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Excellence Award!
Adventures in Northeast Ohio presented Lynda Nemeth, the Director of Geauga County Tourism, with the organization's highest honor- the 2009 Excellence Award. This award is presented each May to an individual, organization or corporation that has gone above and beyond to promote tourism in Northeast Ohio.
Lynda was chosen for this award because of her dedication to Adventures in Northeast Ohio and her positive impact as a role model for the tourism community. Lynda has served on the Board of Adventures in Northeast Ohio from 2002 -2008, including roles of Vice President and President. Lynda continues to provide guidance and insight to the current board members and act as a mentor to new members joining the organization.
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Where 2 B !
The June 9th meeting will be held at Debonne Vineyards where attendees may enjoy a light lunch and wine tasting. It will be our summer auction fund raiser so come prepared to bid! Please note that this is the 2nd Tuesday of the month.
The July meeting is not yet firm so more about it at a later date.
We do have a lovely Adventures in Northeast Ohio "Night Out" planned for July 31st at Rabbit Run Theater. Members and their guests are invited to see the romantic musical, She Loves Me and enjoy a wine & cheese party prior to show time... all for a nominal fee. Watch for a flyer to be out soon outlining all the details.
Contact Mary Lane at mary.lane@oberlin.ed if you are interested in hosting a meeting for Adventures in Northeast Ohio.
Please plan to attend the above functions because if you miss one...you miss a lot! |
Adventures in Northeast Ohio is seeking donations for our 2009 Summer Auction Fundraiser. This exciting event will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at Debonne Vineyards.
We would appreciate donations of any type, from a member or non-member property. Dress up those gift certificates a bit with a summer fun theme if possible. Also, we will create packages to make the prizes bigger and better. Donated items in the past years have included gift certificates, gift baskets, tickets to events or merchandise. If you have a bottle of wine or other fun item, please bring it along and we'll add it to one of the other gifts. Items will be auctioned to the highest bidder and all monies will benefit ADVENTURES.
For further details, please complete the donation form and return to
Fundraising Committee Co-Chairs:
Mary Randall & Kerry Woloszynek.
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NEW - Spotlight on Members!
Each issue of the Explorer newsletter will feature a "spotlight " on two members, giving them an opportunity to share what's new or upcoming . Members will be chosen at the monthly luncheons, another good reason to attend meetings for an extra member benefit.
Read on . . .
Canton Stark County to Host the Junior World Championships This Summer
The first ever International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championships will take place in Canton, Ohio from June 25 - July 5. We will welcome seven international delegations and Team USA to Fawcett Stadium in Canton. Come witness the world's best high-school aged football players compete for the gold medal! Tickets are $10 general admission. Learn more about this monumental event at www.jwcfootball.com. Support Canton/Stark County and watch America take on the world in the "cradle of football". Go to www.VisitCantonStark.com to learn about other exciting summer events in Canton/Stark County... "America's Playing Field!"
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Dick Waco: The voice of Heartland Travel Showcase . . . and Northern Ohio's Radio Voice of the Big Bands.
How many of us have heard that familiar phrase, "Please move on to your next appointment!" That's our friend, Dick Waco, keeping us on track at Heartland. While in the hospitality industry, Dick has been involved in sales for both the hotel and restaurant markets. His passion for the music of the Big Bands has also led to a career in broadcasting at several Northeast Ohio radio stations. You can currently listen to him on WCER 900 AM on saturday mornings, 9am-1pm, Dick Waco's Big Band Show. Way to go, Dick. |
Board Members:
Mark Winchell, President
Lisa Kusner, Vice President
Lori Davis, Treasurer
Kathy Toth, Secretary
Mary Olah, Administrative Assistant
Mary Randall/Kerry Woloszynek, Fundraising
Betsy Brock, Marketing
Amy Rutledge, Membership
Colleen Grey, Mentoring
Mary Lane, Programs
Tonja Marshall/Tiffany Gerber, Promotional Pieces
Ally Bussey, Website
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| President's Report
Summer is here! Well, almost. I am sure most of us are finalizing summer events, marketing strategies and travel plans. This is the time of year we see the returning migratory birds, smell the rich aromas of spring flowers and walk to get the mail rather then driving our car through the snow drifts.
This is also the time we see our seasonal businesses slap up a fresh coat of paint and re-mulch the flowerbeds. As a CVB Director, I find that there have been more events and meetings happening over the last several months than I can attend. I am sure your schedule is much the same. One day I would like you to remember is the 1st Tuesday of the month. That is the date Adventures in Northeast Ohio gathers to network and learn from each other. We trade business cards and ideas on how to promote the region. If you haven't been to a meeting in a while, clear your calendar for the first Tuesday of the month and join your colleagues for a lunch meeting.
The lunch meetings are more then catching up with old friends - we are developing networks and creating new business relationships. So next month, plan to attend the meeting and grow your business!
Thank you and have a great day!
Mark Winchell
President, Adventures in Northeast Ohio |
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Cooperative Marketing Part 2
 Last issue we talked about co-operative marketing ideas. Here are a few more suggestions to consider.
You Gotta Spend Money to Make Money
When you join an organization such as American Bus Association (ABA) or National Tour Association (NTA) you are essentially buying a leads list, which is called a Member Directory. By joining ABA, members have indicated a general interest in what we have to sell. Of course, what you have to sell may not be of interest to all members. With that Member Directory you can quickly target potential clients and mail, phone, fax, or email information about your property. Joining or working with your local Visitors Bureau and State Tourism Office can also be a very affordable way to sell your product.
Sometimes paid advertising is a must. To help reduce cost, how about sharing the ad cost with a marketing partner? Visitors Bureaus and the State of Ohio frequently provide co-operative marketing opportunities to their members/industry stakeholders. Attending a trade show or marketplace? Share the booth. Amusement parks learned long ago the value of working with AAA for the leisure market and pre-formed groups. For those attractions that are very popular, the AAA may seek a commission. Do the math to see if this option makes sense, otherwise perhaps you can participate in the AAA's "Show Your Card and Save" program.
Direct mail can also be effective. You may be able to promote your product and keep costs low by developing a joint marketing piece with a partner. By mailing to two different lists, you can reach a wider audience without dramatically increasing costs.
The only limits with co-operative marketing are imagination and budget. But there may be many effective ways to sell your product by working with other organizations and keep within your budget. Attending Adventures in Northeast Ohio meetings and events is a great way to network so you can develop your own co-op marketing promotions with other Adventure members.
© 2009 by Bob Yun |
Membership
What an Adventures Membership Means to Me
Amy Rutledge - Carroll County CVB
One of the first organizations I joined when I started the Carroll County CVB was the Western Reserve Tourist Council (WRTC). It was one of the best decisions I made. Through WRTC, and now with the new name, Adventures in Northeast Ohio (Adventures), I have met and become friends with so many people. These friendships and working relationships help with word of mouth advertising for my county. Networking is one of the best ways to use your membership.
Adventures also has provided me with many other opportunities that have helped to stretch a very small budget. Just this year by partnering with Adventures, I have been involved with the Heartland Travel Showcase Breakfast sponsorship, the Sales Mission to Detroit and two cooperative ads! None of these activities would have been part of my marketing and advertising budget, if it wasn't for Adventures. Not only did Adventures put funds towards these activities, they also were the organizers that brought all the partners together and gave us the common thread that makes it work. The people that we met with at the Sales Mission were so impressed that we were working together as a region and that we came to them.
If you are undecided about whether it is worthwhile to join Adventures, take a few minutes and look at all the organization is doing - you will see that it is a great use of your dollars. Of course, as with any membership, you only get out of it what you put into it!
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Dear Members,
With an effort to go "green", Adventures in Northeast Ohio has decided not to print the Membership Directory for 2009. Allof our member contact information is on the website. Please check to make sure your listing is correct. If not, please send the changes to info@adventuresinnortheastohio.com , and I will correct it.
Also, remember to send me your events for our calendar of events on the website. This is such a great feature we now have available, so be sure to take advantage of this member benefit. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Happy Spring!
Mary Olah, Administrative Assistant |
Detroit Sales Mission & Mini-Tradeshow a Success! 
Twenty-five Adventures in Northeast Ohio members met with 21 travel professionals - tour operators, AAA reps and travel agents - in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, April 23, 2009. The guests first visited the member booths to discuss and learn more about Northeast Ohio cities, counties, accommodations and attractions and all that we have to offer to their clients. Following was a sit-down luncheon where members were able to interact with guests and strengthen relationships. All the travel professionals were impressed with the fact that Adventures made the time to visit and how members work together to market Northeast Ohio.
The new Sales Mission format was both affordable and time-efficient, with only one day out of the office. Members who participated requested the organization do more of these. The Board will research to see if it is possible to budget for another Sales Mission in the Fall.
Co-Chairs: Ally Bussey & Kathy Toth |
Website Improvements & Social Media
By Ally Bussey
We all know that a strong website is the most important marketing tool for your business. For Adventures in Northeast Ohio we understand this and are diligently working to improve our website for our members and for our potential guests alike. Adventures has an outside contractor that will devote time each month into revamping and improving our website. Some of the improvements and upgrades require your ATTENTION!!!!
Please check out the information below and participate accordingly.
Addition of Member Profile Sheets:
Please submit your 2009 profile sheet in a PDF format to Ally Bussey at: allyb@visitcantonstark.com to be included in our new section - Group Tour Ideas. This section will help Tour Operators and Group Leaders to find ideas and aid them in creating interesting itineraries for Northeast Ohio.
Addition of Discount for Rack Cards:
Later this summer we will be reprinting our Adventures rack card that drives people to the website to see "deals and specials" at our members' venues. If your venue would like to participate, please email Ally the information that you would like featured in the "deals and specials" section. This will be easy for your venue to track as guests will present the rack card to your venue to receive the discount.
Social Media
Another topic that goes hand in hand with website improvement is Social Media. As many of you learned at the May meeting, Social Media is the marketing of the future. With thousands of people joining Facebook, Twitter and others daily, this is a marketing vehicle that your company cannot afford to ignore. Adventures in Northeast Ohio is joining the social media revolution by diving into Facebook and Twitter. If you would like to check them out, here are the links.
Be an Adventures Fan on Facebook- click here
Follow us on Twitter- click here The great news for you is we need to find things to tweet about. If you would like to send Ally very short bits of information about upcoming events at your venue, we will be happy to include them as long as they are tourism related and open to the public. Help us to help you... we need information!!! Our goal is to tweet one event a day. If you have your own Twitter handle, let us know so we can follow you and retweet your posts. If you have questions about internet or social media, please feel free to contact Ally Bussey at: allyb@visitcantonstark.com. | |
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Sincerely,
Kathy Toth, Board Secretary
Adventures in Northeast Ohio |
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