SOUTHERN INDIANA, CLARK-FLOYD COUNTIES CONVENTION-TOURISM BUREAU

2011 Highlights

Committed $1.17 million to five bonds for capital development projects; the projects are City of Jeffersonville riverfront; Town of Clarksville museum; Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center; New Albany Fire Museum and Carnegie Center for Art & History

Produced a magazine style Southern Indiana Visitor Guide in cooperation with the News and Tribune staff; Visitor Guide featured local attractions, events and lodging plus paid advertisements; Distributed 10,000 guides to local attractions, restaurants, lodging facilities, visitor centers and state welcome centers

Continued to produce the monthly "Sunny Side Times" newspaper to promote visitor spending in Clark-Floyd Counties

Conducted a major advertising campaign in Indianapolis for the fall which included newspaper, television, radio and website

Advertised regularly in Evansville Living, Indianapolis Monthly and AAA Hoosier magazines

Participated in cooperative advertising with the Southern Indiana Regional Marketing Cooperative in the national History Channel Magazine; Feature was the Lewis and Clark Expedition, received nearly 800 requests for information and sent follow-up information

Had regular ads in regional tourism publications such as Louisville CVB Visitor Guide, Welcome to Greater Louisville, Louisville Explorer Map and the new KFC Arena Guide

Worked with the planner of the first-ever Southern Indiana Tri-Athlon to host the event in Jeffersonville on June 5; The event had 120 participants who swam one mile in the Ohio River, biked for 26 miles and ran 6 miles; The Ohio River was major attractant for the participants and all of the events had a connection to the river

Utilized the internet and email services to promote Sunny Side of Louisville attractions, events and lodging facilities; Updated website to give it a fresher look and switched to an easier host server; Send a weekly e-newsletter ("Friday Blast") to subscribers to encourage attendance at weekend events; More than 1,000 subscribers receive the "Friday Blast"

Staffed and operated the Southern Indiana Visitor Center at I-65, Exit 0 in Jeffersonville; Staffed the I-65 southbound rest area near Henryville

Serviced numerous conventions by providing nametags, itinerary planning assistance and concierge desks; Events were mainly held at Holiday Inn Lakeview and Sheraton Riverside

Worked with professional destination consultant to form a five year strategic destination plan; Received input from industry partners and board members

Promoted Clarksville as the host site for the 2012 annual meeting of the Lewis and Clark National Foundation

Advertised Sunny Side of Louisville in group tour publications such as Group Tour Magazine and Bank Travel Magazine; Worked with Group Tour Magazine staff to offer cooperative ad rates to local hospitality partners

Supported the first Southern Indiana African American Heritage Conference held in Jeffersonville to promote the developing African American Heritage Trail; University scholars from Harvard University, University of Louisville and Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis were among the conference speakers along with Indiana's first African American Federal Judge, Tonya Walton Pratt

Conducted regular meetings with the hospitality industry (attractions, lodging, restaurants, retail, events, etc.) to keep them informed of Bureau activities, seek input for marketing, gauge business trends and develop partnerships

Hosted the annual Sunny Side Tourism Luncheon as part of National Tourism Week to recognize individuals who have influenced visitor spending in Clark-Floyd Counties; Charlie Jenkins received the John H. Minta Tourism Award for his efforts to create the Sunny Side of Louisville slogan

Continued promotion and support for the Ohio River Scenic Byway, a designated national scenic route; Produced a brochure to promote the Ohio River Scenic Byway in Clark-Floyd Counties that features the 17 intepretive panels installed here; Assisted with hosting the Tri-State (Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio) Conference of the Ohio River Scenic Byway at the Howard Steamboat Museum and Holiday Inn Lakeview; Jim Keith serves on the ORSB board

Supported the Ohio River Greenway Commission; Jim Keith serves on the board and they host regular meetings at the Bureau office