Dear
Fellow
Tourism Industry
Professionals and Friends,
This
E-newsletter is produced by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
and is offered as a free service to the industry and others with an interest
in Tennessee Tourism.
This newsletter is part of our ongoing dialogue with the industry, so please reply and send us tips to tourism.news@state.tn.us.
If you know someone who could benefit from this information, please share this issue with them. If you wish to unsubscribe, follow the directions at the end of this transmission.
Marketing
Summit Sets Stage
For the New Year
In a unique meeting involving the traditionally
competitive advertising industry, the Department hosted a two-day collaborative
Partnership Marketing Summit with strategic leaders from our marketing
and advertising partners.
Held December 9 and 10 in Nashville, the Summit
was conceived by Commissioner Whitaker as a way to ensure fully integrated
marketing campaigns and maximize knowledge sharing opportunities between
partnering professionals. In years past, agencies who worked to promote
Tennessee tourism had little collaborative communication with one another.
The senior-level meeting involved Chandler-Ehrlich
(creative), Buntin Group (media), Miles Media (vacation guide), USA800
(fulfillment), and others, including key internal marketing communications
personnel from the departments of Tourism and ECD.
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Strategic conversations involved:
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“I’m thankful that our partners agreed
to take time to sit down to discuss all facets of our marketing plan together,”
Commissioner Whitaker said. “We had great synergy, which led to strong
collaboration and ideas. I can’t wait to reveal our plans.”
Look for the new campaign launch towards the end of the first quarter of 2004.
Geiger Press Tour Brings Editorial
Results
The Department produced our first press tour,
the Tennessee Fall Getaway in the Upper Cumberland Region, October 19-23
with Geiger and Associates.
Twenty three journalists traveled off the
beaten track and throughout the fourteen counties of the Upper Cumberland.
The trip almost immediately produced 14 positive
articles in several markets. Since some of the publications have lead
times of six months, this press trip may see a productive cycle of a
year to 18 months.
Journalists included staff writers and/or
editors from the following publications: Southern
Living Magazine, Boating World Magazine, Tallahassee Magazine, Citizen
Tribune (Morristown, TN), Raleigh News & Observer, Carolina Gardner
and Michelin Travel Publications.
Additionally, 13 freelance writers joined
the tour. Among the major publications in which you may see their Upper
Cumberland stories: Chattanooga Free Press,
Indianapolis Star & News, New Hampshire Sunday News, AAA Going Places,
St. Petersburg Times, Boston Herald, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Travel
Weekly, Golf.com, National Geographic Traveler, Continental Airlines
In-Flight Magazine, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Savannah Morning News,
Savannah Magazine, Miami Herald, National Geographic Traveler, Meetings
South, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Newark Star-Ledger, San Antonio News
Express, St. Louis Times, Grand Rapids Press, Nashville Tennessean,
Bloomington Herald Times (IN), Dallas Morning News, Memphis Commercial
Appeal (TN), Providence Journal (RI), Kansas City Star (KS), Mississippi
Magazine and Southern Boating.
We extend a special thanks to almost 70 tour sponsors throughout the Upper Cumberland region whose accommodations and hospitality enhanced the tour in many ways.
New Website Launched
The Department of Tourism
has launched its new website, one of seven strategic initiatives outlined
at the Governor’s Conference earlier this year.
The site is built with
a data-base driven infrastructure that allows personalization of content
and images according to the interests of users. Essentially, the deeper
into the site a person travels, the more tailored it becomes.
For
example, links to the “Festivals and Events” pages will produce
images only related to festivals and events, not attractions. Conversely,
clicking on the “Family and Kids” link will filter out image
of the Jack Daniels barrel house or nightlife on Beale Street.
Other improvements to the website include:
- An intuitive and easy-to-use graphic and architectural
design;
- A Hot Deals section for individual properties to
advertise genuine savings;
- A roll over mapping tool to assist in travel planning;
- Expanded events listings;
- Specialty links for such items as an African American
directory, Agri-tourism overview, Family and Kids, Nature and Outdoor,
History and Culture, and other special interest areas;
- A password-protected, direct access feature to
allow industry members to add or update information about their business
or event.
The other major thrust
of this initiative will be newly created Web site and Web-based marketing
programs, including efforts to optimize search engine listings, advertising
messaging, boost the effectiveness of data base marketing, and qualifying
leads.
Expect ongoing updates, revisions and enhancements. You can find the new website conveniently at our old URL: www.tnvacation.com
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Vacation Guide for 2004 The Tennessee Vacation Guide, published by Miles Media,
and produced by the Department of Tourism, is set for release in
coming weeks. This year’s book includes more editorial (170
pages in all), and many changes to reduce clutter in design or message.
Among the changes you will note:
The book will distribute throughout early January with a comprehensive roll-out plan to the industry, consumers, media and Welcome Centers. |
East Tennessee Gains New Regional Marketing
& PR Manager Nicky Reynolds has joined the Department as Regional Marketing
and Public Relations Manager for East Tennessee, following the retirement
of Agnes Gorham. Like her two counterparts in West and Middle Tennessee, Nicky will
develop strong industry relationships, work with regional media
outlets to get the word out about Tennessee tourism, and sell the
state’s travel assets in trade shows across the region. Nicky comes to the department from the Chattanooga Area CVB where,
as marketing manager, she was responsible for media relations, the
editorial sections of Chattanooga’s Visitors Guide, the bureau’s
website, press tours and brochures and promotional materials. Nicky
also worked with special promotions, radio, television and print
production. Previously, she served on the front lines of the tourism
industry as a park ranger for the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National
Military Park. Nicky serves the Department with two other Regional Marketing and Public Relations Managers; Ramay Winchester in West Tennessee and Derrick Smith in Middle Tennessee. You may reach each as follows:
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Phone: (865) 777-4685 Ramay
Woody Winchester Phone: (731) 426-0888 Derrick
Smtih Phone: (615) 741-9049 |
Sales Advisory Committee Holds First
Meeting
More than 25 industry advisors to the Department’s
sales efforts gathered in Nashville earlier this week to discuss recent
sales initiatives and to help plan for future ones.
Moderated by Lee Curtis, Director of Sales for Tennessee Tourism, the three-hour meeting provided a forum for dialogue between CVBs, DMOs, senior-level attractions managers, destination marketers and other sales-oriented industry professionals. The session marked the first time an advisory committee was formed to discuss the scope of Department’s integrated sales efforts including international, travel shows, AAA, STS and other industry events, partnerships and opportunities.
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Some of the items discussed were:
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Special thanks to all who attended and contributed to
the dialogue. On behalf of the entire group, we extend a special thanks
to Kelly Hale of Opry Mills who arranged for meeting space, and the
Rainforest Café for lunch.
If you’d like to join the voluntary Sales Advisory
Committee, please contact Lee Curtis at the department via email at
lee.curtis@state.tn.us.
Lee takes her show on the road this week to AAA in Dallas. Look for updates from that trip soon.
TDOT Kiosk Showcases Tennessee
Travel
The
departments of Tourism and Transportation are partnering on a pilot effort
to provide real-time road information and travel possibilities to motorists
through Tennessee.
This week, a computer kiosk with eight informational
screens was positioned at the Smith County Welcome Center on Interstate
40. Four screens are dedicated to road conditions and closings, weather,
and other transportation concerns.
The Department of Tourism is using three additional
screens to showcase tourism information and scenes from across Tennessee:
one screen is dedicated to festivals, one for attractions and one for
scenics. The final screen features State Parks information and events.
The IT division of TDOT built the web-based kiosk and will host the content. Long range plans include placing one in each of the 13 other Welcome Centers.
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West Tennessee Visit Senator Roy Herron (D-Dresden) joined the Tennessee Department
of Tourist Development as they visited West Tennessee in late
October to explore the wide range of tourist destinations there.
“Our area is home to some of the most beautiful scenes in
the state,” Herron said. “We’ve got wonderful wildlife,
lovely lakes, and fabulous forests. Bringing new tourism to this
area is important for our economic development.” Joining Senator Herron was Commissioner Susan Whitaker, Assistant
Commissioner for Marketing Francis Eagle, Director of Communications
Mark Thien, Regional Marketing and PR Manager Ramay Winchester,
Congressman John Tanner’s District Director Joe Hill, and
Regional Tourism Director Jim Perry. The tour included visits to Reelfoot Lake and Paris Landing State
Park and featured meetings intended as a starting point for ongoing
dialogue with regional tourism officials from around the region.
Representative Philip Pinion joined the group at Reelfoot Lake
and Representative Butch Borchert was present at the Paris Landing
meeting. The visit received multiple front page stories from the
Paris Post-Intelligencer, the State Gazette, and the Dyersburg
News. “I’m pleased that Governor Bredesen’s administration realizes the importance of the natural treasures that exist in this area,” Herron said. “We need to do all we can to promote tourism that will bring jobs and opportunity to people all across West Tennessee.” |
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Department Photo Archives Receives
Overhaul;
Contributions Requested
Since effective marketing includes having the
latest and best images for promotion, the Communications Division is updating
its 35mm slide and digital files of Tennessee’s attractions and great
outdoors.
Our
images are regularly requested by magazine editors, travel writers, tour
planners and others promoting Tennessee. Over the years, images become
over-used and dated by changes in architecture, services and fashions.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, we want them to be the best thousand
ever said about Tennessee.
Our focus is on cleaner, crisper shots, unusual
and attention getting angles and people, people, people so the consumer
can readily identify with the Tennessee vacation experience. We are looking
for photos with fresh perspectives, not just blanket shots of landscapes
and buildings.
In partnership with State Photographic Services,
we have added approximately 200 new images since October. We’re now
soliciting images from you! If you have 35mm promotional images or digital
files you’d like us to consider for inclusion in our archives, please
send them via postal or overnight mail to:
Carlynne Foster, Communications
Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
5th Floor, Rachel Jackson Bldg.
320 Sixth Ave. North
Nashville, TN 37243
(Carlynne.Foster@state.tn.us)
Submit 35mm slides and 300 dpi images on CD in tiff or jpeg format with identifying cutlines and photo credits. No prints please, and we cannot accept images with advertising type or professional service copyright. Be sure to obtain photo use releases for people unless they are in public domain locations. If you have any questions, contact Carlynne at (615) 741-7994.
GET THE GUIDE!
The Tennessee Vacation Guide at 800-GO2-TENN or online
www.TNvacation.com
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COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION |