2017-2018 Annual CVB Report

CENTR AL PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION & VISITORS BURE AU

ANNUAL REPORT F I S C A L Y E A R 2 0 17- 2 0 18

CPCVB CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT Dear Members and Partners:

The Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau focused much of 2017/2018 in

search of a new Executive Director. We are pleased to have found Fritz Smith to serve in this role, having started on October 1st.

Fritz is a hospitality industry expert having worked in Pennsylvania state government as

the Director of Tourism Operations and as the Deputy Secretary for Tourism, Film & Economic Development. Smith also served as Vice President of Tourism for the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau and most recently as Vice President of Research & Hotel Initiatives for Visit Philadelphia.

Numerous area initiatives have begun during the past year to which the CPCVB is lending its support or leading the initiative. We strongly supported the efforts made by others to bring

the I-99/I-80 interchange to a near term completion, alongside the continued expansion of Route 322 into State College from the east. Both of these highly important access points to Centre

County will allow visitors to have safer and easier access to many of our tourist destinations.

The CPCVB is also leading the way by working with our county commissioners to expand the tourism grant program and other marketing initiatives through an increase in the tourism occupancy tax. This expansion of programs will benefit many non-profit organizations in the

county with their missions and will increase tourism travel into the area through their organizations’ marketing efforts.

In the coming year, we are looking forward to continued growth and the strengthening

of relationships under Fritz’s leadership, the expansion of our grant program and exciting new marketing initiatives.

Best regards,

Central Pennsylvania Visitors and Convention Bureau

Edward Tubbs

Bob Ricketts

Past-President 2017/2018

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CPCVB CPCVB MISSION STATEMENT To develop, promote, and engage in travel-related activities and coordinate visitor services designed to enhance the economic activity and quality of life within the county and thereby contribute to the commonwealth.

CPCVB VISION STATEMENT Inspiring you to be as amazed by Happy Valley as we are.

© 2009 Cody Goddard

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CPCVB 2017-2018 CPCVB BOARD OF DIRECTORS • Bob Ricketts, President Fasta & Ravioli Company • Edward Tubbs, Vice-President Days Inn Penn State • Joe Thomas, Secretary/Treasurer Mountain View Country Club • Mike Szczesny, Past-President HFL Hotels • Stefan Cherinka Toftrees Golf Resort

• Jennifer Corman Fullington Bus Company

• Scott Walker State College Spikes

• Mark Higgins Centre County Commissioner

• Aaron Weyman Tussey Mountain All Seasons

• Gary Hoover Bellefonte Intervalley Area Chamber of Commerce

• Charima Young Director Local Government and Community Relations, Penn State

• Gail Jones Penn State Federal Credit Union • Ken Martin American Philatelic Society

• Lori Miller CPCVB Interim Executive Director

• Tom Neely Nittany Lion Inn

CPCVB STAFF • Fritz Smith, Executive Director • Lori Miller, Director of Visitor and Member Services • Andy Rupert, Director of Marketing & PR • Shirley Smith, Director of Sales • Brenda Hall, Sales Manager • Kevin Breon, Finance/Housing Bureau Manager • John Pratt, Technology Manager • Judy Maurer, Receptionist/Fulfillment Coordinator

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CENTRE COUNTY/PENN STATE VISITORS CENTER STAFF • Corena Breon

• Esther DelRosso

• Renee Brown

• Kate Kawulich

• Kyle Crossley

• Ben Pelipesky

VOLUNTEER

• Brenda Zucco

• Patsy Cullen BELLEFONTE SATELLITE VISITOR CENTER STAFF • Barb Bair

• Toni Patterino

• Renee Brown

• Brenda Zucco

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CPCVB

marketing

visitpennstate.org

2016-2017

WEBSITE MARKETING HIGHLIGHTS:

502K+ 1.02 Website Sessions

Million Page Views

CPCVB central PA

VISITOR GUIDES

145,000

Visitor Guides Produced and Distributed

• • • • • •

Distributed to lodging properties throughout the region Direct requests through advertising campaigns

Fulfilled requests directly through www.visitpennstate.org

Picked up by visitors in our State College and Bellefonte locations

Utilizing getaways on display to distribute to

Pennsylvania State Office, Philadelphia, Western Pennsylvania and Central Pennsylvania Welcome Centers, AAA Offices, Travel Agents and More

Presence in recreational vehicle shows along the East Coast

Packaged and distributed to local events

•

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MARKETING CPCVB

marketing

E-MAIL NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS

4,200 e-mail subscribers to our monthly newsletter (7.7% Increase)

30.1% open rate (15.7%

Industry Standard)

6.3% click rate (1.7%

Industry Standard)

SOCIAL MEDIA

31,157 Facebook followers (23.6% Increase)

1,673 Twitter followers

1,011 Instagram followers 6

C E N T R A L P E N N S Y LVA N I A C O N V E N T I O N & V I S I TO R S B U R E A U • A N N U A L R E P O R T • F I S C A L Y E A R 2 0 17- 2 0 18

MARKETING CPCVB 5

marketing

FACTS ABOUT OUR FANS

1.

Bulk of the visitors come from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York City Metro and Washington D.C. Metro Areas.

(Source: Google Analytics, AirSage)

2.

3.

75% of our Facebook followers have at least

some college education (Source: Facebook Audience Insights)

67% of our Facebook followers are married (Source: Facebook Audience Insights)

4.

5.

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62.9% of our audience accessing our website using a mobile device or tablet

(Source: Google Analytics)

The most brand loyal visitors of our region make an annual household income of

$ 81.3K

(Source: H2R Research)

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MARKETING CPCVB

marketing

THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU PARTNERED WITH BLUEWHITETV FOR A CHILD-FRIENDLY DOCUMENTARY

“THE TREE THAT VISITED NEW YORK CITY FOR THE HOLIDAYS”

CALLED

THE DOCUMENTARY FOLLOWED THE CHRISTMAS TREE’S TRIP FROM STATE COLLEGE TO ROCKEFELLER CENTER IN NEW YORK CITY. THE VIDEO RECEIVED OVER 29,000 VIEWS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALSO WAS SHOWN ON CHRISTMAS EVE ON THE PENNSYLVANIA CABLE NETWORK.

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MARKETING CPCVB

marketing

23 TRAVEL RELATED STORIES WERE WRITTEN ABOUT THE REGION INCLUDING:

• You’ve Never Experienced Anything Like This

Epic Independence Day Celebration in Pennsylvania – Only in Your State

• Why You Must Attend the Magical Centre County

Photo credit: Penn State Arboretu

m

Grange Fair, One of America’s Most Unique Fairs – Wanderlustingk

• Lovely Discoveries at the “New” Penn State Arboretum – Mid-Atlantic Day Trips

• Top 10 Memorial Day Weekend Getaways in Pennsylvania – Trips to Discover

• What Real Life Looks Like Inside Pennsylvania’s Happiest Small Town – Only in Your State

• Is Your City’s Population Keeping Pace? The

Fastest Growing City in Each State – USA Today

• Central Pennsylvania: An Easy and Laid Back Getaway in Centre County – Dating Advice

• Everything You Need to Know for a Great Mount Nittany Hike – UncoveringPA

• Top 100 Stadium Experiences of 2017 – Stadium Journey

• WV Travel Team: Bellefonte’s small-town charms have a wide appeal – Charleston-Gazette Mail

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MARKETING CPCVB

marketing

• 24 Hours in Happy Valley – Travel Mag • Exploring the Beautiful Arboretum at

Penn State in State College – UncoveringPA

• Discovering Boalsburg: A trove of Columbus artifacts can be found in perhaps the least likely place in the New World. – The Burg

• 25 Best Pennsylvania Lakes – Vacation Idea • On the Way to…Happy Valley – Keystone Edge

• 2017’s 10 Best College Towns – Livability • Columbus Antiquities Discovered in the Unlikeliest of Places – Travel Gumbo

•

Exploring Athletic Excellence at the Penn State All-Sports Museum – UncoveringPA

• 9 Things to Do at Penn State with Kids – See Mom Click

• Exploring the Industrial History of the

Alleghenies at Curtin Village at Eagle Ironworks – UncoveringPA

• Insider’s Guide to Penn State & Things

to do in State College PA – Wanderlustingk

• 10 amazing places to visit near State College this fall – PennLive

• Columbus Antiquities Discovered in the Unlikeliest of Places – Cheese Plates & Room Service

© 2017 Mary Szmo

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CPCVB APPLICANT

TOURISM GRANT RECIPIENTS 2017-2018

TYPE OF PROJECT

AWARD

Aaronsburg Civic Club

Marketing

$3,000.00

American Philatelic Society

Marketing

$3,500.00

The Arboretum at Penn State

Marketing/ Publicity

$18,225.00

Art Alliance of Central PA

Marketing/ Publicity

$2,500.00

Bellefonte American Legion Baseball

Capital Improvement

$4,000.00

Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County

Capital Improvement

$20,000.00

Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County

Marketing

$20,000.00

Bryce Jordan Center

Marketing

$25,000.00

Central PA 4th Fest

Capital Improvement

$40,000.00

Marketing

$44,000.00

Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Centre County Grange Fair

Marketing

$20,000.00

Centre County Grange Fair – Equine Center

Capital Improvement

$50,000.00

Centre County Library & Historical Museum

Capital Improvement

$7,500.00

Centre for the Performing Arts - Penn State

Marketing

$13,000.00

(on behalf of a for-profit entity Pop Up Ave run by Groznik PR)

Marketing

$2,000.00

Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum

Marketing

$5,000.00

Marketing and Capital Improvement

$15,000.00

Centre Foundation

Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania

Downtown State College Improvement District (Happy Valley Music Fest)

Marketing

First Night State College

Marketing

Friends of the PA Military Museum

$37,500.00 $4,000.00

Marketing & Advertising $15,000.00

Historic Bellefonte, Inc.

Marketing

$40,000.00

Lemont Village Association, Inc.

Marketing

$2,500.00

Millbrook Marsh Nature Center

Capital Improvement

$5,000.00

Mount Nittany Conservancy

Capital Improvement

$5,000.00

Mountaintop Swimming Pool Association, Inc.

Capital Improvement

$5,000.00

Nittany Mountain Biking Association (NMBA)

Capital Improvement

$1,705.00

Marketing

$7,000.00

Marketing/ Publicity

$3,000.00

Nittany Valley Symphony, Inc. Pasto Agricultural Museum Penn State Center Stage

Marketing & Advertising $10,000.00

Pennsylvania Assoc. for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) Marketing $15,000.00 Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra

Marketing

$6,000.00

Pennsylvania Certified Organic

Marketing

$2,500.00

Philipsburg Heritage Days/Moshannon Valley EMS

Marketing

$8,000.00

Roland Curtin Foundation

Capital Improvement

$1,836.00

Roland Curtin Foundation

Marketing

$8,448.00

School of Music - Penn State

Marketing

$2,000.00

The Small Business Development Center at Penn State Marketing

$7,000.00

The State Theatre

Marketing/ Publicity

$15,000.00

Marketing

$10,000.00

Tempest Productions

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TOTAL $504,214.00

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CPCVB

sales

2017-2018 FISCAL YEAR SALES

MEETINGS/CONVENTIONS/SPORTS/GROUP TOUR BUSINESS

CONVENTION/SPORTS LEADS......... 141 TOUR & TRAVEL LEADS.......................... 2

TOTAL LEADS........................ 143 145

139

140 135

132

130 125

143

124

120 115 110

2014-2015

2015-2016

2016-2017

2017-2018

Photo credit: BC Digital Works

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CPCVB

sales

2017-2018 FISCAL YEAR SALES

MEETINGS/CONVENTIONS/SPORTS/GROUP TOUR BUSINESS

CONVENTION/SPORTS LEAD ROOM NIGHTS......57,808 TOUR & TRAVEL LEAD ROOM NIGHTS.......................59

TOTAL LEAD ROOM NIGHTS............... 57,867 61,696

60000 50000

44,785

52,987

57,867

40000 30000 20000 10000 0

Photo credit: Jim Cheney/UncoveringPA

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2014-2015

2015-2016

2016-2017

2017-2018

Photo credit: Horn Photography 2017

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CPCVB

sales

2017-2018 FISCAL YEAR SALES

MEETINGS/CONVENTIONS/SPORTS/GROUP TOUR BUSINESS

CONVENTION/SPORTS BOOKINGS............................91 TOUR & TRAVEL BOOKINGS............................................1

TOTAL BOOKINGS.............................................. 92

100

105

112 85

80

92

60 40 20 0

2014-2015

2015-2016

2016-2017

2017-2018

Photo credit: Jim Cheney/UncoveringPA

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CPCVB

sales

2017-2018 FISCAL YEAR SALES

MEETINGS/CONVENTIONS/SPORTS/GROUP TOUR BUSINESS

CONVENTION/SPORTS BOOKED ROOM NIGHTS.......36,616 TOUR & TRAVEL BOOKED ROOM NIGHTS........................19

TOTAL BOOKED ROOM NIGHTS................36,635 49,736

50000 40000 30000

29,679

36,732

36,635

2016-2017

2017-2018

20000 10000 0

15

2014-2015

2015-2016

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CPCVB

sales

TRADE SHOWS – MARKETPLACES ** Co-op with Regional Partner

Connect Associations Mkt. Connect Corporate Mkt. Connect Sports Mkt. US Olympics Sports Mkt. TEAMS ** (Sports) Heartland Travel Showcase PA Bus NASC (Sports) PA Bus Sales Retreat USSSA** (Sports) ASA** (Sports) S.P.O.R.T.S. Conference** AAA Consumer Show IPW (International Mkt.)

New Orleans, LA New Orleans, LA New Orleans, LA New Orleans, LA Orlando, FL Buffalo, NY York, PA Minneapolis, MN Williamsburg, VA Daytona Beach, FL Atlanta, GA Cedar Rapids, IA Columbus, Ohio Denver, CO

SALES MISSIONS / DIRECT SALES / CLIENT EVENTS New Orleans, LA** (Sports) (Special Client Event) New Orleans LA - Room Drop Meeting Planners Orlando, FL** (Sports) Special Client Event Colorado Springs, CO (Sports Sales Mission) Minneapolis, MN** (Sports) Special Client Event US Bank Stadium - MN Vikings 16

Harrisburg, PA - Special Client Event Char’s Restaurant - Association Market Direct Sales Calls: Camp Hill, PA Harrisburg, PA Hershey, PA Grantville, PA Lemoyne, PA York, PA

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CPCVB

membership

MEMBERSHIP BY REGION 120 100 80 60 40 20

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CPCVB

membership

YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP 3-5 YEARS

10%

6-9 YEARS

0-2 YEARS

10%

10+ YEARS

14%

66%

MEMBERSHIP BY CATEGORY VARIOUS WINERY / BREWERY / DISTILLERY VENUES REALTORS / RESIDENTIAL / RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY PERFORMING NON-PROFIT HISTORICAL / MUSEUM / ATTRACTIONS NON-PROFIT CONSERVATION / ENV. EDU. MEDIA / COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS INDOOR / OUTDOOR RECREATION SITES INDIVIDUAL RETAIL STORE HOTEL / MOTEL, INNS, LODGES & VACATION RENTALS HOSPITAL / MEDICAL CENTER HEALTH CLUB / POOLS / SPAS GENERAL SERVICES FOOD SERVICE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FESTIVALS / ANNUAL EVENTS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION CHURCH / COMMUNITY CHAMBERS / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CATERER CAMPGROUND BED & BREAKFAST / HOSTEL BANQUET / MEETING / CONVENTION ATTRACTION / RECREATION FOR PROFIT ADVERTISING / GRAPHIC ARTS

0 10 20 30 40 50

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CPCVB CPCVB

visitor information center

VISITOR CENTER AMENITIES INCLUDE: • INFORMATION SPECIALISTS

at the Visitor Center Front Desk • GIFT SHOP • PENN STATE

PARKING PERMITS

• INTERACTIVE

EXHIBIT AREA

with complimentary Wi-Fi and TouchScreen Kiosks

• CONFERENCE ROOM and AUDITORIUM

Rentals

HOURS OF OPERATION *

• LOCAL BUSINESS

GIFT CERTIFICATES

and books available for purchase

• ATM • MAPS & BROCHURES • RESTROOMS • PET FRIENDLY

7:30am - 6:00pm Monday through Friday 9:00am - 6:00pm Saturday and Sunday WINTER HOURS (December 1 - March 31) 7:30am - 5:00pm Monday through Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm Saturday and Sunday

SATELLITE VISITOR CENTER – TRAIN STATION, BELLEFONTE HOURS OF OPERATION *

:00am - 5:00pm Monday through Friday 9 9:00am - 4:00pm Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm Sunday Both Visitor Centers are closed on Thanksgiving Day, * Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday.

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CPCVB

AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENT

FISCAL YEAR: JULY 1, 2017 TO JUNE 30, 2018 Agency: Centre County Lion Country Visitors and Convention Bureau, Inc.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

dba Central Pennsylvania CVB

REVENUES AND GAINS

County Hotel Room Tax Cooperative Advertising County Brochure Membership Dues Investment Income Event Revenue and Sponsorship Retail Space Web Marketing Photos Total Revenues: Realized Gain on Investments

$ 2,142,493 $ 25,770 $ 85,738 $ 63,347 $ 58,443 $ 5,356 $ 9,473 $ 875 $ 2,391,495 $ 4,930 Total Revenues and Gains: $ 2,396,425

EXPENSES AND LOSSES PROMOTIONAL:

Advertising and promotions

Grants to Other Organizations

Salaries and Wages Postage

Employee Benefits

Travel and Entertainment Printing

Regional

$ 706,789 $ 916,283 $ 110,061 $ 33,448 $ 28,204 $ 27,858 $ 1,665 $ Total Promotional: $ 1,824,308

GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE:

Salaries and Wages Occupancy Employee Benefits Depreciation Office Supplies Professional Fees Board Expenses Special Events

$ 368,510 $ 223,748 $ 93,240 $ 42,643 $ 56,998 $ 22,075 $ 3,186 $ 1,563 Total General and Administrative: $ 811,963

Total Promotional & General and Administrative Expenses $ 2,636,271 Unrealized Loss on Investments

$ 16,956 Total Losses $

16,956

Total Expenses and Losses $ 2,653,227 Change in Unrestricted Net Assets: $ (256,802)

UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS: July 1, 2017 $ 2,364,105 June 30, 2018 $ 2,338,885

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CPCVB © A.E. Landes Photography

800 East Park Avenue State College, PA 16803 800.358.5466 www.visitpennstate.org

Photo credit: BC Digital Works