News Update
Bureau meets the square: New location fosters visibility, increased tourism to city
Kelsey Kruzich/Staff Photo - Tourists and residents can now tap into the resources the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau has to offer from their new location at 200 W. Virginia St. on the historic downtown square.
By Kelley Chambers, kchambers@starlocalnews.com, @KelleyChambers7 on Twitter
The McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau has only been in its new office for about a month, but the move from west McKinney to the downtown square has produced noticeable results.
In the past week, the welcoming committee has greeted more out-of-towners than they would in one month at their former location at Heritage Drive and Pearson Avenue, MCVB employees said.
Settling in at 200 West Virginia St., Tourism Manager Beth Shumate wondered why they didn't make the move sooner.
"This is where we need to be. Where we were wasn't visible, and we need to be able to interact with visitors, tourists and travelers," she said. "This is where they come, down to the square."
At about 3,000 square feet, the office - which previously housed a law firm - allows them signage and flexibility. With a staff of only three, the new space allows for room to expand - particularly when the Gateway hotel project gets under way, Shumate said.
The need to move closer to what has helped gain notoriety for the city became more of a necessity after McKinney made national headlines for being named the "2nd Best Place to Live in America" by Money Magazine.
"I think it's just progressively been getting more and more attractive," said Dee-dee Guerra, interim executive director and tourism sales manager. "Since then, it's just been going crazy."
The CVB is funded by seven percent of the city's hotel occupancy tax and uses that money to promote McKinney. It prides itself in being an expert in entertainment for North Texas. The bureau's certified tourism ambassadors renew their certifications every year to make sure they know not only what McKinney has to offer, but what other unique areas could make for the perfect day trip, as well. The CVB provides information pertaining to local cities within a 1,000-mile radius outside Dallas city limits. Its ultimate goal is to get those tourists to stay a night or two in McKinney.
"We should be the first point of contact for any visitor or traveler that comes to the city," Guerra said. "We'll partner with Southfork; we'll partner with other attractions while they stay here."
With Guerra heading to Austin to meet with associations to promote attractive corporate meeting locations, Tourism Specialist Vanessa Baggett focused on leisure groups and day-trippers, and Shumate marketing to travel writers and the media, the group helps avoid paying for advertising.
Instead, the city includes the CVB under its own marketing umbrella with the help of City Marketing, a group that works based on a synergy of ideas thanks to the McKinney Regional Airport, Main Street and the McKinney Economic Development Corporation, to send cohesive branding messages.
"Anything we can do to pool our money, we're getting ready to do a big citywide [ad] in International Magazine, so it's been great," Shumate said. "We have monthly meetings so we all know what each other is doing all the time so we can help out."
Aside from an increase in resident population and tourism, the CVB has also evolved technologically. The bureau unveiled a revamped website this month, which features an interactive map and a Smartphone app offering complete listings of restaurants, attractions and events within McKinney, as well as links to websites and photos to give potential visitors a better feel for the city.
With new restaurants like Mellow Mushroom on the horizon, in addition to plans for townhomes and apartments along both ends of Tennessee Street, the CVB is looking forward to being part of new developments on the square.
"You'd be surprised at how many people on the west side don't know about the square. They just work here and just come home and they're done," Guerra said. "There's still a lot of awareness [to promote] in our city, and it's just grown so much."
The new location is also ideal in terms of events, as the square is known for festivals like Dickens of a Christmas, Oktoberfest and Krewe of Barkus, the annual Mardi Gras dog parade that will take place Feb. 10.
"Up until that point [when the Money Magazine article came out], I was sending out paper press kits to newspapers, and that's kind of gone by the wayside now," Shumate said. "Even though it's the best place to live and we don't deal with residents and relocation, everybody who comes here is a visitor. We know that McKinney has a lot more to sell other than just the downtown, but this is the gem."
For more information about the CVB, go to www.visitmckinney.com.
In the past week, the welcoming committee has greeted more out-of-towners than they would in one month at their former location at Heritage Drive and Pearson Avenue, MCVB employees said.
Settling in at 200 West Virginia St., Tourism Manager Beth Shumate wondered why they didn't make the move sooner.
"This is where we need to be. Where we were wasn't visible, and we need to be able to interact with visitors, tourists and travelers," she said. "This is where they come, down to the square."
At about 3,000 square feet, the office - which previously housed a law firm - allows them signage and flexibility. With a staff of only three, the new space allows for room to expand - particularly when the Gateway hotel project gets under way, Shumate said.
The need to move closer to what has helped gain notoriety for the city became more of a necessity after McKinney made national headlines for being named the "2nd Best Place to Live in America" by Money Magazine.
"I think it's just progressively been getting more and more attractive," said Dee-dee Guerra, interim executive director and tourism sales manager. "Since then, it's just been going crazy."
The CVB is funded by seven percent of the city's hotel occupancy tax and uses that money to promote McKinney. It prides itself in being an expert in entertainment for North Texas. The bureau's certified tourism ambassadors renew their certifications every year to make sure they know not only what McKinney has to offer, but what other unique areas could make for the perfect day trip, as well. The CVB provides information pertaining to local cities within a 1,000-mile radius outside Dallas city limits. Its ultimate goal is to get those tourists to stay a night or two in McKinney.
"We should be the first point of contact for any visitor or traveler that comes to the city," Guerra said. "We'll partner with Southfork; we'll partner with other attractions while they stay here."
With Guerra heading to Austin to meet with associations to promote attractive corporate meeting locations, Tourism Specialist Vanessa Baggett focused on leisure groups and day-trippers, and Shumate marketing to travel writers and the media, the group helps avoid paying for advertising.
Instead, the city includes the CVB under its own marketing umbrella with the help of City Marketing, a group that works based on a synergy of ideas thanks to the McKinney Regional Airport, Main Street and the McKinney Economic Development Corporation, to send cohesive branding messages.
"Anything we can do to pool our money, we're getting ready to do a big citywide [ad] in International Magazine, so it's been great," Shumate said. "We have monthly meetings so we all know what each other is doing all the time so we can help out."
Aside from an increase in resident population and tourism, the CVB has also evolved technologically. The bureau unveiled a revamped website this month, which features an interactive map and a Smartphone app offering complete listings of restaurants, attractions and events within McKinney, as well as links to websites and photos to give potential visitors a better feel for the city.
With new restaurants like Mellow Mushroom on the horizon, in addition to plans for townhomes and apartments along both ends of Tennessee Street, the CVB is looking forward to being part of new developments on the square.
"You'd be surprised at how many people on the west side don't know about the square. They just work here and just come home and they're done," Guerra said. "There's still a lot of awareness [to promote] in our city, and it's just grown so much."
The new location is also ideal in terms of events, as the square is known for festivals like Dickens of a Christmas, Oktoberfest and Krewe of Barkus, the annual Mardi Gras dog parade that will take place Feb. 10.
"Up until that point [when the Money Magazine article came out], I was sending out paper press kits to newspapers, and that's kind of gone by the wayside now," Shumate said. "Even though it's the best place to live and we don't deal with residents and relocation, everybody who comes here is a visitor. We know that McKinney has a lot more to sell other than just the downtown, but this is the gem."
For more information about the CVB, go to www.visitmckinney.com.
Copyright © 2013 - Star Local News