PCVB exec vies to keep Philadelphia hospitable.(Tim Hermann, vice president of convention, sales at Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau)(Brief Article)

"This is going to be a big year for Philadelphia," says Tim Herrmann, vice president of convention, sales at the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau.

It's certainly going to be a big year for Herrmann.

He's the man plotting the course of convention sales efforts for the Pennsylvania Convention Center at a time when the city's hotel supply has swelled to a saturation point, resulting in plunging occupancy rates and early panic.

At the same time, 2001 is set to see a dip in major citywide conventions, with 19 citywides so far confirmed compared to 2000's 24 citywides.

As if the sales pressure were not enough, the city's convention push is playing out …