Loveworks- Virginia Tourism

LOVEWORKS at VA-1

35-Mile Drive at the Virginia Tourism Summit in Richmond, Virginia

On behalf of 35-Mile Drive and tourism in Goochland County, Jenny Liesfeld and Aynsley Fisher attended the VA-1: LoveWorks Conference. The two-day event offered attendees from the tourism industry around Virginia the chance to network, learn and gain insight into the latest data. Highlights included: electronic marketing workshops, lunch with members of Virginia’s General Assembly, a report on the new statewide tourism plan, how to integrate the “Virginia is for Lovers” campaign and your own, latest consumer research and travel trends, tourism and economic development, marketing leverage grant programs and panel discussions on leading with advocacy and supporting tourism when funding is cut, frozen or nonexistent.

Fun Fact:

The highly anticipated movie “Lincoln” (in theaters November 16, 2012), directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, was filmed in Richmond, Petersburg and even Goochland County. Petersburg plays Richmond, Richmond plays Washington, D.C., and the Goochland/Powhatan set from HBO’s award-winning miniseries “John Adams” also played a role. As Rita McClenny, Director of the Virginia Film Office and Interim President and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation reported, “when Spielberg saw the Capitol in Richmond, he said, ‘I want that to be the backdrop for my film!'”

Goochland Receives Tourism Marketing Grant Funds

Governor McDonnell Announces $800,000 in Grant Funds to Increase Tourism in Virginia’s Localities

~40 local tourism projects will receive marketing dollars to increase visitation and revenue~

 

RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell announced today nearly $800,000 in tourism marketing grant funds for more than 40 local tourism initiatives across the state.  The Virginia Tourism Corporation awards the grants.  Each grant is matched by funds from a minimum of three local organizations and used to support marketing initiatives including advertising, Web development, online marketing and brochures.  The three to one matching funds provided by local partner organizations leverages the $800,000 in grant funds into more than $2 million invested in tourism marketing.  In total, more than 180 public and private partner organizations will work together as a result of the grant program. Governor McDonnell recently increased funding for the program as part of his efforts to increase economic development through tourism.

 

“Tourism is an integral part of the Virginia economy – providing nearly $18 billion in revenue and employing more than 204,000 people,” said Governor McDonnell.  “These grant funds are designed to spur economic development through tourism.  The state’s investment maximizes local marketing funds – allowing for localities to double and sometimes triple their marketing power to attract more visitors to local destinations.”

 

The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Marketing Leverage Program is designed to stimulate new tourism marketing through partnerships and to extend the Virginia is for Lovers brand.  The objective of this program is to leverage limited marketing dollars, resulting in increased visitor spending.  A minimum of three entities must partner financially to apply.  Partners may consist of Virginia towns, cities, counties, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, other local or regional destination marketing organizations, private businesses, museums, attractions, cultural events, and other entities.

 

“Virginia’s tourism marketing has a proven 5:1 return on investment, meaning that every dollar the state invests in marketing provides $5 back in tax revenue alone,” said Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the VTC.  “These grants are a tremendous resource for localities that helps get attention for local destinations and generate the revenue and jobs that tourism creates.”

 

Details on grant awards are below. The next round of the Tourism Marketing Leverage Program will open August 8, 2011.  Localities interested in applying should visit www.vatc.org for more information.

 

 

 

VTC Marketing Leverage Grant Awards

Organization	Project	Amount
Artisan Center of Va.	Take Home a Piece of Va.	$10,000
Shenandoah County	Shenandoah County Shines	$7322
Richmond CVB	Greater Richmond Video Series	$50,000
Colonial Athletic Assoc.	Va is for Lovers of CAA	$10,000
The Crooked Road	The Collaborative Crooked Road	$28,000
Draper Mercantile Trading Co.	Concert Series Marketing	$7300
Friends of Southwest Virginia	Inviting the World to SWVA	$50,000
Round the Mountain	Digital Online Artisan Maps	$40,000
Northampton County	Cross the Bay for a Day	$37,077
Goochland County	Discover Goochland	$10,000
Northern Neck Tourism	One-Tank Marketing	$10,000
Scott County	Outdoor Recreation Marketing	$9,998
Waterford Foundation	Waterford Homes Tour	$12,913
Tazewell County	Back of the Dragon	$10,000
Roanoke River to Trails	Tobacco Heritage Trail	$878
Roanoke Valley CVB	Blue Ridge Mountain Marketing	$50,000
Virginia Beach CVB	Live, Love, Run the Winter	$46,851
Smyth County Tourism	Blue Ridge Highlands Fishing Trail	$30,000
Virginia for the Arts	Minds Wide Open 2012	$24,882
Boydton Historic Renaissance	Southern Virginia’s Little Village	$2,500
Jamestown Settlement	America’s Historic Triangle	$50,000
Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce	It’s Closer Than You Think Campaign	$9,118
Piedmont Arts Assoc.	Discover Martinsville’s Museums	$9,925
Depot Arts Assoc.	Entertain Your Sense of Art	$1,655
City of Poquoson	Seafood Festival and Recreation	$6,142
City of Radford	Phase V Tourism Initiative	$10,000
Town of Brookneal	Brookneal Wine Festival at Red Hill	$2,504
City of Waynesboro	Rebranding and Marketing	$28,211
SoVa Wine Trail	Wine Through Southern Va.	$7,477
City of Galax/Grayson Co.	Bluegrass, Blue Ridge, Blue Skies	$23,013
Wilderness Road	Brochure and Marketing Plan	$42,000
Thomas Jefferson Foundation	Greater Charlottesville Marketing	$50,000
Visit Loudoun	Lansdowne Resort Family Campaign	$13,000
Nelson 151	Nelson 151	$10,000
Virginia Golf Vacations	Click, Play and Save	$15,775
Waynesboro Tourism Assoc.	Mobile Marketing	$4,642
Waynesboro Parks & Rec.	Run the Valley Series	$5,000
Shenandoah Valley Art Center	River City Fall Foliage	$10,000
Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest	Wine Festival	$10,000
Hague Winery	Good Life Now and Then	$8,000
Visit Fairfax	Banner Advertising Campaign	$30,000
Abingdon CVB	Entertain Your Senses	$10,198
Out of Woodstock Productions	Virginia Renaissance Fair	$10,000

 

Tourism is an instant revenue generator for Virginia that generates nearly $18 billion in revenue, supports more than 204,000 jobs and provides $1.24 billion in state and local taxes.

 

Love is at the heart of every Virginia vacation.  Visit www.Virginia.org to learn more about vacation destinations in Virginia or call 1-800-VISITVA to receive a free, Virginia is for Lovers travel guide.

A Snapshot… A Closer Look at 35 Mile Drive

Tucker Park at Maiden’s Crossing

After months of blogging on various topics, it makes sense to revisit our roots, to redefine exactly what 35 Mile Drive is all about!

Truth be told, the 35 Mile Drive Association is many things. We are artists, musicians, restaurants, farmers, bed & breakfasts, wineries, tours, living history, historic sites, parks, river adventures, museums, realtors, gourmet food providers, hunt clubs, taxidermists, farmers markets, special events, publishers, designers, writers, photographers, landowners. The best thing about such a thing is we are a sum of our parts…offering a unique snapshot of the destinations, activities and culture that best represent Goochland County, Virginia.

 

We celebrate the hospitality and tourism industry in Goochland and promote our region as a getaway-for-the-day destination for the surrounding Richmond area.

 

Want to know more about our businesses and destinations? You can visit our website at www.35miledrive.com , subscribe to this blog, follow  us on twitter @35miledrive and soon will be able to find us on facebook. We have logo decals available for purchase, details coming soon.

 

We have many artist friends who have embarked on a “painting-a-day.” We thought that sounded like a good challenge… so coming soon, we will be doing a “blog-a-week!” Each blog will feature one of our members. Be sure to check in regularly to see what’s new on the 35 Mile Drive!