18 Apr 2013
PHILADELPHIA…April 17, 2013…The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) today announced the launch of the destination's official convention and international visitor website, www.discoverPHL.com.The new website, which brings the vibrancy of Philadelphia to life through striking full-screen photography, extensive content and fresh branding, is designed to meet the demands of key Philadelphia travel audiences – international visitors, convention attendees and meeting planners.
The PHLCVB also recently launched www.discoverPHL.cn, a fully translated Chinese website hosted in China, a first of its kind for any U.S. travel destination, a robust mobile site, fully translated websites in four languages (French, German, Spanish and Portuguese) and a mobile application on the iOS platform.
“We are always excited and eager to tell Philadelphia's story to the world and discoverPHL.com does just that,” says Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Philadelphia is ranked 12th in terms of international visitation to the U.S. and the launch of these new online tools is just one of the things that we're doing to attract even more international visitors to our modern renaissance city.”
“We have taken every measure to ensure that this new website and the supporting products are robust and accessible to all our audiences,” says PHLCVB president and CEO Jack Ferguson. “Whether we are serving meeting planners considering Philadelphia for a conference or welcoming convention attendees and visitors from other countries, our websites will serve as a starting point for inspiring people to discover Philadelphia.”
Some of the site's new features:
• Meeting and Convention Resources. A meeting section with tons of tools for meeting planners preparing events at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, hotels and other venues.
• Booking Engine. New hotel booking engine powered by Booking.com, the world's leading online hotel reservation agency by room nights sold. The booking engine was chosen because of its global reach and availability to consumers in 41 languages and currencies.
• Member-generated Events and Deals– PHLCVB members can now add searchable events and deals, increasing their exposure and driving traffic.
• Maps and Itineraries. Plot an itinerary, search for hotels by categories, view restaurants in particular neighborhoods and more, via a new interactive map.
• Favorites. Create an account and map Favorites – restaurants, attractions, hotels etc., which can be saved and accessed at a later date, including from a mobile device.
The new website prominently features content organized around the six pillars of the PHLCVB's recent open-source PHL global messaging initiative – Freedom, Democracy + America; Innovation + Education; Creative Spirit; Outdoor Life + Sport; Vibrant Street Life; and Accessible + Friendly. A community editorial board will meet regularly to review and refresh the content.
New for local business owners is the ability to create a business listing even if not a PHLCVB member and for existing PHLCVB members to control the content on their own business listings. The site's multi-platform design also allows optimum viewing on all devices from a desktop computer to a tablet.
Several companies were involved in design and content creation for the website. Local language services company MTM LinguaSoft provided translation services for the four foreign language websites and local design strategy firm ex;it created the PHLCVB branding incorporated throughout the website. Events on the website were populated by Philly Fun Guide and local photographers provided all of the images used on the site.
MMGY Global, one of the world's largest travel marketing firms, was engaged to build discoverPHL.com. They specialize in digital travel programs and web site development for global travel brands, including Namibia, Trump Hotel, Choice Hotels, Walt Disney Parks and several U.S. states.
The Chinese website www.discoverPHL.cn was spearheaded by U-Combination Technology, a regional information technology services company serving businesses, schools and non-profits.
DiscoverPHL.com will be supported by other travel marketing products, including the Philadelphia Official Visitors Guide™, Philadelphia Professional Planners Guide, social media properties and International Guides. The PHLCVB also maintains translated web content in 11 languages and international visitors guides in five languages (French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Simplified Chinese).
As an economic engine for Philadelphia, the PHLCVB creates jobs and fuels
the economy by bringing meetings, conventions and travelers to Philadelphia. The launch of the organization's new website and supporting tools is intended to position the City as a global destination for meetings and conventions, international visitors, group travel or prospective students seeking world-class educational institutions.
The PHLCVB's social media properties have also been modified to reflect the “PHL” motif with the Twitter handles @discoverPHL and @meetPHL connecting visitors and meeting planners respectively, to the City. On Facebook, a new URL www.facebook.com/discoverPHL takes visitors to the Discover Philadelphia Facebook page.
Contact
Khaila Edward, Communications Manager
215-636-3412
khaila@discoverPHL.com
