Convention and Visitors Bureau Offers Discounts From Southern California Merchants
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(ONTARIO, Calif.) Inland Empire residents and visitors to the city and the Ontario Convention Center can now receive discounts of up to 25 percent at local businesses, including Ontario Reign games, retail stores and local restaurants.
“The Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Reward Card is fun, fresh and new,” said Amita Patel, director of sales and marketing for the Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Ontario Convention Center, which oversees the program. “Our partnership with Elite Reward Cards LLC allows us to target not only Ontario residents, but also the meetings/ conventions and consumer shows markets. Businesses from Twin Peaks to Laguna Nigel are on board already, and we know the interest in this will grow.”
Besides giving the card holders great deals, the Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Reward Card program benefits area businesses too, because anyone who buys a card will become aware of what the participating merchants have to offer. Each merchant decides what benefit the card holders will receive, but it can be up to 25 percent off a purchase.
“The card is designed to bring business to merchants,” Patel said. “Many are struggling, so this serves as a stimulus program for them. We want to keep and drive business into Ontario, while also addressing the needs of the visitors who come from out of town when attending an event at the Ontario Convention Center or one of the local hotels.”
The Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau has primarily recruited businesses in the West Valley and Pomona Valley areas, but over the next two years will broaden the outreach to include more of San Bernardino County, as well as Orange County and Riverside County. After 2011the Bureau plans to expand into other parts of California, then to other states.
Those nearby areas will also reap some economic benefit in the first phase, because the cards will also recommend places to visit, such as Temecula’s wine country and Big Bear Lake. Convention visitors from outside the Inland Empire often plan side trips, and even if they stay near Ontario, want recommendations on where to eat or shop.
“With this card, they will have more reasons to enjoy their stay in Ontario,” Patel said. “It will give them ideas they had not previously considered.”
Starting with the IE Super Show April 10-11, all delegates and guests of the event at the Convention Center will receive a free limited-time Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Rewards Card and an offer to purchase the annual card for $35, said Patel.
Soon after, the Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau plans to market this card in selected Inland Empire neighborhoods. The cards can be purchased by calling the Sales Office at the Ontario Convention center: 909-937-3000 or online at www.eliterewardcards.com
The IE Super Show is an open to the public convention that combines four unique shopping experiences – the Home and Pet Expo, the Pool and Spa Expo, the Successful Aging Expo and the IE Food and Wine Festival. The Ontario Convention Center expects 10,000 to 15,000 visitors during this show.
The Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Reward Card will offer discounts on many of the products for sale at the IE Super Show, as the show’s merchants also received an opportunity to participate in the card program.
About the Ontario Convention Center
The Ontario Convention Center is a contemporary design building, encompassing 225,000 square feet of space that can be configured to meet a variety of convention and other meeting needs. All areas of the Ontario Convention Center contain advanced communications technology, including wireless Internet access and video conferencing.
For a tour or more information, call Amita Patel at (909) 937-3002 or toll-free at (800) 455-5755, email info@ontariocvb.com or go to www.ontariocc.com
About Elite Reward Cards
The Elite Reward Cards program is designed to promote economic development within our local communities by providing instant discounts to consumers on a wide variety of goods and services they use every day. At the same time, the program encourages consumers to shop locally and build loyalty with businesses in our community.
Launched at the 2009 RECon – The Global Retail Real Estate Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Elite Reward Cards program now has over 25,000 cards in distribution and over 100 local merchants in Ontario, La Verne, Covina, Fontana and other surrounding communities. The Elite Reward Card can also be used for fundraising in schools and non-profit organizations. Contact us at 909.944.5750 for more information or e-mail us at info@eliterewardcards.com.
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