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How to Bring Your Community Together and Deliver
a Great Vacation
A Presentation to the 2005 Montana Governors
Conference on Tourism Recreation March 21-22,
2005
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Background
12 years in advertising...
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ran off with the circus for 10 years...
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another visit to the agency biz for a while
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On with the show
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Williamsburg proves to be the birthplace of
independence

• No one gets along
• A co-op campaign is the obvious answer
• Modeled after Chattanooga Tennessee co-op
• Television in Washington DC Baltimore

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• No noticeable results

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Three-Day Ticket campaign.

• Busch Gardens buys Water Country USA.
• Three-day flex ticket created and promoted.

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• A definite maybe

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The pieces come together
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• Fifth year of hotel occupancy, attraction
  attendance declines
• Orders to drop all outer market advertising
• Chance meeting with the Williamsburg Hotel
  Motel Association

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• Just two little markets...
• Busch Gardens converted 50 its New York and
  Philadelphia television to 800 direct response.
• WHMA provided the call center, hotel room
  inventory and fulfillment.

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• Holy cow!
• Busch Gardens New York attendance increased 39
  Philadelphia 40.
• The program was a home run
• and we didnt know why
• Research was commissioned

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Time Poverty

• Our customer had converted to dual income
  households.
• They had the money, not the time. No more
  Cleaver Family.
• One call, ten minutes, your credit card number
  and your vacation is booked.

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Tickets versus Vacation

• Turned out what the visitors really wanted was a
  vacation

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Typical Vacation Planning Process
See Advertising-?Call 800-?Receive Vacation
Planner?Spread Brochures on Kitchen Table?Call
5-6 Hotels?Debate on Where To Stay and What to
Do?Book Hotel?Fly/Drive to Destination?Check into
Hotel?Call Around to Find Best Deal on Attraction
Tickets?Go to Attraction?Stand in Line?Purchase
Ticket?Enjoy Vacation ...Until the Next
Attraction...
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Revised Vacation Package Planning Process

• See Advertising?Call 800?Book Vacation?Check
  into Hotel?Receive Attraction Pass?Enjoy Vacation

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• Step 1 Brand the experience
• Unique Selling Proposition
• Everyone has a theme park
• Everyone has history
• No one else has both
• Revolutionary Fun

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• Step 2 Add value instead of dropping price
• Flex ticket good length of stay
• All attractions
• Includes parking
• Unlimited use

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• Step 3 Make it easy
• One call or click need to do it all
• Tickets and lodging
• Real-time hotel inventory
• Look and book
• Providing a vacation takes a lot of work
• You should do the work, not your guest

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• Step 3 Shout loud with combined budgets and
  resources
• Greater advertising reach with an uncluttered
  message
• More and better PR efforts and materials
• Combined sales efforts
• Sales blitzes
• Corporate accounts
• AAA travel counselors
• Military
• Travel agents
• Travel wholesalers

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Virginia Tourism Corporation Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation Busch Gardens
Williamsburg Water Country USA Jamestown
Settlement Yorktown Victory Center Williamsburg
Hotel/Motel Association City of
Williamsburg James City County York
County Williamsburg Area CVB
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Partner 1 650K Partner 2 650K Partner
3 200K Partner 4 150K Partner 5 250K VTC Match
627K Total 2,527,000
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National Cable
National Cable TV National TV Infomercials 60
-Second Ads Discovery Nick At
Night Learning Discovery Sci Fi
Channel Learning Lifetime Travel CNBC Family
USA TNT TNN
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Package Sales Results
1995 1996 1997 Vacation Packages
Sold 8,804 9,387 10,420 Average Party
Size 3.8 4.0
4.1 Total Visitors 33,445 37,548 42,700 Avera
ge Nights Stayed 3.7
3.9 4.0 Source 1997 Revolutionary
Fun Economic Impact Study, The Wessex Group,
Ltd.
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Economic Impact Return On Investment

• Historic Triangle 29 to one.
• Elsewhere in Virginia 14 to one.
• Source 1996 Revolutionary Fun Economic Impact
  Study, The Wessex Group, Ltd.

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Sons Daughters of Rev Fun
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Kings Dominion opened in 1975, same year as Busch
Gardens Bitter enemies from day one Until
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Virginia Tourism Corporation did an extensive
visitors study Cross tabs of the BGW visitor were
requested Very, very surprising results
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Sons Daughters
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Sons Daughters
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Television schedule in Philadelphia For BGW
reverse of Philadelphia attendance decline For
PKD 30,000 incremental visitors
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Sons Daughters
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Sons Daughters

• Rich automotive heritage as the unique selling
  proposition
• Charming downtown areas, great lodging, golf,
  water parks, toboggan run, upscale, outlet and
  boutique shopping

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Sons Daughters

• Piquette Avenue Plant, Birthplace of the Model T
• Walter P. Chrysler Museum
• Detroit Zoo
• Meadow Brook Hall
• 2 Water Parks
• and more!

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• Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise
• Holly Cruise-Ins
• Mustang, Corvette, Viper events
• Fast Fords in Ferndale

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Sons Daughters
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Its a lot of work...
Its not easy
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Sons Daughters

• Cabarrus County CVB
• Southern Racing Heritage
• Over 40 race team shops
• Museums
• Lowes Motor Speedway

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Sons Daughters

• Cabarrus County CVB
• Southern Racing Heritage
• Over 40 race team shops
• Museums
• Lowes Motor Speedway

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Sons Daughters
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Sons Daughters
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What to do with just a little bit of money
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Jamestown Settlement Colonial Williamsburg Yorkto
wn Victory Center Williamsburg Hotel Motel
Association Williamsburg Area Convention
Visitors Bureau
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Pay Per Click Advertising
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• Radio Trade for Mention
• Baltimore
• Washington, D.C.

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• PR
• Fact Sheet
• Summer Visitation Release
• Fall Visitation Release
• Holiday Release

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• Results
• Projected 51 ROI
• Fall ticket sales increase of 100
• 20,000 ticket sales for partial-year 2003 program

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What to do with almost no money
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Rolling Patriot Group Packages
The Cure for Been There, Done That

• Williamsburg Winery
• Colonial Connections
• Colonial Downs
• Williamsburg Outlet Mall
• Route 5 Plantations

• Newport Hospitality Group
• Jamestown Settlement
• Yorktown Victory Center
• Go Karts Plus
• Yorktown River Cruise
• Music Theatre of Williamsburg

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Rolling Patriot Group Packages
Post Card Mailers

• Combined group tour list
• Representation at all shows attended by members

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Rolling Patriot Motocoach FAMs and Sales Blitzes
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Rolling Patriot Results

• Second largest motorcoach FAM in Williamsburg
• 81 ROI
• 4-market combined sales
• Media tour in the planning stages

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What to do when you drop your cooperative program
and the bottom falls out of your tourism market
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Questions
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