Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners
January 4, 2017
IN THIS ISSUE:
* Williams opening keynote speaker 
for Visit NC 365 
* New digital campaign launches on VisitNC
* Spring print co-ops still available
Williams is opening keynote speaker for Visit NC 365

Luke Williams, a globally recognized authority on innovation leadership, will be the opening keynote speaker for the Visit NC 365 conference, in Greenville March 19-21. In his keynote presentation, Williams will reveal a "way of thinking that has the power to transform your business and stay ahead of the game. At some time, someone somewhere is going to disrupt your entire industry. Shouldn't it be you?"
 
Williams works with organizations on challenges ranging from creating new products and services, to transforming organizational processes and behaviors. He is professor of Innovation and executive director of the Berkley Entrepreneurship Center at New York University's Stern School of Business and a fellow at frog, one of the world's most influential innovation companies. Williams is a sought-after commentator on disruptive innovation, entrepreneurship and cultural change. He is invited to speak worldwide and his views are regularly featured in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fast Company, GQ, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, NPR and MSNBC. He is the inventor of more than 50 United States patents and the best-selling author of Disrupt: Think the Unthinkable to Spark Transformation in Your Business.
 
Now is a great time to register for the Visit NC 365 conference, March 19-21 at the Greenville Convention Center. There's no better opportunity to network with more than 500 of the state's tourism industry leaders and gain insights into North Carolina's growing travel industry. Online conference registration is available. Directly book hotel reservations online or call the Holiday Inn Greenville at (877) 271-2616 and ask for the Visit NC 365 conference group block for the group rate of $129/night + tax.
 
Prospective conference sponsors should contact Heidi Walters (919) 447-7762 to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
New digital campaign on VisitNC helps visitors discover their travel personality

VisitNC.com is kicking off 2017 with a new seasonal digital campaign, dubbed "Find Yourself in North Carolina." Visitors to the website can start by taking a fun quiz and their answers will determine what kind of traveler they are. (Spoiler alert: one of the types is an impromptu traveler who loves to get away at a moment's notice.)  Once that's determined, it will then lead to a custom trip itinerary on the VisitNC website. VisitNC has also sourced travel deals from its tourism partners, featuring discounts on lodging and attractions that align with the specific destinations. Another fun element of the quiz is the ability for the quiz takers to share the results with their social media friends, encouraging them to take the quiz and find themselves in North Carolina, too.
Spring print co-ops still available

There are still a few spots available in three of the upcoming spring print co-ops offered as part of the Visit North Carolina Partner Advertising Program. The opportunities are below for consideration. For any questions or more information, please contact Michelle Reino as soon as possible. 
 
Local Market Combo #1 May 2017
*  Includes a quarter page ad in the May 2017 issues of Atlanta Magazine, Blue Ridge Country, Our State magazine and Washington Post Magazine
*  Partner investment: $6,800
*  Deadline for materials: Jan. 20

Local Market Combo #2 April 2017
*  Includes a quarter page ad in the April 2017 issues of Charlotte Magazine, Cleveland Magazine, Columbia Metropolitan, Jacksonville (Fla.) Magazine, Midtown Magazine (Raleigh), Nashville Lifestyles, South Carolina Living, and Richmond Magazine
*  Partner investment: $6,800
*  Deadline for materials: Jan. 10

Coastal Living April 2017
*  Directory style ad (1/6 page)
*  Partner investment: $2,000
*  Deadline for materials: Jan. 10
Coastal adventure tour yields coverage in leading Canadian magazine

The Wilmington area and the Outer Banks are featured in NUVO magazine, the leader in Canada's prestige media marketplace, as a result of the efforts by the Visit NC PR team and destination hosts. The coverage includes the article "Exploring North Carolina's Coastal Towns," plus a photo gallery showcasing the experience.
 
Visit NC organized the tour and escorted the group, which included NUVO writer Whitney Millar. The Wilmington and Beaches CVB and the Outer Banks VB provided hospitality and arranged an array of activities including inshore fishing, a surfing lesson, hang-gliding, kite-boarding and horseback riding.
 
NUVO has a circulation of 50,000 with an online reach of 70,000 unique monthly visitors. The coverage was also promoted on NUVO's social media channels.
Max Steel set for DVD release on Jan. 10

The North Carolina-filmed action feature Max Steel is scheduled for release on DVD for Jan. 10. The production filmed in New Hanover County in Spring 2014 and had a direct in-state spend in excess of $7.2 million while creating 317 verified job opportunities. For more information, including to view the trailer, click here.
(photo courtesy N.C. Transportation Museum-Facebook)

Out-of-town visitors help economic impact of 'Polar Express' in Rowan County

In its third year, the "Polar Express Train Ride" has quickly become a holiday season staple for families in Rowan County and beyond, reports the Salisbury Post. The event sold out last year and did the same this year, with more than 30,000 tickets sold. Part of the success has been thanks to a partnership between the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer and the Salisbury-Rowan County CVB to bring visitors from out-of-town and entice them to stay in town for a while. The CVB targeted out-of-town visitors by offering two free standard tickets or a $50 gift card to the museum gift station if they booked an overnight stay at a Rowan County hotel. For two nights or more at a hotel in the county, four free standard tickets or a $125 gift card to the museum gift station were offered. Similar incentivized hotel event packages have been offered to other local tourism partners for three years to help increase overnight stays in Rowan County. The packages are offered to the Transportation Museum for other events, as well as Lee Street Theatre, Piedmont Players, Historic Salisbury Foundation, LandTrust of Central N.C. and Downtown Salisbury, Inc. The CVB's James Meacham said the hotel event packages gives visitors a chance to have a mini-vacation. "It's creating a package experience which provides value," he said. And it's all working. More than 400 local hotel room nights were booked because of the package.
Stevens new T&T director for Ocracoke Civic & Business Assn.

Helena Stevens is the new travel & tourism director for the Ocracoke Civic & Business Assn., effective immediately. She may be contacted at (252) 921-0408 or via info@ocracokevillage.com. 
January brings the 'Photography Issue'

The January issue of Our State magazine is the "Photography Issue," with highlights including a photography exhibit, the challenge of identifying historic photos, a top photography program and Hugh Morton. "City Portrait" highlights Charlotte, "Local Landmark" profiles Bayard Wootten House, "Bakery" visits Boulted Bread and "Winery" tours Treehouse Vineyards. The January issue is on sale now.
Surveys, Industry, Marketing & Travel Trends

10 hotel trends that will shape guest experience in 2017 - When it comes to the hospitality industry, trends can be both ephemeral and everlasting. Skift reports in its "10 Hotel Trends That Will Shape Guest Experience in 2017," some are just a flash in the pan; others have a staying power that lasts for decades. Last year's trends were, in many ways, shaped heavily by consolidation and the drama that accompanies mega mergers and acquisitions, as well as the direct booking wars waged among hotels and online travel agencies. Skift foresees various trends culminating including co-everything; good design goes mainstream; experiences beyond the hotel; concepts of loyalty need to evolve; hospitality will rediscover its roots; "local" will regain its meaning; luxury that's leaner and smarter; the smart hotel emerges; expect even more brands to emerge; both new and familiar; and data interpretation is the ultimate intelligence.
 
Family travel trends toward what inspires - The Boston Herald/Herald Wire Services reports "Family travel trends toward what inspires." The five trends noted are multigenerational travel, emphasis on experience, digital detox, family of foodies, and flexible travel time.
Calculating lodging's 'green' accomplishments

There are many tools available for determining how environmentally-friendly, or "green," a lodging business is. One tool is the Green Lodging Calculator, developed to help sustainable hospitality programs estimate the environmental and financial benefits from sustainable practices. The calculator covers many common practices that lodging facilities can implement in order to conserve water, energy and reduce solid waste. Via information on the website, facility managers can select certain areas that are common to lodging businesses, such as reception, guest rooms, bathrooms, laundry, maintenance or common areas to determine the benefits derived from their sustainability efforts. For example, the user may click on the "guest room" icon, enter the number of rooms in the facility, then select an amenity, such as switching the lighting to light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. By calculating the number of LED bulbs replaced per room, the calculator automatically tallies the kilowatt hours saved per year, the tons of carbon dioxide emissions reduced and how much money was saved by changing the lighting. It is a great tool that even allows the user to print out the resulting report. For more information about calculating sustainability savings, visit the NC GreenTravel Initiative, or contact NC GreenTravel Program Manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140.
On North Carolina Weekend for the week of Jan. 5, enjoy a preview of the annual Swannanoa Gathering in Swannanoa. Learn about local sourcing done by The Hen and the Hog restaurant in Halifax. Lift a glass at Fortnight Brewing Company in Cary. Tempt your taste buds at Black Mountain Chocolate in Winston-Salem. And check out the scene at Lou Reda's in Rocky Mount. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, UNC-TV has made recent editions of North Carolina Weekendavailable online.
Twenty-eight percent of all overnight visitor parties to North Carolina in 2015 included children, up from 23 percent in 2014. The average number of children on trips was consistent at 1.8, but a higher proportion of parties traveled with children. For more North Carolina regional visitor profile information, visit the Visitor Profile Studies or contact Tourism Research Director Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748.

Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events

Jan. 9-10 - NC-ANA Agritourism Conference, Winston-Salem
Jan. 11-12 - Blue Ridge Parkway Assn. Winter Meeting, Meadows of Dan, Va.
Jan. 14-17 - ABA Marketplace, Cleveland, Ohio
Jan. 19-20 - MPI-CC Meeting, Raleigh
Jan. 19-29 - Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah
Jan. 29-30 - NC Assn. of Festivals & Events ShowFest, Charlotte
Feb. 7 - NC Travel & Tourism Board Meeting, TBD
Feb. 16 - Visit NC TRAC, Dunn
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