Arabella Bowen DIGITAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR, AFAR MEDIA

Transcription

1 TRAVEL COUNCIL MAY 9, 2017 MAGNOLIA PLANTATION AND GARDENS GUEST SPEAKER Arabella Bowen DIGITAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR, AFAR MEDIA Arabella Bowen joined AFAR as Digital Executive Editor in January In this new role, she oversees the award-winning travel brand s digital editorial strategy, including inspirational articles and curated travel guides for afar.com, with daily social media extensions that inspire travelers to connect with people around the world, experience their cultures, and understand their perspectives. Arabella brings over 15 years of consumer travel media experience to AFAR. She was most recently editor in chief at Fodor s Travel, where she led editorial strategy across the publisher s website, books, apps, and social for over five years. Previously, she served as editorial VP of Shermanstravel Media, where she launched digital travel guides, news and trends content, and a smart-luxury travel magazine during her five-year tenure. Her first foray into digital was at igougo.com, one of the web s first online travel communities (later acquired by Travelocity), and she started her travel career by writing guidebooks for rough guides. A passionate traveler herself, Arabella s been to 90+ countries to date and is always planning her next adventure. In the last year alone, she AirBNB hopped in her beloved Paris, roadtripped with her mother along the Cabot Trail, camped in the desert in Oman, learned to surf in Nicaragua, and volunteered in Haiti. A native Canadian, Arabella is now based in New York. THANK YOU TO OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS VENUE: MAGNOLIA PLANTATION AND GARDENS RENTALS: EVENTHAUS CATERING: SALTHOUSE BAR: ICEBOX PHOTOGRAPHY: ROBBIN KNIGHT DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

2 TRAVEL COUNCIL MAY 9, 2017 MAGNOLIA PLANTATION AND GARDENS AGENDA I. Welcome...John LaVerne Travel Council Chairman Bulldog Tours II. A Magnolia Plantation and Gardens Welcome...Herb Frazier Director of Marketing Magnolia Plantation and Gardens III. Greater Charleston Restaurant Association: Giving Back...Bill Hall President, GCRA Owner, Hall Management Group IV. Panel Introduction...Doug Warner Director of Media Relations V. An Expert s Top Tips & Tricks for Social Media...Arabella Bowen Digital Executive Editor AFAR Media Hannah Shaffer Social Media Coordinator VI. Investor Relations Report...Andy Rankin Director of Investor Relations VII. Chief Executive Officer s Report...Laurie Lynn Smith Vice President of Operations VIII. Raffle & Adjourn...John LaVerne MARK YOUR CALENDAR CVB ANNUAL LUNCHEON, JUNE 21, AT CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER NOTES: The Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau unifies and leads the local travel industry in marketing the Charleston area as an individual, incentive and group destination to both the domestic and international markets.

3 EXECUTIVE HOME HISTORIC HOME, THE CVB LOCALS PROGRAM Have you heard about our new Locals Program? Check out our website CHSlocals.com. Help us encourage our residents to explore Charleston and become familiar with Home Historic Home. This is a great way to make sure your hotel, tour, retail establishment, restaurant or attraction is recommended by residents to their visiting friends and family! You are in complete control or your offer via your Simpleview Extranet account. If you have any questions or need access, please Katharine Rhett at krhett@explorecharleston.com. MEMBERSHIP & PUBLICATIONS MEETCHARLESTON.COM Along with the recent staffing changes in the CACVB s Group Sales Department, we are also making some changes to the Group Sales website, meetcharleston.com - these enhancements will help meeting planners and tour operators find information about your business much faster! Please watch your for information about the new website and Official Destination Planning Guide coming soon! BRAND NEW DIGITAL MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES You ve asked for it and we will soon be able to deliver! The CACVB Marketing Department has been working hard with our digital partners at Blue Ion to develop and offer our members new internet marketing products that are easy, affordable and most importantly - will offer results! We will soon launch these new products along with our popular seasonal Badge Advertising program in early June. Please contact Andy Rankin at: arankin@ explorecharleston.com if you would like some advance scoop on the new programs! Membership Department Contacts: Andy Rankin at arankin@explorecharleston.com, Sandy Nivens at snivens@ explorecharleston.com, and Martha Bratton at mbratton@explorecharleston.com MARKETING Catherine Dority spent quality time with the staff of Departures magazine this month during the Departures Luxury Travel Forum. She also interacted with the 40 travel agents who participated in the forum, all of whom sell high-end travel and provided great feedback for enhancing our efforts to reach the luxury market. The agents were uniformly excited about Charleston and all asked be added to our monthly Insiders program.

4 SALES THE SALES DEPARTMENT IS BUSY! RECENT HAPPENINGS: Jennifer Aiken attended the Sea Air And Space Exhibition, April 9 11, 2017, in National Harbor, MD. Angie Day attended the HelmsBriscoe Annual Business Conference May 18-20, 2017 in Chicago, IL. The National ProStart Invitational was held this past week at the Charleston Area Convention Center. This is the country s premier competition for high school students who are studying culinary arts and restaurant management, bringing over 400 students together from across the country. UPCOMING EVENTS: Angie Day will attend the American Society of Association Executives new convention, the Experience Design Project, May 23 25, 2017, in National Harbor, MD. Chris Hendrix and John Michael McCants will attend the Georgia Society of Association Executives Annual Meeting, June 1 3, 2017, in Macon, GA. Chris Hendrix will attend the South Carolina Society of Association Executives Annual Conference, June 4 6, 2017, in Greenville, SC. Angie Day will attend the Professional Convention Management Association s Education Conference, June 11 14, 2017, in New York, NY. John Michael McCants will attend the Military Reunion Network s Educational Summit, June 25 27, 2017, in Louisville, KY. GREATER CHARLESTON RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION The Charleston Restaurant Foundation (CRF) mission is to support the charitable deeds of the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association, Inc (GCRA), which serves the geographical area of Charleston, SC. The group holds two primary annual fundraising events: the Taste of Charleston and the Lowcountry Oyster Festival. Through these efforts, this year alone the food and beverage industry is able to give back $41,000 to their local benefiting charities and educational partners: Ronald McDonald House of Charleston, Hollings Cancer Center - Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston County Schools Science Material Center, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Coastal Conservation Association of SC, The Culinary Institute of Charleston, College of Charleston, Art Institute of Charleston, Wando High Culinary Arts and West Ashley High Culinary Arts. VISITOR SERVICES VISITOR NUMBERS FOR MARCH APRIL 2017: 117,269 TICKETS SOLD MARCH APRIL 2017: 20,388 LOWCOUNTRY RESERVATION SERVICE (LRS) ROOMS BOOKED MARCH APRIL 2017: 345 For questions about any of our area Visitor Centers, please contact Walter McCants, wmccants@explorecharleston.com or

5 MEDIA RELATIONS The Charleston area was featured in the article South s Best City in Southern Living (circulation: 2,828,450) and on southernliving.com (unique monthly visitors: 2,950,000). The article mentioned Fleet Landing Restaurant, The Ordinary, Lewis Barbecue, Cypress Lowcountry Grille, Artisan Meat Share, Belmond Charleston Place, The Dewberry Charleston, 86 Cannon, Charleston Gaillard Center, Gibbes Museum of Art, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, The George Gallery and Redux Contemporary Art Center. The Dewberry Charleston, Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston Gaillard Center, Lewis Barbecue, The Restoration Hotel, Coastal Expeditions, Cooper River Bridge Run, Town of Mount Pleasant, Annual Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens and Gibbes Museum of Art were mentioned in the article Visit Charleston in the Spring for Blooming Festival and Food Scene on chicagotribune.com (unique monthly visitors: 25,700,000). The Charleston area was named the No.1 Best City for Culture in the United States on travelandleisure.com (unique monthly visitors: 7,400,000). The article mentioned Dock Street Theatre and St. Michael s Episcopal Church. The Charleston area was named among The 5 Most Romantic Cities in the Deep South on ajc.com (unique monthly visitors: 10,900,000). The article mentioned White Point Gardens, Charleston Battery, Planter s Inn and Palmetto Carriage Works. Nathaniel Russell House, Leon s Oyster Shop, Gibbes Museum of Art, The George Gallery, Aiken-Rhett House, Old Charleston Walking Tours and The Living Room at The Dewberry Hotel were mentioned in the article Scene + Heard in Elle Decor (circulation: 558,283). Charleston is a perennial favorite of Condé Nast Traveler readers. For newcomers, May is an ideal time for a first visit. The weather will be balmy and less muggy than summer, and the city is energized by the beginning of the Spoleto Festival, a 17-day fiesta of culture. - cnttraveler.com (unique monthly visitors: 5,339,669)

6 A B O U T TH E V E N U E Founded in 1676 by the Drayton family, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens has survived the centuries and witnessed the history of our nation unfold before it from the American Revolution through the Civil War and beyond. Magnolia is the oldest public tourist site in the Lowcountry, and the oldest garden in America, opening its doors to visitors in Unlike most of America s gardens, which are formal and seek to control nature, Magnolia is America s last large-scale romantic-style garden. At Magnolia, we cooperate with nature to create a tranquil landscape like Eden where humanity and nature are in harmony. Steeped in more than 300 years of family history and heritage in the Lowcountry, Magnolia and the Drayton family take pride and responsibility in our community. Our community stewardship is evident through the numerous humanitarian, academic and environmental causes we support. We encourage you to learn more about the local initiatives we support which help to preserve the culture and legacy of the Lowcountry. THE CARRIAGE HOUSE AND LAWN The Carriage House (c.1840) overlooking the Ashley River is completely surrounded by ancient Live Oaks with beautifully draped Spanish Moss. Today, the updated building brilliantly dances the fine line between timeless charm and modern amenities. At night, burning torches line the bank of the river while the patio fireplace sets a festive mood. Inside, the wagon wheel chandeliers hanging from exposed beams set the ambiance with a gentle glow. The Carriage House can accommodate 150 guests seated with dancing and up to guests with buffet or hors d oeuvre arrangements. Tents on the patio or open lawn can also be added to accommodate many additional guests. The Carriage House Lawn sits on the bank of the river, providing stunning views and fantastic breezes from the waterway. Accommodating 400+ seated guests, the lawn boasts two picturesque possibilities for a ceremony site: under an arbor of gracefully arching oak trees or on a deck nestled on the banks of the Ashley.