Annual report 2015

2015 Annual Report & 2016 Outlook Georgia

ROME GreaterRome SPORT S convention & visitors bureau

Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau

Economic Impact

2014 Total Impact

of Travel & Tourism in Rome & Floyd County:

Tourism Expenditures Local Tax Generated Tourism Jobs Supported 2005 $100,690,000 $3,000,000 1,210 2006 $109,180,000 $3,240,000 1,250 2007 $112,200,000 $3,280,000 1,250 2008 $113,920,000 $3,380,000 1,230 2009 $107,560,000 $3,280,000 1,210 2010 $110,120,000 $3,270,000 1,150 2011 $117,220,000 $3,380,000 1,160 2012 $125,090,000 $3,630,000 1,190 2013 $129,090,000 $3,800,000 1,210 2014 $138,760,000 $4,090,000 1,262

% Change from 2005 to 2014 37.81% increase

* 2014 estimates provided by US Travel Association. 2015 estimates will be available in Fall 2016.

2015 Economic Impact

of Sports, Groups & Events:

15,814,569

$

GRCVB Impact

Events: Sports Events: Meetings & Conventions: Weddings: Reunions: Films: Group Travel (Overnight): Group Travel (Day):

Local Tax Generated State Tax Generated People Serviced: Groups:

138,760,000

$

Trends

$6,670,615 $4,131,897 $2,103,678 $272,611 $488,878 $2,081,995 $24,948 $39,947

Estimates include travel expenditures, travelgenerated employment and payroll income, as well as tax revenues for state and local government. In Floyd County, the tourism industry supported 1,262 jobs throughout the service and hospitality industries. Travelers to Rome & Floyd County generated $4.97 million in state tax revenue and $4.09 million in local tax revenue. Each Floyd county household received $224 in tax relief per household as a result of taxes generated by tourism economic activity. *

Group Travel Overnight .16% Reunions 3% Weddings 2%

Group Travel - Day .25%

Films 13% Events 42%

Meeting & Conventions 14%

$474,437 $632,583 160,832 182

Sports Events 26%

Impact numbers represent only events, conventions, meetings and other activities the GRCVB was directly involved in planning, coordination, or assistance.

2015 Major Sports, Groups & Events Event Date Estimated Impact Wings Over North Georgia Air Show October $2,768,425 Counterpoint Music & Arts Festival May $1,826,154 FILM – ABC-TV Kingmakers Feb-May $1,491,944 Jehovah’s Witness Conference Jun-Aug $1,304,100 USTA Georgia Junior Open July $548,352 FILM – Amnesia Productions (Allegiant) June $522,948 Peach State Marching Festival October $472,500 NCCAA National Track & Field Championships April $450,102 USTA Georgia Adult League Championships May $449,092 Going Caching! Mega Event October $431,050 Chiaha Arts Festival October $345,000 USTA Georgia Junior Challenger June $299,333 Berry Half Marathon March $277,500 USTA Southern Closed 16 January $274,550 USAG GA Level 7 & 8 Gymnastics March $243,844 Christ Temple Holiness Conference June $232,700 USTA Georgia Spring Open April $226,557 USTA Southern Closed Doubles Championships August $205,182 The events listed above are not a complete listing of all events assisted or planned by the GRCVB and includes only events that the GRCVB actively worked with and generated at least $100,000 of economic impact or more.

Marketing & Public Relations Advertising

Leisure Travel Southern Living Georgia Travel Guide Discover Georgia Outdoors GA State Parks & Historical Sites Historic High Country Travel Assoc.

RoadRunner Whofish Glimpse Google Adwords Sports Events SportsEvents Sports Destination Marketing

Meetings/Conventions/Film ConventionSouth Georgia Trend Going on Faith Trip Search Google Adwords Georgia Production Directory

Websites

Last Stop Gift Shop Rome News Tribune VenueDog WLAQ Pubiications/Radio

Gift Shop 3%

2015 Marketing Share of Spend

Mobile Apps & Social Media Social Media Georgia’s Rome Facebook: 19,309 Likes Georgia’s Rome Twitter: 3,449 Followers Georgia’s Rome Instagram: 2,546 Followers City of Rome Facebook: 5,912 Likes City of Rome Twitter: 911 Followers Last Stop Gift Shop Facebook: 1,377 Likes Rome Tennis Center Facebook: 368 Likes

RomeGeorgia.org 2015 Visits: 194,528 2015 Page Views: 498,373 LastStopGiftShop.com 2015 Visits: (Launched Oct 20) 784 2015 Page Views: 3,505 RomeTennisCenter.com 2015 Visits: (Launched Nov 23) 597 2015 Page Views: 1,743

Leisure 42%

Meeting/Group 32%

App Downloads Myrtle Hill Cemetery: 340 Georgia’s Rome: 158 (Launched Oct 2015)

Sports 23%

GRCVB Top Achievements Marketing & Public Relations • Published 88 press releases in 2015 to local, regional and national outlets • Launched a new monthly email newsletter that averages a 30% open rate and 10% click thru rate • Published 10 new brochures and rack cards including two editions of the Visitor Guide Product Development • Developed new Georgia’s Rome app that offers fun challenges to engage visitors and showcase Rome’s offerings • Relaunched RomeGeorgia.org with a new responsive design to provide a better experience for mobile users • Continued development of SPLOST funded Rome Tennis Center and launched new website • Developed a design plan for Serenity garden at Myrtle Hill Cemetery through the Myrtle Hill/Oak Hill Memorial Association • Kicked off Rome Clocktower fund-raisers and generated almost $10,000 in donations within three months Rome Sports Commission • USTA Clocktower Classic Wheelchair Tennis Tournament awarded USTA Georgia Wheelchair Tennis Tournament of the Year for 2015 - second consecutive year • Attended SPORTS conference and national meeting of National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) to meet with sports and event planners • Served on the Georgia Sports executive committee, NASC Professional Development Committee and NASC Symposium Committee • Served as Vice-Chairman USTA Georgia Wheelchair Tennis Committee • Attended annual meeting for USTA Southern Wheelchair Tennis Committee • USTA National Wheelchair Tennis Committee - Marketing, Grants & Tournament subcommittees; attended USTA annual and semi-annual meetings • Rome Sports Commission awarded SportsEvents Magazine Reader’s Choice Award

Roman Holiday • Sulzbacher Roman Holiday excursion boat completed 86 cruises, a 37% year over year increase, comprising over 372 captain/crew hours; 4,534 total people served Religious/Meetings/Group Travel • GRCVB recognized by Convention South Magazine, Reader’s Choice Award • Assisted twelve out-of-town motor coach groups • Return of Jehovah’s Witness conference – four weekends Film & Television • Worked with ABC-TV crew to film TV pilot, Kingmakers as location scout, extra casting, procuring set decoration, permitting and security • Worked with LionsGate to secure locations for filming major motion picture, Allegiant • Assisted eleven additional film inquiries from major studios, television and independent film makers Last Stop Gift Shop & Rome-Floyd Visitor Center Metrics • Total visitation for 2015: 2,417; 62% were out-of-state, 2,330 visitors from the states and 87 international visitors from 17 different countries • Distributed 37,233 brochures • Relaunched LastStopGiftShop.com and added online ticketing Gift Shop Sales and Marketing • Increased year over year sales by 15% • Added 24 new consignment artists to keep product line new and fresh • Developed new apparel line of Rome Georgia T-shirts • 59 local vendors participated in Spring and Winter Art Markets attracting

over 2,000 people • Hosted two open houses, four book signings, seasonal farmer’s market, six trunk shows, and two off-site special events

2016 Outlook The Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) is the official destination and sports marketing organization of Rome and Floyd County, Ga. The GRCVB’s mission is to strengthen the economic prosperity of the community through tourism development by attracting leisure travelers, conventions, meetings, sports and events.

Lisa Smith, Executive Director Kathy Mathis, Deputy Director Ann Hortman, Rome Sports Commission Director Kristi Kent, Communications Director Nic Diaz, Marketing Assistant Charlene Mathis, Visitor Center/Gift Shop Manager Debbie Law, Visitor Center/Gift Shop Assistant Manager

Charlotte Ball, Customer Service Specialist Jim Belzer, Customer Service Specialist Kendra Falcitelli, Customer Service Specialist Peggy Moore, Customer Service Specialist BeBe Smith, Customer Service Specialist Thomas Kislat, Sales Coordinator

Board of Directors Chris Darwin, Chairman, Comfort Suites Erin Elrod, Vice Chair, Rome Braves Sammy Rich, City of Rome Manager Milton Slack, Rome City Commission Jamie McCord, Floyd County Manager Rhonda Wallace, Floyd County Commission Harry Brock, Appraisal Associates of Rome Gay Nichols, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Allison Watters, Community Volunteer Larry Arrington, Shorter University Alice Stevens, Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum Joyce Smith, Fairview/E.S. Brown Heritage Corporation Jim Bojo, Community Volunteer Vickie Hill, Synovus Mortgage Elaine Abercrombie, Greene’s Jewelers John Spranza, Georgia Highlands College Tina Bowling, Wings Over North GA Sandra Lindsey, Community Volunteer Mike Burnes, Community Volunteer Elaine Price, Community Volunteer

Overall • Grow economic impact dollar amount generated into Rome-Floyd sales tax coffers • Focus on sales objectives that increase hotel room nights • Inspire, inform and educate visitors

Marketing & Public Relations • Increase impressions and engagement across all channels • Create new compelling content that helps inspire and motivate visitation • Market to support business goals of Rome Tennis Center • Brand fall events under Heritage Holidays to increase awareness • Test new social media platforms and generate content based on audience preferences

GRCVB Staff

Debbie Galloway, Customer Service Specialist/ Roman Holiday Sales

2016 Program of Work

Product Development • Increase video content and produce a series of new tourism videos • Increase awareness of hospitality association and expand by broadening into retail • Establish a serenity garden at Myrtle Hill Cemetery through the Myrtle Hill/Oak Hill Memorial Association • Develop a series of guided walking tours Meetings, Conventions & Groups • Aggressively market The Forum to new and returning meeting groups for 2016 and

2016 Events Booked

January Three Rivers Bull Riding Invitational USTA Southern Closed 16

February All Star Games Cheerleading Competition Georgia Agritourism Association Conference Georgia Association of Historians March Berry Half Marathon Rome Braves High School Baseball Invitational USSSA Baseball tournament Shorter Track & Field Invitational April Spring Art Market USTA North GA Spring Open USSSA Baseball tournament Big Fibbers Storytelling Festival Clocktower Classic Handcycle Races Up the Creek without a Pedal May USTA GA Adult League 18 & Over Championships Rome River Jam NCCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Roman Roast on the River Rome Shakespeare Festival CounterPoint Festival

multi-year contracts • Hire a sales person dedicated to selling the Forum • Remarket to groups that have visited in the past leveraging local organizations and their affiliations to attract new conventions/events • Host a fam tour for group meeting planners Rome Sports Commission • Oversee Special Events Review Committee • Nurture partnerships within Rome/Floyd County sports directors, schools and organizations • Expand partnerships and develop connections within state, regional and national sports organizations • Assist with tennis bids to increase tournaments at Rome Tennis Center • Strategize to increase adaptive sports opportunities and participation Last Stop Gift Shop/Rome-Floyd Visitor Center • Revamp interior of gift shop for better aesthetic appeal • Continue growth of annual events and add spring art market • Increase online gift shop sales through new consignors, unique products, special offerings and social media • Establish regular hours for Downtown Welcome Center

June USTA Georgia Junior Challenger USSSA Baseball tournament Paddle Georgia July Jehovah Witness Conference (4 weekends) USSSA Baseball tournament USTA Georgia Junior Open Clocktower Classic Wheelchair Tennis Tournament Big Cat Quest Tournament August USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Championships USTA Southern Closed Doubles Championships September Rome International Film Festival October Berry Mountain Day Myrtle Hill Cemetery Tours Chiaha Arts Festival Wings Over North Georgia Air Show USTA Icy Hot Southern Junior Tennis Tournament November USTA Junior Tennis Level 4 Tournament December Winter Art Market Rome Half Marathon