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GreaterRomeconvention & visitors bureau

ROMESPORTSGreater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau

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2014 Annual Report & 2015 Outlook

Photo Credit: Doug WalkerPhoto Credit: RFPRA

of Travel & Tourism in Rome & Floyd County:

Economic Impact2013 Total Impact Trends Tourism Expenditures Local Tax Generated Tourism Jobs Supported

2004 $92,720,000 $2,790,000 1,1602005 $100,690,000 $3,000,000 1,2102006 $109,180,000 $3,240,000 1,2502007 $112,200,000 $3,280,000 1,2502008 $113,920,000 $3,380,000 1,2302009 $107,560,000 $3,280,000 1,2102010 $110,120,000 $3,270,000 1,1502011 $117,220,000 $3,380,000 1,1602012 $125,090,000 $3,630,000 1,1902013 $129,090,000 $3,800,000 1,210

% Change from 2004 to 2013 39.23% increase

$129,046,000

* 2013 estimates provided by US Travel Association. 2014 estimates will be available in Fall 2015.

Estimates include travel expenditures, travel-generated employment and payroll income, as well as tax revenues for state and local government. In Floyd County, the tourism industry supported 1,210 jobs throughout the service and hospitality industries. Travelers to Rome & Floyd County generated $4.62 million in state tax revenue and $3.8 million in local tax revenue. Each Floyd county household received $234.34 in tax relief per household as a result of taxes generated by tourism economic activity. *

GRCVB ImpactEvents: $9,119,554Sports Events: $5,464,646Meetings & Conventions: $840,590Weddings: $787,226Reunions: $1,027,064Films: $1,160Group Travel (Overnight): $2,079Group Travel (Day): $13,114 Local Tax Generated $517,663State Tax Generated $690,217

People serviced: 206,659Groups: 171

Impact numbers represent only events, conventions, meetings and other activities the GRCVB was directly involved in planning, coordination, or assistance.

of Sports, Groups & Events:2014 Economic Impact

$17,255,433

Events53%

Sports Events32%

Meeting & Conventions5%

Weddings4%

Reunions6%

Films.01%

Group - Overnight.01%

Group - Day.08%

Event Date Estimated ImpactWings Over North Georgia Air Show October $4,800,640Counterpoint Music & Arts Festival April $2,055,800100th Anniversary Mountain Day October $717,300Georgia Junior Open Tennis July $667,852USTA Adult League State Tennis Championships May $507,500NCCAA National Track & Field Championships May $501,009Atlanta Braves Exhibition Game March $419,000Going Caching! Geocaching Mega Event October $405,650US Fastpitch Association Softball Tournament April $386,370Chiaha Arts Festival October $345,000Peach State Marching Festival October $345,000Georgia State Junior Challenger June $274,164Apocalyptic Block Party October $206,500Peach Belt Conference Track & Field Championships April $204,891Berry Mountain Day Football Game October $204,750USTA Southern Closed Doubles Championship August $194,828Berry Half Marathon March $186,000The events listed above are not a complete listing of all events assisted or planned by the GRCVB and includes only events that the GRCVB actively worked with and generated at least $100,000 of economic impact or more.

2014 Major Sports, Groups & Events

International Travel Market - PrintSelling Long Haul (UK/Ireland)

Leisure Travel Market - Internet Facebook Advertising

Leisure Travel Market - PrintDiscover Georgia OutdoorsGeorgia Travel GuideHistoric High Country Travel Assoc.Rome News-TribuneSouthern Living

Leisure Travel Market - RadioWLAQ

Leisure Travel Market - Television WTVC NewsChannel 9 Chattanooga

Small Meetings/Conventions Market - Print

ConventionSouth

Sports Events Market - PrintSportsEvents Magazine

Metrics2014 Visits: 175,408 2014 Page Views: 474,0052013 Visits: 84,5352013 Page Views: 315,679 Percentage Changes: 2012-2013Visits: 107% IncreasePage views: 50% Increase

Advertising RomeGeorgia.org

Mobile & Social MediaMyrtle Hill Cemetery App TourTotal Downloads: 449(Jan - Dec 2014)

Georgia’s Rome Facebook2014 Total Likes: 17,211Social Reach: 3,992,696

2013 Total Likes: 13,1102012 Total Likes: 11,471

Last Stop Gift Shop2014 Total Likes: 10502014 Reach: 139,924

2013 Total Likes: 575 2012 Total Likes: 395

Marketing & Public Relations

Marketing & Public Relations• Published 52 Press Releases• Recognized the customer service of four nominated individuals with Superstars

of Service award program• Utilized reader board/marquees to welcome groups• Revamped Visitor Guide and Outdoor Guide• Developed new relationships with media

Rome Sports Commission• Rome Sports Commission nominated for SportsEvents Magazine Reader’s Choice

Award• Served as event director for the inaugural USTA Clocktower Classic Wheelchair

Tennis Tournament• USTA Clocktower Classic Wheelchair Tennis Tournament awarded the USTA GA

Wheelchair Tennis Tournament of the Year for 2014.• Attended SPORTS conference and national meeting of National Association of

Sports Commissions to meet with sports and event planners• Selected as member of NASC Professional Development Committee; appointed

Vice Chairman in an additional term with USTA Georgia Wheelchair Tennis Committee

• Selected to serve on USTA Southern Wheelchair Tennis Committee and the USTA National Wheelchair Tennis Committee for respective two year terms.

Leisure Travel• TripAdvisor awarded Myrtle Hill Cemetery four and a half stars out of 5• Awarded ConventionSouth South’s Best Destination Apps/Mobile Sites

Religious/Meetings/Group Travel• Rome selected for ConventionSouth’s Top 10 List of “Rising Destinations For

Meetings” • Attended Rejuvenate to begin building new relationships with religious event

meeting planners

Film & Television• Worked with Tyler Perry to bring exterior shots and extras for scenes of “If

Loving You is Wrong”

Product Development• Last Stop Gift Shop partnered with Three Rivers Garden Club for installation of

Blue Star Marker• Sulzbacher Roman Holiday excursion boat completed 67 cruises, a 56% year

over year increase, comprising over 402 captain/crew hours, 3,393 total people served.

• Downtown Welcome Center officially opened as a satellite office and was the first 2013 SPLOST project completed.

• Continued development of SPLOST funded Tennis Center of Georgia• Collaborated with Samual Douglas (as part of an Eagle Scout Project) to install

trail markers on Jackson Hill• Helped implement the publishing, marketing and sales of Brownie the Depot

Dog to benefit Claws for Paws

Last Stop Gift Shop & Rome-Floyd Visitor Center Metrics• Total visitation for 2014: 3,161; 59% were out-of-state, 1770 visitors from the

states and 98 international visitors from 19 different countries• Brochures distributed: 43,761

Gift Shop Sales and Marketing• Reinvested in Georgia Made, Georgia Grown to include 94 local artists, 16 cottage

industries, and 9 homegrown wholesellers resulting in a 13% increase in sales• Added 19 new consignment artists to expand product line• Local artists represented include 19 local authors• Updated apparel line with new T-shirts and sweat shirts and continued work to

flush out dated inventory• 75 local vendors participated in Spring and Winter Art Markets attracting over

2,400 people • Hosted two open houses, four book signings, seasonal farmer’s market, three

Print 19%

Online/Print47%

Online 21%

Search/Social13%

Marketing Outlook

GRCVB Top Achievements

2015 Marketing -Share of Spend

Mobi AppApple - 1,340Android - 1,007

The Greater Rome Convention & Visitors

Bureau (GRCVB) and Rome Sports

Commission is the official destination and

sports marketing organization of Rome and

Floyd County, Georgia.

January Southern Closed 16 Team GA Wrestling February Winston Churchill Art Exhibit at Martha Berry Museum Confluence Conference March Leprechaun-athon Big Fibbers Contest - Civic Center & Berry College Wyoming Main Street Motorcoach (pre-fam trip for National meeting in ATL) Berry College Half-Marathon/10K/5K USAG GA Level 7 & 8 Gymnastics State Meet April Ga State Spring Jr. Open Championship Fouche Gap Road Race Atlanta SteeplechaseChild Abduction Response Team TrainingClocktower Classic Handcycle RaceNCCAA Track & Field National Championship May Roman Roast on the River USTA Adult League Tennis State Championships Up the Creek without a Pedal CounterPoint Music Festival - Kingston Downs North GA Jr Open (Robert Sasseville)June IAC East Coast Championship - Int’l Aerobatic Competition

Georgia State Junior Challenger Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses July Salute to Honor AmericaColor Me Free Run Georgia Junior Open Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses Rome 5V5 Soccer YMCA 50-100 teams 400 players regionalAugustClocktower Classic Wheelchair Tennis Tournament Gary Tillman Memorial Clocktower Run Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses- Forum Southern Closed Doubles Championship Ken Freeman – Big Catfish Quest Tournament & Cast for KidsSeptember Rome International Film Festival Rome River JamOctoberWings Over North Georgia Air Show Berry Mountain DayJunior Tennis Fall ChampionshipsRACE Rome Inaugural Corn Hole Tournament Trout Unlimited Chili Cook-OffGoing Caching! Mega event Zombie-thon and Apocalyptic Block PartyNovemberNCCAA Victory Bowl

Overall• Grow economic impact dollar amount generated into

Rome-Floyd sales tax coffers• Focus on sales objectives that increase hotel room

nights• Strengthen staff skill sets with cross-training on sales,

retail and finance

Marketing & Public Relations• Create marketing plan to meet business goals of Tennis

Center of Georgia• Update and market expanded offerings for meetings,

reunions and other special events• Create and promote new amenities for sports, group

tour and meeting planners• Develop staff marketing skill sets and expand

marketing department• Continue to leverage social media in all marketing

efforts and test advertising campaigns to drive event traffic and promote product launches

• Work with Stonebridge golf course on marketing efforts to increase visits

• Focus marking efforts to trackable search and online platforms

• Update marketing brochures to include Civil War, Eco Center, Roman Holiday, Visitor Guide, Spring & Fall Calendars

Meetings, Conventions & Groups• Aggressively market The Forum to new and returning

meeting groups for 2015 and multi-year contracts • Remarket to groups that have visited in the past

leveraging local organizations and their affiliations to attract new conventions/events

• Develop expanded itineraries for group tours using existing tourism product tools

• Launch “Knock, Knock”, an opt-in text alert notification system announcing anticipated event traffic to prompt businesses to prep for increased traffic

• Host a fam tour for group meeting planners

Rome Sports Commission• Oversee Special Events Review Committee• Continue developing partnerships within Rome/Floyd

County

• Expand partnerships and develop connections with regional and national sports organizations

• Develop Sports specific calendar for ALL sports events in Rome/Floyd County

• Increase the number of adaptive sports and events as well as participation

Product Development• Partner with Downtown Development Authority and

other affiliated organizations to create a gamification tourism app to engage visitors at meetings and events to explore all Rome has to offer

• Increase awareness and continue developing new Downtown Welcome Center as a resource for tourist information

• Work with developers of the Tennis Center of Georgia to ensure compliance with standards

• Partner with Rome Tennis Academy & RFPRA of promote Rome Tennis Month

• Establish a dock for the Sulzbacher Roman Holiday at the Lock & Dam Park

• Increase awareness of hospitality association and expand by broadening into retail

• Establish a serenity garden at Myrtle Hill Cemetery through the Myrtle Hill/Oak Hill Memorial Association

• Continue to grow Roman Holiday bookings through partnership with ECO Center and attract new captains

• Increase event offerings for special populations• Increase visibility of local trails through inclusion in

new trail app to launch 2015• Expand membership of the the free Paws Permitted

program and increase program visibility

Last Stop Gift Shop & Rome-Floyd Visitor Center• Revamp online store for signature Georgia’s Rome

souvenirs• Continue growth of annual events including trunk

shows, book signings, farmer’s market, art market• Increase gift shop sales through new consignors,

unique products, special events and social media expansion

• Continue building relationships with local book clubs, garden clubs and art clubs

2015 Outlook2015 Program of Work

2015 Events Booked

GRCVB Staff

Lisa Smith, Executive Director

Kathy Mathis, Deputy Director

Kendra Falcitelli, Sales & Customer Service

Shelby Farrer, Sales/Marketing Coordinator

Debbie Galloway, Sales Coordinator

Ann Hortman, Rome Sports Commission Director

Kristi Kent, Communications Director

Debbie Law, Visitor Center Assistant Manager

Charlene Mathis, Visitor Center Manager

BeBe Smith, Customer Service Specialist

2015 Board of Directors

John Spranza, Chair, Georgia Highlands College

Chris Darwin, Vice Chair, Comfort Suites

Larry Arrington, Shorter University

Elaine Abercrombie, Greene’s Jewelers

Kevin Aronhalt, Rome-Floyd Parks & Recreation

Jennifer Beard, Berry College

Tina Bowling, Wings Over North GA

Harry Brock, Appraisal Associates of Rome

Mike Burnes, Hillshire Brands

Erin Elrod, Rome Braves

Vickie Hill, Synovus Mortgage

Sandra Lindsey, Community Volunteer

Jamie McCord, Floyd County Manager

Gay Nichols, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham

Anil Patel, Country Inn & Suites/Holiday Inn Express

Sammy Rich, City of Rome Manager

Milton Slack, Rome City Commission

Joyce Smith, Fairview/E.S. Brown Heritage Corporation

Alice Stevens, Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum

Rhonda Wallace, Floyd County Commission

Tannika Wester, Darlington School