Skip to content

Tourism Best Practices – Week of June 13

  • 2 min read

Tourism professionals at Convention and Visitors Bureaus – CVBs (or Destination Marketing Organizations – DMOs) are implementing some innovative programs to increase visitation in their destinations. We call them Tourism Best Practices. While some debate whether DMOs should be engaged in event management, some communities show that the tourism office managing festivals can be effective: PolkaFest Looks To A New Generation To Keep Traditions Alive Organized by St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church and the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the event draws thousands to Cambria City each year. Orange Barrel Art Project Extended The project, created by the Stevens Point Area Convention… 

Read MoreTourism Best Practices – Week of June 13

Tourism Best Practices – Week of May 30

  • 2 min read

Tourism professionals at Convention and Visitors Bureaus – CVBs (or Destination Marketing Organizations – DMOs) are implementing some innovative programs to increase visitation in their destinations. We call them Tourism Best Practices: Smith Center Plans Fundraiser for ‘Home on the Range’ Documentary The CVB/Economic Development office brings a movie star with ties to Kansas to community to help raise money for a documentary on the “Home on the Range” cabin. Greater Palm Springs Convention Visitors Bureau’s “Find Your Own Oasis” Summer Campaign ‘Visitor’s Playbook’ to Provide Free Online Listing for Battle at Bristol Activities Visitor’s Bureau Installs Kiosk in Downtown… 

Read MoreTourism Best Practices – Week of May 30

Tourism Best Practices – Week of May 23

  • 2 min read

Tourism professionals at Convention and Visitors Bureaus – CVBs (or Destination Marketing Organizations – DMOs) are implementing some innovative programs to increase visitation in their destinations. We call them Tourism Best Practices: Way Finding Signs Up in Downtown Norman A pilot project bringing way finding signs to Norman has finally come to fruition. The way finding signs are designed to help visitors to Norman get to different tourism centers and important areas in the city. Corsicana’s Wayfinding Project to Attract Tourists Residents will be seeing some new signs around town in the next couple of weeks as the Corsicana Convention and… 

Read MoreTourism Best Practices – Week of May 23

Tourism Best Practices – Virtual Reality, Sports and Hot Air Balloons

  • 2 min read

Tourism professionals at Convention and Visitors Bureaus – CVBs (or Destination Marketing Organizations – DMOs) are implementing some innovative programs to increase visitation in their destinations. We call them Tourism Best Practices: Las Vegas Invests in Virtual Reality, Lifestyle Content to Attract Conventions Skift Interview: Las Vegas is striving to increase its convention business further with new content platforms and a series of virtual reality videos. Youth Sports Targeted to Draw More Visitors to Springfield The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau wants to establish a youth sports complex and target amateur athletics to increase tourism. Plano Unveils New Hot Air Balloon: City Considers it Key… 

Read MoreTourism Best Practices – Virtual Reality, Sports and Hot Air Balloons

Oklahoma Conference on Tourism Summary

  • 2 min read

The Oklahoma Conference on Tourism was held yesterday in Oklahoma City. Great sessions on branding, social media, customer service, motorcoach marketing, festival and events marketing, agritourism, destination development, and attracting Gen Y (millennials) to your destination. Naturally, quite a few ‘little nuggets’ of take-aways… Secret to #socialmedia #marketing per @SheilaS of @TourismCurrents: “Work your butt off!” 3 times to market on #socialmedia: before, during and after. Too many forget last two and (social media) account goes cold. @SheilaS Your #CVB is not reaching #millennials. No app. Website (is) not mobile friendly. (You need to) treat #socialmedia like traditional media. “Don’t discount a… 

Read MoreOklahoma Conference on Tourism Summary

Social Media – Checklist, Acronyms, Budget and Helpful Apps

  • 2 min read

You’re told you can market your business for no money on social media. (In this collection, we have a link to a video that says that.) So you want to get started. Start here: Your Essential Social Media Checklist Replace “actor” with your industry and go through the “essential social media checklist… (that) will help you create social media accounts that more clearly reflect who you are, help grow your fan base, and build lasting industry relationships.” Now learn these: Social Media Acronyms That All Marketers Should Know (The) comprehensive list of the latest social media acronyms will help you survive your… 

Read MoreSocial Media – Checklist, Acronyms, Budget and Helpful Apps

Tourism Best Practices – Detroit Mobile VC, Chicago Cable Car and more

  • 1 min read

Tourism professionals at Convention and Visitors Bureaus – CVBs (or Destination Marketing Organizations – DMOs) are implementing some innovative programs to increase visitation in their destinations. We call them Tourism Best Practices: ‘D-Rover’ Mobile Visitor Center Unveiled in Detroit A black and white van with a big yellow stripe will be at upcoming metro Detroit events this year as a mobile beacon for things to do here. Second story on the D-Rover. Could Airborne Cable Car Boost Chicago Tourism? Imagine sitting in a sleek, modern-day cable car zipping over the Chicago River to Navy Pier, perhaps even Millennium Park. Columbia State, Visitors Bureau… 

Read MoreTourism Best Practices – Detroit Mobile VC, Chicago Cable Car and more

Social Media – 25 Trends and Sites to Watch; 38 Other Tips

  • 2 min read

As they say, “why recreate the wheel?” and when it comes to social media practices, it’s okay to watch popular or successful accounts, see what they’re doing and try to emulate. If you truly struggle with your campaigns, take a look at these first two articles to learn how you might “do” social media better: 20 Popular Social Media Sites Right Now (The article) profiled 20 most popular social media websites so you can now make informed marketing decisions. 5 Trends from Social Media Marketing World 2016 Here are five of the biggest trends discussed at Social Media Marketing World.… 

Read MoreSocial Media – 25 Trends and Sites to Watch; 38 Other Tips

Dealing With Woodward

  • 3 min read

As I started with the Norman, OK CVB, one of the first “issues” I faced was our local Bob Woodward. Remember the reporter that broke the Watergate story? Each community has a reporter looking for their Pulitzer! I had mine. She wanted everything and quoted the Open Records Act as easily as her kid’s names and birth dates. Colleagues offered suggestions: 1. Make public notice your meetings and make all of your records available for public review. If reporters want to come to your meetings, welcome them! You can help educate them. The only thing you shouldn’t open are personnel… 

Read MoreDealing With Woodward