RTRP DMO TOURISM COLLABORATIVE

RTRP DMO TOURISM COLLABORATIVE Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO), often known as convention and visitor bureaus are the official organizations responsible for place-based marketing and promotion to draw visitors as a form of economic, cultural and environmental development. They morph into many cooperative collaborations statewide. The group below represent counties that for traditional economic development are groups as Research Triangle Regional Partnership. Chatham County Johnston County Person County Durham County Lee County Vance County Franklin County Moore County Wake County Granville County Orange County Warren County Harnett County Objectives: 1) Approach counties that are not yet involved (Granville, Lee, Franklin, Warren) or officially organized for visitor-related economic development. Invite the contact who is point for tourism, e.g. government, economic development or chamber. 2) Work with community colleges and public school systems to foster hospitality workforce partnerships and programs. 3) Expand 'The Triangle -A Family of Communities" intra-regional brand and identity campaign beyond the three founding counties. 4) Create better understanding and respect for the inherent differences between tourism or demand based economic development and traditional supply based economic development. Establish a both/and approach in each county. 5) Develop destination by destination inventories of visitor-related events and facilities to help inform individual destination cities, towns and counties. Identify areas of cultural or visitor product planning and development that exploits each area s unique cultural identity while avoiding redundant capital facilities. 6) Assist traditional economic development programs by bidding to host conventions, meetings and events relevant to decision makers in both local and regional target clusters. Assist RTRP with information on exhibition opportunities at meetings and events occurring in various destinations/counties. 7) Foster destination relationships with RDU and other airports and their tenants to: 1) Better recognize the significance of visitor related enplanements and the marketing and promotion that draws that traffic through airports. 2) Incorporate that significance in efforts to draw additional air service and 3) Distinguish airport names from destination brands in airline and airport communications. 1

RTRP DMO TOURISM COLLABORATIVE Next meeting April 4 th 2 p.m., at the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau after Governor s Conference Then, following meeting in Person after June 19 when new winery opens. OBJECTIVE 1 Approach counties that are not yet involved (Granville, Lee, Franklin, Warren) or officially organized for visitor-related economic development. Invite the contact who is point for tourism, e.g. government, economic development or chamber. A. Involvement B. Mentor relationships PROGRESS MEASURES FOR OBJECTIVE 1 ACTION STEPS 1 1) Contact those counties that are not yet organized (Granville, Lee, Franklin, and Warren) a) Responsibility: Neha/Nancy b) Deadline/Milestone: Spring 2005 d) Expected Outcomes/Return on Investment: Broaden participation, establish mentoring relationships. 2) Bring those counties not yet organized into the RTRP DMO Collaboration to exchange valuable lessons about marketing and coop marketing. a) Responsibility: Neha/Nancy b) Deadline: Spring 2005 d) Expected Outcomes/Return on Investment: Extend an opportunity for an ongoing conversation about tourism objectives, work plan, inventory, and other basic principles of visitorrelated economic development. 3) Offer advice, mutually exchange information about marketing and public relations in visitor-related economic development. a) Responsibility: Established CVBs within group will work with "assigned" CVBs. (Mentors matched according to the assistance need and field of interest). b) Deadline: Ongoing d) Expected Outcomes/Return on investment Strengthen the use of visitor related economic development as a tool in each county. 2

RTRP DMO COLLABORATIVE OBJECTIVE 2 Work with community colleges and public school systems to foster hospitality workforce partnerships and programs. A. Programs and Partnerships Developed B. Hospitality Career Awareness C. Well trained pool of workers and managers PROGRESS MEASURES FOR OBJECTIVE 2 ACTION STEPS 2 1) Meet with community college curriculum development a) Responsibility: Caleb/Margaret b) Deadline/Milestone: May 2006 2) Provide Durham Careers In Hospitality template to each public school system a) Responsibility: Each TDA b) Deadline/Milestone: Summer 2006 OBJECTIVE 3 Expand 'The Triangle -A Family of Communities" intra-regional brand and identity campaign to beyond the three founding counties. PROGRESS MEASURES FOR OBJECTIVE 3 A. Participation, Involvement B. Foster both/a regionalism that celebrates the identities of cities, towns and counties while encouraging regional cooperation on traffic, air and water quality and other issues. ACTION STEPS 3 1) Develop costs, enlist phased participation through destination marketing organizations/cvbs and chambers, counties, cities and towns. a) Responsibility: Shelly/Donna b) Deadline: Spring 2006 c) Funding Source: Pay to Play for Creation of PSAs d) Expected Outcome/Return on Investment: Respect for local identities, better cooperation on regional issues. 3

RTRP DMO COLLABORATIVE OBJECTIVE 4 Create better understanding and respect for the inherent differences between tourism or demand based economic development and traditional supply based economic development. Establish a both/and approach in each county. PROGRESS MEASURES FOR OBJECTIVE 4 A. Mutual respect for the different approaches required for visitor related economic development. Lessen the tension resulting from one size fits all thinking. ACTION STEPS 4 1) Communicate with RTRP and county based civic, business and university leaders including lending institutions, foundations, and corporate giving contacts throughout the region about how destination marketing works and how DMOs collaborate and cooperate. a) Responsibility: DMOs/RTRP Staff b) Deadline: June 2006 for first fact sheet distribution. c) Funding Source: d) Expected Outcome/Return on Investment: Broaden understanding and support for how each type of economic development works. 2) Encourage each destination/county or community to invest in a unique cultural identity that leverages its unique history and artistic legacy but with regard to the surrounding cultural investment in cultural development by avoiding redundant capital facilities and focusing on active as well as passive participation. OBJECTIVE 5 Develop destination by destination inventories of visitor-related events and facilities to help inform individual destination cities, towns and counties. Identify areas of cultural or visitor product planning and development that exploits each area s unique cultural identity while avoiding redundant capital facilities. PROGRESS MEASURES FOR OBJECTIVE 5 A. Development of visitor related facility and event inventories B. Development of SWOTS Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) C. Communication to developers and elected officials to minimize reducancy D. Development of unique cultural identities ACTION STEPS 5 1) Gather all inventories of tourism projects from the CVBs and TDAs in the region. a) Responsibility: Conducting inventories is the responsibility of each CVB or TDA b) Deadline: January 2007 c) Funding Source: In-kind d) Expected Outcome/Return on Investment: lessen redundancy, stimulate unique development. 4

RTRP DMO COLLABORATIVE OBJECTIVE 6 Assist traditional economic development programs by bidding to host conventions, meetings and events relevant to decision makers in both local and regional target clusters. Assist RTRP with information on exhibition opportunities at meetings and events occurring in various destinations/counties. PROGRESS MEASURES FOR OBJECTIVE 6 A. Increased RTRP opportunities to showcase the region at relevant conventions, meetings and trade shows. ACTION STEPS 6 1) Identify local and regional cluster priorities. Independently pursue bids to host related conventions and meetings. Establish a process for informing RTRP about show casing opportunities. a) Responsibility: Each CVB or TDA b) Deadline: October 2006 c) Funding Source: In-kind d) Expected 0utcomeRetturn on Investment: Correlation and Exhibition Opportunities. OBJECTIVE 7 Foster destination relationships with RDU and other airports and their tenants to: 4) Better recognize the significance of visitor related enplanements and the marketing and promotion that draws that traffic through airports. 5) Incorporate that significance in efforts to draw additional air service and 6) Distinguish airport names from destination brands in airline and airport communications. PROGRESS MEASURES FOR OBJECTIVE 7 Incorporation of inbound, visitor related rationale in airport recruitment documents. Improved Air Service Recruiting Success Acknowledgment of destinations in Airport communication, acknowledgement of airports in DMO communications. Listing of all destinations served under cities serviced on airline web sites and communications. Inclusive carrier departure and arrival greetings. Use of Raleigh-Durham International Airport to replace Raleigh-Durham on departure/arrival boards. 1) Meet jointly with airport marketing representatives to conduct a SWOTS (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) Analysis for inbound visitor-related" traffic. a) Responsibility: All CVBs RTRP-based CVBs, Airport Marketing Staffs b) Deadline: Fall 2006 c) Funding Source: NIA d) Expected Outcome: Effective aligned marketing materials incorporating inbound strengths. Recruitment of carriers, Competitiveness in Underserved and High Potential Markets. 5

2) Work jointly to integrate existing inbound visitor-related enplanement research findings into Airport marketing materials including business/leisure mix and markets of origin for respective destinations. Shape an appropriate role for CVBs in the carrier solicitation process. a) Responsibility: All RTRP based CVBs w/ Airport Marketing Staffs b) Deadline: 2006 c) Funding Source: NIA, phased in when produced or updated d) Expected Outcome: Awareness among existing, prospective Carriers interest in RTRP based Airports. 3) Work jointly (Airports and CVB/TDAs) to ensure accurate identification of the airports in all appropriate regional and CVBs and other travel related print and internet listings. a) Responsibility: RTRP-based CVBs and Airport Marketing Staffs b) Deadline: 2006 - Phased in with periodic updates. d) Expected Outcome: Marketing leverage to increase awareness of RTRP based airports with both potential visitor-passengers and Carriers. 4) Work jointly with airports to adopt, disseminate and implement airport communication guidelines for carriers including "arrival and departure" greetings, gate postings, Internet search engine defaults, web site listings to distinguish both airports and communities served so travelers can find destinations in alpha listings. a) Responsibility: RTRP-based CVBs and RTRP based airport marketing staffs b) Deadline: 2006-2007 c) Funding Source: NIA - Jointly Signed Letters d) Expected Outcome: Distinctions in Carrier marketing materials of airports served and cities and towns served, regional arrival, departure greetings, less confusions about location of airport, more inclusive references to destinations, greater awareness of Research Triangle region. 5) Jointly explore cooperative marketing campaigns between airports, destinations served and Carriers targeted to draw inbound visitor related enplanements and serve them upon arrival including travel agent info, post arrival advertising, visitor info counters and displays and organization of hotel/motel car rentals boards by destination. a) Responsibility: RTRP based CVBs and Airports b) Deadline: 2006-2007 c) Funding Source: RTRP based CVBs and Airports d) Expected Outcome: Stretch marketing and promotion dollars, synergistic marketing, increased visitation via air, more viable carriers and air service. 6) Work jointly to shape and conduct periodic orientations including airport tenants, taxi dispatchers and drivers, car rental desks. Conduct walk-throughs to audit, "regionalize" and balance airport amenities and branding including wall art, phone book resources, newspapers, signage and other point of sale marketing. a) Responsibility: RTRP based CVBs and Airports b) Deadline: 2006 d) Expected Outcome: Balanced visibility for the destinations that draw visitors through RDU, Greater awareness of inbound RTRP destinations and assets, Greater synergy and lessened confusion over breadth and depth of RTRP based destinations and locations of assets. 6