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FEEDING THE FLAME.MARKETING A REIGNITED LOUISVILLE.
Louisville Tourism2018–2019 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan
2 3
Hospitality has always been in Louisville’s blood. For
more than 100 years, the city has not only worked
hard to make visitors feel at home, but aggressively
marketed to get them here in the first place. As the
city’s destination marketing organization (DMO),
hospitality is at the very core of our mission, driving
the economic development of our region through
tourism.
“(Louisville) entertained 191 conventions…that brought on average 300 delegates… with average spends of between $7.50 and $10 a day… it readily can be seen how much money conventions have brought to this city.”
Courier Journal February 4, 1913
The city of Louisville has been building its reputation
for authentic hospitality since the early 1900s,
when the DMO was still known as “The Louisville
Convention and Publicity League.”
In July 1968, the current iteration of Louisville’s
DMO was launched as the “Louisville and Jefferson
County Convention and Visitors Bureau.” At that
time, the organization began receiving a “hotel and
motel room tax,” which funded the development
of its first marketing materials and aided in the
construction of the Commonwealth Convention
Center in 1977.
That very funding model – one based on visitor
spending – is what helps the “Louisville Convention
& Visitors Bureau” continue to market aggressively
for leisure and convention business today. It is also
helping fuel the renovation and expansion of the
Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC).
While the names of Louisville’s buildings and
businesses may change over time, one constant is
the city’s desire and ability to welcome its visitors. It
is the very foundation of the tourism industry in our
region, and why after 50 years, in the midst of the
most explosive tourism growth in decades, the DMO
has decided to simplify. Representing nearly 28,000
hospitality workers who fuel our local tourism
industry, we will become simply “Louisville Tourism.”
Louisville Tourism is YOUR destination marketing
organization and our mission remains the same.
We will work across industry lines to put more
business on the books in hotels, facilities, attractions
and restaurants. We are committed to bringing
Louisville’s hospitality story to local, regional,
national and international markets.
Louisville currently tracks 16.4 million visitors
annually, and our continued investment in
infrastructure development positions us favorably
for growth – particularly since the U.S. hotel industry
is projected to experience record occupancy rates
through 2019 according to CBRE Hotels’ America
Research. The study predicted an industry-wide
annual average occupancy rate of 65.9%, making
Louisville’s 2017 occupancy rate of 64.7% even more
impressive. We are simply reignited.
Louisville will host several well-attended tradeshows
throughout the next year with the opening of KICC,
the arrival of new hotels, distillery attractions,
enhanced iconic experiences, festivals, and a record-
breaking ninth year hosting the Breeders’ Cup.
Louisville Tourism stands ready to work with our
entire hospitality industry to open this spirited city
up to even greater business opportunities. Our plan
to market this reignited destination is outlined in the
pages that follow:
letter from karen williams
FINANCE and ADMINISTRATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3destination overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
LEISURE MARKETING overview . . . . . . . . . . . . 6CONVENTION overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10GROUP TOUR overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12community awareness overview . . . . . . . . . 14
convention development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16DESTINATION SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22TOURISM DEVELOPMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25partner development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31board of directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
contents
Room Tax Breakdown
LCVB Budget By Segment 2018/2019
Room Tax Comparison
St
. Lo
uis
17.9
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M
emp
his
17.7
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In
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17
.65%
N
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ille
17.6
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C
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.50
%
C
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17
.50
%
C
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17.5
0%
K
ansa
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ity
17.2
7%
H
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ton
17.0
0%
C
hica
go
16
.39
%
Lo
uisv
ille
16.0
7%
C
harl
ott
e 15
.25%
D
alla
s 15
.00
%
18%
17%
16%
15%
14%
13%
finance and administration
CVB — 4.5%
Kentucky Center for the Arts — 1.0%
State Lodging Tax — 1.0%
Incremental Tax — 0.57% (6.00% x 9.50%)
Sales Tax — 6.0%
Bond Debt Service — 3.0%
Finance/Admin$3,512,740
18%
Convention Sales and Service
$9,525,005 48%
Tourism Development$1,742,252
9%
Marketing$4,508,033
23%
LSC$530,000
2%
4 5
destination overview
Louisville has been working to transform its
hospitality infrastructure, and after a season
packed with downtown construction, is emerging
reignited. With more hotels, restaurants, and
attractions opening every day, Louisville is indeed
ready to deliver on the destination’s strongest
pillars: Authenticity, Bourbon, Culinary, and
Southerness.
According to Smart Meetings Magazine, “a change
in attitude toward meetings culminated in 2017, the
idea of including a sense of place within meetings.
Now events draw on the sights, sounds and tastes
of a destination.” Louisville is uniquely positioned
to leverage this trend. It has built an entire brand
around one of its most authentic assets, being the
birthplace of bourbon.
For most people, bourbon is a spirit that comes in
a glass. But here in Louisville, bourbon is so much
more than that. Here, bourbon is a spirit that lives
in our minds and hearts and shapes our way of
life. You see, the bourbon industry was born here
centuries ago, the product of some of the most
spirited entrepreneurs to ever walk the earth.
Their unique free-thinking spirit was passed down
generation to generation and built the bourbon
industry as we know it. It’s this same spirit that
went on and created Louisville itself - a city that
combines heritage with innovation, authenticity
with originality, quirkiness with friendliness in a
way that’s completely unique. As travelers continue
to search out and distill authentic, one-of-a-kind
experiences, Louisville’s spirit continues to mature.
“Everyone seems to believe the American whiskey boom is just getting started.”
The Whiskey Wash, 2017It’s this same spirit that provides Louisville with
a brand of Southern-ness and hospitality unlike
anyplace else. A spirit that is embodied by
icons such as Muhammad Ali, Louisville Slugger,
and three-year-old thoroughbreds that begin
their quest for a crown at the longest-running
consecutive sporting event in America, the
Kentucky Derby. A spirit that defines our culture
and compassion, our arts and parks, our creative
energy, not to mention our highly acclaimed
culinary scene. Yes, bourbon is a spirit that comes
in a glass, but in Louisville, it is a spirit that defines
so much more.
Welcome to Bourbon City.
The Marketing Communications staff works to
create awareness about Louisville as a sought-after
and unique destination for individual and group
travelers through positive publicity, innovative
advertising, outstanding marketing and sales
collateral, digital and social media campaigns and
brand strategy.
OBJECTIVES
Utilize core brand pillars to position Louisville as
the premier destination for meetings and leisure
travel. Increase brand awareness in key target
markets to increase ROI and help achieve strategic
sales goals.
GOALS
• Generate and service 115 journalist visits
• Attract website traffic of 1.575 million unique visitors
• Engage and retain 79,200 social network subscribers
• Convert 30 press pitches to regional or national coverage in our primary feeder markets
KEY STRATEGIES
• Continue to focus advertising on these primary markets to drive visits:
• Frequent Individual Traveler (FIT/Leisure)
• Convention
• Group Tour/Motorcoach
• Extend earned media efforts to include the growing trend of social media influencers
• Expand digital programs utilizing owned content to convert “followers” to visitors
• Utilize event marketing efforts to create brand experiences outside of Louisville
marketing communications
6 7
leisure marketing overview
We must continue to raise the profile of the
destination. We will do this by focusing our efforts
on increasing brand awareness in key feeder
markets. With the goal of creating an awareness
level of the brand that leaves a lasting feeling that
will mature into a must-visit mentality. Along with
the general brand awareness, we will also focus
efforts to support sales initiatives to increase visits
and attraction ticket sales.
TARGET AUDIENCE
PRIMARY: General Leisure Traveler
Millennials (adults age 18-34) and Gen Xers
(adults age 35-54); sweet spot is 25-40 year olds.
Millennials are now the largest generation in the
work force while Generation X claim the biggest
share of the U.S. Affluents with a median income
by HH at $145K, mean reaching $227K. These are
highly connected travelers who value authentic
urban culture and culinary experiences.
SECONDARY: Affinity Group Leaders
This is the key person among a group of friends,
club or organization that plans travel for the
group. These are leisure travelers in regard to
general demographics with the added need for
affordability and accessibility as it pertains to a
small-to-medium sized group. This audience is
also predominately female. The four focus interest
categories for 2018/2019, based on research and
new data from the GoToLouisville.com Experience
Builder, will be:
• Festival/Art Enthusiasts
• Bourbon Experiences
• Music Enthusiasts
• Family Fun
TARGET FEEDER CITIES**
1. Indianapolis
2. Chicago
3. Cincinnati
4. Nashville
5. Columbus, OH
6. New York City (OTA and Influencer Campaigns Only)
7. Detroit
8. St. Louis
9. Atlanta
10. Washington, DC
11. Philadelphia
*BOLD indicates crossover market city
** Markets within close proximity to facilitate a day drip have been removed to prioritize overnight guests.
MARKETING STRATEGY
We will integrate digitally focused annual and
flighted advertising campaigns to increase
awareness of the Louisville brand and directly
promote booking and attraction tickets. In 2016,
roughly 53% of all travel was booked online.
According to Skift, by 2020 the travel industry will
have the greater percentage of online payments
in relation to all sales than any other industry on
Earth. This digital focus will allow our dollars to
go further and influence those consumers in the
platform where booking decisions are being made.
In addition to this digital-first approach, we will
hone in on marketing partnerships, both locally
and nationally, that provide multiple layers and
channels to distribute content. This will include
traditional public relations tactics, influencer
marketing tactics and event marketing in top
feeder markets.
TRAVEL PLANNING
The flighted campaign dates were chosen based
on our latest travel decision data which shows
leisure travelers are booking hotels on average 23
days prior to arrival and airfare 27 days prior to
travel day. Because of our heavy digital presence
and new partnerships with Adara (a national
travel data and trend source) and the online travel
agencies, we are gleaning the most accurate data
for the destination to date.
• Flight #1
Ɵ July – Early September
• Flight #2
Ɵ Late April – June
MESSAGING STRATEGY
We will continue to implement brand-centered
messaging and introduce Louisville as “Bourbon
City.” This Bourbon City message will be featured
across all markets and will focus on the spirit of
bourbon and how it ties together all four of our
core brand pillars. Since the inception of our new
brand platform and strategic planning, we have
not simply launched a single-year campaign or
initiative but a long-term approach to destination
marketing.
In addition to a brand message, we will integrate
messaging with a strong call-to-action that garners
conversions such as attraction tickets purchased
through the Packaged Experiences program.
Flight-focused messaging:
1. Bourbon City/Urban Bourbon Experience | Fall Flight
2. Family and Adventure | Spring Flight
“11 u.s. cities perfect for a weekend getaway.” - conde nast traveler
8 9
TACTICAL APPROACH
Online Travel Agency (OTA) Takeover
Louisville will continue to have a substantial annual
presence with the top OTA platforms, Expedia and
Priceline. These brands account for two-thirds of
the global online travel booking industry and 95%
of the U.S. market. As OTA’s continue to fight for
market share with the hotel brands, they remain
a heavy source for “end of the funnel” travel
research. Research from Google noted in a recent
Forbes article that it takes a consumer 32 visits to
10 different websites to book a simple airline ticket.
In addition to the OTA sites, we will continue to
supplement this campaign with programmatic
advertising buys focused on hotel booking and
awareness-driven channels through the Adara
competitive set targeting. This supplement will
offer an opportunity to weave in more brand
awareness and highlight our destination booking
incentives.
Digital Targeted Placements
For 2018/2019, we will shift part of our media
strategy to an awareness driven approach. Keeping
with the same brand pillar message drivers and
KPIs, we will look at media outlets that allow us to
cast a wider net and garner more attention from
our target demographic.
Some of new key media outlets will include:
• An experiential out-of-home placement in one of our top-three feeder markets
• Connected TV vendors like YouTube TV, DirectTV Now and others
• Location-based targeting at high-profile events in our feeder cities
Reach and engagement will be the primary
measurement when choosing media outlets, but
we will still incorporate a strong call-to-action that
generates conversions.
New Destination Video
One-third of time spent online by the average
user is dedicated to watching videos and 90%
of customers report that product videos help
them make purchasing decisions. Video is highly
consumed and a powerful device for brand identity
through storytelling. Done correctly, this form of
content can leave a lasting emotional impression
that warrants action.
The creation of a new story-focused destination
video will be vital to keeping the Louisville story
in front of consumers. The video will be edited
down to :15 and :30 spots that can be used on
social channels and in advertising, as well as two
full-length (roughly 2:00 – 3:00 min) versions that
will speak directly to the leisure consumer and the
meeting planner.
Feeder Market Pop-up Events
As part of our handcrafted event series, the
Tourism Department will host a pop-up event
in Chicago and Cincinnati. These events will be
supported through paid social media and local
digital advertising with a specific RSVP call to
action. These events have been successful in
reaching our primary audience in the convention,
group tour and leisure markets with a consistent
and strong brand message.
Anchor Events & Festivals
One major factor in Louisville’s growth as a
weekend getaway destination is our world-class
festival and events scene. This was noted in the
2015 report from Destination Analysts which cites
the top reasons for visiting as unique attractions,
festivals and events, bourbon, and culinary. Using
festivals and events as a key driver for visits, we
will target potential festival goers and leverage our
attractions and culinary scene to drive visitation.
Influencer Marketing
Using social media influencers to reach engaged
and trusting audiences with branded content
continues to be a growing trend. This will be very
important to reach travelers with organic brand
messaging in markets where traditional media
can be cost-prohibitive. In just the first 12 months,
this program has garnered 7 million impressions,
254,000+ post likes, 4,100+ shares/comments, and
over 127,000 unique page views on digital blogs.
The 2018/19 focus areas will include:
General Brand
Brand-driven content remains the primary
piece of the influencer marketing program
with a focus on partnering with those
influencers from our top feeder markets that
have affinity to one of four core areas:
• Bourbon enthusiasts (Urban Bourbon Experience)
• Culture lovers (unique festivals and events)
• Foodies (culinary/southernness)
• LGBT (compassionate/welcoming)
Music & Entertainment
Our one-of-a-kind music and entertainment
scene will once again elevate the destinations
profile using the emotional connection of
music and performing arts. Partnering with
incoming artists and performers will not only
influence travel but also raise awareness for
the strong arts and culture scene in Louisville.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS • Unique website visits
• Reach and engagement
• Ad clicks/video completion
• Leisure hotel bookings
• Attraction tickets purchased through GoToLouisville.com
• Event RSVPs
10 11
Meet in a city that’s overflowingwith Southern hospitalityC
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17GLCV1112_ASAE_Bellyband_CVBedits.pdf 1 6/12/2017 2:58:13 PM
convention overview
Be one of the first! Louisville’s convention package
continues to grow as new hotel development
presses forward and authentic attendee
experiences thrive. Louisville now has a seat at the
table with some of the largest destinations. Poised
to compete for an additional 25% of the national
share of meeting and convention business when
the newly renovated and expanded Kentucky
International Convention Center (KICC) comes
online, we will capitalize on this and establish
Louisville as a premier meetings destination.
TARGET AUDIENCE
PRIMARY: National and Local Convention Meeting Planners/Sports Event Owners and Rights Holders
Those who plan meetings/events, solicit bids and
negotiate agreements, perform site visits, influence
site selections, coordinate services at events and
monitor event activities.
SECONDARY: Association Executives and CEOs
The key influencers/decision makers and
organizational leaders of professional associations.
TARGET CITIES
*BOLD cities represent crossover markets (e.g. leisure and convention)
MARKETING STRATEGIESContinue to utilize the partnerships we have
formed with top industry associations and
media outlets to leverage our brand assets and
generate leads. In addition, we will host events and
industry shows that will allow our target audience
to immerse themselves in Louisville and fully
experience the authenticity of our brand.
MESSAGING STRATEGYAs the completion of the KICC and our $1
billion transformation come to an end, we must
reignite our message. We will shift from ‘we are
transforming’ to ‘we have arrived’ messaging,
without losing sight of the experiences and core
benefits that make our destination unique.
TACTICAL APPROACH
Industry Partnerships
Louisville will continue partnerships with the
following organizations:
These industry partnerships will not only reach our
target convention market segments but also allow
us to reach our primary and secondary convention
audiences in our target cities nationwide. While
these partnerships reach nationwide, we will focus
on the top three convention cities and partnerships
listed below:
• Washington, DC – ASAE (38% ASAE’s executive membership)
• Chicago – Association Forum, MPI
• Atlanta – MPI, PCMA
1. Washington, DC
2. Chicago
3. Atlanta
4. Indianapolis
5. Minneapolis
6. Kansas City
7. Milwaukee
8. St. Louis
9. Nashville
• ASAE
• MPI
• Association Forum
• PCMA
• Connect
• IAEE (advertising only)
• ConferenceDirect
• CVENT (advertising only)
• Schneider Publishing
• TSNN (advertising only)
• HelmsBriscoe
Advertising Partners
As we continue to see success in our advertising
and media partnerships, we will build upon those
in the 2018/2019 fiscal year. Specifically, through
targeting meeting planners directly through digital
platforms, such as:
• Growing our partnership with CVENT, which has shown over a 30% increase in RFPs to the destination over the last year.
• Utilizing vendor data to digitally retarget meetings and event planners with display and video content.
• Building upon our current SEM campaign to raise our quality score and ensure Louisville facilities are front of mind as planners search for opportunities.
Experiential Events
In 2018/2019, we will continue to enhance our
face-to-face sales tactics through events that go
beyond the table at a tradeshow and truly immerse
our clients in what makes Louisville uniquely
authentic. In addition to on-site show specific
events, other events include:
• Bourbon Heritage Month will once again be owned by Louisville. We will host two events in our core convention markets: Bourbon, Bluegrass & Blue Jeans in Chicago and Art of Bourbon in Atlanta. These events will be supported by direct mail invitations and paid advertising will increase in these markets throughout September and October.
• The Lunch in Louisville FAM will continue and focus on a strategic local experience that goes beyond facility tours and once again gives our customers a taste of Louisville.
Inbound Industry Shows
With a world-class tradeshow facility at the
newly expanded and newly renovated Kentucky
International Convention Center, we will host:
• TEAMS Conference and Expo with Olympic Sportslink and National Governing Body Best Practices Seminar: October 1-4, 2018
• TSNN Awards: August 9-12, 2018
• Association Forum Board: October 2018
• Smith Bucklin: November 8-9, 2018
• Nursing Organization Alliance Fall Summit: November 14-17, 2018
• American Bus Association: January 25-29, 2019
• Council of Higher Education Management Associations: May 28-31, 2019
• Connect Marketplace: August 23-28, 2019
• International Association of Exhibitions and Events: December 8-10, 2019
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS1. Unique visitors to GoToLouisville.com/meet
2. Ad clicks/video views
3. RFP submissions and lead generation
4. Event registration & RSVP
12 13
group tour overview
Louisville will once again be at the center of the
motorcoach universe as we prepare to host, for
the second time, the American Bus Association
in 2019. In addition to a strong presence in the
motorcoach market, we will continue to focus on
and define affinity groups and their leaders. Over a
quarter of visitors in 2015 reported being part of a
leisure/personal-related group for their visit.
TARGET AUDIENCE
PRIMARY: Motorcoach owners/operators
These are typically the key decision maker(s)
that include Louisville in their guided tour. Large
companies, small business owners and oftentimes
a husband and wife family-owned business who
are generally ABA members who skew towards
middle-class income level of $50K - $75K.
TARGET CITIES
1. Cleveland
2. Cincinnati
3. Chicago
4. St. Louis
5. Columbus
6. Indianapolis
7. Dearborn, MI
8. Chattanooga
9. Nashville
10. Philadelphia
*BOLD cities represent crossover markets (e.g. leisure and convention)
TARGET MARKET SEGMENTS • Students
• Seniors
• Boomers
• Bank Travelers
GOALDrive engagements with key group tour leaders
and increase awareness of booking incentives
available to their groups.
TACTICAL APPROACH
Seasonal Direct Mail
We will produce a quarterly direct mail piece sent
to our top 100 group tour operators focused on
seasonal and cultural experiences in Louisville.
These will have a call to action and analytics
component driving our clients to engage with us
on social media or through the website.
Booking Incentives
Incentives are specifically strong in the group
tour market. We will work to consolidate our
incentives to make them more easily digested by
our customers. These will be featured in a newly
created promotional piece that will be a one-stop
shop for all offers.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS• Click-thru & engagement
• Incentives activated by clients
• Group tour rooming lists
14 15
community awareness overview
“The 10 Coolest U.S. Cities to visit in 2018.” - Forbes
Going into the third year of Louisville’s rebranding
initiative, there is an ever-present need to further
educate and instill pride in our residents. Nearly
half of all Louisville visitors are here to see friends
and relatives and more than 40% of visitors rely
on user-generated content and social media
as resources for planning a trip. These reasons
further the need to ensure our residents are
educated and understand the full benefits of our
city in order to influence future travel.
TARGET AUDIENCELocal businesses and residents
MARKETING STRATEGYThe Spirit of Bourbon City or #SpiritedCity
campaign is a community content marketing
initiative set to define what it is to be a Louisvillian
through strategic and collaborative messaging
curated on GotoLouisville.com/SpiritedCity. The
goal of this initiative is to fuel the spirit of residents
and businesses to come alive and share their pride
with friends, relatives, and everyone they meet.
MESSAGING STRATEGYThe overall message will be told through a
combination of local stories and photos featured on
the blog, and the powerful accolades that Louisville
has received will lead the paid media initiative.
2018/2019 PROMOTIONAL TRAVEL
The Marketing Communications team will attend the following tradeshows and media events:
Event
PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference
Midwest Travel Writers Association Fall Conference
LGBT in Tourism Conference
New Orleans Bourbon Festival
WhiskyFest
Midwest Travel Writers Association Spring Conference
International POW WOW
Media Calls
Location
TBD
DeKalb County, GA
Fort Lauderdale, FL
New Orleans, LA
Chicago, IL
TBD
Anaheim, CA
NYC, Atlanta, Chicago
Date
TBD
Oct. 31—Nov. 4, 2018
Dec. 2—4, 2018
March 2019
March 2019
Spring 2019
May 2019
Seasonal
TACTICAL APPROACH
GotoLouisville.com/SpiritedCity
This landing page will act as a content hub where
our community can submit their own stories telling
what they love about Louisville, encouraging them
to look through other submissions. They will be
able to see others’ photos and stories. This site
will be supported by user-generated content
from the community and content gathered from
local influencers. Photos posted to social media
platforms using #SpiritedCity will also be featured
on the site.
These efforts will be supported by a full paid
media campaign, as well as public relations and
earned media efforts.
Neighborhood FAMS
The tourism department will work with the
neighborhood associations to hold events and
FAM experiences with the goal of getting residents
into new parts of town. This will increase overall
knowledge of the city and benefit the local
communities.
VIC Ambassador Program
The Visitor Center will continue with its successful
event series making it a hub for locals to network
and learn more about the city. The #LouisvilleLove
VIP program will continue as well, offering another
touchpoint through email and face-to-face events
for locals to get involved and learn to sell the
destination.
Bureau Brief
Reposition and re-design the bi-weekly CVB
update (Bureau Brief) as a leading news source for
tourism-related content. In addition to partners,
for the first time we will target residents with this
newsletter and simplify messaging to be relevant
across all profiles.
ROSE Awards
The ROSE Awards will again be supplemented
by a paid advertising campaign to help educate
the community through hospitality and service
recognition.
#SpiritedCity
16 17
The Convention Sales Team consists of 11
convention sales managers based in the Louisville
main office. Three Regional Directors cover the
Associations and third-party sales contacts
based in the Washington DC, Chicago, and
Atlanta regions. The Sales team generates leads
from all market segments throughout the U.S.
The combined goals of the Louisville, Northeast
(Washington DC), Midwest (Chicago) and
Southeast (Atlanta) offices are:
GOALS• Generate 655,000 room nights
• Generate 1,405 convention sales leads
• Host 280 site inspections
OVERVIEWProjections on occupancy and average rate for
2018 remain positive as both critical indexes are
forecasted to be 1-2% higher respectively over
previous years. The economic impact the group
market continues to have on our industry – and
specifically Louisville – is very encouraging. All
key measurements within the group market show
growth year over year. Attendance, square footage,
budgeted spend and overall travel are all trending
ahead of 2017 levels. This projected growth in
the meetings market will continue to push more
opportunities for Louisville, and with a strong
conversion rate, achieving our booking goals is
realistic. Increased group rooms into 2018/19
and the future will help drive new jobs, state and
local tax receipts and help expand our hospitality
infrastructure.
Louisville is poised to capitalize on these
positive meeting and convention trends. Our
destination messaging is resonating with group
planners within the geographic markets that we
are targeting. With the opening of the KICC in
summer 2018, and important demand generators
like the Louisville Omni hotel, we project that our
group room nights and number of sales leads
will continue to grow. Now totaling four sales
managers and a room night-producing Director
of State Association Sales, our Meetings team
continues to produce and convert valuable short-
term room nights in the local market. Definite
transactions for in-house groups are projected
to be up in 2018/19 versus 2017/18, even as KICC
reopens its doors later this year.
Identifying opportunity dates further out on
the calendar will be a focus of the Convention
Development team. As mentioned, KICC continues
to gain interest in all market segments. Establishing
a solid foundation of confirmed business further
out on the calendar will be a vital component of
reaching our new group booking goals. Identifying
need periods and creating a strong direct selling
plan against the identified dates will be important
to our success. Our hotel partners enjoy a healthier
bottom line when we cover more holiday and need
period dates.
convention development
KEY STRATEGIESTo sustain growth, Louisville’s group sales and
marketing priorities will include:
• Find new citywide group business: The Convention Development team will be working to identify and book new citywide business into Louisville with a focus on business that can take advantage of open dates and space within the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) or KICC.
• Successfully plan and host industry events: 2018/19 will be a big year as we welcome multiple industry events into Louisville. By design, we targeted these client-rich events to showcase the new convention center, Louisville
and new hotels and attractions coming online. TEAMS, TSNN, Nursing Organization Alliance, Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA), and Trust for Insuring Educators (TIE), will provide Louisville tremendous exposure across various important market segments.
• Short-term room nights converted into 2018 and 2019: Our sales team will continue to push the successful $3/$3 promotion through the end of 2018. Over the past two years, over 50,000 room nights have been converted. Participating hotels will decide if they are interested in supporting this promotion as in-house, short-term leads are generated.
18 19
SALES LEAD ADMINISTRATIONThe volume of tentative and definite leads will
be increasing over the previous year. Meeting
Database Institute (MDI) will be providing monthly
database support to each sales manager. Our
sales coverage within each market segment
will be stronger with improved data and a more
strategic approach to each account. Qualified
account templates will continue to be a priority
with the entire sales team. Each sales manager and
their assigned administrative assistant will work
together to qualify accounts and update important
SimpleView (the CVB’s CRM) contact information.
Through their SimpleView interface, MDI will
refresh our data monthly. More accurate account
information will allow us to communicate more
effectively with the accounts and clients we want
to bring to Louisville.
Midwest Regional Office - Chicago
Securing new citywide business will continue to be
a priority as we promote the opening of the new
and expanded KICC on August 1, 2018. Strong in-
market client engagement will include events, sales
blitzes, and a tradeshow presence. Third-party
organizations based in the Midwest will continue to
be targeted. Interest, and ultimately room nights,
are growing from this influential lead source.
All regional directors will make scheduled site
inspections a priority. Each quarter, the regional
team will host a key citywide client site inspection.
• Generate 405 sales leads
• Generate 645,000 tentative room nights per year
Northeast Regional Office - Washington DC, Virginia
Strong inroads into the Northeast market will
continue to be our focus. Association and
Corporate accounts outside the traditional
Potomac regions of DC, Virginia and Maryland will
be targeted. Calls and sales blitzes with partner
hotels, high-profile extraordinary client events
and regional tradeshows will help us build interest
in Louisville. Regional chapter sponsorships with
PCMA and MPI will provide increased exposure
within their respective memberships.
• Generate 412 sales leads
• Generate 575,000 tentative room nights per year
Southeast Regional Office - Atlanta
Significant gains in the Southeast market continue
to be made. Now in our fourth year as a target
market, excellent sales traction and destination
awareness have been created. Significant
momentum has been building in new lead
generation and the associated room nights. As
in other regional markets, sales blitzes, industry
chapter sponsorships, large client events and
targeted third-party organization promotions will
help continue to grow the Southeast market. While
Atlanta will continue to be the epicenter, Charlotte,
Raleigh and the State of Florida will be additional
markets targeted for special events and sales calls.
• Generate 315 sales leads
• Generate 525,000 tentative room nights
DIRECT PROMOTION AND SELLING The convention trade show schedule will again be
robust. Several new regional shows tied to specific
market segments are going to be pursued as we
search for new group opportunities. Pre-promotes
at Connect Marketplace and IAEE Expo are also a
part of our tradeshow calendar.
Destination themed client events, sales calls, sales
missions and industry sponsorships will continue
in the primary markets of Chicago, Washington
DC, and Atlanta. Similar activations will occur in
the markets of Philadelphia, New Jersey and New
York in the Northeast, Raleigh and Charlotte in the
Southeast and Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis,
and Minneapolis in the Midwest.
Site visits will again be a priority in our direct
selling mix. We plan to average over 23 sites each
month. Our conversion percentage from tentative
to definite improves when the customer physically
connects with our destination and our people.
The highly successful Lunch in Louisville program
and the Mastermind Meeting Planner Bootcamp
will again be on the calendar. Combined, all four
programs should host over 65 clients into the city.
MAY 2018 P C M A C O N V E N E 31
Bourbon
Sponsored content by Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, gotolouisville.com.
122 total parks
covering ~ 12,500 acres
Downtown Waterfront Park offers 85 acres of green space
in the heart of the city.
Home to 3 sporting legends
Muhammad Ali, Louisville Slugger, & the Kentucky Derby
THE URBAN BOURBON EXPERIENCE INCLUDES:
1/3of all bourbon sold
is produced in Louisville
5 DOWNTOWN DISTILLERIES
Louisville is nearing the completion of a
$1-billion transformation
to the downtown area
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
Muhammad Ali Center
ILL
US
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BY
MIK
E R
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120,000 MINT
JULEPS served during
Derby weekend
Home of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs for
144 YEARS
Kentucky has more bourbon barrels aging
than it does people.
“10 Top U.S. Destinations
for 2018” – Lonely Planet
– for Bourbon Country
18 Frederick Law
Olmsted– designed parks
The Urban Bourbon Trail with
38 bar/restaurant
stops along the trail
8 urban bourbon
distilleries by the end of 2018
4 anchor bourbon
events
030-031-knowledge-final.indd 31 4/19/18 11:43 AM
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Convention Development will attend the following key Industry Meetings & Tradeshows:
Event
Destination International
Industry IX Change
Kentucky Society of Association Executives (KSAE)
Trade Show News Network
American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)
Connect Marketplace (Sports, Corporate, Specialty)
IAEE Chapter Leaders
CVB Reps August Reception
Meeting Planner Mastermind
TSE Gold Gala 100
Friends of Marlene
Local Corporate FAM
CEIR Predict Conference
The Art of Bourbon Client Event
Association Forum Board Retreat
Travel, Events & Management in Sports (T.E.A.M.S.)
NASC 4S Summit
IMEX America
Lunch in Louisville
Bourbon, Bluegrass & Blue Jeans Client Event
Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals
SmithBucklin Education FAM
Connect Faith
Nursing Organizations Alliance - Fall Summit
IAEE November Midwest Event
Service Club Leaders
Association Forum - Holiday Showcase
Lunch in Louisville
Event
CVB Reps December Reception
Direct Selling Association - Be Connected
International Association of Exhibitions & Events (IAEE)
Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Annual Meeting
RCMA Emerge
ACES Meeting
Destination Showcase
Meeting Professional International - Mid America
ASAE Great Ideas Conference
ASAE Advocacy Day at the Capitol
Lunch in Louisville
NASC Women’s Summit
ASAE XDP National
Simpleview Summit
Society of Independent Show Organizers - CEO Summit (SISO)
Christian Meetings & Conventions Association (CMCA)
IAEE Women’s Leadership Forum
National Association of Sports Commissions Symposium
Exhibition & Convention Executives Forum
PMPI Derby Days
Sports Travel Road Show
Direct Selling Association Annual Meeting (DSA)
Experient on the Road
CVENT Connect
IAEE Advocacy
MPI-WEC
PCMA Partnership Summit
Association Forum - Honors Gala
Location
Anaheim, CA
Chicago, IL
Bowling Green, KY
Louisville, KY
Chicago, IL
Salt Lake City, UT
TBD
Washington D.C.
Louisville, KY
Dana Point, CA
Chicago, IL
Louisville, KY
Oxon Hill, MD
Atlanta, GA
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Cleveland, OH
Las Vegas, NV
Louisville, KY
Chicago, IL
Orlando, FL
Louisville, KY
Ontario, Canada
Louisville, KY
TBD
TBD
Chicago, IL
Louisville, KY
Location
Washington D.C.
TBD
New Orleans, LA
Pittsburgh, PA
Greensboro, NC
TBD
Washington D.C.
Lexington, KY
TBD
Washington D.C.
Louisville, KY
TBD
Harbor, MD
Phoenix, AZ
TBD
TBD
Washington D.C.
Knoxville, TN
TBD
Washington D.C.
Colorado Springs, CO
Austin, TX
TBD
Las Vegas, NV
Washington D.C.
Toronto, Canada
TBD
Chicago, IL
Date
July 2018
July 2018
August 2018
August 2018
August 2018
August 2018
August 2018
August 2018
September 2018
September 2018
September 2018
September 2018
September 2018
September 2018
October 2018
October 2018
October 2018
October 2018
October 2018
October 2018
November 2018
November 2018
November 2018
November 2018
November 2018
November 2018
December 2018
December 2018
Date
December 2018
December 2018
December 2018
January 2019
January 2019
January 2019
March 2019
March 2019
March 2019
March 2019
March 2019
March 2019
April 2019
April 2019
April 2019
April 2019
April 2019
May 2019
May 2019
May 2019
May 2019
June 2019
June 2019
June 2019
June 2019
June 2019
June 2019
June 2019
22 23
destination services
The Destination Services team provides services
for booked conventions, trade shows and events
utilizing a consultative approach based on the
unique needs and specific goals of each group.
GOALS• 350 partner referrals
• 6.8% - 7.0% Post-convention evaluation average
• Process 29,500 housing reservations
• 300 Certified Tourism Ambassadors
KEY STRATEGIES• Streamline internal processes and continue
to grow positive visitor perception through education and training.
• Build on strong public and private partnerships to enhance the destination experience.
• Expand and update welcome services and
promotional experiences.
RECORD-BREAKING SERVICEDestination Services anticipates that the city will
host over 1,100 conventions and events over the
2018/19 fiscal year, the highest number recorded
since the organization was founded. To prepare for
continued growth, the Destination Services team
will streamline internal processes and heighten
focus on attendance-building through experiential
design. With the newly renovated convention
center, new hotels and expanded attractions, the
level of service we offer must be as sharp and fresh
as the facilities.
For both meeting planners and attendees, an
authentic experience will be crucial to booking
repeat visits. Enhancing authenticity will require
exceptional customer service and education, local
partnerships and modernization.
Customer Service and Education
The Destination Services team will focus on
streamlining internal processes to create greater
efficiencies to provide the most relevant services
to groups. The Certified Tourism Ambassador
program will be forging ahead into its second year
with a focus on working with individual companies
and community partners to train and educate the
hospitality community and the public.
Local Partnerships
The Destination Services team is fortunate to have
strong relationships with local public and private
partners. Collaborations with Louisville Downtown
Partnership, Transit Authority of River City and the
Louisville Regional Airport Authority will lead the
way in delivering new and upgraded destination
experiences for convention attendees and leisure
visitors.
Modernization
From continued research and the identification
of new opportunities, the Destination Services
team will update a selection of services offered to
meet the expectations of today’s modern traveler.
The focus will be on experiential design for
promotional trips and digital welcome experiences
to offer more relevant and meaningful services
while increasing efficiency with organizational
resources.
A sample of the conventions, tradeshows and events booked to receive DMO Services in 2018/2019 includes:
• Six Annual Conventions/Trade Shows representing 645,500 attendees generating 155,003 room nights and over 75 million dollars in economic impact.
• High Profile/Industry Specific Conventions: TSNN T-Awards (August 2018); Trust for Insuring Educators (September 2018); Association Forum (October 2018); Smith Bucklin (November 2018); NOA Fall Summit (November 2018); TEAMS Convention & Expo (October 2018); American Bus Association Marketplace (January 2019); CHEMA (May 2019)
• Major Faith-Based & Social Welfare Conventions: University Bible Fellowship 2018 International Summer Bible Conference (August 2018); NeighborWorks America 2018 NeighborWorks Training Institute (August 2018); Mothers of Preschoolers International MOMcon 2018 (September 2018); United Pentecostal Church International 2018 General Conference (September 2018); CROSS 19 (January 2019); Lifesavers Conference, Inc. 2019 Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities (April 2019)
• Major Education Conventions: National Career Pathways Network (October 2018); FCCLA 2018 National Cluster Meeting: Southern Region (November 2018); Irish Dance Teachers Association 2018 Mid-American Regional Competition (November 2018); American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education 2019 Annual Meeting (February 2019); US Institute of Theatre Technology 2019 Annual Conference & Stage Expo (March 2019); VEX Worlds Robotics Championships (April 2019); Educational Testing Service – College Board
AP Reading (June 2019); SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Competition (June 2019)
• Trade/Business/Commercial Conventions & Trade Shows: Rubber Division, American Chemical Society (October 2018); National Precast Concrete Association (February 2019); National Frame Building Association (March 2019); Research Chefs Association (March 2019); American Public Transportation Association (May 2019)
• Corporate and Health & Medical Conventions: Self-Esteem Brands Anytime Fitness (September 2018); American Association of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Rehab (September 2018); American Association for Marriage & Family Therapists (November 2018)
• Major Sports Conventions/Events: TFN Camps and Clinics Run 4 Roses (July 2018); TFN Camps and Clinics Battle in the Boro (July 2018); USA BMX Derby City Nationals (August 2018); IRONMAN (October 2018); USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championship (December 2018); WSF Cheer and Dance Championship (December 2018); USA BMX Bluegrass Nationals (January 2019); NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Regional Championship (March 2019); Ultra Ankle Bluegrass Volleyball Tournament (March 2019); Junior Volleyball Association World Challenge (April 2019); National Wheelchair Basketball Association (April 2019); National Archery in the School Program National Tournament (April 2019); Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon/Marathon (April 2019); NCAA D1 Men’s Golf Regional (May 2019); Bluegrass Lacrosse Festival (June 2019)
CONVENTION/EVENTSNearly 40 high profile groups will host events or
conventions in Louisville during the 2018/2019
fiscal year, including eight industry shows that
are each expected to bring thousands of meeting
planners to the city. The Destination Services team
will experience significant growth in off-site event
functions and promotional trips to shows that are
scheduled to be hosted in Louisville the following
year. The team will also attend eleven conventions/
trade shows with experience-focused promotional
plans that create authentic connections to
Louisville’s culture.
HOUSINGConvention Housing continues to provide quality
service and value to our planners through a
Louisville-based call center and strategic approach
to managing room blocks. With the opening of
KICC, room night projections for the housing
department are up by more than 50%. While the
increase is primarily convention, a partnership
with aRes (a private label booking engine) has
been successfully filling our special events and
attractions accommodations needs.
In addition to traditional housing services, trends
show that 26% of meeting planners believe CVBs
should have a working relationship with Airbnbs in
their area. As a result, the housing department is
working with the communications and marketing
team to identify key areas of integration with the
company. They are also initiating a grassroots
effort to build a “community” of Airbnb hosts who
are willing to collaborate and share information
during city-wide conventions and special events.
24 25
The Tourism Development staff is dedicated to
selling Louisville as a leisure travel destination and
servicing visitors from the domestic individual,
international, group tour and motorcoach markets.
GOALS• Generate leisure attraction attendance of
4,476,253
• Generate group tour attraction attendance of 87,770
• Generate 57,609 group tour room nights
• 80,703 walk-in visits to Visitors Center
Leisure Individual Market Overview
Leisure travel continues to be on an upswing for
Louisville. A Longwoods study conducted between
2014 and 2016 found that 84% of overnight
travel to Louisville was for leisure purposes, the
highest percentage of leisure travel overnights
among our competitive markets. Of those leisure
travelers, the study determined that over 40%
were “marketable” visitors—meaning that guests
were not in Louisville to visit friends/family or
“bleisure” (business + leisure) travelers visiting
before or after a conference. The number one
driver of marketable visitors to Louisville is special
events or festivals. We have seen particular market
interest in events such as the Bourbon & Beyond
Music Festival, Forecastle Festival, Jack-O-Lantern
Spectacular, major concerts at the KFC Yum!
Center and the St. James Art Fair, among others.
The majority of Louisville’s remaining overnight
travelers are made up of those who are visiting
friends & relatives (VFR) who live locally. The VFR
market represents 42.5% of total overall overnight
travelers. The strength of Louisville’s VFR market
correlates with the HomeAway 2017 Trend Report
that shows gas prices are assisting with the
planning of trips within driving distance to regional
destinations, such as Louisville, to spend time with
friends and family while visiting unique attractions
and having one-of-a-kind experiences. Moreover,
the 2017-2018 “Portrait of American Travelers”
study found that road trips are on the rise with
over 39% of Americans choosing to take domestic
road trips over international vacations — a trend
that is expected to continue to rise. All of this is
a great indicator of a continued upward trend for
Louisville’s leisure travel market.
Trendwatchers from the US Travel Association
to Tourism Currents note that 2018/2019
will see leisure travelers seeking experiential
and transformational experiences while in a
destination. One article referred to this as one’s
“story economy,” where a visitor can build an
online narrative about their vacation that can
be shared with others, either in person or online
via social media. Louisville’s reignited tourism
product will offer many of these “story economy”
opportunities, including our growing bourbon
scene and new experiences at iconic attractions.
tourism development
2018/2019 Pomotional Travel
The Destination Services team will provide an authentic Louisville experience at the following conventions:
Event
Nat’l Veteran Wheelchair Games
Ecological Society of America
Pioneer Network
Connect Marketplace
Nat’l Assn of College Admission Counseling
National Academic Advisory Assn
Society of American Foresters
DeckExpo
American College of Surgeons TQIP
Society of Gastroenterology Nurses & Assoc.
National PTA
Location
Orlando, FL
New Orleans, LA
Denver, CO
Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Phoenix, AZ
Portland, OR
Chicago, IL
Anaheim, CA
Portland, OR
Columbus, OH
Date
July 29-August 4, 2018
August 5-10, 2018
August 12-15, 2018
August 23-25, 2018
September 27-29, 2018
September 30-October 3, 2018
October 3-7, 2018
October 9-12, 2018
November 16-18, 2018
April 12-16, 2019
June 20-23, 2019
46 P C M A C O N V E N E MONTH 2017 PCMACONVENE .ORG
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Louisville
It’s true that Louisville, settled on a bend in the Ohio River in 1778, is laden with charm and drenched in Southern hospitality. But there’s nothing old-fashioned
about the city’s vibrant downtown neighborhoods, each stamped with their own culinary personality. The city’s original and innovative food scene has earned Louisville a spot on National Geographic Traveler’s “10 Best New Food Cities,” while the Urban Bourbon Experience links more than 40 bars, restaurants, and distilleries. The city’s compact, walkable downtown means that a good time — and a memorable meal — is always just a few steps away. To learn more, visit gotolouisville.com.
out and about inWalk This WayOffering scenic views of the Ohio River, the 85-acre Louisville Waterfront Park connects with a decommissioned train bridge, with a mile-long walking and cycling path.
P LU S
$1Binvestment in city infrastructure and neighborhoods
16.4Mannual visitors
5,900downton hotel rooms (2018)
130restaurants within walking distance of KICC
25all-electric ZeroBuses traversing downtown Louisville
$0to ride a ZeroBus
1 Kentucky International Convention CenterThe Kentucky International Conven-tion Center (KICC), in the heart of downtown Louisville, is undergoing a $207-million renovation that will add a 40,000-square-foot ballroom and 52 meeting rooms, and boost the amount of exhibition space to more than 200,000 square feet in 2018. The reno-vation adds acres of windows, flooding the center with natural light and open-ing up views of the city. Coming soon: 1,500 more hotel rooms, including a 600-room hotel adjacent to the KICC.
2 Whiskey RowLouisville’s bourbon bonafides go back to the 18th century — a third of the world’s bourbon is distilled here. Any trip exploring the city’s bourbon culture would do well to start along Whiskey Row, where dozens of distill-eries lined Main Street before Prohibi-tion. The area has been reborn with bourbon-inspired restaurants and dis-tilleries where visitors can learn about distillation from start to tasty finish.
3 NULUThe East Market District has been dubbed NuLu — shorthand for “New Louisville” — but is one of the city’s most historic. Named by Thrillist as one of the “18 Best Food Neighbor-hoods in America,” NuLu is a proving ground for chefs who are bringing
their own twists to traditional Southern cuisine and introducing new flavors to NuLu’s red-brick-fronted streets. And talk about eclectic: There is both a 1920s-era candy shop and a newly established axe-throwing venue in the neighborhood.
4 Fourth StreetLouisville’s leading citizens once lived in gracious mansions along Fourth Street, which glides down to the waterfront and, during the 19th and 20th centuries, was the city’s prime address. Two grand historic hotels — the Seelbach and the Brown — remain; the latter is home to the legendary “Hot Brown,” an upscale open-faced sand-wich. Today, there are 78 restaurants in the area, including 14 at Fourth Street Live! The shopping, dining, and enter-tainment complex is the most-visited attraction in Kentucky, drawing more than 4.5 million people and hosting 150 events each year.
5 ButchertownThis historic neighborhood’s colorful name hearkens back to the days when it was Louisville’s meatpacking district and held rows of butcher shops. Today it’s home to a rapidly emerging food scene, led by establishments including the Butchertown Grocery, a fine-dining restaurant in an 1800s-era building that was once a grocery store, and the gleaming Copper & Kings brandy distillery.
PCMACONVENE .ORG AUGUST 2017 P C M A C O N V E N E 47
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26 27
• Focus new initiatives on localism and growing both in-state visitation and the ability of local residents to serve as destination ambassadors. As Tourism Currents notes, “Locals are the soul of your community and a key part of your destination marketing. Locals are your ambassadors.”
Ɵ Create a Kentucky resident-only e-newsletter focusing on ticket discounts available through aRes: Upcoming festivals and events, available booking incentives such as the “Main Ticket” booking incentive ($90 value), the new “Bring Your Crew to Lou” booking incentive for locals
($180 value) and the future implementation of the “Birthplace of Birthdays” leisure booking incentive that highlights Louisville as the birthplace of the “Happy Birthday” song ($50 value).
Ɵ Hometown Tourist Month will be rebranded/relaunched in accordance with the new community awareness campaign, Spirited City. This community pride and awareness campaign will involve neighborhoods and partners in an effort to encourage locals to become ambassadors of our city and brand.
• Continue to drive increased sales for “Can’t Miss Experiences” unbundled ticketing which currently features over 30 attractions. In the new fiscal year, an additional sales strategy will consist of the inclusion of a link to the Can’t Miss Experiences ticket website on microsites/websites for festivals, sporting events and conventions that we develop. This inclusion on these microsites/websites will allow us to tap further into the bleisure market in hopes to spur on attendees to add additional days to their Louisville experience.
KEY STRATEGIES• Execute pop-up events in
our regional feeder markets to provide engagement opportunities with potential travelers through an immersive Louisville experience. This includes partnering with local Bourbon distilleries and attractions, and thus increasing destination advocates and the ambassador base in top feeder markets. The fall pop-up event will be on a yearly basis in the top feeder market — Chicago — during September’s “Bourbon Heritage Month,” while the spring pop-up event will rotate between the other top-five feeder markets for leisure visitors including Nashville, Indianapolis and Cincinnati during April’s “Mint Julep Month” as a lead-up to the Kentucky Derby.
Group Tour/Motorcoach Market Overview
Group tour/motorcoach travel continues to be an
important market segment for Louisville. The city
hosted 2,274 overnight motorcoaches in 2017, which
reflects an increase of 300 motorcoaches from
the previous year. The American Bus Association
estimates that after hosting ABA’s Annual
Convention, a destination can expect a 10% projected
increase in overall group tour business over their
pre-show level within five years (Louisville hosted the
American Bus Association Marketplace in 2016).
Growth in this segment is expected to remain strong
in 2018 and beyond as Louisville continues to reap the
benefits of hosting industry shows like the 2018 Select
Traveler Conference and the American Bus Association
Annual Convention again in January of 2019.
Louisville’s reignited tourism product will continue
to earn Louisville the reputation of the “Best, Getting
Better” with a competitive edge in attracting
additional group tour travelers. We continue to
position the destination as a leader within the group
tour industry. This momentum shows no anticipated
slowdown. Positive trends include the 2017 Leisure
Group Travel Reader Intention survey that shows
travel to southern states from the tour and travel
market leads all other regions of the US and the
average size of leisure groups are on the rise from
2016 with 31-50 travelers on each trip. The ABA
quotes that group tour visitors consumed 838,000
room nights in Kentucky last year. According to Travel
South, “every business needs a diversity of clients
young and old -- and the group tour market is an
important niche. Tour and Travel is the low hanging
fruit, why wouldn’t you want to make sure to always
have a bushel or two as a foundation?”
ABA 2018 Red Hot Louisville closing event and Louisville Host City Booth
The ABA will hold their 2019 Annual Meeting and Marketplace, Jan. 26-29, at the Kentucky International
Convention Center. Around 3,500 people attended the ABA show this past January, generating more than $4
million for the local economy. The ABA expects 4,000 people in 2019 at the newly renovated KICC.
Where do your trips go?
“Travel to the Northeast has dropped over 20%, while the South shows the highest gain of any other US region.”
Leisure Group Travel Reader Intention Study
28 29
KEY STRATEGIES• Convert destination awareness created by
hosting industry shows into booked business both short and long term.
• Leverage new leads from 2018 Select Traveler Conference and 2019 American Bus Association Annual Convention whose attendees are more willing than ever to consider Louisville as a group tour destination after experiencing our area first hand.
• Drive additional new business through customer booking incentives with a continued focus on the promotion of “15 Rooms to Love” booking incentive targeting customers that have never had an overnight tour in Louisville or visited the city in the past two years.
• Partner with existing group tour customers that have large scale reach, external marketing/sales prowess and strong existing client bases to market and sell Louisville as both a traditional
adult and student tour destination.
Visitor Information Center Overview
As a visitor’s frontline point of contact, Visitor
Information Centers (VIC) are often considered
the “one-stop” destination information and
cultural lifestyle service provider, according to
Destination International, offering services such
as travel counseling, collateral resources and
retail opportunities. Destination International also
reports some 20-25% of visitors to a destination
generally use a VIC while in market and the top
performance measure of a VIC is the number of
walk-ins, followed by retail sales.
It is the VIC’s responsibility to act as the catalyst
and inspiration for Louisville visitors, as well as
serving as local destination ambassadors through
creative programming and experiences.
MARKETING STRATEGY• Continue to expand VIC Event Series based on
the success of 2017 events and rebrand the series to “Louisville Handcrafted Events at the VIC.”
• Engage locals who interact with our mobile visitor center activations at community festivals to follow our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter platforms in an effort to expand local ambassadors of Louisville as a destination.
• Add a referral program to the existing #LouisvilleLove VIP Program at the Visitor Center to offer local residents and fans of Louisville the opportunity to attend special, member-only events and receive Louisville gifts throughout the year.
• Encourage visitors to generate shareable moments with a #Louisvillelove Selfie Spot trail integrated throughout neighborhood communities destination-wide, with a call-to-action redeemable for a free souvenir gift at the VIC.
Louisville Love VIPs representing the city on a Caribbean cruise.
Event
Spotlight on the Southeast
Student Youth Travel Association
Great Day Tours Group Leader Show
Boomers in Groups
Travel South International
OMCA
National Tour Association Travel Exchange
Lakefront Lines Holiday Show
American Bus Association
Select Traveler Conference
Travel South Showcase
African American Travel Conference
IPW
Event
Regional Feeder Market Pop-Up Event
Cincinnati Holiday Market
Redsfest
Chicago Travel & Adventure Show
AAA Columbus
AAA Hoosier
Southern Women’s Show Nashville
Regional Feeder Market Pop-Up Event
Location
Ridgeland, MS
Baltimore, MD
Cleveland, OH
French Lick, IN
Nashville, TN
Toronto, Ontario
Milwaukee, WI
Cleveland, OH
Louisville, KY
French Lick, IN
Myrtle Beach, SC
TBD
Anaheim, CA
Location
Chicago, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati, OH
Chicago, IL
Columbus, OH
Indianapolis, IN
Nashville, TN
Cincinnati, OH
Date
July 2018
August 2018
September 2018
October 2018
November 2018
November 2018
November 2018
December 2018
January 2019
February 2019
February 2019
April 2019
May 2019
Date
September 2018
November 2018
December 2018
January 2019
February 2019
February 2019
April 2019
Spring 2019
Tourism Travel Schedule 2018/2019
Tourism Development will attend the following key 2018/2019 motorcoach industry tradeshows:
Tourism Development will attend the following key 2018/2019 Leisure travel shows/promotional events:
“america’s friendliest city.” - travel + leisure
30 31
The department is dedicated to maintaining
and expanding partnerships with the local
business community through our partnership
program, strategic advertising and promotional
opportunities and special events aimed to cultivate
relationships and educate our partners on the
marketing tools available to them.
GOALS• Retain 93% of the partners in our partnership
program
• Generate $558,000 in partnership revenue
OBJECTIVES• Continue to focus on building a strong
partnership with the local hospitality community, seeking new ways to increase the effectiveness and relevance of our marketing tools and benefits
• Engage partners with outstanding events and partnership opportunities
• Foster networking among partners to encourage business-to-business partnerships and cross-promotional opportunities
KEY STRATEGIES• Continue community outreach to create interest
in our partner services. Patronize and learn about our their businesses and create partnerships to increase their bottom lines.
• Educate internal departments to ensure individual partner opportunities are maximized.
• Orchestrate several quality networking and educational events to familiarize partners with the Bureau’s activities, educate them on industry trends and further expand partner networking opportunities with industry peers, local meeting planners and Bureau team members.
• Continue to evolve our partner events to increase satisfaction and engagement with improved event formats, new locations and entertainment.
• Identify opportunities and promote networking and education opportunities for Certified Tourism Ambassador graduates.
• Focus on opportunities for community outreach and engagement, particularly with neighborhood associations and aligning associations.
• Manage and oversee the Bureau’s Annual Gala and Recognition of Service Excellence (ROSE) Awards community outreach and event.
• Identify and solicit new partners while refining and expanding existing partnerships.
• Further enhance the Show Us Your Badge program and develop a strong platform for other discount and promotional opportunities partners can participate in to offer to leisure travelers and local Certified Tourism Ambassadors
partner development
Event
Louisville Visitor Center Event Series
Forecastle Festival
Kentucky State Fair
Louisville Pride Festival
Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival
Light Up Louisville
Home Garden Remodeling Show
Hometown Tourist Celebration
Butchertown Art Fair
I AM ALI Festival
Location
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Date
July 2018—June 2019
July 2018
August 2018
September 2018
September 2018
November 2018
March 2019
May 2019
June 2019
June 2019
Tourism Development will coordinate tourism information booths and/or roaming ambassadors at the following
key 2018/2019 Leisure travel events:
Louisville booth at the Kentucky State Fair
“nine southern festivals well worth adding to the calendar.” - garden & gun
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PARTNERSHIP EVENTSSeveral opportunities are offered to help partners maximize success by getting involved in events that are
relevant, effective, interactive and memorable. We offer workshops, networking events and year-round
activities designed to help partners make the most of their partnership. The events connect partners with
tourism experts and other hospitality partners who share our passion to keep tourism flourishing.
*A full commission comprises of nine members
Annual Luncheon featuring the Recognition of Service Excellence (ROSE) Awards
Our legendary Annual Luncheon is the region’s largest hospitality
gathering. This event celebrates the industry’s accomplishments and
recognizes the many people on the front line of the hospitality industry
that has made Louisville a successful destination.
Lunchtime Live! Hospitality Showcase
This tradeshow event is held in the fall, providing the opportunity for
partners to cultivate new business relationships to 1,000+ business and
convention attendees during lunch hour in a main corridor of downtown
at Fourth Street Live!
Partnership 101: Orientation & Refresher
Partner Orientation isn’t just a great way to get acquainted with who we
are and what we do. It’s also an opportunity to keep up-to-date on new
developments and initiatives that we’re working on. Bring your team,
send your new hires and reacquaint yourself often by attending one of
these convenient bi-monthly sessions.
Partner Showcase
We spend a lot of time telling you what we do, so here’s your chance to
turn the tables and put the spotlight on you! You’ll have the undivided
attention of our convention, tourism, communications and marketing
teams to present what your business does, who your target market is
and what your goals are in working with the Bureau. Partner Showcase is
held bi-monthly, and fills up fast, so register early to save a spot!
Network Nights
Louisville CVB’s Network Nights are a fun and casual way to network
with other members of the travel and tourism community. Held at
different venues throughout the city, with light bites, beverages, fun
music and door prizes to enjoy, this partner business exchange is a great
opportunity to make valuable connections.
Market Briefings & Educational Workshops
These briefings and workshops educate partners on current trends in the
visitor industry and help them gain insight into projected data and future
trends. Workshops also include tips and resources for working with
leisure travelers and convention planners.
board of directors*
Donald LassereChairPresident and CEOMuhammad Ali Center
Sarah RobbinsSenior Vice President of Operations21c Museum Hotels
Jim O’MalleyVice ChairDirector of Corporate AffairsBrown-Forman Corporation
Mary MoselyAl J. Schneider, CO
Michael GrisantiSecretary/TreasurerPresident and CEOGrisanti, Inc.
David GreeneGeneral ManagerMarriott Louisville Downtown
Michael E. BerryPresident and CEOKentucky Derby Festival
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lcvb staff
ADMINISTRATION
Karen Williams, CTA
President & CEO
Cleo Battle, CDME, CTA
Executive Vice President
Chris Kipper, CPA, CTA
Chief Financial Officer
Ange McKinney, CTA
Exec. Assistant to the President/CEO &EVP
Kim Hay, CTA
Director of Finance & Administration
Mark FredoFinance Manager
Bethany Brown, CTA
Finance & Administration Assistant
Randy JamesDirector of Information Technology
MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Stacey Yates, CTA
VP of Marketing Communications
Michael Fetter, CTA
Director of Marketing
Mark Perry, CTA
Director of Technology Marketing
Christa Ritchie, CTA
Marketing Communications Manager/Leisure
Tourism Specialist
Jessica Dillree, CTA
Marketing Communications Manager/Convention
Sales Specialist
Katie Kubitskey, CTA
Marketing Communications Manager/Media
Specialist
Rosanne Mastin, CTA
Marketing Communications Manager/ Convention
Services Specialist
Sidney Abramson, CTA
Digital Communications Coordinator
Jordan Skora, CTA
Marketing Communications Assistant
CONVENTION DEVELOPMENT
Doug Bennett, CASE, CTA
Sr. VP of Convention Development
Angi Van Berg, CEM, CTA
VP of Trade Show Sales
David Kinney, CTA
Director of Midwest Sales
Regina RinkDirector of Northeast Sales
Mae Bower, CTA
Director of Meetings Team Sales/State Associations
Lisa LeCompteSenior Sales Manager
Kate Burger, CASE
Senior Sales Manager
Gen Howard, CSEE
Senior Sales Manager
Andrea Hamblen, CTA
National Sales Manager
Lauren Johnson, CTA
National Sales Manager
Allison Joyce, CTA
National Sales Manager
Keri Willard, CTA
Convention Sales Manager
Dana Baldwin, CTA
Convention Sales Manager
Mallory Cappelli, CTA
Convention Sales Manager
Tara Quigley, CTA
Convention Sales Manager
Jackie Workman, CKTP, CTA
Sales Information Manager
Darlene Starks, CTA
Convention Sales Coordinator
Anna Lundy, CTA
Sr. Administrative Assistant
Kathryn Peck, CTA
Convention Sales Assistant
Ana Cervera, CTA
Convention Sales Assistant
Courtney SchneiderConvention Sales Assistant
DESTINATION SERVICES/HOUSING
Zack Davis, CMP, CTA
VP of Destination Services
Cinnamon Jawor, CTA
Director of Destination Services
Karen Wallace, CTA, CHS
Director of Housing Services
Allison Gotting, CTA, CMP
Destination Services Manager
Brad Knapp, CTA
Destination Services Manager
Destiny Monyhan, CTA, CMP
Destination Services Manager
Becca Lloyd, CTA, CKTP, CHS
Housing Services Manager
Taylor Lockard, CTA
Registration Services Manager
Whitney Draper, CTA
Destination Services Assistant
Jimi Walthall, CTA
Destination Services Assistant
PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Melissa Sparks, CTA
Director of Partnership Development
Nicole Fitzpatrick, CTA
Partnership Development Manager
RESEARCH
Laurianne Matheson, CTA
Research Manager
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
Nicole Twigg, CTIS, CTA
VP of Tourism Development
Saundra Robertson, CTIS
Tourism Sales Manager
Lynnelle Morgan, CTA, CKTP
Leisure Sales Manager
Susan Pass, TMP, CTA, CKTP
Visitor Services Manager
Rose Caple, CTA
Visitor Services Coordinator
Olivia Rohloff, CTA
Visitor Services Coordinator
Chris Bumann, CTA
Tourism Coordinator
Louisville Tourism2018–2019 Destination Sales & Marketing Plan