Washington native JD Dalfonso is the new president of the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Dalfonso is now in charge of a staff of 15 people that are focused on eight counties that make up the Peoria area.
“We have Peoria, obviously a large staple in the Peoria area. We have East Peoria, Pekin, Washington, Morton…all these communities. And, some that are getting hotels in the future, that we have a strong focus on,” Dalfonso said.
He tells WMBD’s Greg and Dan that putting “Heads in Beds”, or filling up local hotels, is a huge part of bringing people to the area, but they are also focused on entertainment and amusements.
“The Peoria Civic Center plays a big role, as does our other partners, the East Side Center, Louisville Slugger, the Avanti’s Dome. These places that bring in amusements and concerts.”
Dalfonso says it is the convention and visitors bureau’s job to highlight what makes the Peoria area special.
“You show that you have a great arts community. You have a great venue. You do cool stuff around town. We do all the cool stuff here. And, you show the uniqueness of our festivals around town. It kind of translates into…I wanna go there.”
Dalfonso says hotel and amusement tax dollars that events bring to the area support and build the economies of the eight counties that make up the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For more information about the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, click HERE.
