BuckeyeLine

Full Speed Ahead!

Happy February from the Ohio Tourism Division! Can you believe it? We are already into the second month of the year, and things just keep getting more exciting here at the Division. Regardless of whether or not the groundhog saw his shadow, the spring/summer travel season is just around the corner for those of us in the Tourism Industry. As promised last month, we are geared up and ready to go!

In addition to the co-operative opportunities that we presented to the Industry last fall, our team has come up with a terrific plan to enhance the kick-off of our big spring/summer marketing push to drive visitors to Ohio! I am delighted to announce a new series of Town Hall meetings starting later this month that will provide you with several important opportunities and updates including:

• A current status update on the Tourism Division and its future;
• A presentation of NEW Ohio Tourism Month marketing and partnership opportunities;
• An overview of the NEW enhancements to DiscoverOhio.com, including the Buckeye Database submission process, and MyOhio;
• The rollout of a NEW partnership that will make it easy and affordable for your business/organization to begin engaging in mobile marketing; and
• Opportunities to ask questions, interact and engage with Ohio Tourism Division leadership and team members.

We are planning for a total of seven Town Hall meetings between Feb. 22 and mid-March. Please read the article in this issue of BuckeyeLine for the dates and locations nearest your place of business. This is a great opportunity to connect with your peers before our busiest leisure travel season begins.

On a sad note, I must share with you the news that our very own Assistant Director, Alicia Reece, will be leaving the Ohio Tourism Division to pursue the next chapter in her career of public service. During the past two and a half years, Alicia has proven herself an invaluable part of the Tourism Division and our Industry. She played important roles in the development and execution of our last two marketing campaigns, as well as the expansion of our multicultural marketing initiatives. Her warm personality, partnership skills and relentless drive to help us meet our goals and objectives will be missed. The good news is that we will always have her as an advocate and friend of this $39 billion Industry, and we thank her for all she has done to help us do an even better job of telling the world about Ohio. Alicia’s last day at the Division will be Friday, Feb. 12, 2010.

Moving forward, the Ohio Tourism Roundtable Leadership continues to make progress on your behalf regarding the future of marketing Ohio. Keep your eyes open for updates in the coming weeks regarding their work on a private/public model and ongoing dialogue with the administration and other key stakeholders. I am looking forward to a terrific month and to seeing all of you on the road in your own backyards!

Safe Travels,

Amir

Feb./March Town Halls to Provide New Marketing Opportunities, Important Updates

The Division is holding seven town hall meetings throughout the state to discuss important Division news, announcements and opportunities. The town hall meetings are must-attend events for Industry partners looking for new partnership and marketing opportunities and to engage one-on-one with the Tourism Division leadership and team members. Industry partners also are strongly encouraged to attend a town hall meeting to receive the most up-to-date information on the Division and its future.

Following are dates and locations for the town hall meetings. Please RSVP to Joy Doty (by dates indicated below) at joy.doty@development.ohio.gov and remember to indicate which session you plan to attend. We hope to see you at one of these events!

Central Ohio--Dublin
Monday, Feb. 22
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
The Conference Center at OCLC
6565 Kilgour Place
Dublin, OH 43017
RSVP: Wednesday, Feb. 17

Western Ohio--Lima
Wednesday, Feb. 24
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
City Club
144 S. Main St., 3rd Floor
Lima, OH 45801
RSVP: Friday, Feb. 19

Southwest Ohio--Mason
Monday, March 1
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Great Wolf Lodge
2501 Great Wolf Drive
Mason, OH 45040
RSVP: Tuesday, Feb. 23

Southeast Ohio--Cambridge
Wednesday, March 3
9:00 a.m. – Noon
Cambridge/Guernsey County Visitors and Convention Bureau
627 Wheeling Ave.
Cambridge, OH 43725
RSVP: Friday, Feb. 26

Northeast Ohio--Akron
Friday, March 5
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau
77 E. Mill St.
Akron, OH 44308
RSVP: Monday, March 1

Northwest Ohio--Port Clinton
Monday, March 8
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Ottawa County Convention and Visitors Bureau
770 S.E. Catawba Road
Port Clinton, OH 43452
RSVP: Wednesday, March 3

Southern Ohio--Chillicothe
Thursday, March 11
9:00 a.m. – Noon
The Pump House Center for the Arts
Enderlin Circle in Yoctangee Park
P.O. Box 1613
N. Mulberry St.
Chillicothe, OH 45601
RSVP: Monday, March 8

Co-Op Advertising Deadlines Fast Approaching

The Division has once again invested in a robust co-op advertising plan encompassing print, radio and online media. We know that we are most successful when we’re working together in partnership. Deadlines for several co-op opportunities are coming up in February and March, including AAA Motorist – Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh (Thursday, Feb. 4), the regional newspaper insert through Madden Media (Friday, Feb. 19), Scholastic Parent and Child (Monday, March 8) and Crossings (Wednesday, March 31).

For more information on these and other co-op opportunities, please visit http://Industry.discoverohio.com/media/537/355.pdf or contact Joe Vargo at joe.vargo@development.ohio.gov or (614) 644-0786.

2009 Economic Impact Study Order Deadline Feb. 26

Time to your order your 2009 study is quickly running out. The last day to order a 2009 county level economic impact study is Friday, Feb. 26. The economic impact study assesses the economic impact of tourism for each county. In your report, you will receive the dollar amount of visitor spending, the number of jobs supported by tourism and the amount of taxes generated in your area, as well as other vital information. The reports are expected to be delivered in early May 2010. For additional information and a price quote, please contact Eric Herzog at eric.herzog@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-0338.

Ohio Tourism Month Special Announcement Forthcoming

Please watch for a Special BuckeyeLine this month detailing Ohio Tourism Month marketing participation opportunities along with information on Multicultural Tourism Day. The Division is in the final stages of developing an Ohio Tourism Month strategy that will take us on the road, utilize social media and promote Ohio tourism packages and travel incentives in Ohio and surrounding states.

2010 S/S Ohio Calendar of Events Now Available

The new 2010 Spring/Summer Ohio Calendar of Events are in and making us all eager for spring, and bulk quantities of the calendar are available.

Initial bulk orders will be limited to one box (100 quantity) of calendars through mid-March to allow us sufficient time to fulfill a majority of consumer requests before resuming fulfillment of bulk orders.

Bulk quantities of the free 2010 Spring/Summer Ohio Calendar of Events can be ordered online. 

2010-11 F/W Calendar of Events Deadline April 16

To have your Ohio event considered for inclusion in the printed 2010-11 Fall/Winter Ohio Calendar of Events (50,000 quantity printed), please submit/update your information in the DiscoverOhio.com/Buckeye database by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 16.

If your database entry is current, there is no need to re-submit. Please review your entries to ensure dates, times, phone numbers, etc. are current and accurate. The calendar will cover events that take place between September 2010, and February 2011. Due to space limitations, not all events submitted and approved will appear in the printed calendar, however, all approved events will be available on DiscoverOhio.com.

If you’re interested in advertising opportunities in the calendar, please contact your advertising representative or Jillian LaManna, Great Lakes Publishing Advertising Coordinator, at jlamanna@ohiomagazine.com or (216) 377-3655.

New York Media Mission Rich with Opportunities

Ohio stormed the Big Apple media scene this year with representatives from six Tourism Industry partners including: Jennifer Burns, Warren County CVB; Lexi Robinson-Hotchkiss, Positively Cleveland; Scott Peacock, Experience Columbus; Susan Fryer, Greater Licking County CVB, Christy Eckstein, Ohio Grape Growers Council; Mary Szymkowiak, Dublin CVB; Ann Marcum, Fahlgren Mortine PR; and Tamara Brown, Ohio Tourism Division. Many thanks to this group for their outstanding promotion of the entire state!

This year, in addition to the travel-specific and women’s service publications we have targeted in the past, we added meetings with a couple of male-focused publications, in-flight magazines and a publication aimed at the very high-end traveler. We learned a lot about these “new” publications and became acquainted with some new contacts at publications we know and love. Our appointment schedule included: MyMidwest (in-flight magazine of Midwest Airlines), GO (in-flight magazine of Air Tran Airlines), Parents magazine, Budget Travel, Country Living, Maxim, Family Circle, Elite Traveler, American Baby, Field & Stream, Working Mother and Fodors.com.

It was encouraging to hear that the in-flight publications have some upcoming Ohio stories in their editorial calendars, and there were only a couple of contacts that were not at all familiar with the Buckeye State, so perhaps we’re making progress. We’ll be reaching out to partners for additional information and images as we follow up on our media contacts’ interests.

The accompanying picture is from our national media splash on The Today Show! It was worth braving the cold temperature and snow to shake Al Roker’s hand and get our O-H-I-O signage in front of a national audience. Al is just like some of the other media representatives we met on this mission – a person may move out of Ohio, but they are still Buckeyes at heart!

(Pictured from left to right: Jennifer Burns, Warren County CVB; Scott Peacock, Experience Columbus; Tammy Brown, Ohio Tourism Division; Christy Eckstein, Ohio Grape Industries Council; Ann Marcum, Fahlren Mortine Public Relations; Susan Fryer, Greater Licking County CVB; Lexi Robinson-Hotchkiss, Positively Cleveland)

DiscoverOhio.com Buckeye Database

On Jan. 7, the Division launched Phase I of our Web site User Enhancements project designed to provide database users with a better online experience. As some of you are aware, we have experienced some minor challenges with the Buckeye Database during this initial launch, and we thank you for your patience while we iron out any remaining issues. The following improvements will make it easier for Industry members to manage your listings.

After listening to user feedback on the Buckeye Database, we made several enhancements to this section of the Industry site to provide you with a streamlined process for entering and editing events and attraction information. These changes include:
• Manage Groups: Many of our partners have several staff members assigned to handle their listings. Our improved Manage Groups feature allows the person who creates and updates their entity’s listing to generate sub-accounts for others in their organization to also manage that information.
• Import/Export: Some Industry members enter information on numerous listings that can be used in places other than the DiscoverOhio.com/Buckeye Database. With the new Import/Export feature, users can export their listings, edit them outside the DiscoverOhio.com/Buckeye database and upload the information in a batch process.
• Auto Search Feature: This new feature alerts you if another attraction or event with the same name is already listed in the system, and will help reduce the number of duplicate listings on DiscoverOhio.com.

We also consolidated the majority of the required listing information into one tab on the submission form with expandable/collapsible boxes. These additional changes include:
• Streamlined hours of operation entry
• GPS location
• Improved text editor for descriptions
• Improved submission process
• Implementation of a terms of service agreement

We invite you to check out a video review of the enhanced submission form that includes tips on how to use the new tools. The video is available at http://Industry.discoverohio.com/media/5/335.swf.

The Division is excited to continue to roll out the new enhancements to both the consumer and Industry Web sites. We strive to offer you the best possible experience in managing your listings, while providing consumers with a visually attractive experience as they search for their next great Ohio getaway. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your experience with the enhanced Web site, please contact Eric Herzog at eric.herzog@development.ohio.gov or Roger Barker at roger.barker@development.ohio.gov.

Ohio Gears up for Heartland

Ninety-nine Ohio group tour exhibitors are getting ready for the 25th Annual Heartland Travel Showcase, Feb. 19 – 21, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Nearly 700 attendees from Ohio, Michigan, Ontario, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Pennsylvania are expected to attend. Ohio will have the largest delegation present—kudos to Experience Columbus for hosting this year’s event! Additional Ohio highlights include FAM tours sponsored by Lake Erie Shores and Islands, Licking County, Columbus and Holmes County. For more information on Heartland Travel Showcase, visit www.ohiotravel.org/heartland.html.

E-mail Marketing Best Practices

Marketing via e-mail is an effective way of communicating what your business has to offer, but how do you know if you’re putting your best effort forward when utilizing this strategy? Following are several best practices to keep in mind when using e-mail marketing.

1. “From” Line: The “From” line is most likely the first thing your recipient sees in your communications effort, Brand it! Not only is this a great branding opportunity, but also the place where you identify your company or organization. E-mails from unknown people and/or company departments likely end up in the deleted items folder.

2. Subject Line: This information is likely the only other information to appear in the inbox and the key to getting your e-mail read. Assuming you made it past the “From” line filter, the subject line will get fewer than a second’s worth of attention, so make it count. The subject line is key to getting your e-mail opened and having your recipient actually read it. 

3. When to Send: The best days for open rates seem to be the middle of the week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays), however, you should always test your e-mails. Last-minute specials for a weekend getaway may prove to sell better if sent on a Thursday or Friday.

4. Providing a “Forward to a Friend” Link: Your subscribers have indicated an interest in what you have to offer. It’s likely they have friends who also may be interested. Providing a FTAF link is a good way to build your subscriber list, but it also offers more. Using this option from your e-mail service provider allows you to see who is forwarding, how often and the resulting actions. If you’re sending HTML formatted e-mail, it also will render better than just forwarding from the e-mail client.

5. Request an add to Safe Senders’ List: Want to make sure your recipients receive your e-mail? Ask them to “white list” your address. A simple way to do this is to include a message, such as the following, to your e-mail: “To ensure you receive your e-mail from (your company name) add (your e-mail address) to your list of trusted senders.” This simple, yet effective, practice is a great way to improve your e-mail deliverability.

Where in the World

Feb. 4: Amir at Clinton County CVB Open House
Feb. 19 – 21: Amir and Jessie attend Heartland Travel Showcase in Columbus
Feb. 22: Amir, Eric, Roger, Joe and Tammy at Town Hall Meeting in Dublin at OCLC Conference Center
Feb. 24: Amir, Eric, Roger, Joe and Tammy at Town Hall Meeting in western Ohio at the City Club in Lima
Feb. 25: Amir at Hocking Hills Tourism Association Annual Meeting