2015 Annual Report

The travel and tourism industry in the Greater Columbus region is thriving. Hotels had a record year in 2015 by every key performance measure – occupancy, revenue per available room (RevPAR) and average daily rate (ADR). The number of travelers to Greater Columbus has grown to 37.9 million and the city has hosted more citywide conventions and sporting events than ever.

Bed tax collections reached a record $42.6 million, up more than 10 percent or $4 million. Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission were able to boost sales and marketing with increased funding from its share of the bed tax. And the arts and human services also got a bigger piece of this growing pie.

In 2016, Experience Columbus celebrates its 75th anniversary as the city’s destination marketing organization. The community has grown and prospered over this timeframe, and the future promises to be even brighter. As we move forward, Experience Columbus will be laser-focused on developing the tourism economy, not only for our industry but also for the broader community. We will put renewed emphasis on leading collaborative brand marketing and image development for the region, concentrating on everything that makes Columbus cool, creative and fun.

We appreciate the unwavering support we receive from the City of Columbus and Franklin County, along with that of our board of directors, members and corporate partners who invest in our mission. By continuing to work together, we can ensure an even brighter future for our community.

Straight ahead,

Brian Ross, CTAPresident and CEO

Experience Columbus’ vision is to be the leading force in creating and revealing the best of the Columbus experience to the world. Experience Columbus’ mission is to sell, market and promote the Destination Columbus experience to visitors.

Contents

3 4 5 6

13 14

9

11

7 7 8

Bidding on the ASAE Annual Meeting and Exposition

Measuring Up: Columbus’ National

Perception

It’s All About the Visitor Experience

Certified Tourism Ambassador™

Program

By The Numbers: 2015 Production

Overview

Experience Columbus Board of Directors

Experience Columbus Staff

LIFEINCBUS Image Campaign

2015 Industry Overview

Greater Columbus Lodging Overview

Budget Overview

2

A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR COLUMBUS’ ECONOMIC GROWTH: 2016–2020

Strategic Initiatives:

Increase the Economic Impact and Local Jobs from Travel and TourismEven with record gains, Columbus remains in the middle to lower tier within our competitive peer set. By engaging more business, convention, sports and leisure visitors, and getting them to stay longer and do more, we increase spending and positive ROI.

Showcase Authentic, Creative Columbus to Reveal Our PulseIncreasing national awareness that Columbus is a vibrant city with many things to do reduces a significant barrier to the sales process (which impacts everyone who sells the city for education, talent recruitment, business relocations, etc.).

Key Focus Areas:1. Growing sales and new markets2. Continuing strategic development and connectivity 3. Telling the Columbus story through marketing 4. Assuring quality visitor experiences 5. Increasing partnership and membership

A Game Changer for Columbus

Experience Columbus continues to rally teams of civic, corporate and community leaders to envision and pursue a more competitive future for Columbus. We work collaboratively with a focused mission to win bigger national business, improve our visitor experience and catapult Columbus into the national consciousness. While we came close with our collective run for the Democratic and Republican national conventions, our latest endeavor is on par with even the biggest conventions we have sought in recent years: We are positioning Columbus to successfully bid on the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Meeting and Exposition.

ASAE executives have the power to make location decisions that can represent $500 million in future revenue for the host city.

We thought that ROI would get your attention.

ASAE is a membership organization of more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners representing 10,000 organizations. Its members manage trade associations, membership societies and voluntary organizations across the U.S. and in nearly 50 countries.

The majority of attendees (79%) are the final decision makers or have significant influence on the location of future meetings, with 20% of them booking a meeting of their own in the host city within five years.

Attendance at the Annual Meeting runs between 5,300–5,750 total participants and generates 16,800 room nights. ASAE attendees, exhibitors and sponsors will spend an estimated $16 million during the Annual Meeting.

But the real return comes when these executives return to Columbus in subsequent years with their own associations. Just ask Atlanta, host of ASAE’s 2013 Annual Meeting. Two years later, they have netted 28 bookings representing 338,000 room nights and $200 million in direct spending.

3

About Associations

Associations dominate the $119 billion meetings industry in the U.S., spending more than $79 billion annually to hold conventions and other meetings. Annually, they plan nearly 400,000 meetings, expos and seminars that reach 200 million attendees. In direct spending, these meetings add $280 billion to the U.S. economy and bring in $28 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue.

• There are 147,000+ associations in the United States with budgets of $62 billion

• 95% offer educational programs to their members and the public

• Nine out of every 10 Americans belong to at least one association, and one out of four belongs to four or more

2014 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in Nashville

Place-Quality of the Environment -Physical Attractiveness of the City -Amount of Green and Public Park Space

Prerequisite-Ease of Getting Around the City -Ease of Finding Satisfactory, Affordable Hotels -Standard of Public Amenities

People-Warmth and Friendliness of the Locals -Would Find People with Whom I Could Fit In -Safety of the City -Great Place to Raise a Family

Pulse-Amount of Nightlife and Urban Vitality -Ease of Finding Things to Do

Potential-Quality of College Education -Ease of Finding a Job in the City -Good City for Starting or Growing a Business -Opportunities for Ordinary People to Get Ahead

Presence-Familiarity with City -Importance of Contribution to the U.S.

Measuring Up: Columbus’ National Perception

4

Cities across the nation and world are competing for tourists, talent and investment. Increasingly, community leaders are recognizing the connection between their city’s reputation and its attractiveness as a place to visit, live, work and raise a family.

One of Experience Columbus’ key strategic initiatives is to lead collaborative brand marketing and image development for the region.

As we begin to more aggressively market, sell and promote Columbus on a national scale, it’s important that we assess the prevailing attitudes so we can effectively position the city.

To that end, Experience Columbus worked with one of the world’s leading research firms, GfK, to gauge what people across the country think about Columbus.

Different from past studies in its breadth, this is the first wide-scale consumer research conducted on behalf of the city, and the results provide actionable steps for the future.

When you reference GfK’s Reputation Hexagon for Columbus to the right, you will see two primary perception gaps exist. We now know where to focus our efforts to make the most impact:

Presence: Increase familiarity with the city and educate on the importance of its contribution to the U.S.

Pulse: Promote Columbus’ urban vitality and the variety and richness of nightlife it offers. Make it easy to find things to do.

Key Takeaways

• Once you visit Columbus, you tend to love it – favorability jumps from 52.5% to 86.6% after a visit

• Only 36% of national respondents have ever visited Columbus – we must prioritize increasing national awareness

• Respondents indicate that hearing or reading about Columbus positively impacts their views of the city – we need to continue getting the word out

• Residents feel very positive about Columbus – yet often we are not vocal champions of the city

GfK’s Reputation Hexagon for Columbus

Presence

Place

Prerequisite

Potential

Pulse

PeopleNational Perception

Columbus Visitors’ Perception

Columbus Residents’ Perception

SOURCE: 2014 Columbus Reputation Survey, GfK Public Affairs & Corporate Communications

It’s All About the Visitor Experience

And through state, local and federal tax revenue, tourism generates $1.02 billion to support the arts, human services and

economic development in Franklin County. All of this represents a significant return on dollars invested in attracting visitors

to our city. The top five sectors that benefit from all this visitor spending are:

5

Visitors matter in Columbus, where they directly spent $5.7 billion in 2014,

supporting $8.7 billion in overall economic impact. The tourism sector provides

71,000 jobs in Columbus and Franklin County. That’s one out of every 11 jobs.

LOCAL CHAMPIONS

In 2014, Greater Columbus welcomed 37.9 million visitors, and 22% of them stayed at least one night. Visitors who

stay overnight generally spend about three times more than someone who visits just for the day. Our overnight stays were

predominantly for leisure purposes (82%), with 15% for business and the remaining 3% a mix of both.

Fully 50% of our overnight visitors were here to visit friends and relatives. This illustrates the significant impact residents

can have on the majority of visitors. As Columbus Dispatch reporter Steve Wartenberg put it in an Oct. 24, 2014 article titled

“Few Travelers Know About Columbus”:

“Have you bragged and boasted recently to your out-of-town family and friends about all the great things there are

to see and do in Columbus? If not, you just might be part of the city’s image – or lack of image – problem.”

We need to activate residents to become vocal champions of the city. Locals should recognize that we are cool,

creative and fun, and that it’s easy to find tons of interesting things to do. Some excellent go-to resources to find events

and activities are: experiencecolumbus.com, Columbus Alive, Columbus Underground’s Mega Weekend emails and

columbusmakesart.com.

SOURCE: Longwoods International, Columbus 2014 Visitor Report

Retail 23% $1.87 billion 8,667

Food & Beverage 16% $1.43 billion 22,656

Transportation 14% $1.21 billion 8,971

Entertainment 12% $871 million 10,044

Lodging 8% $690 million 7,885

INDUSTRY% OF

TOURISM SALES

$ AMOUNT # OF JOBS

Food and beverage trails are growing in popularity because they provide an easy way for visitors to discover a variety of different locations. Powered by Experience Columbus and only made possible through strong strategic partnerships among the city’s coffee roasters and breweries, two new trails help us continue to position Columbus as a culinary destination.

Columbus Ale Trail: Launched in May 2015, the Columbus Ale Trail is a fun way for visitors to explore our beer scene. A Columbus Brew Book is available at any participating Central Ohio brewery. After visiting any four, visitors can pick up their commemorative pint glass at one of the downtown Experience Columbus Visitor Centers. After just one year, 964 pint glasses have been claimed. [cbusaletrail.com]

Columbus Coffee Trail: Columbus’ coffee scene is one of the best in the nation. To enjoy this trail, visitors pick up a card at any of the participating locations, buy a drink and get their card stamped. After at least four shops, they redeem their cards – 1,975 completed since October 2014 – for a free Columbus Coffee t-shirt at Experience Columbus’ downtown Visitor Centers. [cbuscoffee.com]

VISITORS EXPLORE COLUMBUS THROUGH TWO NEW TRAILS

ENHANCING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

At Experience Columbus, we are focused on improving the visitor experience. Learn more and get involved at joinuscolumbus.com.

Certified Tourism Ambassador™

We hope by now you’re very familiar with the CTA pin worn proudly by more than 2,100 CTAs in Greater Columbus. The Certified Tourism Ambassador™ Program is a national certification that provides the tools and training necessary to create an outstanding experience for guests in our city.

Volunteer With US

This program provides volunteer opportunities at arts events, festivals, sporting events and more. Register your organization to recruit needed volunteers and become a volunteer yourself.

Visitor Centers

Staff at the Experience Columbus Visitor Centers provide recommendations and directions to help guests experience the best of Columbus. Visitor Centers are located in the Arena District, at Easton Town Center and on the first floor of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

6

ANNUAL IMPACT OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM IN COLUMBUS AND FRANKLIN COUNTY

BUDGET OVERVIEW

7

Visitors directly spend $5.7 billion in Columbus annually, an $8.7 billion economic impact. Tourism supports one in every 11 jobs in Franklin County, and visitors pay $1.02 billion in local, state and federal taxes to support the arts, human services and economic development in Franklin County.

The visitor industry is big business in Central Ohio, and it continues to grow. In 2014, Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission were responsible for booking over 442,080 room nights.

Credit for that success must be shared with our partners at local businesses and organizations who worked with us to bring their meetings and conventions to Columbus. Since 2012, the Make It Columbus initiative has resulted in bookings that represent more than 297,000 hotel room nights and an estimated $205 million in visitor spending. [makeitcolumbus.com]

2015 Industry Overview

Make It Columbus

SOURCE: Tourism Economics an Oxford Economics Company, The Economic Impact of Tourism in Columbus, July 2014

City of Columbus bed tax generated a record $42.6 million in 2015, up 10.38% or $4 million, over 2014.

Bed tax revenue in 2015 was up nearly $6 million compared to collections in 2012, just before the City of Columbus instituted a change to the code that increased funding to Experience Columbus. The increase in bed tax has spurred new economic growth.

Bed tax funds support not only Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, but also cultural and arts programs, social services, affordable housing programs and the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority.

Actual Income - $12.4 million

Bed Tax - 68.6%

Franklin County - 16.1%

Programs - 6.4%

Member Dues - 6.2%

Contributed Services - 1.8%

Miscellaneous - 0.9%

Actual Expenditures - $12.4 million

Sales and Marketing - 77.8%

Administrative - 9.4%

Support to Greater Columbus Sports Commission - 7.1%

Member Services - 4.3%

Facilities - 1.1%

Business Development - 0.3%

Bed Tax

Bed Tax Collections and Beneficiaries

Fun

ds

in M

illio

ns o

f D

olla

rs

5

10

15

20

$6

.824

M

$9

.09

M $4

.825

M

$6

.39

M

$1.

352

M

$2.

3 M

Human Services

($2.266 M Increase) ($1.565 M Increase) ($948 K Increase) ($4.455 M Increase)$

17.6

69

M

$22

.124

M

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GREATER COLUMBUS LODGING OVERVIEW

2015 A RECORD-SETTING YEAR

Hotel business boomed throughout 2015 in Greater Columbus. According to Smith Travel Research (STR), all key performance indicators reached a record high at the end of 2015. Through the year, hotel occupancy increased 3%, the average daily rate (ADR) at Greater Columbus hotels grew 5.5% and RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) rose 8.7%. Columbus’ RevPAR is now within a dollar of the cities that rank just above us on the STR: Cleveland, St. Louis and Milwaukee.

At downtown hotels, occupancy was at 70.3%, an increase of 6.3%, ADR was $136.17, up 5.6% and RevPAR was $95.72, a 12.3% increase.

As a result of the increase in daily rates, hotel/motel bed tax collections increased 10.38%, or $4 million, with collections totaling a record $42.6 million, according to reports from the Office of City of Columbus Auditor Hugh J. Dorrian. These funds support not only Experience Columbus, but also cultural and arts programs, social services, affordable housing programs and the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority.

SOURCES: Smith Travel Research Report, Experience Columbus

Total Hotels Citywide

Total Hotels Downtown

Total Rooms Citywide

Total Rooms Downtown

Occupancy Citywide

Occupancy Downtown

Average Daily Rate Citywide

Average Daily Rate Downtown

246

15

26,686

3,936

65% 3%

70.3% 6.3%

$99.22 5.5%

$136.17 5.6%

Greater Columbus Convention CenterFull Renovation and Expansion - Complete July 2017

• $125 million expansion

• 1.8 million sq. ft.

• 373,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space

• Show offices overlooking exhibit halls

• 74 meeting rooms – 10 new rooms with outside windows

• LEED certification

• Hotel-grade finishes throughout the convention center

• Renovation of 70,000 sq. ft. of meeting space at connected Hyatt Regency Columbus

• All new exterior signage, landscaping and streetscaping

• 4,000 downtown hotel rooms; 2,100 connected/adjacent

2015 Production Overview

9

Total Room Night Production

Greater Columbus Sports Commission Room Nights Visitor Center Guests

Blog Visits

Annual MeetingAttendance

442,080

110,110

Total Social Media Interactions

572,691

51,527

492,221

Total Members

1,006

Unique Visits to experiencecolumbus.com

931,622

910 113% of Quota

155 New Members

25 Events

1,987 Attendees

103% of Quota

157% of Quota

Visitors Engage With Us On

By the Numbers

Hosted 103 Prospective Clients on

Site Visits to Columbus

10

Certified Tourism Ambassadors

Columbus Email Subscribers

Convention Sales/Services Room NightsHosted 91 Travel Writers and Editors

Earned Record 1,029 Articles, Netting

1+ Billion Impressions

Hosted at the Memorial Tournament

Hospitality House

585 New2,103 Active 73,685

309,046

1,970

LIFEINCBUS Image Campaign Netted

Impressions in Chicago & Washington, D.C.

111 million

Group Tours

22,924109% of Quota

103% of Quota

facebook.com/experiencecolumbus @expcols @experiencecolumbus youtube.com/experiencecolumbus

Recently conducted national consumer perception research pinpoints Columbus’ lack of image distinction. Experience Columbus launched an ongoing dedicated image campaign in 2014 in an effort to build awareness of all Columbus offers for living, working and playing.

The campaign, LIFEINCBUS, targets young transitionals. Part of the millennial generation (the largest population currently alive), these 25- to 35-year-olds are extremely mobile, are likely to relocate in the next few years and research shows they are twice as likely to live within three miles of a city’s downtown.

Focusing on quality of life and cost of living, the campaign is currently running in Chicago and Washington, D.C., megacities with regional proximity and large populations of young people. The

messaging intersects where they spend a lot of their day − commuting and online. Highly visible out-of-home placements include the D.C. Metro, Chicago’s L and video in high-rise elevators. Online banners are placed across a curated list of websites and blogs focused on lifestyle, fashion, wellness and news.

The campaign features photos and video of Columbus’ own young transitionals in authentic Columbus locations and is set to a local music soundtrack. Everything drives to LIFEINCBUS.COM – a website of aggregated content where those contemplating a move or a visit can preview an upcoming concert, read about a new restaurant or consider ‘five reasons to start a technology business in Columbus.’

Across 2015, LIFEINCBUS generated 111,658,285 impressions, delivered 1 million full video views and drove substantial traffic to LIFEINCBUS.COM.

Ads on the Metro in D.C. set off a flurry of positive PR in 2015, with hits in the Washington Post, USA Today and Mother Jones, among others. LIFEINCBUS was presented as a case study at the 2015 Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) conference and was a topic of travel industry intelligence and marketing platform SKIFT’s Trends Report (a top-trending article for 2015).

LIFEINCBUS Image Campaign

11

“Amid increased competition and more sophisticated marketing tools, a lifestyle brand that connects to travelers’ ideals of themselves and the world has become the one vehicle left for building a long-term meaningful relationship with customers. It will be the key differentiator for future generations and a staple of product development moving forward.”

-SKIFT: Megatrends Defining Travel in 2015

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LIFEINCBUS Recognized as Top Marketing Campaign by U.S. Travel Association

For the first time, Experience Columbus has received the highest level of recognition among destination marketing organizations. The U.S. Travel Association awarded the LIFEINCBUS campaign its 2015 Destinations Council Destiny Award for Branding and Integrated Marketing Campaign at its annual conference, Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) in August. The Destiny Awards recognize excellence and creative accomplishment in destination marketing and promotion at the local and regional level. They also highlight campaigns that foster the development of imaginative and innovative destination marketing promotion programs and activities. In addition to the Destiny Award, since 2014, LIFEINCBUS has received numerous regional and national awards, including:

• 2014 Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Silver Adrian Award

• Three 2014 Columbus ADDY Awards

• First place OACVB 2014 Middy Award

• 2014 Central Ohio PRSA PRism Award

Share the experiences you love

LIFEINCBUS has helped Columbus gain a coveted place in the ongoing dialogue about attracting millennials. For instance, in September 2015, TIME ranked Columbus third on their list of top 5 Best Cities for Millennials: “The … cities – ranked by their populations of 20- through 34-year-olds – offer loads of fun bars, restaurants, and leisure activities.” About Columbus specifically, “Columbus’s sizable millennial population, 25.9% of residents, need never be bored … young people have plenty of choices for energetic entertainment in the city. In addition, Columbus is convenient – and surprisingly walkable.” (time.com/money) These kinds of endorsements bolster other efforts to build positive image awareness of Columbus.

Experience Columbus Board of Directors

Jerry O. Allen *Partner, Bricker & Eckler LLP

Jane Grote Abell, CTAChairman of the Board, Donatos

Dirk Bengel, CTA *General Manager, Crowne Plaza & Lofts Hotel

Bob Breithaupt, CTA Jazz Arts Group

Dr. David Chesebrough, CTAPresident & CEO, COSI

Chris Coffin, CTAGeneral Manager, Hilton Columbus Downtown

Mark Corna, CTA *CEO, Corna Kokosing

Brian J. Ellis, CTA * President & COO, Nationwide Realty Investors

Bruce Harkey, CTA Executive Director, Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

Lisa Hinson, CTA * (Immediate Past Chair)President, Hinson Ltd. Public Relations

Erik Janas, CTADeputy County Administrator for Regional Collaboration, Franklin County Board of Commissioners

Tom Katzenmeyer, CTA *President & CEO, Greater Columbus Arts Council James E. Kunk, CTA *President Central Ohio Region, Huntington National Bank

Geri Lombard, CTA General Manager, Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel

Cathy Lyttle, CTA *Vice President Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, Worthington Industries

Karen J. Morrison J.D., M.S. President, OhioHealth Foundation, Senior Vice President, OhioHealth

Ken Paul, CTAChief of Staff, Columbus City Council President Andrew J. Ginther

Joel PizzutiPresident & COO, The Pizzuti Companies

Martyn Redgrave, CTASenior Advisor, Limited Brands, Inc.

Michael Reese, CTAChief of Staff, City of Columbus, Mayor’s Office

Joe SavariseExecutive Director, Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association

Robert Shenton, CTA * (Chair)Office Managing Partner, Plante & Moran, PLLC

Himbert J. Sinopoli, CTAVice President & General Manager, Penn National Gaming

Steve Stewart, CTAGeneral Manager, Hyatt Regency Columbus

W. Curtis Stitt, CTAPresident & CEO, Central Ohio Transit Authority

Doug UlmanPresident & CEO, Pelotonia

Katie Wolfe LloydVice President, The Dispatch Printing Company

Dan Williamson, CTASenior Vice President, Paul Werth Associates

EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS

Don Brown, CTA Executive Director, Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority

Steve LyonsVice President Member Services & Community Engagement, The Columbus Partnership

Elaine Roberts, CTAPresident & CEO, Columbus Regional Airport Authority

Guy Worley, CTA President & CEO, Columbus Downtown Development Corporation & Capitol South Urban Redevelopment

DIRECTORS EMERITI

Dr. Joseph Alutto Distinguished Professor of Organizational Behavior,Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University

Sandy HarbrechtPresident & CEO, Paul Werth Associates

Fred HarrisRetired – Holiday Inn on the Lane

Chad A. Jester President, Nationwide Foundation

Joseph JesterRetired – Ameritech

Douglas F. Kridler President & CEO, The Columbus Foundation

Jon Self

Phil Urban Retired – Grange Insurance

*Executive Committee member13

Experience Columbus Staff

Robert Shenton, CTA * (Chair)Office Managing Partner, Plante & Moran, PLLC

Himbert J. Sinopoli, CTAVice President & General Manager, Penn National Gaming

Steve Stewart, CTAGeneral Manager, Hyatt Regency Columbus

W. Curtis Stitt, CTAPresident & CEO, Central Ohio Transit Authority

Doug UlmanPresident & CEO, Pelotonia

Katie Wolfe LloydVice President, The Dispatch Printing Company

Dan Williamson, CTASenior Vice President, Paul Werth Associates

EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS

Don Brown, CTA Executive Director, Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority

Steve LyonsVice President Member Services & Community Engagement, The Columbus Partnership

Elaine Roberts, CTAPresident & CEO, Columbus Regional Airport Authority

Guy Worley, CTA President & CEO, Columbus Downtown Development Corporation & Capitol South Urban Redevelopment

DIRECTORS EMERITI

Dr. Joseph Alutto Distinguished Professor of Organizational Behavior,Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University

Sandy HarbrechtPresident & CEO, Paul Werth Associates

Fred HarrisRetired – Holiday Inn on the Lane

Chad A. Jester President, Nationwide Foundation

Joseph JesterRetired – Ameritech

Douglas F. Kridler President & CEO, The Columbus Foundation

Jon Self

Phil Urban Retired – Grange Insurance

*Executive Committee member

Brian Ross, CTA President & CEO

Nicole Ayala, CTA Senior Executive Assistant

ADMINISTRATION

Jodi Beekman, CPA, CTA Vice President, Finance & Administration

Dave Burgan, CTA Director, Information Technology

Roberta Stewart, CTA Accounting Administrator

Dwight Farve, CTA Support Services Coordinator

CONVENTION SALES

Dan Williams, CTA Vice President, Sales

Angela Hammond, CASE, CTA Director, Convention Sales

Artrice McNeil, CTA Director, Washington, D.C. Regional Sales

Amy Frazer, CTA Director, Chicago Regional Sales

Kalee Barnhardt, CTA National Sales Manager

Arica Billing, CMP, CTA National Sales Manager

Matt McKay, CTANational Sales Manager

Mark Oeffler, CASE, CTA National Sales Manager

Kerri Pollet, CASE, CTA Sales Manager

Vineetha Thomas, CTA Sales Manager

Leah Zender, CTASales Manager

Casey Brown, CTA Sales/Development Coordinator

Maggie Hester, CTA Senior Sales Coordinator

Lauren Hayes, CTA Sales Coordinator

Abby Rampe, CTASales Assistant

CONVENTION SERVICES

Bill Behrens, CMP, CTA Director, Convention Services

Sharon Levine, CMP, CTA Convention Services Manager

Diane Share, CMP, CTA Convention Services Manager

Renee Scott, CTA Housing Coordinator

Hannah Henthorne, CTAConvention Services Assistant

TOURISM

Kari Kauffman, CTA Vice President, Tourism

Robbie Banks, CTA Senior Visitor Experience Manager

Roger Dudley, CTA Senior Tourism Sales Manager

Alexis Perrone, CTASenior Visitor Services Manager

Sarah Doodan, CTA Tourism Coordinator

Fran Crow, CTA Visitor Information Specialist

Maureen Emoff, CTAVisitor Information Specialist

Shalise Logan, CTATourism Assistant

MARKETING

Amy Tillinghast, CTA Vice President, Marketing

Cathe Moog, CTA Director, Marketing

Mindy Justis, CTA Marketing Manager

Katie Huston, CTA Marketing Coordinator

Beth Ervin, CTA Director, Communications

Megumi Robinson, CTA Associate Director, Public Relations

Lexi Sweet, CTAPublic Relations Coordinator

Joe Vargo, CTA Director, Interactive Marketing

Michelle Ford, CTA Online Content Editor

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTMichael S. Brown, CTAVice President, Strategic Development

Melissa DeGraw, CTA Director, Membership

Maggie Mecklenborg, CTA Membership Sales Manager

Alexis Caldwell, CTAMembership Services Coordinator

Carol Allerding, CMP, CTA Director, Events/Sponsorship Development

Katie Suty, CMP, CTAEvents Manager

Katie Croysdale, CTA Events Coordinator

GREATER COLUMBUS SPORTS COMMISSIONLinda Shetina Logan, CSEE, CTA Executive Director

Brenda Carter, CTAExecutive Assistant

Brian Timm, CSEE, CTA Director, Corporate Partnerships

Bruce Wimbish, CTA Director, Marketing & Communications

Jenn Cartmille, CTAMarketing Manager

Laura Brown, CTA Marketing and Events Assistant

Jeremy Leifel, CTADirector, Business Development

Lauren McNerney, CTA Business Development Manager

Michelle Mercer, CTABusiness Development Assistant

Eric Archibald, CTA Director, Events

Ariana Tyler, CTA Events Coordinator

Taylor Franklin, CTA Receptionist/Office Manager

VISITOR CENTER STAFFWilliam Stalter, CTAJohn Snouffer, CTAAimee Briley, CTATrish Wirt, CTALou Tucci, CTAStephen LaVelle, CTACarolyn Williams, CTARichard Bookshaw, CTAKiersten Curtis, CTASandra Chamberlain, CTA 14

Experience Columbus, the Destination Marketing Organization for

Greater Columbus, is 100 percent dedicated to selling, marketing

and promoting the region to visitors.

The rewards from attracting more visitors are huge. Central Ohio

welcomed 37.9 million visitors in 2014. Those visits amount

to $8.7 billion in overall economic impact and $1.02 billion

in tax revenue and support 71,000 tourism jobs in Columbus

and Franklin County.

Want to get more involved in the tourism sector? Start with a visit

to joinuscolumbus.com where you can learn about efforts

to monitor and improve our visitor offerings, volunteer your time

and even earn national certification as a tourism ambassador.

277 W. Nationwide Blvd., Ste. 125Columbus, OH 43215

experiencecolumbus.com

Financial support provided by the City of Columbus and Franklin County

Experience Columbus Platinum Corporate Partners

Cover: Easton Town Center, photo by Steve Brady | Skillet, photo by Wendy Pramik | Fashion Meets Music Festival, photo courtesy of Fashion Meets Music Festival | Skyline, photo by Randall L. Schieber Curio, photo by Rainer Ziehm | Scioto Mile Fountain, photo by Randall L. Schieber | Coffee, photo by Laura Watilo Blake | Page 3: ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition, photo from MeetingsNet | Page 5: Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, photo by Rainer Ziehm | Page 6: Gallery Hop, photo by Rainer Ziehm | Dining, Adobe Stock Photo | Concert, photo by Rainer Ziehm | Convention Center Visitor Center, photo by OSP Images | Ale Trail, Adobe Stock Photo | Fox in the Snow Cafe, photo by Wendy Pramik | Page 8: Hilton Columbus Downtown, photo by Greg Miller Photography | Greater Columbus Convention Center Rendering, couresty of the Greater Columbus Convention Center | Page 12: Short North, photo by Rainer Ziehm