital agency The Royal Order of Experience Design.

Chicago will be migrated to the most widely used CMS and CRM tools in the destination marketing industry with this move. Currently, the simpleview CMS is being used by over 100 DMOs. The simpleview CRM is also used by over 115 DMOs.

The new ChooseChicago.com website will have all the usual elements mostly featured in simpleview implementations. These include special offers, itinerary builders and Google (News - Alert) Maps integration among others. The new website will also include an extranet for members. Members will be provided with a variety of tools and resources like account management, lead retrieval and online dues payment.

Meeting planner resources have been included on the Chicago website. These will include RFP builder, venue and supplier search tools, and venue comparisons. The website will also integrate with social media to include content from members’ social networks. Bookings during slow periods can be promoted by member hotels with “hot dates” feature. Planners will be able to build attendance and promote Chicago with dynamic microsites, banners and photos with the Enhanced Online Destination Marketing Kit.

In a release, Patti Evans, VP of Information Technology at CCTB said, “We selected simpleview after an extremely thorough evaluation process with involvement from all departments throughout our Bureau. Ultimately, it was the staff’s decision that simpleview offered the best combination of experience, technology and service to accomplish what we’re looking for.”

According to Ryan George, CEO of simpleview, creating solutions for all DMOs has been the goal of the company.

George said, “With clients like Chicago further establishing simpleview CRM as the industry standard, our mission now is to help show meeting planners, hotels, restaurants and attractions what powerful partners DMOs can be and how much we can do as an industry when building from a place of common tools and technologies.”

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