Annual Tourism Roadmap Meeting FEBRUARY 12 TH, 2024
Welcome Tourism Partners, Thank you for joining us for the 2024 Annual Tourism Roadmap event. We are excited to share insights into where we as an organization have been in the last year and the exciting prospects that lie ahead. Our mission is clear: “to positively impact the local economy by increasing travel-related spending in the county, provide quality services to the visitor and local hospitality industries, and assist in the development, preservation, and expansion of the county’s tourism product.” The realization of these objectives hinges on the strength of collaborative partnerships across Williamson County. You will see that on display in the presentation today, and we are privileged to count each of you among our esteemed allies. Today, we take pride in the noteworthy achievement of our organization and the entire hospitality industry in Williamson County. As a reminder, during the year 2022, visitors contributed a substantial $1.195 billion to Williamson County. This impressive spending, averaging $3.28 million per day, positions us No. 6 among Tennessee’s 95 counties in terms of visitor-related spending. Those dollars spent by visitors are proof that tourism is real money, and their visiting helps our local businesses thrive AND reduces the tax burden on residents of Williamson County. In fact, the impact is tangible—in 2022, visitor spending translated to a tax saving of $1,522 per household. Once again, thank you for being an integral part of our collective success, and we look forward to continuing this journey of growth and prosperity together. Sincerely,
Maureen H. Thornton, WCCVB President & CEO
WCCVB Board of Directors 2023-2024
Tom Rybak Chair Hilton Suites Brentwood
Ken Moore Immediate Past Chair
Steve Smith Treasurer
Eric Stuckey Secretary
Williamson County Commissioner 12th District
Franklin City Administrator
Sean Aiello
Matt Lahiff
Williamson County Commissioner 11th District
Franklin Marriott Cool Springs
Allen Arender
Matt Largen
Holladay Properties/ The Factory at Franklin
Williamson County Chamber
Bari Beasley
Andy Marshall
Heritage Foundation of Williamson County
A. Marshall Hospitality
Brandy Blanton
Jennifer Mason
City of Franklin Alderman
Williamson County Commissioner District 3 (Spring Hill)
Judy Hayes
Alma McLemore
Former Williamson County Commissioner
African American Heritage Society of Williamson County
Justin Foster
Hitesh Patel
The Harpeth Hotel
Halifax Hospitality
City of Franklin Mayor
Lee Kennedy
Dan Preston
Leiper’s Fork Distillery
Chartwell Hospitality
WCCVB S ADMINISTRATIVE
Maureen Haley Thornton President & CEO maureen@visitfranklin.com (615) 790-5333
David A. Edwards Vice President of Finance & Administration david@visitfranklin.com (615) 550-2704
Heather Doleshel Stakeholder Engagement Manager heather@visitfranklin.com (615) 550-2700
Megan Preston Office Coordinator megan@visitfranklin.com (615) 550-2702
MARKETING Lauren Ward
Matthew Maxey
Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Senior Director of Public Relations
lauren@visitfranklin.com
matthew@visitfranklin.com
(615) 790-8697
(615) 790-8696
Katie Murdock
Kiki Kixmiller
Senior Marketing Manager
Brand Identity Designer
katie@visitfranklin.com
kiki@visitfranklin.com
(615) 550-7696
(615) 550-3693
CVB Staff SALES & SERVICE
Brendan Johansen
Nate Gaw
Director of Sales
Senior Sales Manager
brendan@visitfranklin.com
nate@visitfranklin.com
(615) 794-1656
(615) 550-2701
Brock Hurtle
Jenna Townsend
Sales Manager
Sales & Service Manager
brock@visitfranklin.com
jenna@visitfranklin.com
(615) 794-1656
(615) 790-5334
VISITOR EXPERIENCE & RETAIL Felecia West
Mykenzie Johnson
Director of Visitor Experience & Retail
Visitor Experience Coordinator
felecia@visitfranklin.com
mykenzie@visitfranklin.com
(615) 550-7606
(615) 567-3313
OFFICE & VISITOR CENTER Main Office
Visitor Center
400 Main Street, Suite 200 Franklin, TN 37064
400 Main Street, Suite 130 Franklin, TN 37064
Strategic
2023-202
Priority: Maximize our destination identity and positioning Our Visit Franklin brand and positioning is a strength. As the county seat, Franklin is the most recognizable destination name, and concentrated collection of tourism assets. The Visit Franklin brand draws visitors to Williamson County. We have an opportunity to maximize our destination identity both by reexamining our assets and finding ways to package and sell them in new ways to new audiences and exploring ways to incorporate new experiences and assets into our work.
Goals Reinforce a countywide brand platform, community personalities,
Reinforce the brand with consistent Identify, understand, and effectively and cohesive assets.
and cohesive voice.
reach existing and potential new target audiences.
Priority: Encourage brand aligned product development Williamson County benefits from our proximity to Nashville as well as high-quality historic preservation, open green space, and Southern charm. We have opportunities as a growing community to add assets that attract new and repeat visitors, and benefit locals including meeting, event, dining, and activity spaces.
Goals Understand our post-pandemic
Identify opportunities to leverage
Encourage and support projects
landscape of assets, their
existing assets in new ways.
that appeal to leisure and meetings
performance and potential.
visitors that are aligned with our community.
tegic Plan
023-2024
Priority: Increase the awareness of the positive impact of our work We benefit from strong relationships with existing tourism partners and supporters. However, because most of our work is focused outside of Williamson County, we sometimes miss opportunities to engage local stakeholders and rally them around the positive impact tourism and of our work. When we share our work, we help stakeholders understand what we do, why we do it, and the positive impact it has on our community. Ultimately, by engaging more partners, we increase our ability to create a positive impact.
Goals Increase local awareness of the
Increase locals awareness of the
Expand our network of engaged
positive impact of tourism on
Visitor Center as a resource.
partners.
Williamson County and the work of Visit Franklin.
Priority: Manage organizational capacity Our staff is our greatest strength. Over the past several years, especially through the pandemic, our greatest weakness has been limited resources. To maximize our impact, we need to have the resources in place to do so. That includes a highly trained, engaged, and effective staff and the budget to enact programs. If we do not have the right resources, we face the threat of having great plans without the ability to bring them to life.
Goals Identify areas of opportunity for
Identify necessary resources to
Be an employer of choice in
enhanced resources.
grow, retain, and attract staff.
Williamson County.
Tourism Pays
WILLIAMSON COUNTY 2022 STATISTICS
1.9 Million
VISITORS IN 2022
$1.195 Billion
IN DIRECT SPENDING FROM VISITORS IN 2022
$3.28 Million
IN TOURISM SPENDING PER DAY IN 2022
WILLIAMSON COUNTY RANKS
6th of 95 Counties
IN TN FOR TOURISM SPENDING
$1,522 Saved
IN TAXES PER HOUSEHOLD
National Accolades “Best Places to See Fall Foliage in the United States”
“Where to Vacation This Year? 7 Buzzy Destinations”
“20 Most Beautiful Main Streets Across America”
“These Magical Christmas Towns Are Like Stepping Into a Hallmark Movie”
“The Best Small Town Weekend Getaways You Need to Book ASAP”
“The Most Charming Small Towns Across America”
“The South’s Best Cities 2023”
“The Best Things to Do in Franklin, Tennessee–From Music Parlors to Whiskey Trail Distilleries”
“Franklin, Tennessee, Is a Magical Fall Destination”
“Forget Nashville! Y’all Need to Visit Leiper’s Fork”
“Best Places to Travel in 2024 for Luxury”
“25 Best Christmas Towns in the U.S. for a Winter Getaway”
“These Are the Most Charming Main Streets in the United States”
Visit Franklin 202
As of November 1
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
329
34
Certified Ambassadors
Speaking Engagements & Booth Activities
13%
$10,200
Partner Newsletter Net Growth
In Community Contributions
MARKETING
1,342,831
896,584
Website Pageviews
Social Media Engagements
58,411
306,495
E-newsletter Subscribers
Social Media Followers
6,801
2
Vacation Guide Requests
Viral TikToks
PUBLIC RELATIONS
200
150
30
1:1 In-Person Journalist Pitches
Directly Placed Stories in 82 Different Outlets
Travel Journalists Hosted
n 2023 Highlights
November 1, 2023
SALES
22
589
Sales Shows Attended by the Team
1:1 In-person Appointments with Meeting and Event Planners
263
65,715
Groups Booked
Room Nights Booked
FINANCE
30%
33%
Revenue Growth YoY
Projected Revenue Growth for FY23/24
14
8
Full-time Employees
Part-time Employees
VISITOR EXPERIENCE & RETAIL
42,295 Visitors in the Visitor Center
Visitor Center LOCATION & CONTACT INFO 400 Main Street, Suite 130, Franklin, TN 37064 (615) 591-8514 visitorcenter@visitfranklin.com The Visitor Center, located in the heart of downtown Franklin, is the front door to our community. It provides a welcoming stop for our visitors with personalized trip information, helpful planning resources, and branded merchandise. The Visitor Center employs eight information specialists who assist visitors every step of the way as they visit our area. Visitors are encouraged to call or email our information specialists ahead of their trip to receive personalized trip planning assistance. The Visitor Center offers a wide variety of print and digital trip-planning resources, including vacation guides, points-of-interest maps, walking tour maps, printed itineraries and guides, and digital passports.
Merchandise Visitors can browse Franklin and Williamson County-branded apparel, totes, mugs, postcards, stickers, and more, along with a curated selection of local goods and gift items.
Corporate Gifting Looking for a locally-branded item for your staff or event? We can source and design gifting items for your business! Contact Felecia West for more information.
Coming Soon: Visitor Center Renovation! The Visitor Center is getting quite the facelift in 2024. Be on the lookout for new updates later this year!
Felecia West Director of Visitor Experience & Retail felecia@visitfranklin.com (615) 550-7606
Community Perspectives Study
The Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau has partnered with national research firm MMGY Global to conduct an extensive study to understand each unique community’s tourism assets and gain a deeper perspective on who we are as a destination. This study will help the WCCVB more clearly articulate and better position our county and its communities in our marketing and sales efforts. Once completed, the study will also be a helpful resource for other Williamson County organizations as we work to provide data that will create a cohesive voice that all of our partners can use.
We want to hear from you! Please take a few moments to fill out the survey in the QR code below.
Partner Resources Create your Free Business Listing Submit an Event Join our Partner Newsletter Become an Ambassador Receive Data & Insights Stock up on Visitor Guides Small Meeting & Group Planning Paid Print & Digital Ad Opportunities
I’m here to help! These are just a few ways you can take advantage of your partnership with Visit Franklin. Please visit our Partner Resources page to access all of these benefits and more! Scan the QR code or go to visitfranklin.com/partnerresources to get started.
Heather Doleshel Stakeholder Engagement Manager heather@visitfranklin.com (615) 550-2700
Ambassador Program “We have found the Visit Franklin Ambassador Program to be an invaluable tool in helping our team members and guests share information about all things related to tourism in Williamson County... The program is presented with true care and passion for the community in which we live, work, and play.” -Matthew Lahiff, General Manager, Franklin Marriott Cool Springs
What to Expect Attendees will learn about the impact of tourism in a classroom setting and will see tourism in action as they head out on a trolley tour in downtown Franklin and surrounding areas. The day will include opportunities to interact with local business owners, hear stories of why they chose Williamson County, and even taste some of the flavors that make it so special. After you have completed the program, you’ll be invited to a monthly Ambassador Connect where you will have the opportunity to further your experience of our tourism assets and connect with other ambassadors!
2024 Dates: April 9th
Look for registration in the spring! For more information, reach out to
May 14th June 11th July 9th August 13th September 10th October 8th
Heather (heather@visitfranklin.com) or go to visitfranklin.com/ambassador by scanning the QR code below.
Notes
Facebook-F instagram
FOLLOW & TAG US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! PINTEREST Tiktok YOUTUBE @VISITFRANKLINTN #FRANKLINTN