Introduce the concept of cultural tourism to your board and community. Use the Uniquely Texas video (available though Texas Commission on the Arts) to help support your presentation.
Recruit and train board members or volunteers who can become a Speaker’s Bureau for your organization. Have them contact local civic clubs (Rotary, Lion’s, etc) and offer to share information about your events. Create special coupons that allow civic club members a free admission when they bring an out of town visitor. This will help locals associate your organization as a place to bring out of town guests.
Join your Chamber of Commerce and/or Convention and Visitors Bureau and become an active participant (for example: volunteer to be a Step-on-Guide). Always take information to the meetings you can leave with people about your upcoming events (as far into the future as you know) and free tickets to your upcoming events. You want these people to become familiar with you, your organization, and your events.
Schedule your events further out. Cultural Tourism requires a longer promotional timeline.
List your events on the Texas Event Calendar as early as you know about them. It’s a free and easy to get the word out beyond your immediate community.
Allocate and spend money on marketing your events outside of your own community. Include a way to track the success of your marketing investment (like capturing zip codes, including a coupon, etc). Use this information to determine where to target those dollars next time.
Establish contacts with local hotels. Take information with you that you can leave with them about your upcoming events, including a walking map from the hotel to your space. Also include free tickets for the hotel staff (especially the concierge or front desk people).
Initiate relationships with other area attractions. Look for ways you can work together in the future, such as theme-based programming, cooperative marketing, discount tickets, etc. Consider it your job to maintain those relationships, not theirs.
Offer to host Chamber of Commerce and/or Convention and Visitors Bureau meeting in your space, whether it is a working meeting or an after hours get-together. Be hospitable!
Offer free tickets as a door prize/giveaway to local conventions. Your relationship with the Chamber or CVB will make this easier. Ask the convention folks to include information on your events in their participant packet and to give the tickets away early in the convention.
