BuckeyeLine

“Spring Has Arrived”

Greetings on a sunny, warm day at your Ohio Tourism Headquarters! The early spring-like weather fits perfectly with all the new projects that have been sprouting under the guidance of your hard at-work Ohio Tourism team. We are putting the finishing touches on many aspects of the Spring/Summer campaign and gearing up for Rock Hall Induction Week, War of 1812 anniversary, National Tourism Week, a new Ohio Tourism Industry website and more!

To share what’s going on and make sure you are aware of all the partnership opportunities available to you, we are once again hitting the road in March and April for a series of Spring Town Hall Meetings. Please note the article below which includes locations, dates and details. Our first Town Hall Meeting in Gahanna on March 14 is less than two weeks away, so be sure to reserve your spot. Please join us to learn more about programs to help extend your marketing dollars, a sneak peek at elements of the 2012 integrated marketing campaign and more! In addition, we will showcase some of the latest updates to key elements of our programs.

Hopefully you have seen the 2012 Ohio Travel Guide and the Spring/Summer Calendar of Events which are now being distributed fast and furiously by Andy Doty and his crew at the Buckeye Fulfillment Center. If you haven’t seen the publications, please take a moment to look at: http://consumer.discoverohio.com/visitorinformation/freepublications.aspx  See the article below to find out how to order your bulk quantities of these great travel resources. And believe it or not, the Fall/Winter Calendar deadline is fast approaching.

Additionally, our cooperative marketing programs continue to grow in size every week, thanks to your participation and engagement. We are on pace for a record number of co-op participants and will be able to match at least one dollar in cash or in-kind services for every public dollar we have invested into this important industry program! 

As I look out my window and the sun shining, I can’t help but feel symbolism that the future continues to get even brighter for the Ohio Tourism Industry. After spending time in the past month on the local, regional and national levels, I have never felt more confident in our Tourism Industry. Our future is indeed shining brightly! My team and I are proud to be your partners in telling the world about the great experiences in Ohio!

Safe Travels,

Amir

RSVP Now for Spring Town Hall Meetings

The Ohio Office of Tourism will be on the road again in March and April for five regional Town Hall Meetings to provide Ohio’s Tourism Industry with an update on the Office of Tourism’s status and provide vital information on new and ongoing partnership marketing opportunities. On the agenda:

    •    An update on the Ohio Office of Tourism from State Tourism Director Amir Eylon
    •    Information on marketing programs to help extend your marketing dollars
    •    A sneak peek at elements of the 2012 integrated marketing campaign
    •    Q & A with the Office of Tourism leadership

Feel free to bring your laptop to try these programs firsthand.

Please RSVP to Joy Doty (by dates indicated below) at joy.doty@development.ohio.gov and remember to indicate which session you plan to attend.

Central Region
Wednesday, March 14
1 – 4 p.m.
Location: Creekside Conference and Event Center, 700 Creekside Plaza, Gahanna, OH 43230
Hosted by Gahanna Convention and Visitors Bureau
RSVP by Wednesday, March 8

Northwest Region
Wednesday, March 28
1 – 4 p.m.
Location: Alexandria’s, 132 E. Crawford St., Findlay, OH 45840
Hosted by: Findlay/Hancock County
RSVP by Thursday, March 22

Southwest Region
Thursday, March 29
1 - 4 p.m.
Location: Dayton Convention Center, 22 E. Fifth St., Dayton, OH 45402 [Rooms 302-303]
Hosted by: Dayton/Montgomery County CVB
RSVP by Thursday, March 23

Northeast Region**
Tuesday, April 3
1 – 4 p.m.
Gervasi Vineyards, 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, OH 44721
Hosted by: Canton/Stark County CVB
RSVP by Wednesday, March 28

**Before the NE Town Hall Meeting, ‘Adventures in NE Ohio’ will offer a luncheon (11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) for anyone wishing to learn more about their regional tourism group. For more info or to RSVP, email info@adventuresinnortheastohio.com

Southeast Region
Wednesday, April 11
9 a.m. – Noon
Adena Mansion & Gardens, 847 Adena Rd., Chillicothe, OH 45601
Hosted by: Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau
RSVP by Thursday, April 5

2012 Ohio Travel Guide Now Available

We are pleased to announce availability of the 2012 Ohio Travel Guide, the state’s official travel guide. Bulk quantities of the free Travel Guide can be ordered online. To continue to take advantage of the exponential growth of travelers utilizing mobile Internet and smart phone technology, Ohio’s 2012 Travel Guide incorporates 25 QR codes to create an interactive experience for the reader via video, applications, blogs and more.

The free, full-color, 164-page, 2012 Ohio Travel Guide features captivating photography and provides information for sports & recreation seekers, family fun buffs, connoisseurs of arts & culture, and history & heritage enthusiasts. The publication’s main focus is on the nearly 4,000 listings featuring attractions, recreation, shopping, dining, visitor services and lodging, organized by the state’s five travel regions. Each regional listing section begins with an enhanced five-page overview featuring a detailed map and now includes a locator map with each itinerary.

Listings featured in the Guide were created using data from the Ohio Office of Tourism’s DiscoverOhio.com/Buckeye Database. All Ohio travel entities are invited to submit listings, free of charge, to the Buckeye Database to be included in future issues of the Travel Guide. Information also was supplied by the Ohio Bed & Breakfast Association, the Ohio Campground Owners Association, the Ohio Golf Course Owners Association, the Ohio Grape Industries, the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association, the Ohio Restaurant Association, and the Ohio Wine Producers Association.

April 2 - Tourism Week Groupon Deadline

Don't miss your opportunity to promote your business through a partnership with Groupon during Ohio Tourism Week May 7 - 13, 2012.
During National Tourism Week, Groupon has agreed to feature offers exclusively from Ohio tourism-related entities (attractions, restaurants, lodging establishments, events and festivals) for the daily deals in Akron/Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo. There also is an opportunity for Ohio tourism partners to be part of the "Side Deals" offered in multiple Ohio and out-of-state feeder markets during this week! Click here for additional details and Groupon Contacts  The Office of Tourism will be working with Groupon to promote this partnership and Ohio's fantastic tourism experiences to the press. Deadline for participation is April 2, 2012 - Be sure to mention Ohio Tourism Week.

April 13 Listing Deadline for 2012-13 Fall/Winter Calendar of Events

To have your Ohio event considered for inclusion in the printed 2012-13 Fall/Winter Ohio Calendar of Events (50,000 quantity printed), please submit/update your information in the DiscoverOhio.com/Buckeye database by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 13.

Free Event Listings
If your database entry is current, there is no need to re-submit. Please review your entries to ensure dates, phone numbers, website addresses, etc. are accurate. The calendar will cover events occurring between September 2012 and February 2013. Due to space limitations, it is possible that not all events submitted and approved will appear in the printed calendar. However, all approved events will be available on DiscoverOhio.com.

Verify Listing Information
Please be aware that the publisher, Great Lakes Publishing, will contact you via e-mail in mid-May asking you to verify the accuracy of your listing prior to being printed in the Calendar. If the publisher does not receive a response, the listing cannot be considered for publication.

Questions
For questions regarding the Buckeye Database or to inquire about your listing, please contact Eric Herzog at eric.herzog@development.ohio.gov or 614-466-0338; or Roger Barker at roger.barker@development.ohio.gov or 614-466-5158.

Photos
We’re also looking for photos of your event to be considered for the printed calendar. The best are photos that show happy, smiling people enjoying their experience. We love action shots that aren’t blurry. Please visit Great Lakes Publishing Image Library for more information and to submit images.

Advertising
If you’re interested in advertising opportunities in the calendar please contact your advertising representative or Emily Vanuch, Great Lakes Publishing advertising coordinator, at evanuch@ohiomagazine.com or 216-377-3715. The ad close date is May 22.

Prizes Sought for Mobile Tour Promotion

Looking for a way to promote your destination or attraction throughout the region? Who isn’t! So hitch a ride on the 2012 tour of the “Too Much Fun-Mobile". The “Fun-Mobile” will traverse Ohio and our surrounding states, making stops in select feeder markets.

You can participate for free and still gain widespread exposure by donating prizes for our very popular prize wheel! These can range from discount coupons (trackable is best) to tchotchkes to free passes. Please supply an equal number of rack card brochures with your prizes so our team can ensure consumers learn about your destination.

Many partners already have enlisted in the Mobile Tour promotion for 2012. Several advertising packages at varying prices are still available for interested partners. If you're interested in participating, have giveaways for the prize wheel or have questions about the program, please contact Tim Kern at Ron Foth Advertising at 614-888-7771 or tkern@ronfoth.com.

Pinterest 101: How it can help promote your organization

Pinterest, the social media platform sweeping the digital landscape the past six months, can be a great resource for attractions, destinations and destination marketing organizations. Have you decided whether to, and how to, incorporate this latest social media craze into your marketing plans? Here’s a great blog (http://blog.emoderation.com/2012/01/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know.html) that explains the basics of Pinterest, ideal content to post, tricks of the trade and more.

Be sure to follow Discover Ohio on Pinterest. We have created boards for Ohio Music, Food & Drink, Amish, Outdoors, Family Fun, Oscar Movie Locations in Ohio and more, as well as continuing to regularly create new boards for pinning.

Want Numbers? Here is a great article about the staggering growth of Pinterest in just a few short months. Among the highlights, Pinterest has: 10.4 million users, 97 percent of whom are women, and more than one-fifth of Facebook-connected users are on Pinterest daily (which represents more than 2 million members).

Lastly, here are some great examples of DMOs that have done a great job promoting their destination/attraction using pinterest:

• Experience Columbus: http://pinterest.com/expcols/

• Visit Canton Stark County: http://pinterest.com/cantonstarkcvb/

• Visit Savannah (Georgia): http://pinterest.com/visitsavannah/

• Fargo-Moorhead (North Dakota): http://pinterest.com/fargomoorhead/

Where in the World

March 1 – Aimee at media preview of “A Day in Pompeii” exhibit, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal
March 3 – Joe speaking at Hocking Hills educational workshop
March 6 – Tammy participating in Adventures in NE Ohio Media event
March 6 – Amir & Pat at Experience Columbus Annual Meeting
March 7 – Amir meeting with Cincinnati USA
March 13 – Amir speaking at Butler County Partner Meeting
March 14 – Amir, Pat, Eric & Tammy at Central Ohio Town Hall Meeting at Creekside Conference & Events Center, Gahanna
March 15 – Amir attending Buzzard Day, Hinckley
March 16 – Amir speaking at Coshocton County Partner Meeting
March 20-23 – Amir at Spring NCSTD Meeting in Washington, DC
March 27 – Amir attending Destination Cleveland Travel and Tourism Summit at House of Blues
March 28 – Amir, Pat, Eric & Tammy at Northwest Spring Town Hall Meeting at Alexandria’s, Findlay
March 29 – Amir, Pat, Eric & Tammy at Southwest Spring Town Hall Meeting at Dayton Convention Center