Texas Forest Trail - 2014 Annual Report

TEXAS FOREST TRAIL REGION ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014

Greater than the Sum of our Trees Texas Forest Trail Region 2014 Annual Report

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REGIONAL DIRECTOR

Marty Prince

The Annual Report serves as the principal mechanism for reporting the Texas Forest Trail Region’s activity to private and public funding sources. This Annual Report showcases key activities and initiatives undertaken for Fiscal Year 2014 (Sept. 1, 2013 – Aug. 31, 2014).

WHO WE ARE

The Texas Forest Trail Region was designated by the State in 2001 as an official “Heritage Region” of Texas. It is one of 10 regions in Texas which comprise the awardwinning Heritage Trails Program developed by the Texas Historical Commission.

WHAT WE DO

Walker County

The Texas Forest Trail Region supports communities, historic sites and attractions in East Texas, encouraging economic development through heritage tourism, education, marketing, and historic preservation initiatives.

2 Train-yard at Sunrise - By Larry White - Awarded: Red Ribbon 2014 - - Cherokee County

Cover image: Caddo Lake State Park- By Dion Palady - Contest Entry 2014 --Harrison County

WHO WE SERVE

The Forest Trail Region serves communities in and travelers to 35 counties in East Texas.

Our headquarters are located in Nacogdoches in the historic Gladys Hampton Building, City Hall.

contents our history our impact our services our partners our team our projects: education & networking marketing & advertising new media promotions research & resources our finances our year our future

04 06 08 10 12 14 22 26 28 34 36 38

Texas Forest Trail Region 2014 Annual Report

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our history The Texas Forest Trail is one of 10

Together, the 10 Heritage Trail Regions

heritage tourism regions designated

work in concert with the THC to increase

by the state of Texas. The program

visitation to cultural and historic sites

originated in 1968 as 10 scenic driving

through education, historic preservation

trails created by Governor John Connally

and state and regional marketing.

and the Texas Highway Department (now TXDOT) as a marketing tool for tourism.

Each Trail functions as an independent 501 c3, led by a regional board and an

In 1997, the Heritage Trails became

executive director.

a statewide economic development initiative under the guidance of the Texas

Funding for the Heritage Trails, formerly

Historical Commission (THC).

granted by the Texas Department of Transportation will expire in August

Over several years, the 10 driving trails

2015.

expanded and became “trail regions” encompassing the historic highways,

In an effort to maintain the program, the

historic sites, hike-and-bike trails, parks,

THC has added the Texas Heritage Trails

communities and cultural attractions

as an “exceptional item” to their legislative

surrounding the original trail route. The

appropriations request. The Trails have not

Texas Forest Trail Region received its

been guaranteed funding, so legislative

official designation in 2001.

advocacy efforts have begun statewide.

our region

35 counties in East Texas

4

Angelina

Harrison

Newton

Shelby

Anderson

Henderson

Orange

Smith

Bowie

Houston

Panola

Titus

Camp

Jasper

Polk

Trinity

Cass

Jefferson

Red River

Tyler

Cherokee

Marion

Rusk

Upshur

Gregg

Montgomery

Sabine

Walker

Franklin

Morris

San Augustine

Wood

Hardin

Nacogdoches

San Jacinto

Texas Association of Museums Advertisement - 2014 Annual Conference Program - - Design by the Forest Trail.

Texas Forest Trail Region 2014 Annual Report

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Texas Heritage Trails

$8

return

for every $1 invested

Educates Travelers

$652k community grants

$1.7m

Protects Resources

cash contributions

$3m

in-kind contributions

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Preserves History

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site - - Cherokee County Inset images: (from top) Big Sam in Huntsville, Caddo Culture Day in Alto, Spindle Top-Gladys City Boomtown Museum in Beaumont.

Heritage Tourism

our impact

Heritage Tourism: traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present, including historic, cultural and natural resources.

$8.7

billion in direct spending

5.4% of all day trips

11.6% of overnight stays

*See more at: www.travel.state.tx.us/TravelResearch/TravelFacts.

Texas ranks second in the U.S. in the number of cultural and heritage travelers visiting the state. These tourists are learning more about Texas’ heritage while making a valuable contribution to the state’s economy. $67.5 billion was generated

by Travel to Texas in 2013.

The industry supported 601,000 jobs and generated $4.7 billion in state and local taxes.

Heritage travel to Texas accounted for 5.4% of all day trips, 11.6% of all overnight stays and $8.7 billion in direct spending.

Texas Forest Trail Region 2014 Annual Report

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our services We provide large and small organizations an opportunity to better leverage their marketing dollars and showcase their community to potential visitors.

EDUCATION & NETWORKING

Our regional programming and online media library provide easily accessible educational opportunities, essential training tools and valuable consulting to our communities.

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MARKETING & ADVERTISING

Our statewide marketing programs work to increase visitation to cultural and historic sites and bring needed dollars to our rural Texas communities.

Douglas’ Texas Battery, Camp Ford - By Ken Millet- Awarded: Grand Prize 2014 - - Smith County

“The Texas Forest Trail is our source for educational opportunities and insight into tourism training. Because of this, we are able to stretch our boundaries and reach new visitors. We LOVE the Texas Forest Trail!�

-Faustine Curry Mount Pleasant - Titus County Chamber NEW MEDIA PROMOTIONS

Our new media marketing regularly engages an average with 25,000 people weekly driving potential East Texas travelers to our partner sites and communities.

RESOURCES & RESEARCH

Our participation in the Heritage Trails program and its network of industry professionals help the Forest Trail put our partners and their communities in touch with state resources and regional tourism advocates.

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Trailblazer $1,500 Navigator

$1,000

Conroe Convention & Visitors Bureau Gladewater Economic Development Corporation City of Huntsville Tourism and Cultural Services Mount Pleasant-Titus County Chamber of Commerce Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau City of Nacogdoches Main Street & Historic Sites City of Palestine Economic Development Corporation Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Linden Economic Development Corporations.

Explorer

$500

Traveler

Atlanta City Development Corporation and Chamber of Commerce Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau Caddo Mounds State Historic Site City of Henderson Tourism Kilgore Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau Longview Convention & Visitors Bureau Port Arthur Convention & Visitors Bureau Starr Family Home State Historic Site Texas Prison Museum Texas State Railroad

$250

City of Athens Tourism Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce City of Hughes Springs Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Mount Vernon Main Street Alliance My East Texas Oxbow Bakery & Antiques Spindletop/Gladys City Boomtown Museum Stephen F. Austin Hospitality Administration

Pioneer

$100

Lindale Chamber Livingston-Polk County Chamber City of Lufkin - CVB City of Mineola Museum of the Gulf Coast Newton County Chamber Red River County Chamber City of San Augustine Main Street Smith County Historical Society Port Arthur Historical Commission

Texarkana Chamber Texarkana Historical Society Texarkana Museum System Texas Parks & Wildlife Texas Forestry Museum Tyler CVB The Fire Museum of Texas The Stark Foundation The History Center

Carolyn Teague Lynne Spivey/ALABCO

George Fite Faustine Curry Sherry Chaney Morgan

Individuals

10 Become a partner member of the Texas Forest Trail Region -- visit www.texasforesttrail.com/membership

our partners

Many thanks to our Regional Partners for their continued support. Together we are so much greater than the sum of our trees. Together, we are the Texas Forest Trail Region.

54 35 partners

counties

Partner program

In February, we unveiled a new Partner Program. The streamlined look and easy-to-read format showcased our updated partnership levels and enhanced benefits. A few of our new benefits are highlighted below:

Services Credits

• FREE credit- to be used like cash towards products/services

Media Library

• FREE access to training tools via the “Roger Brooks Library”

Advertising Lottery

• Chance to win FREE ad space in our events brochure

Congrats to our 2014 Spring Lottery Winner MyETX.com.

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our team message from our president 2014 brought new faces, new skills and change across the Forest Trail Region.

At the close of FY13 we were faced with the challenge of bringing in a new Executive Director.

After a thorough search, the hiring team felt Marty Prince’s background in tourism and advertising would be a perfect fit for the Trail’s growing marketing needs. In June, Marty left her position as tourism specialist for the Nacogdoches CVB and has proven to be a great addition to the Forest Trail team.

for advocacy and education.

In January, we launched a new version of our partnership program – with streamlined giving levels and increased benefits. The program saw an overall growth of 4% and a 25% increase in contributions from existing partners selecting higher benefit levels.

Sustainability is an ongoing quest for the Forest Trail. In 2014, we tightened our belt, reduced our outsourcing, controlled our overall expenses and increased our project revenue by 50%. Financially, our bottom line is in great shape, but in 2015 we will face our greatest fiscal challenge to date.

Our primary focus for 2014 was marketing the historic cities, picturesque Main Street districts and the natural beauty of our 35-county region.

The funding previously awarded to the Heritage Trails, through TXDOT will no longer be available.

In an attempt to save the Trails, the Texas Historical Commission added our program as an exceptional item to their budget request. While we appreciate the efforts of the THC, their budget request is not a guaranteed solution and in the coming months, we will need your help motivating our legislators.

We increased our brochure distribution, web updates and social media activity. Through targeted campaigns, we attracted the attention of 65,500 potential travelers and captured the hearts of more than 20,000 people, who now tune in regularly for Forest Trail updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Over the past year, we have faced the challenges of change and as a team we have overcome each obstacle and grown exponentially in its wake. I am confident in the talent and innovation of our board and am very proud to serve with such a committed group of professionals as we provide direction and leadership for the Forest Trail.

Building partnerships in the Pineywoods was a high priority in 2014. As new director, Marty visited 20 Forest Trail communities and made multiple trips to Dallas, Austin and Round Rock

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank our state and regional partners. You give us the means and support to continue our advocacy for East Texas.

Kimm Thomas Chair 2013-2014

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Executive summary The Texas Forest Trail Region is A Place: “The Gateway to Texas” -some 900 miles and more than 7 million trees from the Red River to the Gulf Coast.

A People: Ordinary citizens, representatives of state and national parks, museums and historic sites, cities, chambers and visitors centers - all invested in the heritage and prosperity of our region.

A History: East Texas lays claim to the state’s oldest cities, earliest

explorers, and the larger-than-life heroes that called the “Piney Woods” their home.

A Culture: From historic sawmills and steam trains to graceful Victorian homes and rugged rodeos, our southern plantations, timberlands, bayous, and oil boomtowns offer visitors an authentic Texas experience.

A Mission: The encouragement and support of heritage tourism in the 35 most eastern counties of the state.

The Texas Forest Trail Region is A place, a people, a shared history, culture and mission – all of us working together every day to preserve our authentic heritage and promote cultural experiences that will bring visitors and support to our local economies.

We take this mission seriously, working with communities and organizations here and across the state to make the bounty of East Texas more visible and more attractive to tourists.

This year, our educational and marketing efforts aggressively targeted an audience thirsty for our fresh air, tall trees and even taller tales of our rebellious past. As a result we saw exponential gains in web and social engagement coupled with unprecedented requests for brochures and information, and increased tourism numbers across the region.

Our achievements would not have been possible without the continued support of our board members, partner members and the Texas Historical Commission’s commissioners, directors, administrative and heritage tourism staff. Thank you all, for making my first year amazing. The following is a brief summary of FY 2014 in review.

Happy Trails!

Marty Prince

Marty Prince (left) Promoting the Heritage Trails at the Dallas Adventure Show with Travel Blogger Penny Sadler (right)

2013-2014 Board of Directors

The 12-member board represents the diversity of our region. North, Central, and South East Texas are each allocated 4 seats.

Kimm Thomas, President City of Huntsville, Walker County Breezy Lake Wolfe, President-Elect City of Palestine, Anderson County George Fite, Past President City of Hughes Springs, Cass County Carolyn Teague, Secretary Mount Vernon Main Street, Franklin County Mark Osborne, Treasurer Spindletop Museum, Jefferson County Lynne Spivey, LLC Rep ALABCO, Smith County Melissa Sanford Nacogdoches CVB, Nacogdoches County Robert Johnson Gladwater EDC, Gregg County Faustine Curry Mount Pleasant/Titus County Chamber Kathie Chumley San Augustine & Nacogdoches County Barbara Parmley Texas Parks and Wildlife Chay Runnels Stephen F. Austin State University Texas Forest Trail Region 2014 Annual Report

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education & networking

annual retreat & board training The purpose of the Annual Retreat and Board Training is to recognize the organization’s successes of the previous fiscal year, welcome new board members to the Forest Trail team, and collaborate on new programing for the upcoming year.

The FY14 retreat was held in Palestine in June 2013.

The FY15 retreat was held in Mount Pleasant in June 2014.

Directors reviewed the guiding principals of the Forest Trail Region, evaluated the previous year’s scope of work, discussed regional challenges and set goals in the areas of sustainability, education, partnerships and marketing.

Attendees included tourism, economic development, education and historic preservation professionals from across the region. Participants represented Beaumont, Conroe, Gladewater, Hughes Springs, Huntsville, Mount Pleasant, Mount Vernon, Nacogdoches, Palestine, Stephen F. Austin State University Texas Parks & Wildlife and Tyler.

2014-2015 Incoming Leadership Executive Team Breezy Lake-Wolfe, President Palestine Kimm Thomas, Past President Huntsville Faustine Curry, Pres-elect Mount Pleasant Carolyn Teague, Secretary Mount Vernon Melissa Sanford, Treasurer Nacogdoches Continuing Board Members Robert Johnson - Gladewater Chay Runnels - Stephen F. Austin State George Fite - Hughes Springs Lynne Spivey - Tyler/North Texas Barbara Parmley - Texas Parks & Wildlife New Board Members Sherry Morgan, Conroe Holli Conley, Tyler Elizabeth, Eddins Beaumont

14 Lake Bob Sandlin - By Grace Garcia - Awarded: Mount Pleasant-Titus County Category 2014 - - Titus County

The Annual Retreat plays a critical role in development and implementation of the Forest Trail’s goals and projects in the areas of advocacy, education, sustainability, and marketing.

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“The Forest Trail is an essential resource in our tourism development and regional networking. Being a member of the TFTR has made it possible to reach a market previously unavailable to us. All this plus great workshops! We love Texas Forest Trail Region!�

-Carolyn Teague Main Street Mount Vernon

60+ 40+ attendees

partners & nonpartners

20+ students

16 Forest Trail Representatives with Bob Phillips (from left) Chay Runnels, Melissa Sanford, Breezy Lake-Wolfe, Bob Phillips, Marty Prince & Kimm Thomas

education & networking annual summit

On April 24, 2014, the Forest Trail welcomed members and special guests from across our 35-county region for a full day of learning, networking, and partnership building.

The 2014 Forest Trail Summit included presentations in contemporary best practices for marketing communities, tips to improve traffic to historic sites and attractions, and two marketing research presentations, featuring Forest Trail partner members the Tyler CVB and the City of Palestine.

Summit sessions

• Tales from the Trail: Year in review Marty Prince, Forest Trail Director

• Marketing Studies: Tyler & Palestine SFA Students & Dr. Chay Runnels, professor • New Media marketing: Tips & Tricks Dr. Chay Runnels & Marty Prince • Telling Your Community’s Stories Bob Phillips, The Texas Country Reporter

Keynote address

The highlight of the event was a keynote presentation by Bob Phillips, journalist, storyteller and host of the popular television program “Texas Country Reporter.” On the show, Phillips travels the back-roads of the Lone Star State to uncover the history, people and places that make Texas unique. In his presentation, Phillips shared his personal experiences and highlighted the importance of discovering and telling your community’s unique stories. A casual Q&A after Phillips’s presentation provided an opportunity for a candid conversation with partners. This dialog proved most beneficial to our attendees.

Many thanks to our Summit Sponsor - the Nacogdoches CVB & and our breakfast sponsor Nacogdoches Main Street.

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“PartneringwiththeTexasForestTrail Region and using their resources is a vital key to Huntsville becoming a “Texas Friendly” destination and spreading the word about our great community.”

-Kimm Thomas Huntsville Tourism 18 The Museum for East Texas Culture - By Sheila Galloway - Contest Entry 2014 -- Anderson County Inset Image: Texas Friendly Graduates in Huntsville

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toolkit workshops

100+ attendees

education & networking tourism toolkits

Forest Trail Tourism Toolkits are regional workshops designed to assist partner members in bringing timely, targeted programs to their local community.

The format enables the host community to work with the Forest Trail to select dates, locations and relevant content that will best serve their local audience. The Forest Trail then works with the community to provide workshop content, speakers and promotional materials.

We held three very successful Toolkits in FY 2014.

• Oct 13 – HUGHES SPRINGS DIY Design: Marketing & Graphic Design Workshop • Feb 14 – PALESTINE, Texas Friendly: Hospitality & Destination Training Workshop • May 6 – HUNTSVILLE:, Texas Friendly: Hospitality & HOT Tax Training Featuring: Dave Lieber, The Yankee Cowboy

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education & networking training tools

“Being a member of The Texas Forest Trail Region has given our organization access to the renowned Roger Brooks Library. We have been able to offer the series monthly as a way of educating volunteers in an entertaining and professional way—all thanks to the Trail! “ -Tracy Cox Main Street San Augustine

Forest Trail promotional training collateral

20 Harvey Creek, Lake Sam Rayburn - By Sarah Williams - Awarded: Honorable Mention 2014 - - San Augustine County

Brooks is a nationally known expert on destination marketing and developing successful downtowns. The video library offers a vast number of titles covering a variety of economic development topics including: branding, tourism, community development and more.

Roger Brooks Library

This year, in an effort to provide our partners with convenient access to relevant educational tools quickly and cost effectively, the Forest Trail offered Partner access to the renowned Roger Brooks Library.

In January 2014, the City of San Augustine, its Main Street program, County Chamber of Commerce and Mission Dolores, in Partnership with the Forest Trail, launched a 12-part community development series, featuring a video from the Roger Brooks Library each month. The free event was designed to engage the entire community in regular scheduled conversations about economic development. The videos have provided the community with a common language to discuss downtown development.

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community video chats

24/7 online tools available

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marketing & advertising travel shows

For 2014, the Forest Trail joined our sister Trails in sponsoring booths to promote our regions at the State Fair of Texas, the McAllen Travel Show, the TTIA Travel Fair in South Padre and the Dallas Travel and Adventure Show

STATE FAIR

Texas State Fair is one of our partners’ favorite marketing opportunities of the year. Over the three weeks of the fair, more than 800,000 people pass through the Food and Fiber Pavilion.

In 2014, our region contributed 80+ hours of representation by Forest Trail staff & volunteers.

Participating Communities included: Athens, Huntsville, Longview, Mount Vernon, Mount Pleasant Nacogdoches, & Palestine.

22 Ferris Wheel, State Fair of Texas - By DFei.tH - www.flickr.com/hfknight - - Dallas County Additional photos by Barbara Brannon, Texas Plains Trail Region

“Our membership with the Texas Forest Trail Region is an invaluable partnership that allows us to stretch our tourism dollars through its marketing efforts, giving Athens added exposure and publicity.�

-Sherri Skeeters City of Athens Tourism

80hrs contributed by Forest Trail Staff & Partner Volunteers

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marketing & advertising print and media brochures

Our Regional Heritage Brochure and twice-annual Seasonal Events Brochures are distributed online and in 70+ locations across the state. These publications deliver professionally designed coverage of our regional attractions and heritage sites.

Newspaper Features

40+ articles in 18 Forest communities including:

Trail

Athens, Atlanta, Daingerfield, Gilmer, Henderson, Houston County, Hughes Springs, Huntsville, Longview, Marshall, Mineola, Mount Pleasant, Nacogdoches, Palestine, San Augustine, Shelby County, Toledo Bend, and Tyler.

Magazine/Web Features

County Line Magazine, Ride Texas, Texas Monthly and Texas Monthly’s: Bound for Heritage & Culture.

Radio Interviews

KTXB Family Radio Network 89.7 FM South East Texas

Heritage Trail Ads

Newspaper/Magazine/Web

Texas Highways, Texas Monthly, Southern Living, Ride Texas, the Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Austin American Statesman, and the Texas Association of Museums Conference Program.

24 Coke is it! - By Tiffany Terry - Awarded: Red Ribbon 2014 - - Nacogdoches County

:

$1.1m

*annual economic impact

115k +15% +10% +7%

total brochures distributed

22.4k personal requests

92.2k mass distribution

2.9k downloads

“The Forest Trail’s co-op advertising opportunities are extremely helpful to a small community like Shelby County. Our partnership with the Forest Trail helps us leverage our marketing budget and makes it easy and affordable for us to promote our community events to a statewide audience.”

-Pam Phelps Shelby County Chamber of Commerce

*Estimated economic impact based on the 2014 study for WACVB Education & Research Foundation

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“We believe in the power of social media marketing and the Texas Forest Trail has done a tremendous job strengthening our presence and engagement. It’s exciting to see our online fans turn into day and weekend trippers.”

-Breezy Lake-Wolfe City of Palestine

26 Caddo Culture Day, Caddo Mounds State Historic Site - By Connie Thompson - Contest Entry 2014 - - Cherokee County

social



web



92.5k 67k INTERACTIONS

Stories, mentions & shares - written by users - about or inspired by Forest Trail content.

PAGE VIEWS

+9.4% from 2013 Organic Search 63% Referral & Social 22% Direct 15%

 

159% +66%

+

65.5k Unique Users 1k New Twitter Fans 1.6k New Instagram Fans 5.8k New Facebook Fans

Unique Users

29k in 2014 vs 18k in 2013 17% Returning Users 83% New Users





engagement

VISITS

894% +56%

+

Increase in likes, shares & comments by followers across all platforms

Monthly Average 2.5k Desktop Visits 60% Mobile & Tablet Visits 40%

new media Social Media

The Forest Trail currently uses 7 social media platforms to drive state & national attention to historic sites, preservation initiatives and regional attractions across East Texas. On average, our content reaches 25,000 people a week and engages nearly 5,000 active fans.

Stop by and see us!

• • • • • • •

facebook.com/texasforesttrail flickr.com/groups/txforesttrail youtube.com/EastTexasForestTrail pinterest.com/txforesttrail instagram.com/etxtraveler twitter.com/etxtraveler tumblr.com/etxtraveler

Web Site

Texasforesttrail.com serves, on average, 2,400 monthly web & mobile visitors with up-to-date information about our region. Our calendar and community & site information showcase East Texas events and out-of-the-ordinary historic treasures.

This year, the Forest Trail assisted TradeMark Media in conducting a SEO (search engine optimization) audit on texasforesttrail.com.

The audit analyzed our existing website traffic, evaluated important search terms & keywords, and studied how our web performance compares to similar websites.

The THC and the Forest Trail have begun implementing many of the proposed optimizations.

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resources & research destination marketing project

Each year, SFA Hospitality Administration students, under the direction of Dr. Chay Runnels, evaluate destinations across the nation and analyze their social media/marketing/demographics. Their valuable research findings are presented to the participating destinations free of charge.

This year, 14 lucky Texas Forest Trail partners had the opportunity to participate.

Project Outcomes • • • •

Destinations received Oral & Written Reports, Best Practices for Destination Marketing, Missed Marketing Opportunities, and Tips To Improve Traffic to Sites & Attractions.

Bonus Benefits • • • • •

Generated new East Texas advocates Increased student awareness about East Texas Created student-driven social media Students returned as visitors with friends/family Educating future hospitality professionals

28 Texas State Railroad - Courtesy of Palestine, Texas - - Anderson County

“Partnering with the Texas Forest Trail allowed my students to have hands-on experience while working with professionals who gave them a lot of input. The intersection between academia and professional practice is essential to prepare students for careers in the tourism industry.�

-Dr. Chay Runnels SFASU Hospitality Administration participants

Gladewater Hughes Springs Huntsville Livingston Mount Pleasant Mount Vernon Nacogdoches City

Nacogdoches CVB Palestine Pittsburg San Augustine Shelby County Texas State Railroad Tyler

14

partner sites & communities

60+ students

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NEW WEBSITE: To create a more user-friendly entry process, TFTR built a stand-alone website, txforesttrailcontest.com, which removed previous restrictions limiting entry to Facebook & Flickr users.

“The annual photo contest is one of the most beneficial perks to our membership. Through our sponsored category, we now have access to over 40+ new images of our county to use in promotions. This one perk pays for our entire annual membership— we would never be able to get such quality photos for such a great price!”

-Melissa Sanford Nacogdoches CVB

1 10 35 245 month

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partners

counties

photographers

resources & research

photo contest

The purpose of the “We Pine for East Texas” photo contest is two-fold, to build a library of high-quality promotional images for our regional partners and to raise awareness of the Pineywoods as a travel destination.

This year’s contest sported a new logo and a fresh marketing campaign. The contest was advertised on Facebook and promoted on our website and Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr accounts. Posters and press releases were distributed to Forest Trail partners, regional photographers and photo clubs, and to over 70 media outlets.

As a result of our increased marketing and accessibility, submissions doubled over the past two contest years.

Judges awarded 9 Best of Show Awards: a Grand Prize winner, 2 Blue Ribbon winners and 6 Red Ribbon winners.

Additionally, the Forest Trail and 10 regional partners sponsored 12 themed photo categories, and each selected an individual winner.

A “Fan Favorite” was selected by voters the week following the contest’s close on July 27.

21 honorable mention recipients were also selected and each received a thank you letter, certificate, cookies, candy, custom soap, Forest Trail window sticker and pen.

637 3k 6k 60k photos

new fans

contest votes

contest visits

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photo contest Grand Prize: $500

• Ken Millet - Smith Co - p8

1

Blue Ribbon: $250

• Luke Mauldin - Jefferson Co • Randee Oliver - Rusk Co - p38

2

Red Ribbon: $100

• Larry White - Cherokee Co - p2 • Paul Prosperi - Jefferson Co 4• Kristi Thomas - Marion Co 5• Lee Loveless - Anderson Co 6• Julie Rhone - Houston Co • Tiffany Terry - Nacogdoches Co - p24 3

Fan Favorite: $150

• Alex Shaw - Nacogdoches Co

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Sponsored Categories $250

1

• Forest Trail Region - Rhonda Swanson 8• Forest Trail Region - Michael Engleman • Beaumont CVB - Sue Skinner • Mt. Pleasant/Titus COC - Grace Garcia - p15 • City of Palestine - Jennifer Willard • Shelby County COC - Jonathan Liker • Nacogdoches Main Street - Randee Oliver • City of Huntsville - Tiffany Terry - p36 • Nacogdoches CVB - Stacey Plaisance 7

Sponsored Categories $100

• MYETX.com - Grant Barto • Tyler CVB - Mark Vidal • Mt. Vernon Main Street - Charles Rutherford

Honorable Mention

Aaron Gilcrease, Adam Skinner, Alyson Stringer Steakly, Bruce Partain, Danice Kennedy, Eddie Roberts, Erin Boone, Jack Coleman, Janelle Templeton, Joe Pase, Jordan Redfearn, Kristy Felts, Kristy Magnuson, Leah Hamilton-Slider, Lisa Hilbers, Liz Ethridge, Rachel Lout, Rolan Ranido, Sarah Williams, Shelley Petkovsek, Tammy Scates, and Zelma Lias.

32 Visit www.txforesttrailcontest.com to see all winners & honorable mentions.

3

22 21 $4.3k awards

honorable mentions

prizes

7

2

4

5

6

8

9

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our finances $123,958 ASSETS $91,608

$21,319

Checking at beginning of period Certificates of deposit

$1,785 Fixed Assets $9,245 Accounts receivable

$117,915 INCOME Grant funds

$75,000

Transportation Enhancement Funds

Projects

$23,375 Partner Contributions $16,824 Co-op Advertising & Promotions $2,485

Workshops & Educational Services

$231

interest

$79,325 EXPENSES $46,446

Salaries, Benefits, and Payroll

$8,929 Travel, Workshops & Training $8,305

Banking, Insurance, Phone, Equipment

$6,875 Accounting & Contracted Services $6,687 Advertising & Promotions $2,083

Postage, Printing, and Supplies

$79,325 NET BALANCE

(Income+ Assets) - Expenses

$64,323 IN-KIND GIFTS

34 Lake Conroe - By Erin Boone - Awarded: Honorable Mention 2014 - - Montgomery County

+36% -32% project income

overall expenses

“The Texas Forest Trail program has helped us to better market our historic downtown; because of this we have seen an increase in heritage tourism and sales tax revenue.�

-Robert Johnson Gladewater Economic Development

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“The Texas Forest Trail Program brings dollars to our Texas communities by promoting the heritage, culture and natural beauty that’s available right here in East Texas.”

-Barbara Parmley Texas Parks & Wildlife

our year in review 36 Huntsville State Park - By Tiffany Terry - Awarded: Huntsville Sponsored Category 2014 - - Walker County

20

communities visited

10

community presentations

Sep-13 8 Heritage Trail/Regional Advocate, Meeting:Tranp Comm. Jeff Austin -- Jacksonville

8 Community Visit /Consultation, Cherokee County Historical Commission -- Rusk

11 Community/Sites Visit/Photo Blogger, Destination Training -- Beaumont

11 Community Visit /Photo Blogger -- Hardin County

18 Participant, Statewide Heritage Trails Meeting -- Teleconference

19 Partner Service Provider, Report, SFASU CVB study delivered-- Nacogdoches

22 Community Visit /Photo Blogger -- Cherokee County

Oct-13 5 Visit/Recruiter/Photo Blogger, Pineywood Arts Assc, Polka Fest -- Crockett

8 Community Visit /Photo Blogger -- Sacul & Cushing

9 Forest Trail Advocate/Regional Marketing Rep, State Fair of Texas -- Dallas

24 Facilitator/Presenter, TFTR 1st Quarter Board Meeting -- Nacogdoches

26 Community Visit, Partner Event: Wine in the Pines -- Mount Vernon

26 Community Visit, Partner Event: Scare on the Square -- Mount Pleasant 26-28 Community Visit /Photo Blogger/Presenter, Toolkit Workshop -- Hughes Springs

30 Participant, TTIA Regional Training -- Nacogdoches

Nov-13 4 SEO Audit with Trademark Media -- Online 4-5 Forest Trail Advocate/Regional Marketing Rep, Dallas Adventure Show -- Dallas

6 Facilitator, New partner benefits launched, Roger Brooks Library -- Online

11 Organizer, New Tumblr blog launched -- Online

15 Photo Blogger, Forest Trail Instagram featured by TX Monthly -- Online

Dec-13 4 Community Visit /Photo Blogger -- Crockett & Jasper 4-5 Participant, Statewide & Heritage Trails LLC Meetings -- Round Rock

6 Volunteer, Partner Event: Nine Flags Festival -- Nacogdoches

12 Participant, Tourism Currents Webinar/TweetChat on IG Contests -- Online 13,19,20,26 Participant, SEO Audit with Trademark Media -- Online

19 Participant, Assoc Women in Communications Webinar/ Tweet Chat -- Online

27 Community Visit /Photo Blogger – Athens & Frankston

Jan-14 2 Community Visit /Photo Blogger -- Panola & Bowie Counties

3 Community Visit /Photo Blogger -- Jacksonville 6-7 Heritage Trail Representative, THC RFP Travel Guide Committee -- Austin 9,13,14 Participant, SEO Audit with Trademark Media, Google ADS -- Online & phone

16 Facilitator, SFASU Marketing Study launched, 12 Partner Sites -- Onsite & Online

31 Facilitator/Presenter, TFTR 2nd Quarter Board Meeting -- Nacogdoches

Feb-14 12 Heritage Trail Representative, THC RFP Travel Guide Committee—Online

17 Organizer/Presenter, Toolkit Workshop, Texas Friendly Training -- Palestine

18 Community Visit /Photo Blogger -- Jacksonville

20 Facilitator, SFASU Research Presentation: Nac CVB/Nac Historic Sites

27 Partner Consultation, Gladewater EDC & Chamber

27 Facilitator, SFASU Research Presentation: Hughes Springs/Gladewater

Mar-14 12 Community Visit /Presenter, Palestine Rotary -- Palestine

14 Community Visit /Photo Blogger – Anderson County

18 Facilitator, THTP/THC Brochure Consultation with TX Monthly -- Teleconference

20 Participant, Statewide Heritage Trails Meeting -- Teleconference

20 Partner Consultation, Mount Pleasant/ Titus Co. Chamber

20 Facilitator, SFASU Research Presentation: Mt. Pleasant/Mt. Vernon

24 Partner Consultation, Caddo Mounds State Historic Site

25 Facilitator, SFASU Research Presentation: Shelby Co/San Augustine -- Nacogdoches

Apr-14 2 Participant, Govenor’s Office Tourism Assessment Roundtable -- Nacogdoches

3 Partner Consultation, Texas State Railroad

3 Facilitator, SFASU Presentation: Texas State Railroad/Livingston-- Nacogdoches

23 Facilitator/Presenter, TFTR 3rd Quarter Board Meeting -- Nacogdoches

23 Organizer/Participant, TFTR Early Bird Social, Liberty Hall -- Nacogdoches

24 Organizer/Speaker, Texas Forest Trail Summit workshop-- Nacogdoches

29 Partner Consultation, Pittsburg COC & Main Street

29 Facilitator, SFASU Research Presentation: Huntsville/Pittsburg -- Nacogdoches

30 Community Visit /Photo Blogger -- Athens & Cherokee & Rusk Counties

May-14 5 Community Visit /Photo Blogger -- Houston County

6 Organizer/Presenter, Toolkit Workshop, Texas Friendly Training -- Huntsville

12 Community Visit / Presenter, Shelby Co Chamber of Commerce -- Center

14 Partner Consultation, Caddo Mounds State Historic Site

19 Organizer, TFTR Nominations Committee -- web/phone

19 Speaker, KTXB Family Radio Network 89.7 FM -- Beaumont

27 Participant, Nacogdoches Tourism & Destination Assessment – Nacogdoches

Jun-14 4 Visit/Participant, Workshop:Writing for Impact, Texas Assc of Museums -- Huntsville 10,11,12 Participant, Statewide & Heritage Trails LLC Meetings -- Round Rock 16-20 Partner Consultations, THTP/THC Brochure with TX Monthly -- phone/email 20 Organizer/Participant, Budget Workshop -- Conference Call 25-26 Facilitator/Participant, TFTR Annual Retreat -- Mount Pleasant

27 Community Visit /Photo Blogger -- Pittsburg

27 Organizer, Ad Campaign & Photo Contest launch- Online (Jun 27-Aug 31)

Jul-14 all Organizer, Advertising Campaign, Texas Forest Trail Photo Contest -- Online

8 Participant, Texas Association of Museums Workshop -- Online 10 Participant, Heritage Trails Directors -- Conference Call

16 Presenter, Nacogdoches CVB Board Mtg -- Nacogdoches 17, 28 Participant, Heritage Trails LLC, e-Commerce -- Conference Call

31 Visit/Speaker/Photo Blogger, San Augustine Main Street -- San Augustine

Aug-14 1-7 Coordinator, Photo Contest, Fan Favorite Voting & Winner Announcement -- online 14-27 Coordinator, Photo Contest Winners Announced -- online 15,21 Participant, Heritage Trails LLC, e-Commerce -- Conference Call

21 Participant, Destination Travel Assessment Community Meeting -- Nacogdoches

21 Partner Consultation/photo bloger, Caddo Mounds: Camino Real Festival -- Alto

Sep-14 4 Facilitator/Presenter, TFTR 4th Quarter Board (make-up) Meeting -- Nacogdoches

Texas Forest Trail Region 2014 Annual Report

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38 Cattle Drive - By Randee Oliver - Awarded: Blue Ribbon 2014 - - Rusk County

our future

SECTOR I: ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY Goal: Build capacity for institutional sustainability through long-range planning, new & diversified revenue streams and an increase in regional leadership and board engagement.

STRATEGIES ACTION/TASKS DESIRED OUTCOME GOAL DELIVERABLES I.1 Plan for long-range Create plan to attain Increased revenue Financial work plan sustainability of TFTR financial stability I.2 Increase & diversify Develop new investments Increased revenue Income producing products/ income revenue & income generating services streams products I.3 Plan for TFTR Develop opportunities for Increased board Annual Planning Retreat, scope of Regional board member leadership engagement and work, leadership teams organizational & involvement organizational strength leadership I.4 Collaborate with Trails Participate in Heritage Increased value of Trail LLC Income producing products/ on sustainability Trails LLC activities assets services

Sector II: Products & Services Goal: Maximize the potential power of regional tourism partners by providing relevant training & education tools, industry resources & research and opportunities for organizational leadership & recognition.

STRATEGIES ACTION/TASKS DESIRED OUTCOME GOAL DELIVERABLES II.1 Develop partner Refine & promote partner Increased awareness & Partner program marketing program marketability program & benefits participation in partner materials, presentations & benefits program II.2 Provide partners with Develop relevant research Increased value & 2015 partner research/resources research/resource opportunities & resources marketability project opportunities Create new & relevant Increased partner skills & Media lending library, online tools & II.3 Invest in/provide training tools, educational confidence resources, tourism toolkits, summit tftr partners with opportunities for partners educational tools & training II.4 Honor partner success Create awards program to Increased awareness of Awards program honor partner success ETX tourism & build partner pride Sector III: Marketing Goal: Entice travellers to East Texas, by showcasing the beauty & history of our region through high-quality promotional materials, engaging social/interactive products, statewide collaboration and ongoing communication of regional events/ heritage attractions.

STRATEGIES ACTION/TASKS DESIRED OUTCOME GOAL DELIVERABLES III.1 Build awareness Continue current & Increased visibility of Print/web marketing collateral, of the Forest Trail produce new high-quality TFTR, ETX & our partners, brochures, postcards, etc. as a destination & promo materials for attractions & events organization download/print III.2 Develop relationships Engage with travellers and Increased online Social media posts & online with travellers using provide effective info on engagement with potential advertising new media regional events/heritage travellers attractions III.3 Generate enthusiasm, Showcase the beauty & Increased engagement with Presentations, Trade show interest and pride in history of ETX with locals travellers, TFTR partners & appearances, promotions, contests East Texas and travellers through ETX assets & photo competition Social/interactive travel products III.4 Collaborate with Continue current & create Increased awareness and Co-op advertising, Trade shows, other Trails to market new co-op marketing support for the Heritage marketing & online promotions. the Heritage Trails opportunities for all 10 Trails program Program Trails

Texas Forest Trail Region 2014 Annual Report

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C L p kL Y TEXAS FOREST TRAIL REGION 202 East Pilar Street · Nacogdoches, Texas 75961 info@texasforesttrail.com 936-560-3699 www.texasforesttrail.com 40