The (Not So) Accidental Tourist

OR How To

Today s Presentation Information and Case Study on how you can partner with Virginia Tourism to reach 33-million travelers at Virginia s Welcome Centers and Safety Rest Areas 1.) Understand WHAT is available 2.) Know WHO to contact 3.) See HOW Museums (and other Tourism partners) have worked with Virginia Tourism to get: MORE people to Spend MORE time and MORE money at museums

Presenting Today James Dean: Tourism Relations Manger, East Coast Gateway Welcome Center Virginia Tourism Corporation Jonathan Lyle: Managing Director, Highway Information Media

Four Parts To Today s Session I. The 2015 Marketing /Advertising Program (MAP) at Virginia's Welcome Centers and Rest Areas II. Virginia Tourism s Welcome Centers and services available to you III. Museums use of Welcome Center and Rest Area channels to achieve visitation goals IV. Questions and Answers

Marketing/Advertising Program at Virginia s Welcome Centers and Rest Areas (M/AP) M/AP is designed to achieve three primary objectives: 1.) Enhance safe travel in Virginia 2.) Support Virginia s Tourism Industry 3.) Contribute to maintaining and improving Virginia Welcome Center and Rest Area services

Highway Information Media s Role Is To Focus 100% On Welcome Center and Safety Rest Area Marketing Bring Private Sector resources to the table Speed-To-Market Flexibility NOT funded by Virginia Succeed or Fail based on Service and Performance

Welcome Centers and Safety Rest Areas Safe Travel #1 Goal

15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance (Everybody Knows That )

But Did You Know That Virginia Was First In The Nation With Safety Rest Area Sponsorship?

Definitions I. Visitor Centers II. Welcome Centers III. Safety Rest Areas

Definitions Visitor Centers Operated by: regional or local CVBs, Chambers of Commerce, local businesses

Definitions Visitor Centers

Definitions Welcome Centers Operated by Virginia Tourism A. Staffed B. Information on the entire state C. Broad menu of services and information

Definitions Welcome Centers

Definitions Safety Rest Areas I. Operated by VDOT A. Staffed 24-hours by maintenance personnel B. Fewer tourism information channels

Definitions Safety Rest Areas

Travelers Rarely Include Rest Areas as part of their vacation destination

Museums (Tourism) Have The Opportunity To Build On The Safety Goal Federal Highway Authority (FHWA) specifically cites delivery of Tourism Information as a permitted activity at Safety Rest Areas/Welcome Centers How to best gain attention and deliver information? > 80% of travelers cited rest rooms as primary reason for stopping Ramp traffic studies show travelers stop at Rest Areas for seven to thirteen minutes Welcome Center/Rest Areas average five to seven minutes longer Museums (Tourism) have the opportunity to interrupt and make yourself part of those 13+ minutes

Virginia Tourism s Leadership In Reaching Travelers IN Virginia James Dean Tourism Relations Manager East Coast Gateway Welcome Center Virginia Tourism Corporation Previously: Virginia Living Museum s Tourism Manager City of Newport News Tourism Specialist

Welcome Centers Are VAM Members Best Friend

Virginia Tourism Welcome Center Promotions Offer Ways You Can Do More With Less 10 different channels Budgets from $120/year No-cost opportunities also exist!

Virginia Tourism s Welcome Centers

Welcome Center Stats ~10 million travelers a year

VTC Travel Counselors 362 Days a Year - 8:30 am 5:00 pm

Different Channels Available for VAM Members Month-long Blitz Annual Ad Panels Brochure Distribution Out-door Banners Touch-Screen listing Traffic Screen Messages Window Graphics Wi-Fi hyper-link Free-Standing Rack Digital Spotlights Display Cases One-Day Demos

Ad Panels

Window Graphics

Outdoor Banners

Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing Touch-Screens 8 screens delivered 309,578 screen views ( clicks ) 13% of Category selections were Museums Digital Spotlights Wi-Fi log-in page links at two Welcome Centers Traffic Screen messages at four Welcome Centers

Brochures Old School IS Cool! Before Trip Internet 65% Friend 63% Travel Guide 45% Brochure Rack 38% TV 33% Billboard 19% During Trip Brochure Rack 69% Travel Guide 62% Internet 57% Friend 51% TV 32% Billboard 19%

Welcome Center Information Actions After Picking Up Welcome Center Information Influences Travelers Planned to visit an Attraction 69% Considered changing travel plans 62% Planned to use discount coupons 58% Planned to buy something 43% Planned to extend their stay 34% In 2014, VTC booked 4,398 room nights for travelers. That contributed ~$936,774 in spend to Virginia

One-Day Demos: No Cost

Summary Of Welcome Center Opportunities for VAM Members Multiple Locations 11 Visitor Welcome Centers 30 Safety Rest Areas Multiple Channels Available Brochures Blitzes Ad Panels Digital Marketing Banners One-Day Demos Budget Climates from Free to Sky s The Limit! Tourism Counselors an extension of your staff Never hesitate to ASK how we can assist Are there any Can t Do s? No merchandise sales No alcohol

Why Reaching Travelers At Welcome Centers And Rest Areas Is Important Travelers Are Not Mind Readers

Museum Of The Shenandoah Valley Don t Hide!

For Many Museums -- Admissions Are Important Funding comes from a number of sources including grants, gift shop sales, government funding for national artifact conservations, private functions and paid admissions. Welcome Centers and Rest Areas can lift your numbers! Private Functions Gift Shop Revenue Paid Admissions

Welcome Center Marketing Helps Increase Admissions How can a Museum s presence at Welcome Centers and Rest Areas increase admissions? Family of four ~ $74 tickets (3 adult/1 child) + Gift Shop sales + Café Sales One additional family admission can add as much as $30 - $100 in gross revenue If a Month-Long Welcome Center Blitz increases Family ticket sales by three a week ( 12 admissions) the Museum is on the plus side

The Mariners Museum: A Welcome Center Blitz Partner The Mariners' Museum was established in 1930 by Archer Milton Huntington in Newport News, Virginia. Designated as America s National Maritime Museum by Congress, it is one of the largest maritime museums in North America.

Ranked #1 of 29 things to do in Newport News - TripAdvisor. Travelers WANT to visit you! YOU have to let them know where you are!

Museum Of The Shenandoah Valley Promote your events! Local travelers stop here too!

Planning and Implementing a Welcome Center Blitz Think of a Welcome Center Blitz as a Special Exhibit Plan your work and work your plan Key Steps: 1.) Book your Blitz month(s) at the Welcome Center(s) 2.) Confirm with Tourism/ HI Media resources available at the Welcome Center Tables Easels Vitrines Digital Screens Brochure pockets 3.) Create a Planogram for set-up Visuals Items on Display 4.) Schedule Staff for set-up

Planning and Implementing a Welcome Center Blitz Dominate the viewscape! A huge plus of your Blitz is your message CAN be the dominant image every traveler entering the Welcome Center sees. YOU have to seize the opportunity.

Put Your Blitz Front-And-Center Dominate The Viewscape Here s what travelers saw when they entered the Bristol Welcome Center in January and February, 2015

FREE! It Gets Attention. Have A Give-A-Way. Your give-a-way does not have to be expensive or even cost you money! Pine cones oyster shells (in August!) and similar items have been used successfully.

FREE! It Gets Attention. Have A Give-A-Way. Confederate currency printed on parchment paper with an office printer was used by The Museum of the Confederacy and its Blitz partners. The back of the re-print had come-see-us information

Biggest Challenge? Integrating Welcome Center Blitzes into normal routines. Raise your hand if you have excess staff Creating the Planogram and assembling materials requires time and attention Set-up and Strike requires out-of-office time NOTE: new in 2015 is a set-up and strike resource via Highway Information Media. This saves you from having to travel to the Welcome Centers for your Blitz set-up and strike.

You Don t Have to Go It Alone. Work With Other Tourism Partners. Consider partnering on an Ad Panel in the Welcome Centers

You Don t Have to Go It Alone. Work With Other Tourism Partners. Consider co-promoting exhibits The Living Museum and The Mariners Museum in Newport News are 2-miles from each other.

You Don t Have to Go It Alone. Work With Other Tourism Partners. Consider co-promoting exhibits Their 2014 Dinosaurs Exhibits gave them the opportunity to reinforce a visit us! message.

You Don t Have to Go It Alone. Work With Other Tourism Partners. Museum of the Confederacy Prince Edward County Farmville Sailors Creek State Park Appomattox Lees Retreat Six Partners worked together and sponsored 12 Welcome Center Blitzes in 2013

You Don t Have to Go It Alone. Work With Other Tourism Partners. Consider co-promoting Blitzes The Omni Homestead, Massanutten, Virginia State Parks and Virginia Department of Forestry promoted Winter Recreation at six Welcome Centers in January and February 2015

You Don t Have to Go It Alone. Work With Other Tourism Partners. Consider co-promoting Blitzes The Omni Homestead and Massanutten with Virginia State Parks and Virginia Department of Forestry promoted Winter Recreation at six Welcome Centers in January and February 2015

Virginia Welcome Center Marketing Works For Museums Every Museum is different Virginia Tourism and Highway Information Media will discuss your goals and recommend programs that would help reach those goals. Who To Contact: Val Guffy Virginia Tourism 804-545-5588 vguffy@virginia.org Larry Henley Highway Information Media 804-382-4850 info@himediallc.com

Virginia Welcome Center Marketing Works For Museums This is the Question and Answer Portion of The Session. Virginia Tourism and Highway Information Media have generously offered to give everyone who asks a question an extra spin on the Virginia Is For Lovers Fabulous Prize Wheel in the Exhibit Hall!

Thank You!