2023 ARPA Marketing Plan

ARPA TOURISM RECOVERY/ MARKETING PLAN

WINTER 2023

TOURISM RECOVERY FUND GRANT: $2,915,519

Message from the President & CEO

The United Nations noted that tourism is one of the world’s most important economic sectors. It employs one in every ten people on Earth and provides livelihood to hundreds of millions more. It boosts economies and enables countries to thrive. It allows people to experience some of the world’s cultural and natural riches and brings people closer to each other, highlighting our common humanity.

The Capital City is a reflection of that sentiment, in fact, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, last year, over 20,000 Mississippians earned their living by working In the tourism sector. The Capital City Tourism Community contributed over 17% of the Mississippi Tourism Visitor spending last year, over $800 Million Dollars impacting the Mississippi ecosystem. Jackson tourism is big business and a proven economic driver; the impact of the Tourism Recovery Fund (Round 2) will continue to sustain that influence.

Yes, Mississippi’s Capital City is a growing tourism destination AND so much more. We are a huge college community, home to six major higher education institutions, including Belhaven University, Jackson State University, Millsaps College, Mississippi College School of Law, Tougaloo College, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and our partnership with them helps contribute to our visitor economy. Jackson is also a busy commerce hub for our state, serving as the home to multiple corporate and regional headquarters that bring meetings, conferences, and training opportunities to the marketplace.

But most significant, Jackson Is the home to historical events and venues that helped shape the improved culture of this nation; we call it our Sense of Place, the City With Soul. We are the seat of the state’s government, arts, and culture, and its impact is profound - the world marvels at our history when they visit. It Is our charter and responsibility to promote these assets. Thank you for helping us make our mission a reality.

Sincerely,

Rickey L. Thigpen

Rickey L. Thigpen, PhD President & CEO Visit Jackson

Goal

The overall goal of Visit Jackson is to cause major economic impact for Jackson through programs designed to identify, attract and service conventions and meetings, trade shows, group tours, sporting events, and consumer travelers, while cultivating relationships with stakeholders, the value of citizen contributions, and the collective quality of life of the destination.

Mission

The mission of Visit Jackson is to connect, engage and inspire the Jackson community to be a welcoming destination for conventions, meetings, sporting events, and special events, resulting in rich, cultural, and memorable experiences with a rewarding sense-of-place for visitors and an economically beneficial and an enhanced qualityof-life for residents.

Brand Promise

Jackson is all about an authentic SOUL, which isn’t wrapped up in the number of hotel rooms or events or attractions in the city. The SOUL of Jackson is uniquely tied to our people. Our people exude creativity and hospitality forging memorable experiences every time you visit the City with Soul.

Diversity Inclusion Statement

Visit Jackson is fiercely committed to reflecting and upholding the value of diversity of thought, culture, and lifestyles that is inherent in the Jackson community. We are dedicated to practicing radical inclusion and believe that a plurality of ideas and experiences shaped around civil dialogue and equitable outreach is the driving and consistent force that makes Jackson a great destination and a great city.

Strategic Pillars

As a result of the data Indicators supported by its 5-year Strategic Plan, Visit Jackson has Identified the following strategic pillars for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

Education Educate stakeholders regarding the purpose of a DMO/DLO

Advocacy Build proponents of the Visit Jackson community

Partnerships Travel Industry partnerships & cooperative Initiatives

Development Create additional strategies to Increase/develop/encourage tourism for the destination

Destination Demand Heighten demand for the destination

The population of Mississippi’s capital city is comprised of diverse backgrounds and experiences, cultures, ethnicities, and lifestyles, all of whom collectively represent the strength and creative energy that makes us the City With Soul.

As you discover all that is Jackson, you will see a community culture that is unique to the state. Here, you will experience a hospitality that is uniquely southern, combined with the embrace of diversity that is distinctly Jackson.

• The city features more than 30 interactive museums within a 10-mile radius, including museums focusing on sports, agriculture, science, history, aviation, art, music, and civil rights.

• Over 200 locally-owned restaurants serving traditional Southern dishes to international fare.

• Jackson hosts numerous historical markers on the Freedom Trail, Blues Trail, and Writer’s Trail.

• Jackson is home to the International Museum of Muslim Cultures, America’s first Islamic history, and culture museum.

• The City With Soul is home to more than two dozen cultural organizations and institutions.

From its pivotal role in the Civil Rights movement to its live music and Southern fare, Jackson has become a true destination city. With a reputation for warm, welcoming locals and a spirit of perseverance, Jackson has been at the forefront of history-making events since the Civil War. The city is proud of its critical role in the Civil Rights movement, documented in the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and featured on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

Jackson is home to more historical markers than anywhere else in the state. These markers honor blues artists and venues, literary icons, and Civil Rights moments (both tragedies and victories). The city’s recent transformation of public art installations has generated new interest from a unique subset of travelers.

The dining scene is unexpected, offering everything from homemade mom-and-pop Southern food to innovative modern dishes by James Beard Award-winning chefs. Sports tourism is on the rise. With the resurgence of HBCU athletics, the capital city now sees over 50K visitors to the city during home football games. The City With Soul is a thriving tourist hotspot, and visitors are showing up now more than ever.

Performance & Recovery

In March 2020, COVID-19 halted tourism as we know it. This resulted in the need to shift priorities and marketing initiatives. Even executing aggressive strategies, including a broad-based take-out/pick-up restaurant campaign, to mitigate a reduction in tourism business, Visit Jackson experienced a heartbreaking 14% reduction in total tourism revenue after experiencing historic revenues during 2019 fiscal year. Sales and Marketing Campaigns from the CARES Act Tourism Recovery Funds, TRF (Round 1), began in August 2020 with expenditures through May 2021. During this time, hotel tax sales and restaurant tax sales increased 34% and 19%, respectively. Since the campaign ended, restaurant taxes have remained flat; while hotel taxes have declined 11%.

JACKSON HOTEL TAX (1%) (month of sale)

JACKSON RESTAURANT TAX (1%) (month of sale)

Total food and lodging tax in FY 2021 increased 8.4% over FY 2020 then leveled out for FY 2022 at 7.6%; remaining on par with FY 2019. However, total tax collections as of April 2022 were still down 3% over April 2019. The Impact of the CARES Act Funding and Tourism Recovery Funds, Round 1 (TRF1), helped Mississippi fare better than other states recovering; the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics cited Mississippi as the top tourism market in the country for travel in December 2020 in year-over-year visitor spending. Visit Jackson was able to augment its traditional marketing strategy and become more intentional, focusing on attracting Mississippi and southern state drive markets to rediscover Mississippi’s Capital City. The ability to attract outdoor and youth sporting events also contributed to the campaign’s success and local industry sustainability.

The strategies identified within this plan will amplify the impact of the investment that the Mississippi Legislative Leadership provided via the CARES Act Funding and Tourism Recovery Funds, Round 1 (TRF1). The Investment of the American

Rescue Plan Funds, Round 1 (TRF2) will support the funding infrastructure that the Mississippi Legislative Leadership has put in place to help Mississippi Tourism retain its position as a national COVID recovery leader.

As Visit Jackson approaches the end of its current 5-Year Strategic Plan (2020-2025), we intend to not only undergo a new strategic planning process, but to work with a variety of stakeholders, including community leaders, business leaders, and local and state representatives, to develop a comprehensive tourism master plan (TMP). A TMP is a long-term development plan that provides an organized and structured framework for tourism development and promotion within the city. It includes planning for accommodations, transportation, tourism activities, legislation and regulation, marketing, and promotion with the

result of developing a tourism comprehensive and long-term plan for Mississippi’s Capital City.

Tourism consists of multiple independent industries, including hotels, restaurants, retail stores, sports teams, arts and cultural institutions, and entertainment venues. A TMP unifies these disparate industries by developing a singular vision to improve and complement all of them, inclusive of city infrastructure. The results of the TMP will benefit tourists and residents alike, quantifying, enhancing, and identifying a path forward to fortify the “Sense of Place” for the Capital City.

Research will play a pivotal role in developing a Tourism Master Plan along with providing a foundation for the overall sales and marketing strategies. Therefore, Visit Jackson will utilize a variety of research strategies to provide insights unique to the City of Jackson.

The research results indicate that visitors are excited to get out and travel after being restricted for so long because of the Global Pandemic. However, they are more inclined to travel safely by automobile, staying closer to home. Visit Jackson will capitalize on these research indicators and aggressively promote Mississippi's capital city to those in the southeastern United States.

MARKETING GOALS

Interest in the destination has never been higher.

Traffic to the destination website has increased by over 140% since Visit Jackson launched the new site in January 2022. Additionally, session duration is up 55%, and organic site traffic has seen triple-digit growth.

Source: Google Analytics

More specifically, Civil Rights related content is receiving the highest engagement. Website data suggests that blogs focused on Freedom Movement museums, events, and celebrations outperform all the other destination pillars for Jackson, MS.

Source: Google Analytics

Furthermore, visitors to Jackson who visit Civil Rights and Black history sites stay longer, drive from further away, and have more overnight trips.

Source: Near

An Unprecedented Opportunity

In 2021, funds provided to DMOs across the state through the COVID-related Tourism Recovery Fund (TRF) provided an unprecedented level of resources to destinations large and small. Visit Jackson was no exception. DMOs now have a second round of relief funding (TRF2) to be allocated in early 2022, with a possible third round (TRF3) to be allotted in the near future.

The TRF program allows Visit Jackson to produce new marketing assets, open new media markets, and bolster media presence in important legacy markets. Early results from the original TRF campaign showed promise. With a new strategic focus and media allocation strategy, Visit Jackson is poised to make a historically successful impact. This plan provides a guiding roadmap to ensure that this potential is realized.

FOCUS ON THE DESTINATION’S STRENGTHS

Jackson possesses many hospitality assets that stretch across the destination’s “pillars.” These include arts, culture, literature; and culinary, nightlife/music. Attractions, assets, and businesses associated with these pillars are competitive with other regional destinations but not proprietary to Jackson. The area in which Jackson shines is by being a ground zero for the Civil Rights/Freedom movement in America. Historical locations, exhibits and events, coupled with a genuinely world-class Civil Rights museum, allow Jackson to own the space in the region. The Freedom movement also permeates many of the other tourism pillars previously mentioned. For these reasons, Civil Rights has been identified as Jackson’s most vital and proprietary destination marketing asset. Moving forward, this plan focuses on utilizing Jackson’s Civil Rights assets as the leading decision driver for destination marketing.

CONTINUE TO INVEST IN ESTABLISHED BRANDING

The City With Soul messaging that supports Visit Jackson is over a decade old and has gained significant equity. Businesses in the city have adopted it, and even outside third-party advertisers have utilized the messaging to promote their products to area consumers. The messaging also aligns well with the “Civil Rights first” strategy that is being implemented. Over the next few years, Visit Jackson will further invest in promoting and strengthening the concept of The City With Soul.

TARGET MARKETS

Activation: A Phased Approach

REDEPLOY MOST MARKETING RESOURCES AMONG OUT-OF-STATE MARKETS

In the past few years before this strategic plan, Visit Jackson invested significant resources in an imagebuilding campaign locally in the Jackson metropolitan area (with a focus on the suburbs of Jackson) and in other in-state feeder markets. This effort resulted in limited success. Due to circumstances out of the control of Visit Jackson and relentless negative media coverage of the city in-state, Visit Jackson will reallocate the bulk of resources to focus on generating visitors from outof-state markets. Markets with a high percentage of Black population who traditionally demonstrate an interest in Civil Rights and the freedom movement will be a focus of outreach efforts. These markets are listed in the following section.

The phased approach described here is based on 1) the receipt of TRF2 funds during the current fiscal year and 2) the potential for additional legislated subsidies in the following years.

Phase 1 — Drive Markets

The initial phase will focus on implementing the strategy in mainly legacy drive markets outside Mississippi with a percentage of African American residents. These markets are:

• New Orleans

• Monroe

• Shreveport

• Birmingham

• Montgomery

• Memphis

Depending on budget, secondary markets would include:

As vehicles like longer-format videos, branded content, podcasts, etc., become more prevalent and expected by consumers, it is also essential to adapt messaging for optimal performance among these media types. Increasingly, media experiences are becoming more narrative and less advertising-focused. Jackson is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this. The city’s messaging — City With Soul — and the strategic focus of the Freedom Movement are natural elements around which to build narratives and tell stories. While traditional forms of advertising (such as 30-second video ads) will continue to be produced and utilized, efforts will be made to portray these short-form assets as part of a larger story.

• Baton Rouge

• Mobile

Behavioral Markets / Audiences

1. Culture Seekers

2. African American Experiences

3. Culinary Tourists / Foodies

4. History Enthusiasts

5. Leisure Travelers

This phase will lean heavily on digital platforms: OTT streaming, display, and pre-roll, with additional support from targeted cable television and audio. The campaign will incorporate print ads for markets with relevant city-focused print publications.

Primary Markets

Secondary Markets

Phase 2 Markets

Phase 2 — Expansion

Phase 2 may be wholly or partially dependent on garnering additional resources through an organically increased marketing budget or, more likely, through another round of tourism relief funding (TRF3). The main focus of Phase 2 will be to expand paid media messaging and exposure in larger cities with a high percentage of the African American population. In addition to maintaining a presence in the markets listed for Phase 1, Phase 2 will expand to:

• Chicago

• Detroit

• Baltimore

• Atlanta

The campaign will repurpose assets created for Phase 1 for this expansion. New assets may be created as needed.

SALES & SERVICES GOALS

Convention Sales book group business for Visit Jackson and Convention Services manage the complimentary services that are offered by the sales department. They are partner-to-planner services that are delivered based on promises made by the sales staff to the client. While working as a sales and services team to continue to book new business in Jackson, one of the services goals for 2022/2023 is to continue to define and develop a framework to help sustain commitments from the sales department to the meeting planner. These commitments will include working closely with Jackson support services alliances throughout the city such as attractions, restaurants, and food trucks councils to promote the latest market trends and establish a common goal of promoting the socioeconomic benefits of hosting events as a destination.

Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, Jackson’s convention and meetings market share averaged 296 events per fiscal year, which yielded an estimated economic impact of slightly over $114 million. With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the number of events declined to 102 in 2020. A reduction of 61.4% of our convention & meeting destination demand.

The estimated impact in 2020 was realized by an economic impact reduction of $2 Million. During the pandemic, Visit Jackson was able to implement strategies utilizing funding from the TRF (Round 1), including shifting sales and marketing targets that considered the reduction in our meetings market, yielding an increase in outdoor sports, equine, and other sporting events. This helped to minimize the negative revenue impact of COVID-19 in the Capital City marketplace.

As COVID infection case numbers started to decline in 2021, Visit Jackson began to see a slight increase in the number of in-person events resulting in some recovery. To mitigate the negative impact of the global pandemic, Visit Jackson maintained an aggressive sales approach, including intentional tactics resulting in consistent contact with our meeting planners via virtual familiarization tours, offering incentives for in-person meetings, and establishing & promoting safe meeting protocols, including providing PPEs to our meeting attendees, and front-line visitor industry employees.

At the end of the fiscal year 2021, Visit Jackson reported 141 events resulting in an estimated impact of over $122 million. To date, Jackson has yet to recover to pre-pandemic numbers. We are experiencing hesitation and

decreased numbers within our corporate, religious, and association markets. Much of this hesitation is the result of older populations choosing limited travel. At the end of the fiscal year 2022, we had 229 events with an estimated economic impact of over $119 million. Our goal and key performance indicators are focused on implementing strategies resulting in an increase in demand for the destination. The economic impact continues to grow as we see an increase in the average daily rates at our local hotels since the pandemic.

As the destination continues to recover from the negative impact of COVID-19, new yet aggressive sales tactics are essential to destination organization survival. The TRF (Round 2) funding support provides critical life support for Jackson’s meetings, conventions, sporting events, group tours,

and leisure markets. Similarly to TRF (Round 1), Visit Jackson will explore TRF (Round 2) tactics resulting in reigniting and growing the demand for the destination as a viable meeting site.

Research indicates that because of the Global Pandemic, visitors are excited to get out and travel after being restricted for so long. Research data validates that travelers will be more considerate of utilizing vehicles as a transportation mode. Meetings and conventions will be utilized to incite extended professional and business travel resulting in family get-aways; in short, the “American Road Trip” is making a comeback! Visit Jackson will capitalize on those research indicators and aggressively promote Mississippi’s Capital City as a destination for Mississippians and those within the Southern Region of the United States. The accessibility of the intersection of U.S I-55 and U.S. I-20 enhances the opportunity for success.

As previously mentioned, suggested complimentary convention programming assistance with highlights of our tourism assets such as Civil Rights and other historical and cultural assets will be used to attract potential meetings, conventions, and event activities to the destination.

Destination marketing sales tactics have changed since the pandemic. Meeting planners are still concerned with public health and safety. Visit Jackson will utilize protocols the following to showcase how Visit Jackson and the meeting sector have adjusted meeting practices to be safe for in-person meetings with the opportunity for virtual delegate attendees. Visit Jackson will also continue to provide PPEs to convention delegates and industry front-line staffers.

The following represent strategies and tactics that Visit Jackson will utilize to enhance the meetings market resulting in enhanced demand for the destination.

• Jackson Destination FAM Tour for meeting planners

• Visit Jackson’s sales team will host a meeting planner FAM in 2023 to

invite planners that have not been to Jackson since the pandemic. This FAM will give local hotels, restaurants and meeting facilities an opportunity to showcase their products.

• Meeting Planner Incentive

• Incentives will be offered to meeting planners that book meetings or conventions at a local Jackson hotel or meeting venue. Incentives will be based on specific criteria, i.e., shoulder and soft season booking windows.

• Per room night incentive-an incentive for funding specifically to meeting planner’s organization.

• Visit Jackson Sports Sponsorship package

• Due to the increased opportunity in the sporting market post-COVID, Visit Jackson will enhance its position as a sporting/ tournament destination.

• Engage a consultant to audit Jackson sporting venues

• Develop a new sports guide for the destination, utilizing the data from the consultant.

• With the new Mississippi state flag, Visit Jackson will aggressively lobby tournaments via the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

• Third-party lead generation fees to help identify new business for the destination.

• Engage a sales-generating organization to solicit sales leads.

• Out-of-state sales mission

• Utilize data to engage planners in feeder cities to secure out-ofstate conferences, meetings, and activities.

Visit Jackson’s complimentary Convention Services strategies are utilized to help level the playing field in the competitive convention and meetings market. The Jackson market has identified challenges, including public transportation, the capacity of rooms in the convention district, first-class full-service downtown hotel rooms, infrastructure, and security. Convention Sales tactics will be employed to heighten the destination’s position as a viable meeting site for meeting planners and other decision-makers.

public relations support and welcome letters, technical support, attendance promotion tactics, on-site welcome, public health, and public safety strategies.

Complimentary services are the catalyst to attract new business and sustain repeat business. Conferences are drawn to locations that are easily accessible, centrally located, knowledgeable, and provide hands-on support for all event functions enhancing the planning process. The Visit Jackson Complimentary Services strategy will help encourage meeting planners to restart in-person meetings after the height of COVID-19 and choose Jackson as their meeting destination.

As a part of the convention services strategy, Visit Jackson will offer underwriting to qualified groups that chose the destination. The qualified underwriting (funds) will be returned to the meeting/ convention group to help defray costs associated with meeting in Jackson, i.e., venue rental, meals/ reception, security, and transportation. The amount of underwriting funds will be determined by utilizing Destinations International’s Economic Impact Calculator to quantify the economic impact with parameters to avoid eclipsing the local tax impact. Qualified parameters for underwriting consideration include documented overnight hotel room consumption inside the destination and meal/restaurant expenditures.

Other examples of complimentary group services include nametags, welcome bags, and promotional items for the conference attendees,

ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS & MARKETING TACTICS

Jackson International Airport Partnership

Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport is the primary transportation hub for air travel in Mississippi. Beginning in October 2022, Visit Jackson is initiating an enhanced partnership with the Jackson Municipal Airport Authorities’ Navigator Program, a volunteer program. The position is responsible for providing excellent customer service to all visitors coming into and leaving Jackson. The program has several activities related to best practices for customer services, such as guided tours, assistance with special needs (ADA),

language translators, and conducting customer service surveys. Our goal includes welcoming and directing customers, visitors, and passengers as they deplane and head to their desired location within the airport. The specific role of Visit Jackson is to provide travelers with information on attractions, restaurants, and hotels located within the state’s Capital City. With a hands-on approach, meeting and greeting customers will help them feel safe and present an overall friendly experience upon arrival that will set an efficient tone for the destination. The partnership with the Navigator’s role is to create a positive first impression of Mississippi and the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport to organizations and travelers that have chosen Jackson to meet, play or stay.

The JSU Effect

The resurgence of College football in the Capital City, Jackson State University, Millsaps College, Tougaloo College and Belhaven University continues to have a substantial economic impact on Jackson. The national attention that has been accompanied by heightened football attention is an opportunity to position the City With Soul as a prime sports tourism destination. Visit Jackson has an opportunity to partner with athletic programs to showcase the city’s history, arts, culture, and culinary assets. Millions of followers and those exposed to Jackson athletic programs now have opportunities to experience the destination via multiple broadcast mediums. Executing partnership strategies have the propensity to influence and attract new first-time visitors that may have never considered a visitation.

For the 2022/2023 fiscal year Visit Jackson will make a commitment to help solve limited parking problems at the Veterans Memorial Stadium, the host location for all Jackson State University home football games. JSU football games draw in upwards of forty thousand people per game. The game parking lot will only hold 1726 vehicles, this space inclusive of more than 400 tailgate spaces, leaving about 1326 parking spaces for a 60,000-event facility. Visit Jackson goal is to partner with surrounding parking lots to reduce parking compression through providing charter transportation up to ten hours a day for home games. This will help control the safety of gamegoers (from crossing busy streets, parking in non-parking areas). Visit Jackson will also hire security to manage the partners parking lots while they are enjoying the game, to ensure the safety of patron's vehicles.

JXN Restaurants Win Back The Community

Overall, restaurants have had it hard, especially since the pandemic. Staff shortages and higher food costs have crippled the industry. Specifically, though, Jackson restaurants have it even harder. In addition to police safety issues and the suburbs opening more and more restaurants, the 2022 water crisis added to an already

dire situation for our local establishments. A multi-media campaign was deployed to win back customers. Any community, but especially Jackson, cannot afford to lose some of its most valuable assets – restauranteurs and chefs – who truly give Jackson a sense of place. Advertising to the entire metro area will put a muchneeded positive light on Jackson’s culinary institutions. Additional campaigns are planned for 2023.

Museum District Renaissance

All great cities have public spaces that provide a high quality of life for residents and visitors. Jackson has many spaces, but plans are in the works for even more in one concentrated city area. The LeFleur’s Bluff Education and Tourism Complex is now home to a 30,000-square-foot playground. Work continues as a much more significant expansion is in place – a new golf course, a 3D archery range,

pickleball courts, botanical gardens, and more. Furthermore, a pedestrian bridge connecting the entire LeFleur Museum District will make this area a true destination driver for the Capital City. Visit Jackson will support marketing and advertising messages focused on the growth and expansion of this area of the city.

Destination Marketing Channels/ Platforms

For the Mississippi Tourism Recovery Fund, Round 2, the items outlined below are included in the destination marketing plan. All items will adhere to any changes in the latest CDC, state, and local public health guidelines and modifications related to COVID-19 or other public health crises.

TOURISM RECOVERY FUND BUDGET

The tourism recovery fund budget categories below summarize all marketing plan expenditures.

YEARS 2023-2025