How Convention & Visitor Bureaus (CVB’s) Shift Gears During the COVID-19 Crisis

By Tammy Dooley

A City heavily reliant on tourism and events must shift gears during the COVID-19 crisis to rally the troops and keep motivation high. Of course, no level of preparation can prevent a city from suffering repercussions from loss of revenues event tourism brings to a destination. A Convention & Visitors Bureau, however, can take the lead and be better positioned for the day the “Open for Business” sign reappears.

1. Take the Lead on Event Scheduling

Coordinate the event schedule. As most Convention & Visitors Bureaus work closely with city wide event planners, promoters and venues; they are in unique positions to have access to citywide event calendars. This allows Tourism Bureaus to take the drivers seat in helping coordinate event calendar cancellations, postponements and rescheduling. This coordinated effort with event stakeholders can maximize future tourism economic and event revenues. Supporting all city events helps ensure their success as they come back from this crisis.

The importance of a coordinated effort toward future event bookings is to increase hotel room generation, to avoid availability conflicts and to mitigate overlapping similar events during the same time period. The City of Granbury, Texas is taking great care to make sure annual car shows cancelling today do not reschedule to future dates that have competing car show events booked. Strategically placing the events on different weekends helps ensure no tourism revenue dollars are displaced. Consideration must also be given to events that may compete for existing sponsorship dollars.

2. Be a Motivator

Cities who have cultivated tourism and event partnerships and “row their boat” in the same direction look to their Convention & Visitors Bureau leadership for guidance. This crisis presents an opportunity to be that motivation. It is an opportunity to create unifying messaging. Early on, Visit McAllen, Texas, the City of McAllen www.visitmcallen.com, released the campaign #MaketheMostofMcAllen and the coordinating video message. In part, it read “while this national emergency is forcing us to live at a distance, our community spirit is bringing us closer. Changing how we live doesn’t change who we are-people who make the most of every day. Until then, we’ll make the most of McAllen.” Messaging like this unites a community that we are all in this together.

Visit Granbury www.visitgranbury.com created the hashtag #granburylove and added it to billboard, print and social media advertising. The campaign was quickly adopted by the entire community. The hashtag went viral and generated thousands of impressions. The #granburylove was picked up by events, restaurant promotions and retail virtual shopping events. Numerous charitable organizations added it to their community support campaigns.

Today’s social media conveniences give us the ability to reach out, personally to our community, our visitors and our stakeholders. Daily messages, direct from your tourism team who are experiencing the same struggles, offering messages of encouragement keeps spirits high. Messages of “we will get through together” can do wonders on both staff and community morale.

Weekly Email Blasts with positive reinforcement and updates on plans to move forward reassures everyone that you are not waiting until the crisis is over but instead working to be prepared the minute it is over. In a recent Visit Granbury weekly email blast the staff showcased Granbury ducks on the beach looking after things until visitors return https://youtu. be/9e7N7XnjbyM.

3. Share Resources

Who better to share resources than visitor organizations? Visitor destinations have crucial contacts with City, County and State organizations that offer important resources for community stakeholders. Pool those resources. Maintain a COVID-19 RESOURCE landing page on existing websites with updates frequently. Include links to City, County, Chamber of Commerce and even public health information. Include business funding sources, health resources and industry specific event, travel and tourism resources.

Most Chambers of Commerce are directly involved with the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Treasury and provide guidance and loan resources. They provide direct links to these resources https:// covid19relief.sba.gov/#/ or https:// home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares/ assistance-for-small-businesses on their websites. Cities and Counties provide valuable essential service updates, closures and governmental directed information. Providing these resources in one convenient location is very valuable to tourism and event partners.

Local, State and National industry specific resources can foster trusted future relationships. In Texas some important industry resources include:

• TAFE Texas Association Fairs & Events texasfairs.com

• TFEA Texas Festival Event Association www.tfea.org

• IFEA International Festival Event Association www.ifea.com

• TTIA Texas Travel Industry Association www.ttia.org

• THLA Texas Hotel & Lodging Association www.texaslodging.com

• TRA Texas Restaurant Association www.txrestaurant.org

• TACVVB Texas Association Convention Visitors Bureau www.tacvb.org

• TABC Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission www.tabc.state.tx.us

Stay Engaged

There has never been a better time to communicate through social media, email campaigns and press releases than during a social distancing directive. While we may not be together in person, we “are” together in this crisis. Stay engaged with your community, stakeholders and visitors. A simple daily post on social media, sharing your #video or #pics or sending support messaging can show you are “engaged.” It shows you are keeping your brand engaged while being sensitive to the crisis at hand. Group emails that target specific groups of event attendees, vendors, even season ticket holders allow you to communicate you are there for them. This connection is invaluable in stakeholder engagement.

Event status updates are crucial. Communicating event cancellations, postponements and rescheduling helps everyone make better plans-for-the-future. Setting up Zoom meetings with key tourism and event leaders prevents unforeseen potential conflicts.

Showcasing organizations’ generosity by sharing their stories through Convention & Visitor Bureaus’ media channels through press releases has a broader reach than most organizations may have on their own. The goodwill and engagement with stakeholders and media can create new and lasting relationships.

While any type of direct promotion during this difficult time must be handled with sensitivity, continuing to showcase your brand and the value of your brand is perfectly acceptable. A tourism and event economy rely on the qualities that attract tourism and event-goers into the market. It is imperative these businesses are there and sustainable once the crisis is over.

5. Promote New Ideas

As restaurants are forced to close their doors creative thinking has never been more of a challenge. Restaurant establishments have quickly had to shift gears and create takeout, delivery and curbside pickup options. Showcase these new ideas and promote to visitors and locals alike. A Facebook page with “Take Out & Delivery Options” where everyone can participate and upload pictures of great food options, is a great way to show dining partners support and keep them viable until the crisis is over.

Many vibrant downtown shopping areas who regularly welcome girlfriend shopping get-a-way weekends and events are struggling to keep shops in business. One way to support shopping events such as “Girls Night Out” is to go virtual. Determine a set date and time frame, have lists of participating shops and how to shop online or via social media. Retailers can offer chances to earn tickets to be drawn at a set time for giveaways from each participating store and then have one grand prize at the end. All this can be done virtually from their home computer or mobile device practicing social distancing and enjoying their favorite beverage. They may also engage by posting pics on social media of their virtual shopping experience. They will also “check-in” the event increasing event promotion. Cities are also doing this with events and event vendors.

Take advantage of staff quality time while working at home. Ask each staff member to create a new idea or plan they have always wanted to implement and present to the team. They can spend time researching and creating concepts that can begin to be implemented from their home office. Give staff the reins to present new ideas and concepts that they may have not had the time to pursue during regular busy week schedules. Provide time at virtual meetings to allow each to promote their ideas.

6. Create Partnerships

All media, broadcasting, publishing, and digital are also looking for creative ways to engage their audiences even while most of their clients are cutting budgets and cancelling services. This creates a unique opportunity for partnerships. Partner with radio, television, print on promotions they may already be generating during this crisis at little or no cost to you. Promotions that bring the community together on multiple media platforms. KHITS 95.5 Radio in Granbury, Texas partnered with Visit Granbury to create a Granbury Music Playlist. Both Visit Granbury and KHITS 95.5 maximized all their advertising reach to promote the uplifting campaign and engaged the community. The community enjoyed selecting songs that remind them of Granbury. Located along a scenic lake the promotion inspired many boat songs and happy songs that can be downloaded and used in future promotions.

Newspapers who have growing social media presence are also getting in the game by covering warm hearted stories featuring the best that is in us. By us sharing and promoting their efforts, they will most likely be generous on future stories about tourism efforts. These partnerships are simply the best.

Partnerships simply create a “doubling reach.” You can partner with television stations on showcasing businesses that are exceeding expectations during this time. You will gain new followers and reciprocate interest. Consider partnering with media representatives, downtown associations, chambers of commerce and large charitable organizations.

Reaching out to smaller media organizations which you may not have worked with previously is a great way to introduce each organization. This creates new ways to include all media as a resource for your visitor destination or event versus simply paid advertising. In the long run, cooperation is much more valuable to both.

Engage Travel Writers with the same concept. Many are looking for stories to feature. Create current Blogs supporting foodies and entertainment. Granbury and Austin are wonderful examples https:// www.visitgranbury.com/blog/post/ calling-all-foodies-top-takeout-spots-ingranbury/, https://www.austintexas.org/ austin-insider-blog, partnerships with musicians, chefs and local shop owners will become lifelong relationships.

Advertising agencies are also being dramatically affected as clients reduce advertising budgets. A partnership may give an agency the opportunity to create a video or campaign at little or no cost to show support in a united message. GreenFox Agency www.greenfox.io did just that to promote the Granbury is Great Because of You Video #granburylove https://youtu.be/6X7LUcZKK3A.

7. Plan Now

New campaigns on how to return to business, and how to do so safely, should already be in the plans for tourism destinations and returning events. Plans for messaging on “how to” plan for upcoming vacations, future travel into your markets and attending events must be determined now. Incentivize plans to buy now. Offer incentives to purchase gift cards, advance tickets, season tickets, hotel discounts to put much needed dollars in stakeholders’ hands.

Enlarge your photo and video databases. Do not miss the beautiful spring and summer season to capture resources that can be used in upcoming promotions. Contracted photographers and videographers are also searching for ways to continue working. Spring in Texas is a beautiful time to photograph wildflowers, animals, livestock and of course scenic areas for promotion. Ecotourism will take on a new significance as people seek safe travel to appreciate the beauty of nature. Events should consider incorporating nature as much as possible especially if social distancing becomes the norm.

Monitor website activity. Noticeably many websites are seeing increased traffic with interest in parks, trails and outdoor activities. Returning to normal may take longer than anticipated and this information will be valuable to visitors making plans to come to your destination or event. Plan new itineraries for driving tours, walking and biking tours and even boating or fishing information. Include resources such as water levels and fishing reports to make itineraries complete. Create maps of each on your website.

Plan in new formats. Create Zoom Backgrounds or Digital Swag. Implement the new seasonal photos acquired. Consider developing phone wallpapers or social stickers. Create a music playlist. Create printable activities for kids to do at home. Install a new webcam from your most visible attractions and feature the sunrise or sunset daily. Include hashtags and links. The possibilities are limitless.

As we all move forward in these unchartered waters, we can all agree that sharing our experiences and supporting each other will be our best accomplishment. Coordinate events, motivate your community, share resources, stay engaged, facilitate partnerships and plan for the future. Reopening for business and welcoming tourists and large events back will be more exciting than ever. It will be a time to reflect, a time of growth and celebrations. Travel and attending events, something pre-COVID-19, once just an everyday occurrence, is now cherished. – April 19, 2020

About the Author:

Tammy Dooley, CFEA is the Executive Director of VISIT GRANBURY - City of Granbury, Texas Convention & Visitors Bureau & Lake Granbury Convention Center - She previously co-owned Dooley Management Company - A Full-Service Venue & Event Management Company for 25 years serving as Vice President Marketing and Promotions while also serving as the Executive Director of the Midland County Fair. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Texas Association Fairs and Events. She is a graduate of Tarleton State University. You may contact Tammy at tdooley@ granbury.org or 254-897-9533 (cell).

Photo credits:

Shad Ramsey, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, Historic Granbury Merchants Association, Visit Granbury

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