Spotlight On: Gregg Caren, President & CEO, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau
February 2024 — Invest: spoke with Gregg Caren, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, to discuss the organization’s role in hosting some of the biggest events in the city, with a worldwide reach and an eye on what will be an historic 2026. “Some people will see this city as a great business opportunity and plant a flag here,” he said.
What has been keeping you busy in the past year?
We operate under two main missions. One is to attract meetings, conventions, exhibitions, sports, and other big events. The second is to attract international tourism, bringing visitors from around the world with the hope that Philadelphia can be a gateway to their American experience. 2023 was the most engaged we’ve been in quite some time with clients from both sectors. On the meeting planning side, we’ve been to dozens of industry events where meeting planners gather to get the word out and have a better idea of what they’re looking for. There’s great interest in hosting more meetings in Philadelphia and we’re excited to accommodate this. On the international tourism side, we have 10 representation offices around the world to promote what the city has to offer. These agents engage on our behalf in each of these markets, working with local trade media to push out our messaging to media and consumers. We’re also excited to ramp up for the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026 and have added an executive position at the PHLCVB to support this work. There is a great coalition effort to make this a success, preparing for the guest experience as a core opportunity. Not only will Philadelphia be celebrating the semi-quincentennial of America’s founding, but it will also be hosting the FIFA World Cup and MLB All-Star Game. We want to make sure that if we’re inviting the world here, we are prepared for them and that they’ll leave here singing our praises. It’ll be a massive undertaking, collaborating with our civic and cultural partners to manage this once in a generation confluence of events.
What is the bureau’s economic impact?
I think it helps if we start from the end result and work backward from there. There is nothing more important than the jobs we support and the people who make their living from tourism and special events. As of November 2023, we had 76,900 leisure and hospitality jobs in Philadelphia County. In 2024, we have 20 citywide events that will use our Convention Center or our sports complex. Some of these events will use up to 20 or 30 hotels at a time. We have over 180 total events booked so far for 2024. This means more jobs and tax revenue for the city and state. We’re putting money in the pockets of people who rely on this sector for income to sustain their family. The work that we do can impact people’s lives and incomes. Their work hours and jobs can rise and fall based on what we do. Before the pandemic, that variable was more from a seasonal perspective. But since then, the people in our sector have been hit the hardest. When we talk about these impacts, we are passionate and we’re excited that hotels, restaurants, and cultural centers are back on track. From an economic standpoint, people might come here for the first time for a convention, but perhaps they enjoy it so much that they come back as tourists. Over time, those tourists can become residents because they fall in love with the city. There is a true economic cycle in tourism that can go into a positive loop. Some people will see this city as a great business opportunity and plant a corporate flag here. With our proximity to the Northeast corridor and the cost of doing business, the value proposition is extraordinary compared to similar cities.
What drives the success of the PHLCVB?
We have three business development divisions, which are PHL Life Science, PHL Diversity, and PHL Sports. These divisions help draw future business in each of these sectors. We have great sports teams and facilities as partners, so we leverage our sports complex and hotel package to attract major sporting events. We’ve hosted many collegiate tournaments and the NFL Draft a few years ago. This spring, the city hosted WrestleMania 40, which was huge. PHL Diversity was established 30 years ago to leverage the true diversity of our city to attract events that should feel comfortable here, no matter who they are. Last year, Philadelphia was named a “Certified Welcoming” city by Welcoming America. This wasn’t based on hospitality, but humanity. Philadelphia is a sanctuary city and home to a historic gay community, with the Gayborhood being one the most vibrant parts of the city. Our Chinatown is also one of the most robust in the nation and has been here for decades. We’ve earned a reputation that no matter who you love or who you pray to, you will feel welcome in Philadelphia. We also want to make sure the economic benefits of our events are felt throughout the entire community. PHL Life Science leverages one of the city’s greatest strengths. We have five university hospitals across the city, and their medical contributions and innovations are expanding massively. University City is seeing a huge influx of for-profit companies moving in to do research. The same goes for our Navy Yard, which has seen incredible rebirth with hotels and residential communities. It also has a huge life science community that is thriving. Forty percent of the meetings and conventions we host are related to life sciences, or what we affectionately call “eds and meds.”
What is your outlook for the next three years?
A lot of people want to talk about 2026 as if it exists in isolation. While it may be Philadelphia’s best year ever, our role will be to make sure that the time leading up to it and after is taken care of. The most important factor will be that it’s not just an economic spike, but a new plateau we launch from and leverage every sector of our economy. We want to keep our foot on the gas and keep the economy going at that level. We need to build business now so we can keep momentum going and have a long-term return on all that investment in 2026.
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