More than 200 meeting planners and group tour operators will get their first taste of Buffalo Niagara this spring � thanks to the efforts of the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau � during an intensive series of diverse familiarization or �fam� tours.

�Our sales staff is constantly designing new and creative themes that attract a maximum number of fam tour participants,� said Richard Geiger, President Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau. �Our goal is to deliver on our promise that Buffalo Niagara is a fun-filled, exciting destination with something for everyone. If the meeting planners and tour operators have a good time, you can be sure they�ll bring visitor business and dollars to Buffalo, too.�

Each of these tours is unique for a particular reason � the �All You Can Eat� tour includes a custom cookbook compiled with help from our local restaurants and the �Road Rally� tour requires that participants follow clues in order to find the next stop on a journey that takes them all around the Buffalo Niagara region.

The �fam tours� are customized to the meeting planners� or tour operators� interests and showcase a variety of Buffalo Niagara�s numerous attractions and amenities. .

�We know we only have one opportunity to make a good first impression,� says Geiger. �Which is why we offer our guests engaging hands-on experiences like stepping behind the bar at Sphere or into the kitchen at Pearl Street Grill & Brewery. We want to make sure they�re talking about the great time they had in Buffalo for a long time to come.�

Spring 2004 CVB Fam Tour Schedule

May 6 � 8, 2004 Buffalo: All You Can Eat Fam Tour

May 6 � 9, 2004 Army Divisions Association Fam Tour

June 1, 2004 Blizzard This, Buddy! Industry Frontline Fam Tour

June 8 & 9, 2004 Premier Travel Group Leaders Fam Tour

June 11 & 12, 2004 Road Rally Meeting Planners Fam Tour

June 16 � 18, 2004 Lenzner Group Leaders Fam Tour

The Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau, as the marketing leader of the Buffalo Niagara hospitality industry, promotes our region worldwide as a convention, amateur athletics, tourism, leisure and business destination for the economic benefit of the community.

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Media Contact: Nancy Vargo +1 716-852-0511 nvargo@buffalocvb.org