Tom Riel
Author
Tom Riel

Tom Riel is the Senior Vice President at GoProvidence, where he has been working since 2014. Before that, Tom had a 22-year sales career with Marriott, and he is currently a member of the Destinations International Convention Sales & Services committee. In his free time, Tom loves to cook and can usually be found spending summer weekends on Cape Cod.

 

Tips and Tricks for Booking a Small(er) City

Small(er) cities have come into their own recently and continue to grow in popularity with meeting and event planners. Destinations with smaller convention centers (under 250,000 square feet) are attracting more attention from meeting professionals seeking alternatives to traditional tier 1 markets…

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Why Smart Event Planners Partner With the PWCVB

You've scouted the venue, negotiated the hotel blocks and finalized your dates. Then you arrive in Providence to discover your corporate summit coincides with 10,000 cheerleaders descending on the city or that your planned 5K walk/run crashes into Rhode Island's biggest pride celebration. Sound…

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Event Services: More Than Just BEOs and Buses

Having been immersed in this industry for more years than I care to count, I can say that the area that has seen the most change is the event services department. Whether you know it as convention services, event management or event services, this role has constantly evolved to meet the needs of an…

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Decades of Experience Makes All the Difference

When you're planning a meeting or event, you need more than just a destination. You need a partner who truly understands the industry. At the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB), we've built the kind of deep, institutional knowledge and relationships that can only come from years…

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Meeting Planners: Make the Most of Your Valuable Data

We're all working in a high-demand period. For lots of reasons, meeting planners are buying short-term, which creates a virtual jump ball for availability. With that in mind, hotels, convention centers and destinations are evaluating your statistics. Your data. Suppliers are evaluating the value of…

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Freestyle Your Meeting in Providence

With a history of freethinking that dates back to its founder Roger Williams, Providence is all about giving meeting and event planners the ability to craft an experience totally tailored to their unique vision. All you need is a little imagination to freestyle your event in a way that surprises and…

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