Decatur Morgan County Tourism, Inc is a nonprofit economic development agency responsible for marketing Decatur and Morgan County as a destination for conventions, tour groups, sporting events, relocation, and special events D M C T also assists the area industry with their corporate travel needs in Decatur D M C T staff works to stimulate the traveling public’s interest in our attractions, events, festivals, recreational facilities, and tournaments, Decatur Morgan County Tourism shall endeavor to solicit into Decatur and Morgan County, Alabama conventions, meetings, conferences, group business, sporting events, relocations, and visitors. It shall further attempt to develop tourism through the development and promotion of permanent attractions, food and entertainment facilities, sporting venues, and special events that bring tourists to the city.
D.M.C.T. shall also encourage educational, promotional, service, civic, recreational, historical, and cultural activities that further the interests of the hospitality and convention industry in Decatur and Morgan County, Alabama In its efforts, the Decatur Morgan County Tourism works to promote a sustainable tourism plan that incorporates existing facilities and future projects to enhance community character and sense of place, making Decatur and Morgan County, Alabama, a special place to live and visit
Target Markets
In addition to Corporate travelers and guests who are in Decatur and Morgan County as participants in sporting events/tournaments, our target markets are as follows: leisure/family, outdoors/sportsmen, educational, culinary, relocations, & small conferences
Primary Markets
Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida
Secondary Markets
Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio
Danielle Gibson
President & CEO
Sharon Holder
Don Dukemineer
Dolores Powell
Vice President of Operations Director of Sports Development Director of Communications Housing Bureau Coordinator
Lillie Beth Warner
Sheila Davis Chairman
Bryan Chapman
Past Chairman
Wade Weaver Treasurer
Ronnie Dukes Secretary
Leigh Ann Underwood
Special Events & Group Sales Director
Keilee Terry
Social Media Manager
Ali Love
Corporate & Industry Sales Director
Our 2023 Key Initiatives
Norman Roby Director
Christy Richardson Director
Forest Keith Director
Peggy Allen Towns Director
Aaron Lang Director
Linda Schoo Director
Aaron Bell Director
Alabama Magazine
Alabama Vacation Guide
AMLA
Co-Op Advertising
Bandwango
CrowdRiff
Connect Sports-Annual Facilities Guide
Convention South Magazine-Annual
Listing
Compass Media
Decatur Morgan Explore
Event Promotional Materials
Excursions
Group Tour Marketing
Good Grit Magazine
Meltwater
North Alabama Travel Planner
Playeasy Online Profile
Relic Agency-Podcast Recording
Social Media Advertising with Boost Posts
Sports Destination Management
SE Regional Focus Sports Event MagazineEditorial Version
Sports Event Magazine-Soccer Listing
Sports Event Magazine-Annual Buyers Guide
Sports Event Magazine-Baseball/Softball
Listing
Sweet Home Alabama-Alabama Tourism Partnership
Premier Travel Media/Sports Planning Guide
Al State Sports Guide
SoulGrown
Venues Unlimited
3 rd Friday Downtown
“A Hard Nut to Crack” Civil War Walking Tour
“Pad” Map (Tear-off map)
Amen Trail (Historic Churches)
April Walking Tours
Bad & Boujee Bourbon Club
Battle for Decatur
Christmas Tour of Homes Decatur
“Civil War” Homefront
Decatur Morgan Dining Guide
Decatur Morgan Visitors Guide
Decatur Downtown Turtle Trail
Decatur’s African American Pioneer
D.M.C.T. Christmas Cards
Economic Health Booklet
Events Brochure
Festival of the Cranes Rack Card
Group Tour Promotional Piece
Historic Decatur Walking Tour
Meeting
Planners Facilities Guide
MoCo Art Trail
MoCo Burger Trail-Digital Only
MoCo BBQ Trail-Digital Only
MoCo Sweet Treat Trail MoCo
Mexican Food Trail-Digital Only
MoCo Mural Trail
MoCo Savings Pass
River Clay Fine Arts Festival Rack Card
Outdoor Adventures
Press Releases
Program of Work Booklet
Trail of Tears
The Old State Bank
WanderMaps
Video Production
Sales Mission:
To Promote Decatur Morgan County Tourism as the premier meeting and convention destination by marketing our natural resources
Strategize to create targeted direct sales leading to new business opportunities Target Marketing Efforts such as tradeshow participation & meeting planner incentive programs Collaborate to create impactful, new group sales and marketing campaigns. Conduct site and familiarization (FAM) tours to strategic locations. Create competitive group pricing packages with industry partners. Provide convention and group service client management services
Alabama Association of Destination Marketing Organizations
Alabama Bass Trail
Alabama Council of Association Executives
Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association
Alabama Parks & Recreation
Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association
Alabama Travel Council
Alabama Bus Association
Alabama Motorcoach Association
Carnegie Visual Arts Center
Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Authority
Decatur Morgan County Chamber of Commerce
Decatur Morgan County Hospitality Association
Destination International
Downtown Decatur Merchants and Business Association
Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce
Kiwanis Club of Decatur
Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce
Morgan County Economic Development Association
Rotary Club
Small Market Meetings
Society of Government Meeting Planners
Southeast Tourism Society
SHRM
Sports Alabama
Sports ETA
TEAMS
Tennessee Motor Coach Association
Tennessee RiverLine
The Princess Theatre
Strategy #1
Develop bold group tour marketing initiatives to position D.M.C.T. as a premier meeting destination
Develop a new group and meeting marketing campaign to grow business and meeting bookings from new markets.
Tactics
• Deliver heightened meaningful and highly personalized sales and marketing connections and communications to new markets.
• Indirectly generate incremental room nights and booking by directly contributing to specified media activity goals through media engagements.
Strategy #2
Utilize group booking incentives to increate city-wide bookings and contracted group room nights.
Tactics
• Develop an incentive package that is unique to D.M.C.T. and provides a certain level of incentive based on return as meetings start to book for future years.
• Partner with local attractions and venues to create custom, turn-key experiences for group incentive offer
• Gain a competitive advantage by promoting the ability to combine multiple incentives to key clients.
Strategy #3
Create and produce an inspiring, newly branded Meeting Planner Guide.
• Create new group branding with specific targeting to meeting planning professionals
• Coordinate with tourism partners to gather photo and video assets of key meeting spaces
• Promote our information webpage to meeting planners
Strategy #1
Share D.M.C.T. with the group business world through participation in tradeshows and industry events.
Identify key industry tradeshows and conferences that align with target markets.
Tactics
• Ensure the CRM System is accurate and up to date.
• Identify the target groups for each target market
• Enhance our presence through event sponsorships, Public Relations, and media attendance.
Strategy #2
Promote the destination with newly customized branded booth experience
Tactics
• Develop unique, creative messaging for key target market tradeshows.
• Identify desirable promotional items meant to draw potential clients
• Continue to update
Objective 3
Strategy #1
Showcase D.M.C.T. to clients through the annual sales calls for the "Association" blitz in Montgomery
Create a unique D.M.C.T. “blitz” weekend in Montgomery
Tactics
• The blitz will focus on the meeting locations in Decatur and the unique attractions and itineraries that guests can enjoy during a conference in Decatur.
• Collaborate with hoteliers and partners to curate a custom target client list for meeting planner in Montgomery that have potential meetings in Decatur.
Strategy #2
Curate unique familiarization (FAM) trip opportunities for planners
Tactics
• Develop an annual calendar to strategically market local events to take place during FAM trips for target markets
• Utilize a quarterly Sales newsletter to motivate planners to attend FAM trips with unique, exclusive experiences to Decatur.
One of the unique elements of the marketing program of Decatur Morgan County Tourism is its ownership of the “Decatur” hot air balloon and use as a marketing tool for the city and county
Our Strategy
The Sales Department will attend tradeshows, conferences, and events These events will potentially drive new business to the city in producing room nights in all market segments. All event formats are either a tradeshow or a reverse buyer. Many of these events offer an appointment setting so D M C T can pre-qualify and evaluate potential business opportunities These events also offer an element of education for attendees and social event offering more time to visit with potential clients and meeting planners.
Trade Shows attended by D M C T Team
AADMO Quarterly Board Meeting and Annual Meeting
AAA Great Vacations
Travel Alabama State Tourism-The Governor’s Conference
Alabama Council of Association Executives Annual Convention
Alabama League of Municipalities Alabama Welcome Center Retreat
Alabama Parks & Recreation Annual Meeting
American Bus Association
AMLA Board Meetings and Annual Meeting
Chief Executive Summit/Sports ETA Board of Directors Meeting
Pop Into Decatur
Rural Tourism Conference
S P O R T S the Relations Conference
NAIA Convention
Small Market Meetings
Southeast U S A Spotlight
S T S Marketing College
S T S Domestic Showcase
Sports Annual Meeting
Sports ETA Chief Executive Summit
Sports ETA Symposium Sports
4S Rights Holder Summit
TEAMS Conference + Expo
Alabama Tourism Bash
US Sports Congress
The Sales Team will coordinate the following Sales Missions to create more selling opportunities for DMCT and re-create (FAM Tours) for the year in an efforts to bring meetings, conventions, and group business to the city. In addition to these schedule events, each Sales Director handles monthly local or bi-monthly outer market sales calls with potential buyers. These opportunities require partner participation from our stakeholders
SALES BLITZ SCHEDULE FOR GROUP BUSINESS:
SUMMER (1 DAY) “Pop into Decatur”/Tourism Day at the Ardmore Welcome Center: DMCT and the Decatur Morgan County Hospitality Association host “Pop into Decatur” at the Ardmore Welcome Center, serving free Pepsi and popcorn to visitors and encouraging them to “ pop ” into Decatur as they travel I-65 This event has typically been held during Spring Break.
DMCT coordinates twice-yearly “familiarization” tours (“FAM”) tours for area front-line hospitality industry personnel to familiarize these tourism leaders with the tourism resource available to local guests Tours include local history, visits to local attractions, stops at local sporting venues, and lunch at a local eatery The assignments helped these tourism professionals to have better first-hand information and experience on the many things to see and do in the area FAM tours are held in the Spring and Fall.
DMCT will hold local industry blitz to thank the local industry for their business and explain services/assistance available through DMCT DMCT will also, work with the industries on internships programs
Decatur Morgan County Tourism has a competitive advantage in that it offers something many other cities cannot with water. The opportunity for D.M.C.T. to leverage our natural assets to foster growth and drive new market of visitors and spending
Strategy #1
Develop a competitive sports ecosystem.
Tactics
• Assemble a comprehensive destination asset list to include facilities, key contacts, and stakeholders
• Grow existing sports events with a concentration on off-peak and mid-week dates.
• Explore redevelopment of past tournaments and events that were previously successful events.
• Create a new sports planner guide.
• Create a highly targeted prospect list of potential bids
Strategy #2
Ensure the world knows the distinctive sports opportunities in Decatur & Morgan County.
• Establish and Strengthen membership in relevant associations and organizations
• Collaborate with local partners to promote sports opportunities
• Work with key stakeholders on a quarterly basis to discuss and approve potential business, tournaments, and sporting events
• Attend key industry tradeshows and events
• Create highly targeted prospect lists
Media Strategy:
The media strategy for Decatur Morgan County Tourism is to deliver data-driven, adaptable media to a leisure audience, driving inspiration and longer visitation to Decatur & Morgan County from core audience segments.
Enhance and execute use of marketing channels to leisure visitors to generate a large economic impact to D.M.C.T. Strategic marketing campaigns as well as activations and promotions of visitor supported attractions, hotels, and businesses.
Strategy #1
Build brand awareness through targeted and integrated paid-media leisure marketing campaigns
Tactics
D.M.C.T. will develop themed itineraries showcasing the unique destinations and adventures to enjoy in Decatur and Morgan County. These tour packages will be customized on various themes and will be prepared for a variety of age groups and experiences.
Work with local attractions to create collaborative packages.
Work with hotels to add lodging component to tour packages.
Create a direct marketing piece including itineraries to send to travel writers and bus tour operators.
Decatur and Morgan County sites are also included in itineraries developed and marketed by Alabama Mountain Lakes Association and the Alabama Tourism Department.
Work on Civil Rights themed tours and contact state about getting Decatur included in their promotions. (Scottsboro Boys Trials held in Decatur)
Work with the Singing River Trail along with the Tennessee River Towns Program.
Ensure the D.M.C.T. marketing, media and messaging delivers data-driven, measurable results from a target leisure audience, with travel encouragement driven at peak holidays, seasonality, and need-periods.
Strategy #2
Launch highly targeted influencer programs inclusive of community and travel influencers.
Tactics
Continue to work with Klear by Meltwater on influencer strategy
Drive social media awareness and engagement of Decatur Morgan County Tourism by inviting influencers and social media influencers to share their traveler experiences. Generate rich content via influencer blog posts, stories, and social media content.
Strategy #3
Ambassadors Program- The #VisitDecaturAl Ambassador Program looks for individuals who represent Morgan County well through photos on social media
Tactics
Drive social media awareness and engagement of Decatur Morgan County Tourism by inviting influencers and social media influencers to share their traveler experiences. It’s someone who explores, seeks adventure, captures the beauty of North Alabama, and shares it with the community. It’s someone who ultimately makes us want to go out and explore for ourselves
sitDecaturAl Ambassadors.
Objective 2
Enhance personalized marketing through storytelling.
Strategy #1
Create a new and refreshing content plan to tell an authentic story of D.M.C.T.
Tactics
Develop a strategy for refreshing and updating existing top-performing content.
Reimagine the blog with fresh storytelling content with local and regional travel writers, partners, and influencers
D.M.C.T. produces and provides billboards as a free service for local special events and the general promotion of tourism in Decatur and Morgan County
Strategy #2
Launch highly targeted influencer programs inclusive of community and travel influencers.
Tactics
Continue to work with Klear by Meltwater on influencer strategy.
Drive social media awareness and engagement of Decatur Morgan County Tourism by inviting influencers and social media influencers to share their traveler experiences
Generate rich content via influencer blog posts, stories, and social media content.
Create a #VisitDecaturAL creators summit campaign
Create a new video series about our incredible attractions.
Strategy #3
Leverage marketing efforts through public relations and media partnerships for earned-media to support seasonal campaigns that raise awareness and visibility of Decatur Morgan County.
Tactics
Generate impactful regional and national press coverage
Drive social media awareness and engagement of Decatur Morgan County Tourism by inviting influencers and social media influencers to share their traveler experiences.
D M C T develops press releases for local events as a free public service to our special events and attractions. Press releases are issued to established media contact lists for both general and special interest press releases. We will also be using a platform called Meltwater to track media exposure This also allows us to communicate directly with the media.
D.M.C.T. currently has an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, and our blog page. We are continuing to work to strengthen our existing efforts with planned campaigns on these platforms and also expand onto Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube and other sites that we feel are beneficial to tourism promotion.
Strategy #4
Develop bold marketing activations in target markets to display brand presence and generate awareness
Tactics
Select markets and level of activations based on visitor data and core audiences
Create innovative activations at strategically chosen tradeshows, events, and festivals.
Dedicate a #VisitDecaturAL activation to be placed in Morgan County to enhance community pride and generate positive local sentiment to “love where you live”
Wow audiences with marketing activations by partnering with local makers to highlight the unique vibe of Morgan County.
Strategy #1
Promote Decatur to residents and stakeholders as a community shared value.
Develop and promote effective, community-driven pride of Decatur Morgan County through ongoing education, community relations, and experiences
Tactics
Continue to promote the Find Your Flow in Moco Podcast, inviting guest speakers from the community to talk on topics relating to tourism, economic development, and community pride.
Continue to promote the #VisitDecaturAl Ambassador program to enhance ongoing community pride.
Develop stakeholder partnerships to help drive visitation to D M C T
Strategy #2
Develop and promote effective, community-driven pride of Decatur Morgan County through ongoing education, community relations, and experiences.
Tactics
Execute a yearly D M C T hospitality industry event for the community to encourage locals to join in on a positive and educational outlook on the travel and hospitality industry.
Continue to collaborate with local festivals on promotion and marketing of their events
Work with the Tennessee RiverLine Initiative along with the Singing River Trail.
Plan two Clean Up for the Cranes Events per year.
Launch a robust relocation microsite on the #VisitDecaturAL website.
Expand on video and photo promotional materials to continue content marketing.
Strategy #3
Promote and encourage Tourism Advocacy from a local and state level
Tactics
Develop an advocacy center website landing page to highlight the value of tourism inclusive of job creation, visitor spending, and tax generation resources.
Send out monthly stakeholder e-newsletter with information about the value of tourism, economic resources, and advocacy.
Work with stakeholders to identify and educate key issues to media and the general public.
Strategy #4
Leverage data collection as a shareable tool for the local community
Tactics
Develop an action plan and community
Develop a plan to assist local businesses in need of marketing support through the creation of a collaborative workshop
Objective 4
Strategy #1
Enhance the Decatur Morgan County Tourism Digital Experience
Continue to update Visit Decatur AL digital platform
Tactics
Ensure brand consistency in all media platforms
Expand the Visit Decatur AL website.
Continue to partner with Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Authority to bring the new Downtown virtual map D M C T ’ s new website is now mobile-friendly There is also a mobilefriendly map on the site.
Increase newsletter sign ups by highlighting people in our community, upcoming events, and past events
Strategy #2
Utilize technology in the digital space to enhance the visitor’s travel researching experience.
Tactics
Increase efforts in interactive and immersive storytelling on social media such as Instagram guides and retail options.
Research and promote ongoing media-rich storytelling unites in the campaign media mix.
WanderMaps will be our new digital map platform on the redesigned site.
D M C T maintains and records information on a master calendar that includes tourism related events such as tournaments, special events, and festivals in city and county
Strategy #3
Enhance visitor with shoppable experience through digital platforms to generate revenue.
Tactics
Expand the E-Commerce retail store, D M C T Store, for buying options to potential visitors, extending brand awareness and repeat visitation.
Utilize UGC as revenue generating content by developing retail awareness campaign
Leverage all social media capabilities to connect and strategically promote and sell merchandise to targeted individuals
Decatur Morgan County Tourism focuses on increasing tangible goals through marketing Key Performance Indicators (KPIS) which include increasing digital reach on website, social, and digital media channels, increasing and expanding the number of email subscribers, expanding earned media efforts, and measurable success after the launch of the redesigned website.
Strategy #1
Connect with all visitors in market to provide innovative, first-class visitor experiences and amenities for leisure and group travelers
Provide customized opportunities for visitor engagement via the VisitDecaturAL Program.
Tactics
Create a new program that utilizes the VisitDecaturAl crew as a mobile street team reaching visitors in areas of high visitors concentration in Downtown Decatur and Hartselle.
Continue partnerships with Bandwango to developed increased traffic to our free MoCo Savings Pass along with many other free passes •
Encourage the use of digital visitor guides by sharing via e-blasts the “Know before you go ” prior to the group arrival in our destination.
Expand the #VistiDecaturAL store.
Create a customizable itinerary experience.
Strategy # 2
Support initiatives that directly impact the overall visitor experience.
Tactics
Conduct seasonal kick-off calls with tourism partners to prepare front-line staff for peak crowds.
Continue partnerships with the Decatur Morgan County Hospitality Association
Coordinate with DDRA to continue to impress the importance of adequate lighting and crosswalks between attractions.
Objective 2
Develop high value opportunities for partnership, education, and workforce development.
Strategy #1
Expand engagement with educational institutions to support a pipeline of workforce development
Tactics
Establish a calendar of scheduled presentations to Morgan County Entrepreneurship and all City Schools
Continue partnerships with the Decatur Morgan County Chamber of Commerce on Teachers on Tour
Create and develop a Decatur Morgan County Tourism Academy
Continue the potential idea of a sports tourism management degree.
Media Strategy:
Connect with all visitors in market to provide innovative, first- class visitor experiences and amenities for leisure and group travel
Local Awareness
Audience: Local, local media & community leaders
1.) Educate residents about the benefits of tourism and it's impact on their quality of life.
2.) Develop partnerships with local influencers
3.) Increase positive local and regional media coverage of tourism, as well as the organization
Tactics
Conduct a resident sentiment survey.
On an annual basis, obtain credible data on the economic impact of tourism
Build resident support for tourism and DMCT through the creation of community pride program
Pitch story ideas to the local media about economic impact, the role of DMCT, key milestones, new and industry trends.
Create a speaker’s bureau; designate qualified speakers, create presentations on tourism related topics, and define target groups (rotary, community groups, etc.)
Produce marketing materials to tell the story of the value of tourism brochure, and a tourism video
Solicit community influencers to promote “living like a local “through social media, blogs, and videos.
Objectives
Develop a consistent communications plan for industry partners, including individual
Provide informational resources and guidance to tourism-related businesses.
Continue to promote and create the hospitality annual meeting.
Develop and hold workshops and educational events to facilitate idea sharing and cross promotion.
Work with partners on creating a sustainable tourism plan
Develop an action plan and community service micro-campaign through industry partners
Audience Business community, leaders, and regional planning groups.
Objectives
Play a key role in destination development
Elevate tourism as a key economic driver.
Develop a communications strategy to reach the business community.
Ensure D M C T has representation on key board of directors
Create networking events with other community organizations to strengthen partnerships
Audience Hospitality Industry Employees and Supervisors, Local Colleges.
Objectives
Elevate the customer service in Decatur and Morgan County
Generate positive word of mouth advertising.
Increase repeat visitation to our destination.
Tactics
Develop an outreach program to area colleges to involve their students in tourism and influence them to choose to remain living in the area after graduation.
Promote visitation of the new visitor information center
Create an annual training event for key front-line staff to ensure they understand all the destination’s offerings
Audience Local, Regional, and state government officials
Objectives
Make tourism a leading public policy priority
Be known as a trusted resource.
Tactics
Define key ,local, regional and state officials. Provide education
Regularly communicate with elected officials, administrators, and staff members to achieve understanding of issues
Continually monitor community issues that impact tourism.
