WTA Newsletter – May 2013

by WaTourismAlliance

Executive Director Update

Louise Stanton-Masten

May marks a very important month for tourism, as we all celebrated National Travel and Tourism Week May 4-12. The Washington Tourism Alliance [WTA] continues to advocate, promote, develop and sustain the economic well-being of the Washington tourism industry. And we want to make sure we effectively communicate the tourism news that matters the most to you!

Please welcome Bridget Baeth as the new editor of the WTA e-newsletter. Bridget currently serves as the Director of Marketing + Communications at the Tacoma Regional Convention + Visitor Bureau.

With Bridget’s help, we are taking the WTA e-newsletter to the next level. What does “next level” mean? It means enriching the content to provide a well-rounded account of tourism across the state to include not just advocacy information but also member news, destination highlights and more! However, before we make major changes we’d like to solicit your feedback-as this is YOUR e-newsletter! Please take a few minutes to share with us what you would like to see in your WTA e-newsletter.

This is your newsletter. Please tell us how we can make it better and enter to win a free registration for next year’s WTA Summit!

WTA e-newsletter survey

Legislative Session Update

Louise Stanton-Masten

This week marks the second week of the State legislative special session. The focus is on budget negotiation of the differences between the House and Senate passed versions of the budget. Representatives of the House, Senate and Governor’s office are meeting to negotiate a final budget.

The 30 day special session may extend until June 11. However, the next State revenue forecast is due to be released June 18 and there is some speculation that legislators will wait for the new revenue forecast before reaching an agreement; there is some thought that the forecast will be favorable and thus allow for a final budget without any new taxes.

Our WTA bridge funding request is still included in both the House and Senate budgets. As we reported to you in the past, the two-year biannual budget includes $1 million in the House budget, but only $200,000 in the Senate budget to support our work. WTA supports the House budget. We continue to work with legislators from throughout the state to ask for support for our funding request at the House budget level of $1 million.

As the special session continues, look for legislative alerts from WTA with our call to action in support of our bridge-funding request.

DMOs Celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week

David Blandford, WTA Board Member and Communications Committee Chair

National Travel & Tourism Week, May 4-11, was promoted and celebrated across Washington State.

Nine top UK tour operators and travel agents visited Seattle and the state to plan future tour itineraries during National Travel & Tourism Week. Our area was selected by Brand USA, the newly created national tourism marketing entity, as one of seven simultaneous “MegaFam” trips around the US. The trip was hosted by the Port of Seattle in conjunction with Visit Seattle, Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau and hotels and attractions around the region.

The Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau also recognized National Tourism week by promoting National Wine Tourism Day on May 11 and creating a member and industry blog post looking at Tourism from a different point of view: “We Help Create Memories.”

Seattle Southside Visitor Services held its Annual Tourism Network meeting on May 1 where it presented the 2013 Seattle Southside Tourism Ambassador award to its Seattle Southside Tourism Promotion Area Steering Committee members.

The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau distributed a press release on May 2 on the importance of tourism to the island’s economy, employment and tax base.

The Tacoma Regional Convention + Visitor Bureau launched a training program for frontline customer service professionals in Pierce County on May 10. More than 30 participants ranging in hotel concierge to tour guides from Tacoma, Fife, Gig Harbor, Puyallup and Mount Rainier experienced the Tacoma region through the eyes of a visitor.

Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism held its annual meeting and member luncheon on May 22 but included National Travel & Tourism Week as part of its theme with 200 representatives from local businesses and a presentation by Mark Hoffmann, Chairman and CEO of the National Tour Association.

Visit Seattle produced a six-page special section themed to tourism in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s May 3 issue, hosted an industry open house with some 700 guests, headlined Mayor McGinn’s City Business Casual event which was themed to tourism and positioned tourism stories in local media.

Member News

Snohomish County Tourism Bureau Launches New Destination Brand

On May 2, the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau officially launched its new destination brand and tourism website designed to create more awareness of the area and increase the number of visitors.

“Open Up” is the key branding tagline, which is paired with the many activities and attractions Snohomish County has to offer.

The Snohomish County Tourism Bureau partnered with Nashville-based North Star Destination Strategies, which has developed destination brands for more than 150 communities nationwide. North Star created a comprehensive branding program designed to effectively heighten awareness of the region.

In addition to a new brand effort, the primary communication tool to potential visitors is the newly-developed website, www.snohomish.org. Consistent with the graphic design elements created in the branding process, the new website will enable visitors to learn about Snohomish County through unique content and tools that sort through the area’s attractions and events based on their specific interests or by a serendipitous exploration of the site. The website features a state-of-the-art responsive design to accommodate all mobile platforms in addition to traditional desktop computers.

Member News – Seattle Southside Announces Group of Hoteliers

as 2013 Tourism Ambassadors

Seattle Southside Visitor Services, the official tourism department for the cities of Tukwila, SeaTac, Kent and Des Moines, presented the 2013 Seattle Southside Tourism Ambassador award to the Seattle Southside Tourism Promotion Area Steering Committee (made up of seven hoteliers).

For the past several years Seattle Southside has honored individuals who do outstanding work for the Southside tourism industry. These Tourism Ambassadors go above and beyond the call of duty to support the tourism industry. This year was slightly different. Seattle Southside hoteliers have been working on creating a Tourism Promotion Area for quite some time.

“This group really believes in the value of tourism and the Seattle Southside program,” said Katherine Kertzman, Executive Director of Seattle Southside Visitor Services. “They are such strong believers, they are willing to assess themselves in order to devote more funds to tourism promotion.” For more information visit www.seattlesouthside.com.

Washington Tourism Alliance Welcomes April New and Renewing Members

New members: Chihuly Garden and Glass, Courtyard Seattle Federal Way, Courtyard Seattle Downtown/Pioneer Square, Courtyard Seattle Bellevue/Downtown, Courtyard Seattle Kirkland, Courtyard Seattle Southcenter, Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Travel Magazine, Residence Inn Seattle East/Redmond, Seattle Center, Shuttle Express

Renewing members: Baymont Inn & Suites, Canlis, City of Kirkland, Coast Hotels, Green Rubino, Hilton Bellevue, Hilton Vancouver Washington, Hotel Bellevue, Hotel Murano, Hyatt Regency Bellevue, Ivar’s, Meeting Professionals International WA Chapter, Mt. Rainier Visitor Association, Olympic Peninsula Gateway Visitor Center, Olympic Property Group, San Juan Islands Visitor Bureau, Seattle Bed and Breakfast Association, Sheraton Seattle Hotel, Silverdale Chamber of Commerce, Skamania County Chamber of Commerce, Snohomish County Tourism Bureau, Town of Coupeville, Travelodge Seattle Center, Vancouver USA Regional Tourism Office, Visit Bellevue WA, Visit Seattle

Category : Executive Director Updates, News, Uncategorized

Off

WTA Newsletter – April 2013

by WaTourismAlliance

Executive Director Update
Louise Stanton-Masten

Working on behalf of our members and industry stakeholders, the Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA) has been active in the past several months, focused on our mission to advocate, promote, develop and sustain the economic well-being of the Washington tourism industry. Here is a recap, with links to full articles and more detailed information.
March Tourism Summit

Our third statewide Tourism Summit was held in Olympia on March 13th, drawing more than 200 tourism professionals from around the state to learn about the state of our industry, our most recent statewide visitor impact numbers and the WTA’s legislative agenda for short and long-term tourism funding. Governor Jay Inslee gave an inspiring welcome address and spoke about the importance of the tourism industry on jobs and the economy in Washington State. He indicated his commitment to working with the WTA “to create a vigorous, robust, comprehensive and fairly financed tourism effort in the State of Washington.” The morning Summit was followed by an afternoon of legislative advocacy, with our WTA delegation at the Capitol for meetings with their representatives and senators to discuss the importance the tourism industry in Washington State and the positive impact that it has on our economy.

Click here to learn more and for a link to an electronic version of the presentation that we made at the Summit.
Legislative Advocacy

Since the State legislative session began, the WTA’s focus has been two-fold. First, we continue our efforts to acquire State support for bridge-funding which will allow us to fund the basics of a statewide tourism program for the next two years. At the same time we are also working with our members to establish a long-term, industry- led funding model for the future which we can propose to the legislature next year, so that we can market Washington state in a competitive manner. Currently Washington is the only state in the nation without state support for tourism marketing; our goal is to address this issue within the next two years by establishing stable long-term funding to support our marketing efforts.

The WTA has been actively working in Olympia, meeting with legislators and their staff to communicate our message and advocate for tourism funding this session. Additionally WTA representatives made presentations to both the Senate Trade & Economic Development Committee and House Appropriations Committee, where we presented our plans and requested support for our bridge-funding request.

Many WTA members responded to our legislative alerts which asked you to communicate with your legislators about the need for bridge-funding in this year’s State budget. Thank You! We were pleased that the House budget included $1,000,000 for efforts to support tourism. This is much better than the $200,000 appropriated by the Senate. Now the House, Senate and Governor’s office will negotiate a final budget. The last day of the regularly scheduled legislative session is April 28. If no budget is agreed to by then the Governor will call a special session. We will continue to work with our legislators in support of the House budget position on funding tourism at the $1,000,000 level. We need the continued support of our WTA members and partners to continue the call for funding. View our suggested message. Since it appears likely that the legislature will, in fact, go into a special session, look for continued legislative alerts from the WTA with our call to action in support of our bridge-funding request.

WTA in the NEWS

On April 5th King 5 did a story about the WTA efforts to address statewide tourism marketing for Washington. Our message about the need for funding and our competition with neighboring states which have tourism marketing budgets significantly higher than ours was covered in an interview with WTA Board Chairman Kevin Clark and WTA Executive Director Louise Stanton-Masten. Click here for a link to the story and video of the King 5 news feature.
WTA Products to Serve Washington State Tourism

The WTA is proud of three very successful products that we offer to serve our members and the tourism industry. In the past few months we released the 2013 Official Washington State Visitors Guide, launched our newly updated website, www.experiencewa.com, and introduced our mobile app, VisitWA. In this section, we highlight each of these WTA tourism offerings.

2013 Edition of the Official WASHINGTON STATE VISITORS’ GUIDE RELEASED in March

The 2013 Washington State Visitors’ Guide was released in March and being is being widely distributed. The guide is produced through a strategic partnership with the WTA, the Washington Lodging Association (WLA) and SagaCity Media Inc. The Guide features regional maps, insider travel trips, itinerary suggestions and contact information for an array of standout local businesses and attractions. This year’s guide features three unique covers to underscore the beauty and breadth of Washington State visitor experiences.

The 2013 edition marks the 14th annual publication of the guide. This year, with increased demand, circulation has been increased to 375,000 copies, with readership of nearly one million. The Guide will be featured at visitor centers in Washington, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Vancouver, B.C., and will also be available at newsstands and checkout counters at Barnes & Noble, QFC and Whole Foods. Some 65,000 copies have been direct mailed to Seattle Met and Portland Monthly magazine subscribers.

Prospective travelers can read the Guide and order copies online at www.experiencewa.com and www.StayinWashington.com, the WLA’s web site. Travelers can also access versions of the guide that are optimized for iPads, android tablets and smart phones.

ExperienceWA Website

The new and improved travel consumer website, www.ExperienceWA.com launched just in time for the new year. The site features sections that include Things to See and Do, Events, Regions and Cities, Guides and Maps, and Stay in Washington, which is a link to the Washington Lodging Association website of accommodations throughout the state. ExperienceWA.com has blossomed for spring into a fully responsive website, which means viewing is optimized on any device – desktop, tablet and mobile – with flexible layout, sizing and feature detection. With the move to responsive design we expect the mobile & tablet performance and bounce rate to significantly improve. Coming up for the website in the near future are further enhancements which will include the use of Get Smart Content, which allows ExperienceWA to gather information about the user such as geography, search keyword and referring website, and instantly deliver relevant content based on that information. Additional website enhancements will also be on-going and implemented later this spring.

Mobile App – VisitWA

The WTA, in partnership with Yodio Tours, launched VisitWA, a mobile app targeting the growing number of visitors carrying smart phones on their travels. The mobile app provides information to visitors using the phone’s Global Positioning System (GPS) to deliver nearby sights, attractions and businesses on easy to use digital maps in every community across our state. The app was designed to offer tourism promoters the opportunity to be “local experts” and to share their recommendations about places to visit, creating local memorable sightseeing experiences.

The mobile app contains sections that feature things to see and do throughout the state that are both free and paid attractions, audio tours, and links to places to stay and dine. The current focus in development of the mobile app is to gather content for the “Free Things to See and Do” section. To share a sight or attraction on the app – the “must see and do” recommendations to our visitors – tourism promoters can submit a recommendation on the site, www.VisitWA.biz. Further development of the mobile app will continue into the summer as additional content and features are added.

Washington Tourism Alliance Welcomes New Directors

The Washington Tourism Alliance is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to the WTA Board of Directors. Leslie Johnson and Drew Schmidt were welcomed to the Board in March, 2013. We congratulate them and thank them for their commitment to the organization.

Leslie Johnson (Puyallup Tribe) is the Director of the Squaxin Island Tribe Tourism Department, with responsibility for promoting Tribal Tourism for the Squaxin Island Tribe as well as for NorthWest Tribal Tourism and the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.

Active in her community and with the Squaxin Island Tribe Tourism Department, Leslie participates in several conferences and trade shows each year, partners with a wide variety of tourism businesses and sponsors tourism related events. Leslie recently served as a member of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater Visitor & Convention Bureau. In addition to local and regional work, Leslie also serves on the National Scenic Byway Foundation Board of Directors. Thanks to Leslie’s support, the Squaxin Island Tribe Tourism Department has been a WTA member since the organization’s founding in 2011 and a sponsor of our annual tourism summit for the past two years.
Drew Schmidt is the Owner and Operator of Pacific Cruises Northwest and San Juan Cruises in Bellingham, a company that has been offering cruises since 1987.

Current cruises include whale watching adventure cruises with a salmon lunch and shore stop in Friday Harbor, Chuckanut Bay cracked crab dinner cruises, beer and wine tasting cruises featuring Washington craft breweries and wineries, and San Juan Island group tours. Drew is a member of the Bellingham Tourism Commission, the Whatcom County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, and is Treasurer of the Bellingham / Whatcom Tourism Bureau and Pacific Whale Watching Association.

Welcome Leslie and Drew to the WTA Board!

Washington Tourism Alliance Welcomes New Members

New members January – March include:

Adventura Aerial Adventure Park, Bank of America, Campbell’s Resort, City of Kenmore, City of Spokane Valley, Elwha Dam RV Park, Fran’s Chocolates, Hilton Garden Inn Yakima, Hyatt House Redmond, The Lucky Dog Casino, Marriott Hotels Regional Council, Moss Adams, The Outlet Collection, Pacific Place, Pacific Science Center, Quinault Beach Resort & Casino, River Park Square, San Juan Cruises, Seattle Aquarium, Seattle Marriott Waterfront, Skokomish Park at Lake Cushman, Tom Douglas Restaurants, University of Washington, The Waterfront at Potlatch

Renewing members January – March include:

7 Cedars Casino & Resort Properties, Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, Best Western Plus CottonTree Inn, Cascade Loop Scenic Highway, Certified Folder Display Service, Inc, Chateau Ste. Michelle, City of Edmonds, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Heathman Lodge, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Ilwaco Merchants Association, Jefferson County Tourism Coordinating Council, Macy’s, The Map Company, Port of Seattle, Pullman Chamber of Commerce, Residence Inn – Seattle Downtown/Lake Union, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Southside DMO, Ski Washington, Space Needle, Visit Spokane, The Inn at Gig Harbor, The Westin Bellevue, Trac Center, Tri-Cities CVB, Washington Bed and Breakfast Guild, Washington Indian Gaming Association, WSDMO

Member News

Monique Trudnowski of Adriatic Grill wins National Faces of Diversity American Dream Award

Monique Trudnowski, owner of Tacoma’s Adriatic Grill Italian Cuisine & Wine Bar, won the National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) Faces of Diversity American Dream Award. Trudnowski received her honor April 17th at the NRA’s Public Affairs Conference in Washington D.C.

The NRA honors a restaurant operator each year with the Faces of Diversity American Dream Award, which recognizes diverse members of the industry who have, through hard work and perseverance, achieved the American Dream.

She has taken an active role in the state’s newly formed Washington Tourism Alliance and has been integral to the Washington Restaurant Association’s political advocacy efforts. See the full story on the Washington Restaurant Association’s page.

Category : Executive Director Updates

Off

WTA Executive Director’s Newsletter – September 2012

by WaTourismAlliance

Word is spreading. Questions are being asked. Invitations to speak about the WTA are on the rise….and that’s all good news!

Yes, tourism has now been the topic of choice for major events such as the Seattle Chamber of Commerce “Executive Speaker” series, the Puget Sound Business Journal’s “Business Journal Live” series, the Joint Committee on Economic Development & International Trade held in Walla Walla, and now Key Bank’s “Sound Thinking” forums. On October 10, 2012 at the Grand Hyatt in Seattle, Key Bank, in association with Washington State University is hosting Bigger Than You Think: The Economic Impact of Tourism on the Puget Sound Economy, and the WTA is a featured speaker. This venue will allow us to share our story and address issues that are of concern to our industry. This complimentary event is open to all WTA members and we encourage you to attend. To register, simply go to key.com/soundthinking. (Deadline is October 4, 2012).

The WTA Board had the opportunity to hear from both gubernatorial candidates over the last couple of months. It was a great opportunity to have an open discussion and have them answer questions that are affecting tourism in our state. Both candidates acknowledged the value tourism brings to Washington. When available, transcripts of their commentary will be posted on the WTA website.

We are very excited to announce our home town cruise line, Holland America, has recently joined the WTA at the $5000 Partner level. The cruise industry has a tremendous impact on tourism for the state bringing in $416M in annual business revenue to the region. It is wonderful to see Holland America involved with the WTA.

Suzanne Fletcher

Committee Reports Long Term Funding/Advocacy
The Long Term Funding Committee met at the end of August to continue discussions about a proposal for sustainable long term funding. Results from the focus groups and meetings around the state were considered. In addition, further efforts to understand the “numbers” of tourism continue. They are working with the Washington State Department of Revenue to determine the number of businesses and their revenues in the various tourism sectors.They have begun consideration of the need and availability for some so-called “bridge funding.” This will help keep a state tourism program in tact while the mechanism for a long term funding source is being implemented. Several key legislators have been receptive to the idea of bridge funding to be used until a mechanism for private support can be put in place. This funding would be used for specific projects and activities that are critical to a statewide program.Summit & Events

The Summit & Events committee didn’t hold a committee meeting in August, however, a lot of work was accomplished in the month nonetheless. Bidding for Good continued with a new package released in August for Long Beach. Current stats from these packages will be in next month’s report.

A date was set for our Wine Event and Auction. It will be Saturday, May 18, 2013 at Urban Enoteca in Seattle and will be called “A Red and White Affair.” This will be WTA’s major fundraiser for the year, showcasing approximately 20 wineries. It will include wine tasting and delectable appetizers, with the option of purchasing special cellared wines. This will be an upscale event and will primarily be by invitation, although it will be announced at the Summit earlier in the spring. Cost per person is anticipated to be $125 and will be capped at 300 people.

PR/Communications Committee

Media Coverage

A sampling of some regional news media coverage about WTA that were facilitated by the Communications Committee in July:

- King TV/KONG TV

Suzanne Fletcher was interviewed by Jake Wittenberg, Reporter with King 5 TV, on WTA’s success and challenges one year after the state tourism office closed. The story aired on KING and KONG’s morning news with varying live feeds at several times.

- Puget Sound Business Journal (Hospitality Special Section)

A tourism story featuring WTA appeared in the journal’s special hospitality section on August 24. The story mentioned WTA’s long term funding challenges and opportunities.

WTA social media channels: The committee is staffing both Facebook and Twitter. Members take shifts in posting/tweeting. With the transition complete, emphasis is now on building fans/followers, which in turn will help WTA establish industry, member, business and political support.

Photos/Video: The committee continues to work in tandem with other WTA committees to make its photo and B-roll video library more accessible for client and industry use. Progress continues on development of a much-needed storage system that is separate from experiencewa.com. Solutions may include an FTP site, cloud option or others.

Membership Committee

The membership committee has continued to work on our membership outreach initiative. We have now finished assigning all the WTA members board representatives. The membership committee will be reaching out to each of our members over the coming months to talk about the direction of the WTA and answer any questions. Don’t forget, the Level Up! Campaign is still going strong so if you bring in a member to the WTA, you’ll get a free upgrade to your membership. Please feel free to contact Mike Moe at mike@watourismalliance.com if you have any questions.

Marketing Committee

The marketing committee is proud to announce that they have officially concluded the 2012 co-op advertising campaign and it was a huge success! Here are some quick facts illustrating that when tourism stakeholders in Washington work together, great things happen!

3,780 direct visits to the co-op Facebook application were drawn from the strategic advertising placements in Portland, OR and Vancouver, BC
- 1,612 visits were drawn from Display and Email marketing
- 2,169 visits were drawn from Facebook advertising
- 660 new likes earned through 12 sources
- 322 countries around the world visited the app to learn about Washington Adventures
- 441,290 Facebook users reached on the app’s most popular day

The marketing committee already has the gears in motion for the next co-op advertising campaign. We will be sure to let you all know once we have the new strategy developed further.

Prior to the last committee meeting on 9/13, a subgroup of the Marketing Committee met with Green Rubino to review the work that went into the creation of the Washington the State logo and brand toolkit. The committee discussed what would be the proposed next steps to implement the brand platform that we built into an updated strategy based on today’s circumstances and changes taking place in technology and marketing. The marketing committee looks forward to working with the framework originally developed by Green Rubino to create an engaging brand experience for those looking for a genuinely northwest adventure.

The Marketing Committee is assembling a list of all travel trade shows Washington State tourism stakeholders are attending and we will be more than happy to support their marketing efforts along the way. If you and your local DMO will be exhibiting at a travel trade show, we would love to hear about it!

Welcome New Members! New members this month include: American Hotel, The Bellevue Square Collection, Holiday Inn Express (Spokane Valley), Holiday Inn Express (Wenatchee), Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Laurie Hatfield (Willapa Harbor Chamber of Commerce), Lisa Pasin (Redmond Inn), Oxford Suites (Yakima), Quality Inn Valley Suites, SpringHill Suites (Wenatchee), White Pass Scenic Byway, and Drew Schmidt (San Jan Cruises). Thank you for joining the WTA, and for becoming a part in the future of Washington Tourism.

Category : Executive Director Updates

Off

Executive Director Update – August 2012

by WaTourismAlliance

Have you ever been involved in a project, task, or challenge that at times seemed insurmountable? Have you had days when you’ve asked yourself, “Did I accomplish anything today?” And then, just when you are about to hit the wall, you have a breakthrough. If so, you know the feeling of being re-energized and positive and ready to take on the world all over again. To be honest, I have had those days, but I’ve seen and felt that breakthrough recently, and it feels great!

So what was my breakthrough? It was receiving recognition, and noticing awareness, of the WTA. It is such a great feeling when a potential investor tells us they know all about the WTA, can’t believe this has happened in our state, and appreciate the work we have done. And to hear legislators, who are aware of the current state, tell us statistics about the impact of the loss of tourism to our economic development. Better yet, to have out-of-state media calling us to say “We heard about what the WTA is doing in Washington, and we are impressed. Can you tell us more?” While funding is still a concern, I truly believe we have reached a milestone. Broad-based advocacy is critical to our success, and we are seeing our efforts make a difference in our state.

While I personally hate sports analogies, I feel compelled to share what I am thinking: We are like a Super Bowl competitor….we have a hell of a team, we are focused, we have a plan, and we are ready to execute.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful and sunny rest of the month. See you in September! (Isn’t there a song about that?)

-Suzanne Fletcher
Executive Director

MEMBER NEWS

I don’t need to tell anyone how important the upcoming state elections are to the future of tourism. Because of that, the WTA Board invited both candidates to present their perspectives on the current state of tourism in Washington. This month the Board had the opportunity to hear Democratic candidate, Jay Inslee, present and address questions posed by the Board. In September, Rob McKenna, the Republican candidate, will be presenting. I will include those discussions in next month’s newsletter so you can see where the candidates stand and how they plan to support the WTA moving forward.

Now is the time to reserve your space in the Official 2013 Washington State Visitors’ Guide and receive special WTA member pricing – just one more benefit of your WTA membership.

Thanks to our combined efforts of the three-way partnership with the Washington Lodging Association and SagaCity Media, circulation for the Visitors’ Guide has grown to 375,000 and readership to nearly one million prospective travelers. Our aggressive distribution plan continues to get copies into the hands of visitors at over 2,200 visitor locations in nine states and in British Columbia and at Barnes & Noble, QFC, Whole Foods and other quality stores in Washington and Oregon. The 2013 Visitors’ Guide will also reach 65,000 subscribers of Seattle Met and Portland Monthly magazines when it is mailed along with their April issues.

And we continue to expand our program with major Washington companies, using the Official Washington State Visitors’ Guide as a recruitment tool for new hires. As WTA’s official tourism publication, the Visitors’ Guide is prominently featured on experiencewa.com where travelers can view it online or order their own copy. Readers can also download the Guide to their iPad or other tablet devices and smartphones.

Now is the time to reserve your space, invest in Washington tourism, and bring visitors to your door. Contact Jeff Adams at SagaCity Media for more information and to reserve your space. (jadams@sagacitymedia.com or call 206-454-3007)

Recently I was made aware of an impressive effort by our friends out in the San Juan Islands that I wanted to share. The San Juan Islands are an integral part of tourism to this state, and a real gem to share. (They were recognized as the #2 NY Times world list and Travel & Leisure’s “Top 10 Islands-Continental US & Canada) They are taking on a monumental task and are asking for support.

The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau invites all tourism partners to help support the designation of 955 acres of unspoiled, government-owned land in the San Juan Islands as a National Monument. The Monument would preserve scenic views, flora and fauna, history, culture and beloved recreation areas. These lands include iconic lighthouses, tiny bays, rocky promontories and Patos Island. Their Visitors Bureau is committed to local input into the management of these lands, particularly in the area of visitor education. The Islands belong to everyone and are a magnetic for tourists to Washington State. To help us preserve these unspoiled jewels go to San Juan Islands National Conservation Area for more information and for tips on letter writing. You may also directly link to email the President from there website.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Marketing Committee

The marketing committee has been tracking the activity of the Web site committee closely and is very excited about the progress being made toward a new site.

They are monitoring the success we have had with our new co-op ad campaign and the conversion rate of the display ads placed. The committee is eager to see another surge in clicks to the co-op application page. One thing to note in regard to the clicks is that this figure only represents clicks expressly driven from the advertisements. The organic traffic of the Facebook page and the sharing inherent to social media has and will continue to drive additional traffic to the co-op application.

Chris Murphy and George Sharp (co-chairs) extended the opportunity for one of the committee members to become co-chair of the social media sub-committee. Jennifer Johnson with the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad graciously volunteered. If you are interested in contributing to the WTA’s social media efforts, please email Chris (ChrisM@Seabrookwa.com) or Jennifer (sales@mrsr.org).

Finally, the committee chairs reviewed the next steps for the strategic marketing plan. After a meeting last month with Green Rubino, the PR firm hired previously by the state, the committee chairs explained the current state of the Experience WA brand and expressed that over the next few weeks the chairs will meet with Green Rubino again to craft a presentation for the marketing committee. The goal of the presentation is to review the steps taken in developing the Experience WA & Washington the State logos and to set forth the previously recommended next steps for the brand strategy created by Green Rubino for the Washington State Tourism Office. Looking forward, the marketing committee’s intent is to gather as much information as possible and create a presentation for the WTA board with a recommendation for the further development of the Experience WA brand, and an explanation on how the marketing committee recommends the more developed brand will play a large role in the strategic marketing strategy.

Website Task Force

The Website Task Force received 8 proposals for a new website and interviewed 4 potential website partners. We have now identified a website partner, and are currently discussing details of a business partnership. We see some exciting changes coming to ExperienceWa.com, so stay tuned for an update and timeline.

PR Committee

I had the privilege of being interviewed by Jake Wittenberg, a reporter with King 5 TV, on WTA’s success and challenges one year after the state tourism office closed. The story was run on their morning show on August 8th.

We also had a great story in the Seattle Business Magazine in August called “Off the Map”, written by Isolde Raftery, after she attended the April Summit. In addition, a tourism story featuring WTA is underway in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s special hospitality section and will be issued in late August. The story will feature WTA success stories, long-term funding challenges and opportunities, and more.

WTA social media channels:

The committee is staffing both Facebook and Twitter. Our dedicated members take shifts in posting/tweeting. With the transition complete, emphasis is now on building fans/followers, which in turn will help WTA establish industry, member, business and political support.

As far as our video/photo library, the committee continues to work in tandem with other WTA committees to make the library more accessible for client and industry use. Progress continues on development of a much-needed storage system that is separate from experiencewa.com. Solutions may include an FTP site, cloud option or others.

Long Term Funding and Advocacy Committee

It’s been a very busy month for the Long Term Funding/Advocacy Committee (LTFA). With the help of Becky Bogard and Kathryn Hedrick, six regional meetings have already been held through out the state to discuss our ideas and concepts for the funding model moving forward. The feedback and support has been very positive and has prepared us for our next steps. Printed pieces related to advocacy and explaining funding were distributed to participants at these regional meetings

Since those meetings, the LTF+A Committee has continued to meet and discuss results from regional meetings, advocacy process, and new concepts for a true funding model.

We have also discussed issues related to bridge funding, governmental involvement, and practical expectations of 2013 legislation. Because of timing issues with enacting and implementing any legislation, we believe we will need some bridge funding to keep some projects alive. This might include funding for tourism research such as the Dean Runyan study as well as funds to get a new website up and running.

Membership Committee

Throughout the summer, the membership committee has been working hard to bring in more members and increase awareness of the WTA. The Level Up! campaign has been extended through the end of September, so bring in a new member to the WTA this summer and receive an upgrade to your membership! The committee has also assigned each WTA member a representative from the Board of Directors. Your board rep will be from your region or from your sector. In the coming months, the membership committee will be contacting all current members to do a “checking in” and also informing you of your Board representative. If you have any questions, please contact our Business Development Manager, Mike Moe at mike@watourismalliance.com.

The committee is also discussing the possibility of creating a WTA discount program for members offering members discounts at other member’s establishments. We want to continue adding value to your membership. More to come on this!

Events Committee

In order to increase interest among potential bidders on Bidding For Good, the online auction’s structure will be changing. We are evaluating frequency, quantity of items, and types of items, always focusing on how we are showcasing our members and their regions.. The committee is now tracking activity and statistics through Google Analytics to get a better understanding of our buyer’s habits.

SAVE THE DATE !

The committee is actively working on a very cool event for Saturday evening, October 20th and we wanted to make sure you got it on the calendar. While we hate to sound coy, we are not quite ready to share all the details, but we can tempt you by telling you it will include a great venue, superb Washington wines, and phenomenal food! So did we catch your interest? The Events Committee will be announcing details very soon.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

We want to welcome our recent new members: Palace Hotel, Holiday Inn Express Bellingham, Chambers Bay Golf Course, Hotel 1000, Fairfield Inn and Suites Puyallup, Amtrak, Media West Advertising Sales, Harbor Inn Edmonds, Wolf Haven International, Port Districts of Mason County, Chrysalis Inn and Spa, Snoqualmie Tribe, Anacortes Chamber of Commerce, Sheraton Bellevue, Omni Risk Management, WA State Wine Commission, Lynnwood PFD Convention Center, Hotel Bellevue, and the Holiday Inns and Holiday Inns Express of Yakima and Ellensburg. Thank you for joining the WTA, and for becoming a part in the future of Washington Tourism.

Category : Executive Director Updates

Tags : Executive Director, Executive Director Update, Jay Inslee, New Members, Rob McKenna, san juan islands, Washington State Visitor's Guide

Off

Executive Director Update – June 2012

by WaTourismAlliance

It is a great time to be in tourism in Washington! Our high season is upon us, and it’s great to see more tourists on the sidewalks and more cameras around necks. The cruise ships are in port and passengers are visiting our members’ establishments.

I’ve always been tempted to interview them and ask, “Why did you choose Washington?” So this past weekend, that is exactly what I did. The answers were as diverse as their points of origination. Many respondents commented it was the draw of the beauty of our state, or the variety of outdoor and/or affordable activities. But the answer I got more than I would have liked…it’s on the way to Alaska! That just tells me we have much work to do! We need to get the word out that Washington is open for business and we are inviting everyone to come and stay for awhile….and see more of our state to truly understand the diversity and the grandeur of Washington.

-Suzanne Fletcher

(more…)

Category : Executive Director Updates

Off

Executive Director Update – May 2012

by WaTourismAlliance

Last month I reported on our successful Summit that took place at the Seattle Hilton & Conference Center on April 5, 2012. With over 400 attendees, it was a great way to kick off year two. In my last newsletter I had mentioned we would be reporting back to you the survey results received, and commentary that was shared with us.

1. Overall Satisfaction with the Summit: 93% of responders were satisfied and/or extremely satisfied
2. View of the all-day format: 85% preferred the full day over a half day
3. Event was priced appropriately: 97% felt it was a good value

Below are partial responses from the open-ended survey questions:

Was anything missing from the event? What would you like to see next year?

• More networking opportunity
• Break outs in the afternoon
• More solicitation of information from the audience
• Panel discussions
• More discussions on marketing
• More information on how money will be spent
• Report on how other states are dealing with cut backs

What suggestions do you have for next year’s Summit?

• Liked the Committee updates
• Use the organizations that were there to market your program to spread the word to community service groups
• Understand the need to thank everyone and congratulate everyone but that seemed to be the only theme felt like a company annual sales meeting
• Get sponsorships/funding — where are the big companies…the non-tourism companies that reap the benefits, i.e. Microsoft and Amazon?
• Involve more of the smaller, outlying area groups. Work with your nonprofit members more…they know how to save and get money
• Keep communicating about what successes the organization is having and don’t forget about the possible contributions of ‘grassroots’ or individual members
• More handouts
• Create a brand assessment, brand strategy and a marketing plan with clear objectives, strategies and tactics
• Get the funding legislation ready soon, then call on us for lobbying calls and we’ll make it happen
• Official Washington State Visitor’s Guide

Committee Reports

• Web Committee-The website is still a work in progress, and the team is currently evaluating next steps.
• PR & Communications-Continuing to expand our reach on Facebook & Twitter. Get your friends to follow us! The PR Committee got four press releases out during the month, and we were very fortunate to have MSNBC, The Seattle Times, Crosscut and King 5 covering our Summit
• Long Term Funding-We continue to meet with other organizations to learn from their efforts. Last week we had the opportunity to hear how Washington Filmworks was successful in passing their recent legislation. We have been identifying stakeholders and stakeholder organizations to determine our advocacy focus, and are assigning members to these stakeholders to advance our message.
• Membership Committee-This committee is currently working on a project to streamline the current member database so it can be used more effectively in outreach. They are also assisting the Marketing Committee in designing a non-tourism membership kit that can be used in future solicitations by creating a more compelling value proposition.
• Marketing Committee-Along with revamping the membership kit, the Marketing Committee is also focusing on future: co-op development and contests. They are also evaluating our media buy strategy and developing recommendations to the Board. Lastly, they are continuing to enhance the use of our social media.
• Summit & Events –While the five “around the State” fundraising events are still in the early planning stages, venues and themes are being finalized. Don’t forget about our Bidding for Good auction site! The S&E committee will be launching a new package every month thru 2012.

Pow Wow Report
The Washington Tourism Alliance was well represented at Pow Wow 2012. A huge thank you to John Cooper, Yakima CVB, for being the coordinator and host for this year’s booth. John shared the booth with George Sharp, Olympia/Tumwater/Lacey CVB, Leslie Johnson, Squaxin Tribe, and Shauna Lunde-Stewart from the Tacoma Regional CVB. Their dance card was full, having 37 confirmed appointments and 12 walk ups. It was very important for the WTA to be present, and squelch the rumors that Washington was closed for business.

Official Guide
I’m pleased to report that the new Official Washington State Visitors’ Guide is a tremendous hit, flying off shelves all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Pick up a copy and you’ll know why the Visitors’ Guide is so popular. It offers 140 pages of first-class travel writing, stunning photography and invaluable resources. And thanks to our publishing partnership with Washington Lodging Association and SagaCity Media, Inc., the Washington State Visitors’ Guide will engage close to one million readers in 2012—more proof that WTA is leveraging opportunities to promote tourism throughout our beautiful state! Please contact Jeff Adams at SagaCity Media (jadams@sagacitymedia.com or 206-454-3007) for more information.

And now we are three!!!
I hope you all have an opportunity to say hello to Monica Hinckley who joined us as our permanent Administrator. Monica joined us in mid-May, and comes from the Seattle International Film Festival organization. It is great to now have a team of three representing you and the WTA.

As always, we love to hear from you. If you have comments or concerns, please feel free to call us or send an email to admin@watourismalliance.com.

Category : Executive Director Updates

Tags : Executive Director, Executive Director Update

Off

Executive Director Update – 4.12.12

by WaTourismAlliance

Executive Director Update
April 12, 2012

Summit 2012

You remember my last newsletter stated “it’s all about the Summit”, and that was true! The second annual WTA Summit was held last week at the Seattle Hilton & Conference Center and was attended by over 400 people! It was a great day for the WTA!

Guest presenters included Roger Dow, USTA and Caroline Beteta from Brand USA, it was great to get the update on what is happening at the national level and how USTA is bringing awareness on the value of tourism to the United States.

Speaking on behalf of the WTA was George Sharp, Marketing Committee Chair; Andy Olsen, Long Term Funding/Advocacy Chair; and myself. The event came off without a hitch. We must recognize the terrific staff of the Seattle Hilton Airport Complex and thank Frank Welton, General Manager, for his overwhelming support. Also a special thanks to Brianna Mark, Joanie Pop, and Laura Brackenridge and Kara Moreno for registration and venue management. Find out what WTA has been doing and where we are going, by viewing the presentations. All three WTA presentations are now posted on the www.watourismalliance.com website for those that missed the event.

We were so fortunate to start the festivities with a magnificent (and sold out!) reception at The Museum of Flight the night prior. Besides being a breathtaking location, McCormick and Schmick’s pulled out all the stops for us with fabulous food. The entertainment was a blast from the past with flight attendants (stewardess then) in uniforms from the 40s and 50s. We were entertained by Sweet Swing and all this could not have been possible without the tremendous efforts of Meagan McGuire from the museum, who managed the entire event including the sponsorship of our transportation, Shuttle Express, and the generous sponsorship from Squaxin Island Tourism, Suquamish Clearwater Resort & Casino, Tulalip Resort Casino Spa and Northwest Tribal Tourism. This event will be tough to beat, but we are already working on an idea!

A survey for attendees will be going out soon, and I will report back the findings.

Official Visitors’ Guide

Have you had the opportunity to see the new Guide? They are amazing! Yes, I said they because while there is only one guide, there are three covers!! WLA, WTA and SagaCity Publishing have created a Visitors Guide that is second to none. The three organizations participated on an Editorial Board and collaborated on the content and design of the publication. With regional maps, insider tips and contact information for an array of standout local businesses and attractions, the 2012 edition will help the first-time traveler and the seasoned Washington visitor make the transition from inspiration to itinerary. This guide will be hitting 65,000 homes in the Portland and Seattle area for all subscribers of Portland monthly and Seattle Met Magazine. In the next few days. It will also be featured at visitor centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Vancouver, BC, and prominently displayed on newsstands and at checkout counters at Barnes & Noble, QFC and Whole Foods. And of course the Guide can also be ordered through the www.ExperienceWa.com website or can be viewed electronically from your computer, mobile device or iPad. Do take a look. I know you will be very impressed.

Committee Reports

Marketing

The big news here is our first co-op ad is being released soon targeting the Portland and Vancouver Canada marketplace.
Also the Marketing Committee has a call to action. Chris Murphy, our social media sub committee chair is requesting the following: While the social media sub-committee employs software to amalgamate recently published content, if you have an upcoming event or piece of news that you would like the WTA to consider for publishing, we would love for you to send us a press release along with any photography you would like to have featured. If you do not have a press release drafted, a web address at which more information can be found will be very helpful. Please email these materials to Chrism@seabrookwa.com using the subject “WTA Social Media.” Chris will ensure that the information provided is distributed to the appropriate team member within the social media sub-committee.

Membership

During the Summit we had a membership raffle which brought in 38 referrals and many new members. Thanks to the efforts of the membership committee and all the donated baskets, the WTA raised almost $1700!

Summit & Events

Besides pulling off an amazing Summit, this committee has also organized an incredible fundraising opportunity for the WTA. They (again, a special thank you to Meagan McGuire, Lenny Zilz and Silvia Reed) have created an on line auction site through www.Biddingforgood.com, and we will be offering member’s packages for auction through out the year. Please check out the current offering of our Bellingham/San Juan Escapes, and don’t forget to bid on it while you are in there. www.biddingforgood.com/wta

Long Term Funding/Advocacy

The LTF Committee will continue to refine the proposed draft of our long term funding model. Our goal is to have a final draft with stakeholder buy in around 3rd quarter of this year.

Web Committee

The Web Committee created a sub-committee to review the future direction of the ExperienceWa.com website. They met last week and are moving forward with a plan.

PR/Communications

Thanks to David Blandford and team for having great press coverage of the Summit and the media coverage afterwards. We also want to thank Marcus Carney from the Tacoma Regional CVB for assisting us in our Tweeting during the event. The coverage was amazing!

If you are interested in volunteering for any of these committees, submit this volunteer application and we will reach out to you.

As you consider your membership renewal, I want to be sure that you know how we are spending your investment dollars.
Our expenses average $31,000 a month. A third of those expenses are related to the maintenance of the www.experiencewa.com website, another third is devoted to the call center operation and various business expenses (such as legal fees, postage, office supplies, etc.) and a third pays two staff salaries and the part-time salary for administrative and bookkeeping help. As you know, we do not have an office nor do we pay any benefits. I hope you would agree-we are watching your dollars!

Suzanne Fletcher
Executive Director, WTA

www.watourismalliance.com
info@watourismalliance.com

Category : Executive Director Updates, Marketing

Off

Executive Director Update – 3.12.12

by WaTourismAlliance

Executive Director Update

March 12, 2012

March is a special month for the WTA, as it marks the WTA’s first birthday! Last year around this time, the first Summit was held as a call to action, and some were unsure there would be a second. Not only are we here, but we are getting stronger every day! And to celebrate our successful first year, we are going to hold the 2^nd Annual WTA Summit on April 5. This event is so very important to the WTA, as it is our celebration of success, our report out of accomplishments, and our road map for the future. Anyone in the tourism industry should want to be a part of this special occasion. We are very excited to have secured Roger Dow, an industry leader and President & CEO, USTA and Caroline Beteta, President & CEO, Visit California as keynote speakers. They will be sharing their view points on tourism from the national level, and how their efforts work in conjunction with the WTA. (more…)

Category : Executive Director Updates, Tourism Summit

Tags : 2012 Tourism Summit, Ad-Hoc Committees, Brand USA, Caroline Beteta, Dave Blandford, Executive Director, Executive Director Update, Marketing, Mike Moe, Roger Dow, SagaCity Media Inc., Suzanne Fletcher, US Travel Association, Washington Lodging Association, Washington State Visitor's Guide, Washington Tourism Alliance

Off

Executive Director Update – 2.10.12

by WaTourismAlliance

Executive Director Update

February 10, 2012

I always want to start out by saying “it’s been a busy few weeks,” but they are all busy and productive weeks at the WTA! There is so much progression in committees, increased press, and public speaking opportunities. The list just goes on and on… But I would be remiss if I didn’t start out every newsletter with one comment… THE VOLUNTEERS… AMAZING DEDICATION AND AMAZING PEOPLE! We can’t thank you enough.

I need to begin by introducing the new face in town! We are very excited to announce that Brianna Mark is joining our team and will be a very familiar voice and face to the WTA. Brianna comes to us with years of DMO and meeting and events experience. She hasn’t had much down time since she started, but I do hope you take a minute and say hello and introduce yourself through email or in person, she can be contacted at bmark@watourismalliance.com . (more…)

Category : Executive Director Updates