“We are amazed at this opportunity,” says Steve Van Leeuwen, president of CINIVA Systems, a certified Google Advertising Professional Company. “When you consider how many Web site design companies exist not only in Virginia, but across the country, to be singled out to join Google in a face-to-face brainstorming session truly sends the message that even a company as large as Google will recognize your efforts and reward them accordingly.”

Van Leeuwen said he believes his company’s invitation to attend ThinkTravel ’09 is appropriate, given CINIVA Systems expertise in travel and tourism Web design and search engine optimization. In the last decade through its subsidiary company Simple Tourism, CINIVA has worked for a variety of convention and visitors bureaus and travel/receptive services based around the world. Clients of CINIVA/Simple Tourism include the Currituck County (NC) Department of Tourism and Travel, the Stafford County (VA) Department of Economic Development, the Ted Constant Convocation Center, and the Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center.

Van Leeuwen said that while CINIVA counts among its portfolio over 400 different Web sites, he emphasizes Simple Tourism for the growing impact of the Internet and social media on travel planning. “When people look for a hotel, they’ll ask friends on Facebook, or check consumer ratings on TripAdvisor.com,” he said. “People post vacation photos on blogs and videos on YouTube, and travel companies need to realize that these social sites act as search engines and promote your destination. It’s our hope that through ThinkTravel we can work with Google to better serve our tourism clients and advise new clients on the proper way to promote online.”

About CINIVA Systems Founded in 1998, CINIVA Systems is an Internet marketing, Web design, and site hosting company located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They have designed over 450 websites and currently manage search marketing campaigns for many businesses, non-profits, and government organizations across the United States. (www.CINIVA.com)

About Simple Tourism A division of CINIVA Systems, Simple Tourism specializes in Web design and marketing for travel, tourism, and hospitality businesses. Simple Tourism currently manages sites created to promote destinations and attractions in the Mid-Atlantic U.S., the Caribbean, and Greece. (www.SimpleTourism.com)