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It's hard to express how the absolute WOW of the IPW Press Conference was born of the heart, soul, creativity, passion, dedication and hard work of the CE Group. From the very beginning planning discussions, to the tiniest detail at conclusion, nothing escaped their attention or commitment to make everything spectacular. Every nuance - concept ideation, decor, F&B, entertainment, signage, integration of cultural elements, logistics, flow, and more were infused and led by them.
OPPORTUNITY
U.S. Travel Association’s IPW is the world’s international trade-show and marketplace. In 2023, this conference brought the opportunity to showcase San Antonio to a global audience, changing San Antonio’s tourism landscape for years to come. The CE Group was tasked with highlighting the soul and spirit of our city through the visitor lens. The CE Group navigated time constraints, budget restrictions, construction, and opportunity limitations throughout, and faced the pressure of finding solutions in order to create a seamless event that represented San Antonio culture to world-wide tourism professionals.
SOLUTION
The CE Group developed concepts and prioritized 7 diverse, authentic, and unique “key ingredients”:
- Immersive, multi-sensory experience
- Storytelling of the past, present, and future
- Showcasing our city as a place where history lives and artistic, culinary, and cultural variety flourish
- Curation by chefs, artists, makers, venues, and partners
- Highlighting San Antonio as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Spotlighting the Hill Country, South Texas, and the State of Texas
- Celebrating diversity and inclusion of individuals, businesses, and communities
These pillars were the common thread that anchored the overarching identity of a Real & True San Antonio. Visions and themes came to life through events, such as a culturally inclusive opening fiesta called “Viva San Antonio”, an exclusive “Real & True Press Brunch”, a curated river festival titled “Festival del Rio”, and a closing event, “Let’s Texas”, hosted at The Alamo. Throughout these celebrations, our team delighted the 5,000 international delegates with the best sights, sounds, and flavors of San Antonio.
This was accomplished through an all-encompassing creative process to include brainstorming sessions, community outreach, many concept decks and extensive vendor RFP processes. Once themes were selected, CE Group ensured that all event elements corresponded. From food & beverage, sponsor & partner activation, entertainment, collateral, rentals and décor, each vendor, partner, and entertainment act was carefully vetted and filtered through the lens of a Real & True San Antonio showcase. The CE Group prioritized relationships throughout the city and emphasized the return of investment to San Antonio’s hospitality industry when approaching partners and vendors.
IPW 2023 was a success because of our team’s determination to leave no detail untouched, and our dedication to spotlighting San Antonio’s offerings.
