| Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners | October 18, 2017 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* #NCFallofFame is off and running * Custom Content co-op program continues to deliver success for partners
* Visit NC media trip leads to southern N.C. coast in the spotlight
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 #NCFallofFame is off and running
While temperatures across the state are finally catching up to the season, Visit NC's fall campaign has been well under way and continues to pick up steam. Some highlights of this year's #NCFallofFame efforts include: - Fall reports are rolling live since launching at the beginning of October, including reports from State Parks as well as Visit NC-contracted photographers capturing real-time imagery and activities across the state. Scenes focus on fall color as well as the hiking, kayaking, camping and more that visitors can take part in to enjoy more than just the foliage, and coverage extends beyond the most visited parks and locations to help fall visitors discover new experiences.
- In addition to featuring fall reports on VisitNC.com, @VisitNC social accounts are also promoting the content - including utilizing Instagram stories as a new way to engage users with fall reports. Posts across social channels so far have generated more than 5,700 engagements and reached almost 125,000 people. As peak color spreads through the state, daily fall reports will be featured on Twitter as well.
The third year of #NCFallofFame is off to a great start, with winning followers selected and highlighted for the first two weekly themes of "Festive" and "Spontaneous" for their inspiring photo posts. This week's theme is "Warm," to be followed by "Vibrant," "Serene" and "Crisp." Partners are encouraged to use #NCFallofFame on their own posts and to encourage their own visitors to join the fun. |
 Custom Content co-op program continues to deliver success for partners on VisitNC.com
In September, Visit NC launched a fall-themed Custom Content partnership with Bryson City/Swain County to publish "Experience a Colorful Fall in Bryson City and the Great Smoky Mountains" on VisitNC.com. The story highlighted the Bryson City area's fall colors as well as all of the exciting things to do and places to experience fall in Swain County and the Great Smoky Mountains. In the one-month period after the story was published and promoted in the Travel Insider e-newsletter and on VisitNC's Facebook, it received more than 2,800 page views and 830 downstream clicks to partner sites included within the story. Interested in working together on a Custom Content article for your destination? Please contact Michelle Reino with LGA at (704) 552-6565 for more details and to sign up for one of this year's remaining spots. |
 Visit NC media trip leads to southern N.C. coast in the spotlight
In its Travel section, The (U.K.) Sun featured the southern coastal area of N.C. in "Sweet Carolina," noting, "From empty beaches, sizzling seafood and buckets of Southern charm, this is why North Carolina's coast should be your next holiday. The state's stunning Atlantic shoreline is stuffed with colourful clapperboard towns, mouth-watering foodie delights and some friendly wildlife." The article highlighted Carolina Beach, Southport, Wilmington, Sunset Beach, film sites, and other suggestions to eat and stay. In March, Visit NC supported the writer's trip, while NC Brunswick Islands and Wilmington and Beaches CVB hosted the writer. The article initially appeared in Fabulous magazine, which has a circulation of 1.2 million, making it the UK's most widely read women's magazine. The Sun, which publishes Fabulous, posted the story, too; thesun.co.uk has a reach of 19 million unique monthly visitors. |
 Toronto news radio station promotes travel to N.C.
Visit North Carolina ran a one-week radio contest on the 680 News radio station in Toronto, Canada, this past month. The campaign included a 30-second radio spot (airing 30 times throughout the week), newsletter inclusion, leaderboard ads and a dedicated contest page on the 680 News Insider Club Loyalty website. With prizing provided by Visit Raleigh and Visit Winston Salem, the contest reached more than 1.5 million listeners in the Greater Toronto Area, and generated close to 1300 contest entries. To learn more about Visit NC's international marketing program, contact Heidi Walters at (919) 447-7762. |
 Gaster touts filming in N.C. with L.A.-area meetings
N.C. Film Office Director Guy Gaster was in the Los Angeles area last week promoting the state as a destination for the filming of television series and feature-length films. Gaster met with several industry media outlets including The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, and the Los Angeles Times as part of FilmNC's lastest PR campaign. In addition, he also met with several large studios about upcoming projects as well as updated them on the state of the industry and recent changes to the NC Film Rebate program, including the recent enhancements of the funding being made recurring and the removal of the sunset date. For more information on N.C. film, contact Guy Gaster at (919) 447-7759. |
 N.C. sites among Readers' Choice favorites
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Tickets now on sale for FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 in Mill Spring
Tickets for the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 (WEG) are now on sale. Set for Sept. 11 - 23, spectators can choose from a variety of ticket types to experience the world's largest equestrian championship. With all competitions happening on site at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring (Polk County), attendees can come for the day, a week or the entire Games. Tickets are available online at tryon2018.com. The WEG is the world championship event for eight equestrian disciplines: jumping, dressage and para-equestrian dressage, eventing, driving, endurance, vaulting, and reining. |
 | | | Collins (rt) with interviewer |
Conference video features Visit Winston-Salem's Collins in online interview
The 2017 Small Market Meetings Conference Marketplace featured Alex Collins with Visit Winston-Salem in an online interview. Collins explained to viewers the improvements and revitalizations to downtown Winston-Salem, including the newly renovated Benton Convention Center, and discussed meeting space in the Twin City Quarter. |
Hendersonville, Asheville take to the skies
In its Oct./Nov. issue, Allegiant Airlines' Sunseeker, showcased Hendersonville and Asheville, with a photo of Chimney Rock on the cover. The main story, "A Breath of Fresh Air," featured Hendersonville, highlighting notable activities and events both downtown and in the town and county. "Asheville Overnights" featured three accommodations in Asheville, and "Playing the Originals" showcased the Asheville Pinball Museum. |
 N.C. islands, sites among 'Wild islands in the Carolinas'
In its Travel section, USA Today included several N.C. islands among its "Wild islands in the Carolinas" as "more ferry escapes." Ocracoke Island, Shackelford Banks and Carrot Island were mentioned along with notable attractions at each. |
Waste Reduction and Recycling
Attractions, accommodations, restaurants, shops and even events have a wide variety of waste streams, but that means there are more opportunities to reduce them. One of the best ways to lessen waste costs is to recycle. Even better ways are to reduce the amount of waste being generated by refurbishing and reuse. Gaining upper-level management support for a program is essential from the beginning. The first step in reducing waste is to know what kinds of waste materials are being created. Enlisting a team of waste reduction experts, or perhaps even your waste hauler to do a walk-through waste assessment, is a great start. Search all the areas in the facility that are creating waste and then determine how each type of waste can be eliminated or reduced. Look in administrative offices for opportunities to reduce paper use, such as sending electronic messages instead of printing them. Some hotels and attractions can send receipts directly to their guests' email or phone. Setting copiers and printers to automatically print on both sides of the paper can help cut paper waste in half; plus having the default setting to print black and white only (vs. default "color") can save money, too. Recycling toner cartridges is a great cost-saving and waste reducing practice. Cardboard recycling is essential because it is so bulky and it has value as a commodity. In restaurants and food service areas, plastic bottles, cans and other materials are easy to recycle because there are good markets for them. In public areas, also look for opportunities to recycle magazines, newspapers and beverage containers. Once you have determined what your waste stream consists of and how large it is, you can map out how and where to begin your waste reduction and recycling program. Be creative in determining the most efficient locations for recycling containers. The best way is to place well-marked recycling receptacles next to trash cans. That will help avoid cross-contamination. Employee education is very important so that everyone is onboard with the program. There are so many ways in which businesses can reduce waste disposal costs and landfill use. For further information about waste reduction and recycling, contact NC GreenTravel Initiative Manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140. |
| | On North Carolina Weekend for the week of Oct. 19, learn about a native son and explore the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte. Celebrate the indigenous American persimmon and historic farming at the Colfax Persimmon Festival in Colfax. Discover a local favorite at the Chicken Mull Festival in Bear Grass. Tempt your taste buds at Southern Roots Restaurant in Jamestown. Join the Peanuts gang for the Great Pumpkin Patch Express with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. (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 Weekend available online. | North Carolina, in 2016, saw approximately 9.7 million daytrips. North Carolina ranked #9 in the U.S. in terms of daytrip visitation. A daytripper is defined as a visitor who did not spend any nights away from home, but traveled at least 50 miles one-way from home. For more North Carolina visitor information, visit the Visitor Profile Studies or contact Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748. |
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Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events
Oct. 26 - NC Coast Host Quarterly Meeting, Wilson Nov. 9-10 - MPC-CC Meeting, Greensboro Dec. 5-6 - STS Fall Forum (rescheduled from Oct.), Biloxi, Miss. Dec. 11-13 - (NC & SC) Carolinas Recreation & Parks Assn. Conference, Greensboro Dec. 12 - NC Sports Association Quarterly Meeting, Greensboro |
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