2014 BCTDA Annual Meeting

Presented by the Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau

October 1, 2014

Welcome!

Stephanie Brown Executive Director, Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau

BCTDA Mission To be a leader in the economic development of Buncombe County by attracting and servicing visitors, generating income, jobs and tax revenues which make the community a better place to live and visit.

BCTDA Vision Asheville/Buncombe County will retain its unique, authentic and environmental charm while welcoming global visitors searching for personal enrichment and memorable experiences.

Bob Patel Chair, Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority

BCTDA Board Members • Bob Patel, Chair

Bhuna Corporation, Quality Inn & Suites

• Paula Wilber, Vice Chair The Biltmore Company

• Chip Craig Greybeard Rentals

• John Ellis Diana Wortham Theatre

• Stephen Frabitore Tupelo Honey Cafe

• John McKibbon McKibbon Hotel Management

• Jim Muth Beaufort House Inn

• Joe Belcher Buncombe County Commissioner

• Jan Davis Asheville City Council

TPDF Committee Members • Jeff Covington, Chair

Carolina Alliance Bank

• Robert Foster, Vice Chair Doubletree by Hilton Biltmore

• John Ellis Diana Wortham Theatre

• Gary Froeba Omni Grove Park Inn

• Mark Hemphill The Biltmore Company

• Himanshu Karvir Holiday Inn – Biltmore West

• John Luckett Grand Bohemian Hotel

• Ruth Summers Grove Arcade

• Thomas Wright Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar

Annual Report

Group Sales & Services Dianna Pierce, VP of Sales

BCTDA Annual Meeting

Group Sales & Services Team

Dianna Pierce, Vice President, Sales

Tina Porter, Senior Sales Manager

Brenda Taylor, Senior Sales Manager

Shawn Boone, Sales Manager

Janelle Troglione, Sales Manager

Carli Adams, Group Communications & Services Manager

Lauren Harris, Sales & Service Coordinator

Beth McKinney, Sales Coordinator

Client Contact Group Sales & Services

Robust Client Contact – Fill the Pipeline • Resource market

development in Atlanta, Tennessee and Florida

• Host client events in Chicago, Nashville & Atlanta

• Bring buyers to AVL • 48-Hour Meeting

Planner Experience • Asheville-Charleston

Motorcoach FAM • Independent site visits

• Motorcoach: Target higher

end buyers and niche companies capable of paying higher rates

Robust Client Contact - Fill the Pipeline

• Attend 20 trade and marketplace events

• Research markets and events showing potential for Asheville

- Pharmaceutical - Insurance - Incentive - IMEX • Support FAMs and site visits

hosted by industry partners

Client Communications Group Sales & Services

Communications – Fill the Pipeline

1. On-line meeting planner guide

2. Meeting video 3. National level print

advertising 4. National level

sponsorship 5. Webpage update 6. Monthly

communications strategy

Meeting Planner Guide 1. 39-Page on-line guide 2. Expandable content 3. Includes

- ACVB facts - Activities section - Transportation - Climate - Hotels with meeting

space - Stand alone meeting

venues - Specialty venues

Meeting Planner Video

National Level Print Advertising 1. Development of

compelling advertisement

2. Placement in national level print vehicles

3. National level sponsorship

Update Group Web Pages

Client Communications

• Monthly Strategy – Pre/post-trade show messaging – RFP contests – E-newsletters – Custom e-blasts – E-vites for FAMs and client events – Client event invitations – Direct mail

• System wide 2X per year

Marketing Marla Tambellini, VP of Marketing

BCTDA Annual Meeting

Marketing & PR Team Marla

Tambellini, Vice President, Marketing

Pat Kappes, Public Affairs Manager

Landis Taylor, PR Specialist

Dodie Stephens, Director of Communications

Cat Kessler, Online Content Manager

Sarah Lowery, Marketing & PR Assistant

Linda Kopp, Marketing Projects ManagerConator

Derek Misler, Web Manager

Expand Content Development

• Create, acquire and curate meaningful content for travelers.

Leveraging the Content

Native advertising and paid media

Asheville Blog

Facebook and other social channels

Media pitches and editor story ideas

YouTube Channel

Enewsletter

Web site

ASHEVILLE CONTENT

Broadcast Channels (Online & TV)

Key Niche Areas of Focus

• Outdoors – Leverage

interest in hiking and outdoor opportunities.

• Culinary – Build

credibility of robust food culture.

• Music – Connect

travelers to music experiences and create awareness of music scene.

• Arts – Provide deeper

connection to arts and cultural experiences.

New Foodtopia Assets

Additional Foodtopia Efforts • Food Blog Forum

– Hosted 110 bloggers. – Generated 1,723 tweets with

reach of 9.6 million impressions.

– Nearly 1,000 Instagram posts.

• Foodtopia Dinner Event – Collaboration with Garden &

Gun Magazine. – Sold out event with 80 seats. – Provides Foodtopia donation

to Manna Food Bank.

Asheville Arts Portal • Partnered with the

Asheville Area Arts Council.

• Added approximately 75 new arts partners to the database.

• Included a search function by medium.

• Appeal to arts-oriented travelers with custom content in arts-oriented enewsletter.

Music Initiative • Expand Music Section.

– Showcase live music events via robust music calendar.

– Live stream select performances.

– Use SoundCloud for local music sampling.

• Inject local music into creative and content assets.

• Curate local music content when possible.

Hiking/Outdoors • Establish ExploreAsheville

as the go-to site for outdoor information.

• Develop a robust, consumer-friendly online guide to area hiking trails.

• Expand image and video assets of the outdoors and mountain scenery.

Media & Social Outreach • Exceed 2 billion media impressions for

editorial (unpaid media) coverage. • Develop at least 310 customized direct

media pitches. • Plan and execute media missions:

- Nashville/Atlanta/Chattanooga

- New York City

- Drive Market Winter Blitz

- Society of American Travel Writers Marketplace

• Use Facebook and other social channels to encourage sharing and engagement.

• Secure more than 230,000 video views.

Redesign ExploreAsheville.com

• Launch updated and responsive web site.

• Make content more accessible up front.

• Improve navigation and functionality.

Drive 4 million visits to the site.

Closing the Sale • July-September

– 315 Room Nights – $46,126 room revenue – Ave. Booking Window

= 18 days – Represents bookings

at 49 partner properties

– Top States by Revenue • NC, GA, SC, FL, IN

Paid Media Strategy

• Expand paid media reach. – Increase broadcast markets:

• Core: Charlotte, Atlanta, Greensboro area, Raleigh-Durham

• Additional Core: Charleston, Columbia, Knoxville

• Opportunity: Nashville, Cincinnati

– Use digital and print to further expand geography.

Target Audience • Adults 25-54 • Median HHI: $75K • Slightly skewing female • Intends to travel in next year • Traveled 3+ trips in past 12 months • Experientials

– Eclectic doers who relish discovery and collection of experiences.

– Enjoys trying different types of food, exploring and learning new things.

– Frequently chooses active vacations.

Travel Intelligence Tools • Use research insights to

optimize marketing and create efficiencies.

• Use newly available market demand data insights to tweak and optimize geographic focus throughout the year and funnel advertising into need periods.

Retail/Call To Action Message • Layer in a retail/urgency

messaging to better impact identified demand periods.

• Encourage more immediate booking.

• Extend advertising into opportunity seasons with best potential for turning daytrips into overnights.

Peter Mayer Advertising Josh Mayer, Chief Creative Officer Ellen Kempner, VP Account Director Michelle Clarke, Account Supervisor

BCTDA Annual Meeting

Creative Foundation

Shifting Perceptions & Behavior

Brand Promise We guarantee you a life-enriching experience each and every time you visit Asheville. It’s personal, personal to you. And it is also personal to us. We live that same genuine experience and want to share it with you. We empower you to discover a collection of experiences that is as unique and varied as each individual who visits us, and allow you to do so in a warm, embracing and creative environment.

Brand Position

The unique and eclectic array of experiences in Asheville opens wide your sense of discovery and enriches your life.

Our Approach • Create an emotional connection • Move from “escape” to “discovery” • Connect with depth and breadth of destination • Maintain essence of Asheville brand • Use data-driven insights

Research Objectives • Test three new creative concepts and four potential taglines

– Independent panel – 750 participants • Core, expanded core and opportunity markets

– Database brand fans – 1,300 participants – Appeal to today’s Experiential Traveler

• Prior visitors • Non-visitors/Potential visitors

Research Insights • All three concepts tested very well

– “Discovery, Inside and Out” is the most compelling video concept

– “Discovery, Inside and Out” most relatable to prior and prospective visitors

– “Discovery, Inside and Out” is top-performing tagline • Appeal • Fits image • Likely to visit

Executive Staff Jonna Reiff, Executive Coordinator

Tom Roberson, Director of Visitor Services

Lucy Murphy, Assistant Manager

Charlie Reed, Information Specialist

Visitor Services

Thank you for joining us!