CBV TO HOST MISSOURI SHOWCASE MARKETPLACE

The Cape Girardeau Convention & Visitors Bureau will host the Missouri Showcase Marketplace this month.

The showcase, a gathering of more than 50 tour operators, will be held this week at the Black Forest, north of Cape Girardeau.

Final marketplace plans were announced to the CVB Advisory Board during its August meeting, held last Wednesday at City Hall.

In other action at the meeting, a plan for a CVB Association was discussed, the new CVB director, Mary Miller, was introduced, and other routine business was conducted.

Lyn Muzzy, a travel consultant for the CVB, recently attended the Missouri Division of Tourism Caucus, where final preparations for the showcase marketplace were discussed.

CVB member Dan Drury introduced the idea for a CVB Association.

"Everybody in Cape Girardeau should be thinking tourism," said Drury. "I think it would be a good idea to have an association to give people an opportunity to be a part of tourism. I'm talking about travel agencies, service stations, medical people ... everybody."

He suggested an annual $5 association fee to help cover costs of preparing a special newsletter and other expenses involved.

Other board members voiced support of the plan, which was taken under advisement.

It was also announced that Miller, a former restaurateur, had been selected to serve as a judge for the "1993 Escape to Cape BBQ Cookoff Contest," held Saturday at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau Saturday.

The CVB is now located at a new site, completing its move from the Chamber of Commerce building to 1707 Mt. Auburn Road, where it opened Aug. 2.

The CVB is looking into signage for its new location.

"We're also sending letters to tour operators and other people we work with that we're open as usual," said Cathy Crites, group tour and special projects planner for the CVB. "We have received some calls from people wanting to know if we're closed because of flood conditions in the area."

Crites also said responses from various advertising has been "excellent" this year. More than 8,000 inquiries have been received to date in 1993, including 2,639 inquiries from ads which appeared in Better Homes & Gardens. A total of 2,000 inquiries have been received from the Missouri Vacation Guide advertising.