Pittsboro-Siler City CVBServing all of Chatham County

Definitions, Structure• The CVB is the official destination marketing organization for Chatham County• DMO – Destination Marketing Organization• CVB – Convention & Visitors Bureau• Solely funded by the occupancy tax, part of Chatham County government. Visitors pay the tax to accommodations.• AAA, industry standard – Travelers, leisure or business, are defined as those taking a trip away from home overnight in paid accommodations or on a day trip to places 50 miles or more [one-way] away from home

Tourism GuidelinesProfessional/industry guidelines for the inclusion of attractions, accommodations, restaurants, shops and other tourism-related businesses (a few key items, based on NC Tourism guidelines)• Must be a legally operating and tax-paying (if applicable) business• Must be reasonably clean and meet N.C. Department of Health guidelines, if applicable.• Attractions and accommodations must be open to the general public.• Attractions and accommodations must be of interest to potential visitors.• Retail venues should be unique to the area, ideally something that would entice a

potential visitor to make a trip for the shop. Thrift stores and “used-item” retail stores are not included as visitors can generally find them closer to home.

Events must• Be related to tourism and draw attendance from at least 50 miles away. (Events such

as banquets and annual galas, “after hours,” concerts and happy hour events, dance recitals, charity events such as fundraisers, etc., are not suitable for this website as they tend to be extremely localized in nature for attendance. Meetings, conferences, seminars, classes and workshops also are not included as attendees are there for the business and not tourism.)

• List specific dates and have contact information included in a timely manner.• Membership into any private organization or association is not required.

Visit North Carolina reserves the right to exclude or retain any listing it sees fit and to determine what will be included in the description.

A Few CVB Services (all FREE)• Visitor brochure/requests for information (Internet, walk-in, phone).• Respond within 24 – 48 hours (mailing visitor packets)• Same day response or within 24 hours to email requests for

information.• Approximately 250 email requests answered annually (specific

requests for visitor brochure); additional 500 annually for visitor-related questions. Relocation requests—we work with Chatham County Chamber.

• Media: story ideas, information, press trips, and images• Starting a tourism or hospitality business? Use our Checklist, which we jointly created with our fellow county departments: Planning, Central Permitting/Inspections, Environmental Health, and Finance.

Avenues for promotion with NC TourismVisitNC.com – Online and annual N.C. Travel Guide, print version (distributed at all N.C. Welcome Centers, in our office, mailed upon request, and available to view online).Promote tourism-related businesses on CVB website and VisitNC.com.

Avenues for promotion via CVB websiteVisitChathamCounty.com – Online and brochures, print version (distributed at all N.C. Welcome Centers, in our office, mailed upon request, and available to view online).

Avenues for promotion• Tourism

ChitCHAT – monthly e-news distributed to 1,200 subscribers and posted on social media channels.

• Archived online.

Assist in facilitating partnerships• CVB connects

complementary visitor-related businesses to create packages (day trips, overnight)

• Created both the Heart of NC Bed & Breakfast Trail and Wine Trail

• People-First Tourism

• Mock trials – generated extra dates/repeat guests

• Cycle NC• TriangleGrown.c

om

Media coveragePress tripsBlog postsMedia leads/inquiries

Media CoverageMartha Stewart WeddingsSaveurConde Nast TravelerForbesTravel + LeisureThe Knot

Media CoverageDevil’s Tramping GroundTravel + LeisureWorld’s Most Haunted Forests

CVB was asked to keep the media lead confidential until published.

Other PromotionFind several Chatham County visitor-related business listed in this book

Destination Marketing Association Awards• Rising Star Award – Awarded in first year of CVB’s existence (2000)• Platinum Award – Communications/Public Relations (2000)• Gold Award – Tourism ChitCHAT, Electronic News (2006)• Platinum Award – Tourism ChitCHAT, Electronic News (2007)• Platinum Award – Tourism ChitCHAT, Electronic News (2008)• Gold Award – Visitors Guide (2008)• Innovation in Tourism Award in Workforce Development – Ecotourism Certificate (2008)• Innovation in Tourism in Media and Stakeholder Relations – Social Networking (2008)• Innovation in Tourism in Media and Stakeholder Relations – Media Kit Template (2008)• Innovation in Tourism in Workforce Development – Education (2009)• Gold Award – Tourism ChitCHAT, Electronic News (2009)• Gold Award – Destination Marketing and Communication: Tourism ChitCHAT (2012)• Gold Award – Destination Branding: Social Media multiple campaigns (Facebook, Twitter, foursquare brand

pages) (2013)• Gold Award – Social media (2014)• Innovation in Tourism in Media and Stakeholder Relations (2014)• Innovation in Tourism Partnerships with visitor-related businesses (2014)

The DMANC’s Destination Marketing Achievement Awards were created to honor and showcase the best in marketing efforts by convention and visitors bureaus throughout the state.Out-of-state tourism marketing professionals and educators serve as judges for the awards competition. The CVB pays no fees to submit award entries for the competition.

Visitor-Related Economic Impact

YearRevenues

$(millions)Change from

previous year2013 $30.77 4.39 %2012 $29.47 6.28 %2011 $27.73 10.81 %2010 $25.03 4.58 %2009 $23.93 -5.60 %2008 $25.35 2.09 %2007 $24.83 5.98 %2006 $23.43 12.21 %2005 $20.88 12.44 %2004 $18.57 4.86 %2003 $17.71 -1.12 %2002 $17.91 4.01 %2001 $17.22 3.73 %2000 $16.60 9.50 %

Economic Impact notes• Chatham County Continues Trend of Increased Visitor Spending

2014• Chatham County Leads State in Increased Spending by Visitors

2012• Chatham’s Overnight Visitor Spending Increased in 2008 Despite

Recession 2009

Annual study prepared for the North Carolina Department of Commerce by the US Travel

Association.

CVB Services in Comparison to Neighbors

How CVBs are alike:• We are all responsible for using the occupancy tax for

marketing accommodations and other visitor-related businesses• We are all the official destination marketing and branding

organizations for our counties/regions• We all work with as many partners as possible, visitor-related

businesses and industry organizations• We all promote day and overnight itineraries:

• Accommodations• Attractions• Restaurants• Venues• Shops• Vendors• Services

Small CVBs• Less inventory (rooms)• Less staff• Smaller budgets

• How we approach our work is different but we have maintained a competitive position within our region and in line with N.C. economic impact figures

Who Visits Chatham County and Why?• Chatham County has the Heart of NC Wine Trail and Heart of NC Bed

& Breakfast Trail (both created by the CVB), a distillery, two breweries, a “beer farm,” and two wine shops.• North Carolina wine and grape industry contributes $1.71 billion to the state's

economy. The number of tourists visiting N.C. wineries increased by nearly a half-million people from 2009 to 2013.

• Fearrington Village has hosted everyone from Jimmy Carter to Giada De Laurentiis for author events. Fearrington House five-star, five-diamond inn and restaurant draw international guests year-round.

• Overall, one in every four dollars in restaurant sales is tied to tourism. Chatham County is home to more than 100 eating establishments.

• U.S. Open 2014 hosted in our region. Chatham County occupancy average those two weeks – increase of 23%. June 9 – 22

• IRONMAN Triathlon Events – Initial five-year contract (2013 – 2017)• Regional partnerships: TriangleGrown.com

Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center• Opening in 2016• 800-person exhibit hall (6,000 sq ft), four breakout rooms, pre-

function lobby/reception area• CVB has played the primary role in getting the county

ready for opening, including researching and developing fees, policies for use, food and alcohol issues, how to receive funds, etc.

• CVB is responsible for marketing, and continues to work on CCACC with a focus on revenue clientele.

• Larilee Isley – New Meeting Coordinator – started mid-Oct• Target audiences/clients:• Primary: meeting needs of cooperative extension• Revenue: Corporate and social functions• Chatham County nonprofit organizations• Internal: County, CCCC, schools

Find us online and via social media

• VisitBennett.Com• VisitBynum.Com

• VisitChathamCounty.Com• VisitChathamCountyNC.Com

• VisitGoldston.Com• VisitGulfNC.Com• VisitMoncure.Com• VisitPittsboro.Com

• VisitPittsboroNC.Com• VisitSilk.Com

• VisitSilkHope.Com

Contact Neha M. Shah, Director, TMP, Certified Travel Marketing

Professional 919.542.8296 964 East St/POB 1809, Pittsboro, NC 27312 Neha@VisitPittsboro.com

Brochure ▪ CVB Twitter ▪ CVB Facebook ▪ Instagram

▪ Tumblr ▪ Vine ▪ CCACC Twitter ▪ CCACC Facebook ▪ Pinterest ▪ foursquare ▪

Discover Chatham ▪ Google+ ▪ ChitCHAT