Report to the Community 2014/2015
Visit Fort Wayne The Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau, dba Visit Fort Wayne, is a community and economic development organization. We are governed by a 20-member, all-volunteer board of civic leaders, staffed by 12 professionals and financed by both public entities and private sector businesses to attract more visitors to our destination. Our mission is to promote our city as a destination for conventions, trade shows, leisure visitors and sports tournaments. We do this so every business and resident can enjoy the economic and social benefits of a prosperous tourism industry. Each year, visitors spend $497 million dollars in Allen County and contribute $28 million to our local tax base. This infusion of new dollars increases commerce for hundreds of businesses, while helping to sustain over 8,500 jobs. It also enhances everyone’s quality of life by generating new customers and admissions for places that residents get to enjoy, like attractions, arenas, ballparks, malls, restaurants and festivals. Gary Shearer
Visit Fort Wayne does much more than serve as the community’s “advertising agency.” We also operate the Visitors Center to ”Welcome the World to Fort Wayne,” help businesses attract new employees, and help new residents get acquainted with their new home. To view Fort Wayne from a visitors’ perspective, we encourage you to visit our website at www.VisitFortWayne.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram too. Please enjoy reading more about our accomplishments and plans for the future in this report. Thank you to all our industry partners and stakeholders for their support.
Dan O’Connell
Our strategic plan goals: 2015-2018 • Increase Community Support in order to make Fort Wayne a Better Visitor Destination • Advocate for Visitor-Oriented Development to Improve and Enhance the Destination • Increase the competitiveness of Visit Fort Wayne
Sincerely, Gary Shearer Dan O’Connell Old National Bank, Wealth Management President/CEO Chair, Visit Fort Wayne Board of Directors Visit Fort Wayne
Our Mission Visit Fort Wayne conducts marketing and sales programs to attract visitors to our destination’s convention and tourism facilities so that our community can derive the economic and social benefits of a prosperous tourism industry.
Our Vision Fort Wayne is the best destination in the Midwest for conventions, trade shows, sports tournaments and fun, family get-away trips. Visitors enjoy their stay because of the famous“Hoosier Hospitality” they experience during their visit to Fort Wayne.
Our Goals • • • •
Conduct sales and marketing programs to attraction convention, meetings and tournaments to Fort Wayne Produce advertising campaigns to attract leisure visitors and travel media attention Provide visitor information services to promote our community and industry partners Provide the leadership to grow our community’s economy and its tourism industry
Economic Impact of Visitors Number of Annual Visitors
Wages and Salaries
Fort Wayne Visitors....................................................................5.8 million Pass Through Visitors.................................................................2.1 million Represents a 1.7% increase over 2009 study.
Direct Wages and Salaries...................................................$173,853,000 Represents a 1.6 % increase over 2011 study.
Taxes Generated
Visitor Expenditures
Local Taxes (hotel, food & beverage, property).......................$28,334,800 State Taxes (sales, income, gas).............................................$38,958,100 Represents a 2.1% increase over 2011 study.
Visitor Expenditures in Allen County....................................$496,700,000 Represents an annual growth of 2.3%.
Total Employment Direct Jobs (sustained by visitors).....................................................8,495 Over 1/3 of jobs were in high wage occupations, 4.85% of all Allen County jobs. Tourism is Allen County’s 6th largest employer.
Visitor and Travel Characteristics Where Visitors Come From
Expenditures by Visitor Type Per Day
According to VisitFortWayne.com visits, Visitors Center inquiries and ad responses, visitors come to Fort Wayne from the following states: Indiana..............................................................................................54% Ohio....................................................................................................9% Illinois..................................................................................................8% Michigan..........................................................................................7.5% Other............................................................................................. 21.5%
Lodging Guests............................................................................$133.29 Visiting Friends & Relatives............................................................$70.87 Day Trip Visitors..............................................................................$29.47
Visitors by Trip Characteristics Typical Travel Party....................................................................3.2 people Average Stay............................................................................... 1.8 days First Visit to Fort Wayne.................................................................. 44.2%
Visitors by Travel Type
Lodging Guests ........................... 44%
Day Trip Visitors ........................... 25%
Visiting Friends and Relatives ...... 20%
Pass-Through Visitors .................. 11%
Expenditures by Type
Food & Beverage........................35%
Shopping....................................21% Lodging......................................14% Transportation.............................15% Attractions/Entertainment...........12% Souvenirs......................................3%
Group Sales Visit Fort Wayne’s Group Sales team works to solicit and secure conventions, meetings, trade shows, and sports tournaments to convene in Fort Wayne and Allen County facilities. Our sales staff attends five major trade shows and marketplaces around the nation to meet with convention planners and sports event organizers. On average they book 25 groups per year, which bring about 35,000 visitors and $12 million to Fort Wayne annually. 2014 Accomplishments
2015 Goals
• Hosted the Indiana Fort Wayne Society of Association Executives in Fort is close. Wayne in July 2014. Referred to as the “Convention of Convention Planners,” we shared our city’s hospitality ISAE Invite and convention facilities with this important group
• Exhibit at six tradeshows around the nation to attract conventions, tournaments and bus tours to Fort Wayne • Utilize our new CRM software to better market to planners • Generate 40 leads, conduct 10 site tours, and book 25 events that will bring 35,000 more visitors to Fort Wayne
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• Exhibited at Rejuvenate, a tradeshow for religious convention planners in Daytona Beach, FL
6/13/14 10:13 AM
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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10/8/14 10:38 AM
• Exhibited at inaugural Great Lakes Meeting Professionals International in Merrillville, IN
Bus Tours bring groups to Fort Wayne
• Produced 45 leads for future conventions, meetings and sports tournaments
Proposal To Host:
National Tactical Officers Association 32nd Annual Tactical Conference and Trade Show
• Conducted 13 personal site visits tours with convention planners considering Fort Wayne
Presented By:
• Presented 15 customized bid books Our Customizable Bid Book and presentations for clients • Exhibited at Heartland Showcase, a tradeshow for bus tours in Toledo, OH
Bring Your Group Tour to Fort Wayne, Indiana Mark your calendar for Fort Wayne’s #1 Group Tour event of the year!
Vera Bradley Outlet Sale April 8-12, 2015 April 6-10, 2016 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Plan a girlfriend getaway around the amazing Vera Bradley Outlet Sale, where you will find 40-60% off retail prices!
Additional Girlfriend Getaway Ideas DeBrand Fine Chocolates
Take a tour of DeBrand’s factory and get a behind-the-scenes look at the secrets of chocolate making!
Northeast Indiana Wineries
Northeast Indiana features several outstanding wineries! Private tastings and tours are available for groups.
Boutique Shopping
In addition to Fort Wayne’s two destination-style malls, we offer groupfriendly boutique shopping with custom tours of olive oil tasting shoppes, custom gift items and so much more.
Spas and Pampering
Fort Wayne knows how to treat a group of girlfriends! Enjoy Cali Spa, where you can enjoy 30 pedicures at a time, or individual spa services packages - we’ll recommend the right treat for your group.
Neighboring Communities
Just outside Fort Wayne you will find the Amish community of Grabill to the north and the upscale community of Roanoke to the south. Each one offers shopping, dining, and trip additions to cherish!
Excellent Hotel Packages Available!
Bus Tour Flyer
Working our Tradeshow Booth with our Fort Wayne Sales Team
Leisure Marketing and Communications Visit Fort Wayne uses advertising, marketing, public relations and social media activities to attract leisure visitors to Fort Wayne. We promote Fort Wayne as a high-quality, low-cost family destination for getaway trips. Our goal is to produce 30 million exposures and generate 2 million visitors to our website to encourage their families to visit Fort Wayne.
2014 Achievements
2015 Goals
• Advertised Fort Wayne using traditional advertising (TV, radio, newspaper, web) in 30 cities between 50-200 miles from Fort Wayne to encourage family getaways and overnight stays built around the many attractions and amenities in our community
• Early 2015 will see a re-launch our VisitFortWayne.com website with even more functionality and responsive capabilities for visitors using mobile devices
• Worked extensively with travel media including hosting them on FAM tours and garnering free earned media from many regional magazines and newspapers • The summer’s campaign was a huge success with web traffic up 24% and Visitors Center inquiries up 70%, which directly contributed to area attractions reporting their admissions increased between 3-9% over the previous year
Big City.
Bigger Heart. You'll love family getaways in Fort Wayne!
Just two hours north of Indianapolis, a heartwarming getaway awaits. Reconnect with your family this summer in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
• Our social media and digital Start Planning marketing efforts were expanded in a Great Family Getaway That They’ll Love! 2014, resulting in a 73% increase VisitFortWayne.com • 1-800-767-7752 in Facebook fans, 59% increase in Twitter followers, and 264% increase in Instagram followers. These results, and our increased web presence, resulted in our Marketing Department Digital Marketers of the Year Award being awarded the “Digital Marketers of the Year” award from Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly VFW_IndyMonthly3.5x4.5.indd 1
• Organized several local community relations programs including “Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown” which had over 28,000 people participate, to create more awareness and appreciation for our tourism industry partners and our organization
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4/24/13 4:40 PM
VisitFortWayne.com
• Launch of a new campaign, “Host Them Here,” designed to encourage Fort Wayne residents to invite their friends and family to visit Fort Wayne. This multimedia campaign will not only provide residents with tips and tools to use when they host their guests, but also increase their civic pride in Fort Wayne’s many offerings • We will also continue to build on our successful advertising and social media campaigns to promote our city to as many potential visitors as possible • In 2015, we are also increasing our emphasis on working with the Travel Media to secure more articles, blogs and stories about our city as a leisure destination
You know she’s been DYING to visit.
We’ll help make it as painless as possible. Visit Fort Wayne has the planning tools to help you know where to go, what to do, and how to make it a visit to remember.
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Host Them Here Ad Campaign
Travel Writer FAM Tour visits the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale
10/15/14 2:16 PM
Visitor Services The Visitor Services Department acts as the primary point of contact for planners and visitors interested in Fort Wayne as a destination for their convention, tournament or family getaway trip. We provide advice and information in many forms to assist in the planning of a Fort Wayne visit.
2014 Achievements
2015 Goals • Continue to increase effectiveness and value of the Visitors Center by utilizing our new staff and web tools to help planners and visitors • Continue to emphasize good customer service and personalized attention, and respond to inquires in a timely manner • Upgrade souvenir and merchandise offerings for visitors and residents • Create a research plan to develop visitor profiles to improve our marketing
The Visitors Center Welcomes Guests
• Responded with friendly, helpful assistance through the Visitors Center – walk-ins were up 15%. In addition, new merchandise sales were up approximately 11% • Populated our Calendar of Events to grow its reputation in the community as the best resource to learn about events
• Help planners make their events in Fort Wayne successful, so that their success will encourage them to return to our city in the future New Visitors Center Merchandise
• Increased the distribution of brochures by 170% • 2014 was the first year we used DMAI’s economic impact calculator for sports, which assisted our efforts to quantify the value of sports groups in our community • Assisted over 100 groups from family reunions to State GOP convention with helpful planning assistance for their gatherings. We also made custom websites, special arrangements at restaurants, and provided friendly, informed staff at their information tables while distributing thousands of brochures for many of our city’s attractions, festivals and entertainment venues
The Visitors Center celebrated our 65th Year with the installation of a Pinwheel sculpture
Welcome to Fort Wayne!
2014 Indiana Republican Party State Convention ®
Republican Party Welcome Flyer VFW_RepublicanConventionAd_.indd 1
6/3/14 2:29 PM
Special Projects The Special Projects Department serves our Industry Partners by helping them to promote their business to visitors. We produce a Visitors Guide, website, information kiosks and maps which provide opportunities for Industry Partners to advertise their businesses. The Special Projects staff also works on a wide variety of community-oriented projects with the City, County, Airport, Downtown Improvement, Three Rivers Festival, NE Indiana Partnership and others to improve Fort Wayne/Allen County.
2014 Achievements
2015 Goals
• Installed new digital welcome screens at Fort Wayne International Airport, welcoming visitors with news of attractions, events and favorite Fort Wayne images. The signs are a partnership with the airport, and allow special timed messages for large convention groups, special dignitaries and business leaders
• Expand on the success of Savor Fort Wayne, adding more restaurants and community partnerships • Expand Frontline training program to offer two sessions a year • Grow opportunities for members to market to visitors through our publications and online offerings
• Launched the inaugural Savor Fort Wayne restaurant week, a great success for businesses and customers alike • Provided training to front line employees of the hospitality industry to better assist and serve visitors during Tourism Week event • Published the Official Fort Wayne Visitors Guide, maps and more 2014 Visitors Guide
Front Line Training Educates our Industry Partners
Administration Department The Administration Department insures the organization is operating efficiently and effectively in all its operations, utilizing the leadership of the Board, skills of the staff and resources provided to us by stakeholders and industry partners. We are also responsible for community relations, industry leadership and growing our community’s economy through tourism. 2014 Accomplishments
2015 Goals
• Fully integrated “checks and balances” into our financial activities to ensure that all the dollars provided the organization are spent correctly • Updated the Bureau’s three-year Strategic Plan • Served on three mayoral committees and collaborated with other community and economic development organizations including Greater Fort Wayne, Inc, NE IN Partnership, Arts United, DID, IPFW, Sports Corp and Cultural District to make Fort Wayne and Allen County a better destination for both visitors and residents alike
• Implement our Strategic Plan with the Board of Directors • Create new reporting and networking meetings called “Connect” to help our industry partners and stakeholders learn more about our activities
Board of Directors - 2015
Staff
Gary Shearer, Old National Bank Board Chairperson
Management & Finance
Mike Nutter, Fort Wayne TinCaps Vice Chairperson Michael Sperry, Gordon Food Service Treasurer Dawn Rosemond, Barnes & Thornburg Secretary
Dan O’Connell, President/CEO Dennis Robinson, Director of Industry Partner Relations Beth Monn, Bookkeeper/Administration Assistant
Marketing Kristen Guthrie, Director of Marketing Dan Kinnaley, Digital Marketing Manager John Felts, Marketing and Communications Specialist
Group Sales Board Members Jim Anderson, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
Josie O’Donnell, Senior Group Sales Manager Emily Ecenbarger, Group Sales Assistant
Tim Beere, DeBrand Fine Chocolates
Visitor Services/Visitors Center
Randy Brown, Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Megan Flohr, Director of Services Stephanie Coleman, Receptionist/Visitor Information Megan Butler, Receptionist/Visitor Information
Sharon Feasel, City of Fort Wayne Danette Fitzgerald, Parkview Health Steve Gard, The Oyster Bar Tim Hall, Don Hall’s Guesthouse Scott Hinderman, Fort Wayne/Allen County Airport Authority Don Osika, 21 Alive/NBC 33 Mac Parker, Faegre Baker Daniels Nelson Peters, Allen County Commissioner John Sampson, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership Melissa Schenkel, Vera Bradley Bart Shaw, Grand Wayne Convention Center
Learn more on our organizational website: FortWayneCVB.com or on our consumer site: VisitFortWayne.com
Lisa Starks, Barnes & Thornburg Kelly Updike, Embassy Theatre Irene Walters, Community Leader
927 S. Harrison Street, Suite 101, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 1-800-767-7752 • 260-424-3700
www.VisitFortWayne.com