#TOURISMSTRONG
@outrajessness
@aldotcardanes
@leeseelou
@zerothecorgi
#MASKUPCOBB 2
2020 Annual Report
@allexi.life
@visitacworth
FROM SUN UP TO SUN DOWN,
COBB'S
GOT IT ALL Great eats and drinks, fabulous entertainment, unique culture
and arts, and thrilling sports and outdoor excursions. We never stop showcasing why Cobb County is a premier destination because we know you won’t want to miss a single thing — ever.
Cobb Travel & Tourism is Cobb’s expert adventure guide. We love sharing every nook and cranny that makes
Cobb, the place for great fun for residents and the perfect get away for visitors. Cobb serves up something
unique for every season of the year and time of your life.
travelcobb.org
3
@carito_jimenez
@rachelmenard
#LoveCobbCounty
@thecoasterspot
4
@paulbickfordphotography
2020 Annual Report
@RedTopBrewhouse
@kimberlyaboyle
COBB TRAVEL & TOURISM TABLE OF CONTENTS LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO: HELLO AGAIN!......................... 6 MISSION & VISION..........................................................................................................................7 PARTNERSHIPS: A UNITED TEAM ON A MISSION.......................................... 8-9 COBB CARES: A COMMUNITY OF CULTURAL AWARENESS.................. 10-11 HELPERS IN HOSPITALITY: OUR HOMETOWN HEROS............................ 12-13 COBB SPORTS ALLIANCE: STRATEGIES THAT WIN.................................... 14-17 COBB ARTS VIBE: SHARING RICH..............................................................................18-19 CULTULRAL EXPERIENCES EVENTS: PLANNED, PREPARED, & READY.......................................................20-25 MARKETING: MAKING LEMONADE OUT OF LEMONS.............................26-30 OPERATIONS BUDGET: FY20...............................................................................................31 SALES: TOURISM AT WORK...................................................................................................32 BOARD OF DIRECTORS...........................................................................................................33 TEAM: COBB IS IN OUR DNA........................................................................................ 34-35 FINAL THOUGHTS: COBB SHINES BRIGHT..............................................................35
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Hello Again! LETTER FROM OUR
PRESIDENT AND CEO
2020 has been unlike any other year for all of us, but thankfully in Cobb, we have
a tendency to not do things quite like everyone else.
The lights never dimmed at Cobb Travel & Tourism. Our spotlight remained
focused on keeping the hospitality community informed, well-equipped and safe to welcome guests when they were ready to explore Atlanta’s premier destination. The hospitality community confirmed what we already knew at our core: Tourism weaves us together, strengthens our community and helps us economically prosper and grow together. With our constant resolve to promote Cobb’s vibrant, diverse community, and our innovative and creative team, we believe we can meet and overcome any challenge. Cobb Travel & Tourism launched a successful marketing campaign, Hello Again, to let everyone know that Cobb has carefully prepared and taken the necessary precautions to allow both residents and visitors to explore our community safely. Always a key focus, but never more critical than this year, was reaching out and sharing in every way we could about all the great things our community and partners were doing to get back out there. We gave our website a dynamic makeover to share resources and stories for our entire hospitality community, especially for our performing, visual and cultural heritage arts. 6
2020 Annual Report
HOLLY QUINLAN PRESIDENT & CEO
Our friends at the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre summed it up best,
This is just intermission. They are exactly right.
Leisure travel is leading our way back. As part of our Hello Again campaign, we developed an innovative new partnership with Expedia to promote our premier Cobb hospitality portfolio. The results have been amazing, so we extended the promotion into 2021. For our community, we invested in areas that would have significant impact. For our organization, our careful and thoughtful approach led us to make tough decisions, but decisions that would help us secure future fiscal strength. The culmination of years of planning, CT&T is ready to welcome what’s looking to be the first and largest post-pandemic tourism event in the nation — the MLB All-Star Game slated for July 2021. We are honored to host this event in our community and excited to show the nation what Cobb County has to offer. Cobb Travel & Tourism used 2020 to adapt and overcome through adversity. This year, our story developed a new depth as we all worked together to support each other and our industry. The good news is that there is so much more of this story to be written.
The MISSION of Cobb Travel & Tourism is to INCREASE VISITATION to and AWARENESS OF COBB COUNTY, thereby ENHANCING ECONOMIC IMPACT.
Our Vision
Cobb County remains a regionally and nationally known travel destination providing a rewarding and memorable experience to all visitors. Cobb County will continue to be recognized as a preferred destination among planners and conventions, trade shows, sports and special events, as well as leisure travelers.
We look forward to partnering
with each of you to create the chapters to come.
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COBB TRAVEL & TOURISM:
A UNITED TEAM ON A MISSION -
UNSTOPPABLE, UNBREAKABLE, & UNRIVALED
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2020 Annual Report
Partnerships CONNECT US
Faced with unprecedented challenges and opportunities, our team leaned even harder into our mission as an innovative catalyst. We were reminded that relationships, our personal connections to each other, and our strategic partnerships are the building blocks of each and every tourism success.
With that, our dynamic Cobb spirit kicked into full-fledged action. We never stopped working. We met our partners where they were, listened, asked what they needed and worked together to create, innovate, and help each other to rise above each challenge. Unrivaled in our resiliency, we showed that Cobb is united, hopeful, and hardworking for an even brighter economic future. This extraordinary year reminded us that tourism builds a strong community and helps us economically thrive and prosper together.
AN EVEN BRIGHTER ECONOMIC FUTURE. 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting Showcasing the Cobb time capsule
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Cobb Cares
CONTINUING CULTURAL AWARENESS IN SUPPORT OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ARE A HUGE PART OF OUR MISSION AND SUCCESS HERE IN COBB. This year, we showcased the diversity of Cobb hotel workers. We also crafted social media content highlighting Black-owned Cobb businesses as part of #blackouttuesday2020. In mid 2020, we launched a
social media campaign
to celebrate the diverse and unique tourism community in Cobb. #tourismstrong
COREY LAMBOTTE GREENE
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2020 Annual Report
MELODY RHODAN
Reservation Manager, Marriott Hotels
Director, Finance, Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta
“Diversity is an integral part of Cobb County Hospitality. It provides a broad base of relatable personalities and cultures that allow us to provide a more accessible and dynamic product to our guests and visitors that includes the diverse experiences of the people who built Cobb county.”
“The hospitality and tourism industries are unique in that it naturally operates in a space of multiculturalism with diverse clientele. Recognizing and fostering diversity in these fields means valuing and celebrating the differences among both workers and customers coupled with how these factors might impact their experience.”
COLLABORATING TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY RELIEF
AS NEW NEEDS AROSE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE JUMPED INTO ACTION. Early on, we partnered with the Embassy Suites By Hilton Atlanta Galleria assisting with a community-sponsored food drive for hotel employees affected by the pandemic. While lean staff teams kept the welcome mat out at hotels, we delivered 310 individually wrapped lunches to partner hotels, each with a handwritten note of appreciation. We recognized that as the hospitality industry was forced to lay off workers, commercial and janitorial cleaning companies were searching for qualified staffers. We teamed up with the Cobb Chamber to implement a solution: a workforce matching program where those furloughed workers could find new jobs within those cleaning companies.
We connected hotel general managers with hiring managers to keep workers employed and received an overwhelmingly positive response.
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Helpers in Hospitality OUR
HOMETOWN HEROES
Cobb’s hospitality community has always been extraordinarily caring and giving.
But this year it was even more critical for CT&T to shine a light on how Cobb’s hospitality community rallied around those in need. We produced the new Cobb Helpers In Hospitality newsletter to share how local businesses, communities, and individuals created safe spaces, provided support, and joined together to help neighbors. A few examples of hometown heroes included:
The Atlanta Braves knocked their April ballpark concessions out of the park and into the hands of residents and essential workers, serving up 25,000 freshly prepared meals.
Fresh vegetables, bread and dairy products stocked the shelves at local food banks thanks to a donation from the Cobb Galleria Centre and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
It’s all in her name. Charity Salyers, the owner of the Smyrna restaurant Vittles, put $11,000 from the sale of her 2016 Ford Mustang to good use— not only covering the eatery’s rent but paying her employees. 12
2020 Annual Report
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me,
Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. - Fred Rogers
Goodie bags and homemade posters made a warm welcome to the National Guard staying at local hotels at the beginning of the pandemic. Cobb hotels donated toiletries to Cobb & Douglas Public Health to support COVID hygiene efforts.
In honor of National Superhero Day, Six Flags Over Georgia suited up a local fire department with 240 ponchos and donated 1,600 pounds of food to the Center for Children & Young Adults in Marietta.
Dry County Brewing Company switched from crafting beer to making and distributing free hand sanitizer.
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Cobb Sport s Remains
d e l a v i r n U
WHEN THE UNFORESEEN PANDEMIC STRUCK, COBB SPORTS ALLIANCE DUG DEEP, LOOKING AT EVENTS THROUGH A NEW, SAFETY-FOCUSED LENS. Founded eight years ago, the Cobb Sports Alliance’s (CSA) vision of working together to make a stronger, better recreational and professional sports destination was put to the test. Just like a great athlete, all the practice, team building and expertise paid off at game time. We BUILT on longstanding relationships. We FORGED new alliances.
We DEVELOPED custom safety guidelines. We SECURED appropriate venues.
We KEPT the events in Cobb, scoring surprisingly big wins. Cobb welcomed a variety of sporting events including baseball, softball, mixed martial arts, football, BMX, lacrosse and women’s collegiate wrestling to our community.
Sports continued to be our sweet spot where teams could continue to play even amidst a pandemic with the right safety precautions custom-made for each event. 14
2020 Annual Report
46
SPORTING EVENTS Recruited in 2020
SILVER COMET EXPANSION
35,810
HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS
Rugby players know how to
play it safe!
Booked during 2020 Sporting Events in Cobb
COBB'S PROFESSIONAL RUGBY TEAM: RUGBYATL
$
46,875,503 MILLION
2020 Sports Tourism Economic Impact ANNUAL GEORGIA SPORTS MEETING, JANUARY 2020
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g in y g f e in D y f y e it D v y a r it g v a 's r A TTHHee CCSSA's g e yeaarr. inss tthhe ye ssttrraatteeggyy wwin
Originally scheduled for early May but held in mid-July,
the annual USA BMX Nationals at Wild
Horse Creek Park was one of Cobb’s biggest sports success stories. The CSA relied on longtime partners Cobb County BMX, USA BMX, Cobb County PARKS, and the local Cobb community to meet ever-changing safety and health requirements. New COVID-19 safety signage, a public safety security presence and high standards for social responsibility and distancing kept everyone safe. We were innovative, too. Organizers transformed extra parking spaces to pitch 10x10 pop-up tents so everyone could keep distanced in the shade during the summer’s hottest temperatures. The national tournament had 9,765 total participants, and spectators that garnered 102,449 total social media engagements for a wide reach of 2.6 million. 16
2020 Annual Report
NATIONAL BMX TOURNAMENT
9,765
total participant and spectators
102,449
SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS
WIDE REACH
2.6
MILLION
Cobb brings it home &
SCORES BIG IN 2020
Cobb is fortunate to be a longtime host for Perfect Game USA, the world’s largest elite amateur baseball scouting organization with tournaments running June through September. When the pandemic upended plans, the entire community pitched in and recruited private and public facilities, ensuring Cobb’s 20-year history of hosting the event continued. A special thank you to the Cobb County School District and Cobb PARKS for opening their fields and making them available for sports activities. Our most successful endeavor last year boasted 89 percent of Cobb’s sports economic impact. In early July, a total of 3,185 athletes, trainers and coaches from 25 states attended the Atlanta Legacy Softball Showcase, the first event held last year at several Cobb County PARKS facilities.
In total, Perfect Game USA, Atlanta Legacy Softball and the USA BMX Nationals events brought in 18,800 hotel room nights.
COBB'S COVID-19 BEST PRACTICES & GUIDELINES New COVID-19 safety signage, a public safety security presence and high standards for social responsibility and distancing kept everyone safe.
generated
89 %
of Cobb's sports economic impact
ATLANTA LEGACY SOFTBALL SHOWCASE generated
$4 MILLION
With more than 1,000 room nights and 3,000 participants, the event generated an economic impact of more than $4 million.
Safety first...
PERFECT GAME USA
of Cobb's economic impact
Universal requirements across all sports facilities
Temperature scans at entrance point
Provide rubber gloves to handle laundry/towels
Encouraged physical distancing
Prohibit equipment sharing
Limit indoor events
COVID-19 prevention signage
Disinfect high-volume touch points
Provide hygiene facilities and hand sanitizer
Closed containers for all hygiene materials
Designate seating in sporting venues
Designate staff member to ensure compliance of WHO and National recommendations
First aid and medical providers able to triage and request COVID-19 testing
Designate COVID-19 isolation spaces
COVID-19 positive case notification plan
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Arts & Culture COBB'S GOT
QUARANTINEBUSTING
CELEBRATING ITS SECOND YEAR, COBB ARTS VIBE DIDN'T SKIP A BEAT IN SHARING RICH CULTURAL EXPERIENCES.
POSITIVE VIBES
While many of our efforts went virtual, we stayed true to our innovative and vibrant arts vision. The venues may have temporarily closed, but the vibes never did. PLAYLIST
Cobb County Musicians
Cobb Travel & Tourism
We curated a Cobb music playlist featuring local bands and musicians on Spotify. Working with our VIBE partners, we provided resources to create virtual tours so they could stay engaged with their communities. The Virtual Arts Experience gave visitors all that Cobb’s arts scene has to offer from the comfort of home, showcasing virtual performances, tours, galleries and classes hosted by local non-profit arts and heritage organizations. The Quest for the Arts Scavenger Hunt, a joint venture between CT&T, Cobb County PARKS and the Arts Station, encouraged locals and visitors to explore treasured local arts venues and small businesses during Cobb County and Marietta City school districts’ fall break. 18
2020 Annual Report
TGIF got a new look with Friday VIBEs, specially curated Instagram segments featuring Cobb’s arts and cultural heritage venues. They highlighted fun facts, stories and personal DIY activities. The best of Cobb came to play with us: The Art Station – Big Shanty, Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta Lyric Theater, dk Gallery, Mable House Arts Center, Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum, Marietta Museum of History, Old Smyrna Firehouse, Sewell Mill Library, and Smith-Gilbert Gardens. To build a stronger arts community, the Cobb Community Foundation hosted a webinar for Cobb Arts VIBE members on funding opportunities and resources for non-profits.
Local Author Highlight
Showcasing the Cobb Story is at the Heart of Our Mission THE MAZE RUNNER James Dashner, Austell
BEFORE I GO Colleen Oakley, Smyrna
CAM & THE BIG MEAN DUCK Kathleen Rouse, Marietta
BAYOU BORN Linda Joyce, Kennesaw
A FINE IMITATION Amber Brock, Smyrna
THE BUSY BEE Angela Muse,
THE STARLIGHT CHRONICLES C.S. Johnson, Acworth
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MAP Jim Rhoden, Marietta
60 CENTS: SECRETS AND TALES IN A SMALL TOWN Brad Hulsey, Powder Springs
We were proud to support & promote
the Marietta Arts District who found a creative way to display the best of Cobb’s visual art scene.
Acworth
A MOVING SCREEN Kris Allis, Powder Springs
PIGGY IS SAD Sawyer Warren, Marietta
NOT A BLUEPRINT: IT'S THE SHOEPRINTS THAT MATTER Nina Norstrom, Austell
A fence turned into an outside art gallery, allowing visitors to enjoy art while staying safely socially distanced. The M2R Fence Gallery featured works of fine art and photography from more than 50 artists. It debuted in downtown Marietta and traveled to all six cities in Cobb. The gallery will return in 2021.
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Planned, Prepared,
READY We joined forces with our partners at the Cobb Chamber and other key Cobb businesses and industries and were an active participant in the Economic Recovery Taskforce, dedicated to creating a comprehensive and strategic approach to reinvigorate our local economy in an ever-changing landscape.
This dynamic group continues to lead the way in recovery efforts.
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2020 Annual Report
COBB HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
2021 FORECAST With an eye towards 2021, our third annual Cobb Hospitality Forecast event had never been more meaningful, bringing together more than 150 hospitality partners, business representatives, and industry experts to share insights and identify trends for the upcoming year. Key economic experts and hospitality industry leaders shared their perspectives and projections for Cobb County for 2021 in a virtual environment to help our partners plan and prepare for moving forward to recovery.
Congratulations on the exceptional
virtual forecast event!
It was perfect in every way from the script to the execution. Thank you for everything you and your team continue to do to market and promote our wonderful county. MICHELE L. SWANN
General Manager/CEO, Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority
Fantastic presentation.
Great data to share with our owners and stakeholders. Thank you. JOHN HILL
Director of Hotel Sales, Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center
Thank you to our sponsor, Life University.
Thanks for putting on such a GREAT webinar this morning!
As we all know, webinars are a dime a dozen these days, and the content/speakers you and your team delivered was incredibly useful, relevant, and helpful. WENDY JETTMA
Corporate Sales Manager, Doubletree by Hilton
Great job today! Really awesome information and not as doom and gloom as I feared! KIM WATT
City of Acworth
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Advise, Adjust & Adapt
COBB GETS CREATIVE IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY & EVENTS ENCAPSULATING 2020 MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A HISTORICAL DECADE Like all things 2020, events were restructured, re-imagined and reflective of the global health crisis affecting the world. In this ever-evolving landscape, we embraced the strength of keeping community engaged within social distance confines. Cobb Travel & Tourism’s 28th Annual Meeting & Mixer social went virtual via live stream, with live polling elections of new Board members and recognition of the year’s accomplishments, including Cobb’s signature "Hello Again" reopening campaign. And lest we forget that this year was unlike any other, a time capsule complete with face masks, disinfectant wipes, pandemic insurance and even a photo of Tiger King’s very own Joe Exotic (thank you, Netflix) was secured for future 'remember whens.'
Glad to put 2020 in the rearview mirror, we are excited to look ahead to an even brighter Cobb future Standing Strong Together. Thank you to our sponsors: Cumberland Community Improvement District, Parker Poe, and Town Center Community Improvement District. 22
2020 Annual Report
Sept. 12–19
CobbFoodieWeek.com #CobbFoodie
Toasting Cobb’s culinary best, Foodie Week replaced the Cobb Restaurant Week to promote and support the county's diverse dining scene with unprecedented savings. From September 12-19, customers cashed in on discounts and giveaways at 36 restaurants featuring everything from fine dining to finger-licking pub fare.
SOCIAL MEDIA IMPRESSIONS
88.5K
5,162 Total Link Clicks
FACEBOOK EVENT RESPONSES
698
1,697 YouTube Video Views
FO O D I E W TI P #1 E E K elastic w
are you aistbands r friend ! ( nom, n o m , n o m .)
WEBPAGE VIEWS Homepage
2,740
Meal Deals
5,062
Blog Posts
3,722
Influencer Posts
2,279 308
@mccraystaverneastcobb
@mthpizza
@driftoysterbar
@eatatseed
@pacesandvine
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A Toast to Cobb! ewPass 1 GET YOUR Br
2 Visit HOP SP OTS
CRAFT BEVERAGE MONTH by the Numbers
MARCH 2020
We raised our glasses and tapped into the local craft beverage scene, launching our Bubbles & Brews event— a month-long celebration of local breweries, distilleries, and wine makers in Cobb. Craft beverage enthusiasts were invited to explore each of Cobb's Hop Spots throughout the month of March where they picked up an official Brewpass passport to collect stamps, redeemable for exclusive swag and prizes. Craft beverage making has become a leading destination for visitors to Cobb and our makers found creative ways to keep the event alive amidst the shut-downs. 24
2020 Annual Report
WeBSITE
ADVERTISING
Social MEDIA
PAGe views
IMPRESSIONS
Post Reach
4,998
44 K+
65K+
visit • vote • play • share • win
Thank you to our sponsor, Fireside Natural Gas and Marietta Daily Journal.
d 3 GET Stampe
4 VOTE ONLINE
S ITH FRIEND 5 SHARE W
6 SNAG Sw ag
Ale-heads enjoyed online voting for their favorite concoctions, and makers hosted special events exclusively for Bubbles & Brews. POP-UP BANNERS
BREWPASS
WINDOW CLINGS
PRINT ADS PRESENTS:
A month of special events from the unique spirit makers, breweries and distilleries throughout Cobb County. Visit Cobb’s “Hop Spots” in March to vote for your favorite beverage, win prizes, and attend special classes and events.
To learn more & Participate, visit: BubblesAndBrews.com | #TapIntoCobb
BANNERS ADS
POSTERS
CTT B&B Poster 18x24 DR.pdf
1
2/21/20
9:23 AM
SWAG: COASTERS, PINT GLASSES, HATS, T-SHIRTS, CORN HOLE
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
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Making
monade Leout of Lemons Our homes took
on fresh significance this year as our newly minted workspaces, schools and entertainment centers. We, too, turned our sights on home—thinking especially of our neighbors as we reimagined our own Cobb-centric version of the pandemic staycation, taking advantage of the wide variety of hometown arts, foods and expansive comfortable spaces at a multitude of outdoor venues.
adede m e m Ho emona L the Recipe from tre en C a ri le al G b Cob
26
2020 Annual Report
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Water
½ Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice Ice
¾ Cup Bourbon Club Soda
PR/MEDIA TOTAL REACH
ADWORDS*
60.85 MIL
9,556 CLICKS
Through 48 PR/Media Placements in 2020
Click Through Rate: 5.5% (-9%)* *Reflects reduced budget due to pandemic.
SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS
SOCIAL ADS
+265%
34,444 CLICKS Click Through Rate: 5.96%
85,695 Total
FOLLOWERS
5,094 4,400 3,728 Age
18–34 35–54 55+
29 %
42 % 29 %
Gender
80%
• Start by making a simple syrup — add sugar and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil until sugar dissolves, then take off the heat and allow it to cool. • Add ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice and stir well.
• Fill a pitcher with crushed ice, and add ¾ cup of your favorite bourbon whiskey.
• Add the lemonade then fill to the top of the pitcher with club soda. Slice a lemon into rounds and float on the top.
To view this recipe online, visit: www.cobbgalleria.com/ice-cold-lemonadefor-adults
20% W E R EC O M M EN D Ken Lig htn inn esaw g W H IS K EY BY L A Z
Y DISTILLEGUY RY
top 5 Website Geo reach:
Although overall traffic was down due to the pandemic, we saw visit % increases from several key target geos.
FL +24%
AL
NC
GA
TN
+19%
+7%
EVEN
EVEN 32,183
15,165
2020 11,788
10,423
2019 JAN
top
3 blog postS:
16,317
147,106
11,812
WEBSITE VISITS IN 2020
3,450 FEB
MAR
9,499
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEPT
OCT
NOV
DEC
8,820
Sweet Talk 25 BLOG POSTS
E-NEWSLETTER
+150%
+109%
Providing 27% of Landing Pages
Opt-ins travelcobb.org
27
COBB THROWS OPEN IT'S DOORS AND... Once we safely ventured out again, we wanted to meet www.HelloAgainCobb.com people at their comfort level. To that aim, we developed our Hello Again signature media campaign devoted to sharing the news that Cobb Is prepared and excited to welcome them back.
Campaign Elements: 28
• 2020 Annual Report
•
Dedicated Website Digital Billboard Print & Digital Ads Window Clings Social Media Campaign Video Targeted Blog Itineraries
•
•
•
•
•
...LAUNCHES A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO VIRTUALLY EVERYONE.
We partnered with Expedia Group to launch an enhanced national campaign highlighting everything that makes Cobb County a premier leisure travel destination.
CT&T underwrote the campaign with zero cost to our partner hotels, showcasing our top-notch accommodations with the aim of increasing overnight stays in Cobb. The campaign is generating strong returns and continues into 2021.
visitors are still
enjoyin g co b b ! this initiative had
1.5 million impressions AND
5,400
nights booked We've also experienced
43 %
uptick in daily travelers AND a
53 %
increase in hotel room demands
• Web Banners • Marquee Banner • Native Results Listing Ad Videos • Vertical Video • Landing Page • Content Carousel • Expandable • Destination Email of the Week • Native Marquee Carousel
Campaign Elements:
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Ready, Set, Go!
A UNITED COBB: FIRST TO RETURN TO FULL-ON FUN!
Cobb was the proud home of many significant first steps to welcoming back the tourism industry in 2020.
AUSTELL June 15, 2020
1 REGIONAL ST
THEME PARK
AT THE BATTERY ATLANTA October 9, 2020
1 CONCERTAT A
IN THE SOUTHEAST TO REOPEN
1
ST
SKI & SNOWBOARD EVENT IN COBB
December 20-21, 2019 Visa Big Air, a 2-day international Olympic qualifying event, featured elite international men’s and women’s Big Air athletes. 30
2020 Annual Report
ST
LIVE NATION
VENUE NATIONWIDE
DOWNTOWN KENNESAW November 8, 2020
1 COMMUNITY ST
GATHERING
IN METRO ATL
39 COBB FIELDS June-September 2020
1 NATIONAL ST
TOURNAMENT IN 2020
COBB IS PROACTIVELY PREPARED TO PIVOT
FY20 OPERATIONS BUDGET CT&T has a strong history of fiscal responsibility, conservative budgeting and forward-looking projections. That is why we were ready to adjust, preparing Cobb Travel & Tourism for the many hard months that lie ahead. This year, like no other, showed us the value of planning for the future.
Because of the timing of our funding and our fiscal year, which begins October 1, CT&T was fortunate to be able to be proactive instead of reactive as it became apparent that the pandemic would last longer than anyone would like. Our team captured savings throughout the full budget, planning for the loss of hotel/motel and Cumberland Special Services District 1 income in future budgets. These cost savings allowed us to create a strategic fund of more than $1 million to supplement our FY21 and FY22 budgets and begin preparing for FY23. Equally as important, CT&T did not dip into the reserves.
FISCAL YEAR 2020 October 1, 2019-September 30, 2020
OPERATING REVENUES
$
3, 578,337 Under budget by 2.78%
OPERATING EXPENSES
$
2,490,595
Favorable to budget by 32.33%
NET INCOME
$
1,087,742
Savings being used to help supplement future budgets.
EXPENDITURES PAID FROM RESERVES
$
0 travelcobb.org
31
$51 MILLION IN COBB TAX RE VE N U E GEN ERATED
Tourism at Work
SALES: COBB LEADS THE WAY WITH
HOLIDAYS, STAYCATIONS, & CONVENTIONS We want everyone to know that Cobb County is Atlanta's sweet spot.
COBB TOURISM IS
Times got tough and our sales team got creative. We saw the opportunity to offer help, share information, and strengthen our relationships with partner hotels, the Cobb Galleria Centre, and others experiencing new challenges and uncertainty.
Our industry employs 55,439 people and has an economic impact of $3.3 billion.1 Tourism is the largest industry in Cobb County and drives economic strength.
75 LEADS Generated through 3rd Party Planners (Oct 2019-Sept 2020)
To expand our reach nationwide, and garner new leads, we re-teamed with third-party planner HelmsBriscoe and signed up with ConferenceDirect, also a third-party planner. Each will help us attract corporate meetings and conventions to Cobb. Our new alliance opened up prime marketing opportunities to showcase our Hello Again campaign, showing we are primed and ready to welcome visitors. In October 2020, we cautiously and safely experienced the joy of convening face-to-face with meeting planners. Leading by example, our sales team attended the first in-person trade show held in Orlando, Florida since events were shut down nationwide. The team also traveled to other in-person shows to promote Cobb, a clear signal that our industry is poised for a robust return.
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2020 Annual Report
STANDING STRONG
Visitor spending has a daily impact on the Cobb County community. On an average day, visitor spending generates $246,082 in state tax revenues, $145,397 in local tax revenues, and $1,576,082 in worker paychecks.2 Tourism in Cobb County generated $89.82 million in state tax revenues and $53.07 million for Cobb and its cities in tax revenues. In fact, each Cobb household would need to be taxed an additional $510 per year to replace taxes generated by tourism activity.2
3.3 BILLION
$
TOURISM ECONOMIC IMPACT SUPPORTING 55,439+ JOBS
Sources: 1. Robert Lann - Economic Impact Group 2019 Economic Impact Study 2. Georgia Department of Economic Development Tourism (2019)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman Devin Heath
Vice Chairman Zach Kerns
Embassy Suites Atlanta Galleria
Jennifer Bennett City of Smyrna
Kennesaw State University Sports & Entertainment Park
Lisa Cupid
Cobb Board of Commissioners
Walter Kiley
Cobb Galleria Centre
Secretary Al Martin
Georgia Power Company
Roger Fleming Cobb Hotel Council Representative
Ramon Reyes Cumberland Special Services District 1 Representative
Treasurer Michael Knowles Fifth Third Bank
Dale Kaetzel
Six Flags Over Georgia
Jim Rhoden
Futren Hospitality
Michelle Cooper Kelly City of Marietta
Dawn Truemper Atlanta Braves
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Cobb is in our DNA
WE EAT, SLEEP, & BREATHE ALL THINGS COBB Cobb Travel & Tourism is a 501(c)6 nonprofit organization, working to bring visitors to our community. Our team's passion, enthusiasm, and expertise help to establish Cobb as a preferred location for conventions, trade shows, meetings, sports, and leisure travel.
Holly Quinlan
Lindsey Burruss
Kathy Buske
678-303-2641 hquinlan@travelcobb.org
678-303-2627 lburruss@travelcobb.org
678-303-2622 kbuske@travelcobb.org
Maya Clark
Chris Colbert
Leah Graviss
678-303-2632 mclark@travelcobb.org
678-303-2636 ccolbert@travelcobb.org
678-303-2634 lgraviss@travelcobb.org
Laura Horn
Melissa Legaux
Dianne Lovett
678-303-2631 lhorn@travelcobb.org
678-303-2626 mlegaux@travelcobb.org
678-303-2635 dlovett@travelcobb.org
Cristy Pak
Kaitlyn Parham
Rachel Rogers
678-303-2629 cpak@travelcobb.org
678-303-2624 kparham@travelcobb.org
678-303-2630 rrogers@travelcobb.org
President & Chief Executive Officer
Public Relations & Film Manager
Director of Finance & Administration
Sports Sales & Services Manager
34
2020 Annual Report
Vice President of Marketing & Media
Vice President of Sales
Director of Trade Show Sales
Digital Marketing & Design Manager
Resource Manager
Group Sales Coordinator
National Sales Manager, Professional & Group Business
Director of Sports Sales & Engagement
The Spirit
of Cobb
Shines Bright
10
YEARS
1
YEAR
10
YEARS
12
YEARS
24
YEARS
2
YEARS
2020 threw everything it had at us. And, while some communities struggled, Cobb was strong. Why? Because the word ‘community’ not only defines a particular place. It is also a feeling of fellowship with others, and a shared set of common attitudes, interests, and goals. This was proven to be true all over Cobb, day after day. Business leaders, community partners, and residents tirelessly working together with a positive attitude and a common goal bringing help and hope to those in need throughout the County.
A special thanks
4
YEARS
1
YEAR
7
YEARS
to our community partners and business leaders for your overwhelming generosity and for leading by example.
& A heartfelt thank you
2
YEARS
2
YEARS
7
YEARS
to all the residents and visitors who shared their stories through social media so the world could see just how special the community of Cobb is. You have all lifted us up and helped us prove we can thrive through anything as long as we are together.
Thank you! travelcobb.org
35
Supporting Locally, Attracting Globally
TravelCobb.org
@travelcobb
#HELLOAGAINCOBB
Cobb Travel & Tourism | One Galleria Pkwy. | Atlanta, GA 30339 | 678.303.2622
