About Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB)

"Where the New South Meets the Old West"

Mission

The Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the destination marketing organization for the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas. The CVB markets Fort Smith's unique attractions and heritage as a tourist destination and convention city to both group and individual travelers, and provides superior customer service to the city's visitors.

Overview - What does a CVB Do?

CVBs are not-for-profit marketing organizations who represent a specific destination and help long-term development of communities through creating and implementing travel and tourism strategies. CVBs bring together members of the hospitality community to attract and serve the traveling public, whether vacationing families and individuals or larger groups traveling by air or motorcoach.

Bureaus also serve as an important resource for meeting and group planners in a variety of areas. CVB professionals act as "customer advocates" in providing a wide range of event services to event planners to simplify the presentation of their events, and enhance the visitor experience. The Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau's staff acts as a liaison between the city's hotels and event facilities and the customers seeking meeting or convention services. As a one-stop shop, the CVB's convention & meeting experts can connect groups and meeting planners with the resources and facilities that best meet their individual needs. 

A Bureau has a critical role to play in the leadership of travel and tourism industry within a community.  CVBs solicit and service conventions and other related group business and engage in visitor promotions resulting in overnight stays for a destination, thus enhancing and developing the economic fabric of the community.