Indiana Office of Tourism DevelopmentAnnual Report 2016

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Indiana is one of the top

14 places to visit in the U.S. in 2016USA TODAY

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IOTD BASICS

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Mission and Vision

VisionThe most active and

effective state office of

tourism that Indiana has ever

known, providing

unparalleled service and

results for our valued industry

stakeholders.

The Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD) exists

to maximize the impact of travel, tourism and hospitality

on Indiana's economic success.Mission

IOTD is dedicated to enhancing

the economic vitality of Indiana through leadership and resource

support to the Indiana travel

industry for awareness building,

tourism related product

development and job creation.

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Agency Staff

• Mark Newman, Executive Director

• Carol Sergi, Director of Marketing

• Amy Howell, Director of Communications & Media Relations

• Ali Meyer, Project Manager

• Kyle Johnson, Digital Communications Specialist

• Noelle Szydlyk, Director of Planning and Development,

Sport Tourism and Outdoor Recreation

• Marc Steczyk, Director of Lincoln Amphitheatre

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IOTD Values

• People First – We strive to create an

environment that attracts great talent

and motivates, inspires and recognizes

high performance.

• Pride – Indiana is our home, and we

are proud to be called Hoosiers.

• Interdependence – We strive to

connect partners and stakeholders

through open and consistent

communication that leads to better

understanding, more trust and a

unified vision.

• Support for Community – We

acknowledge that our state's culture is

intimately tied to the cities, towns and

neighborhoods in which we live.

• "You're Welcome" – We liberally use this

heartfelt greeting to welcome travelers

and acknowledge their thanks for our

uncompromising service.

• Satisfy and Delight – We go to

extraordinary lengths to meet or exceed

traveler and partner expectations

because we know that by doing so we

create advocates for Indiana.

We are committed to being a thriving agency. This commitment is reinforced by the

values we uphold and foster among our partners and stakeholders.

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2016

• Leverage Bicentennial to bolster IN

pride and attract visitors to destinations

• Increase engagement among PR

influentials and social networks

• Expand consumer marketing reach

and impact (add Chicago & Louisville)

• Begin developing specialty strategies

(Culinary & Ag; Heritage; Outdoor Rec &

Sport; Arts & Culture)

• Optimize research (EI, ROI, visitor prof.)

• Facilitate product and Dest.

Development through grant-making.

• Accumulate additional assets (Film

Indiana, Group Tour Guide).

2017

• Drive earned income through expanded

co-op adv. & marketing partner programs

• Build on ‘16 consumer marketing gains by

adding new domestic markets

• Expand educ. initiatives through FFA, 4th

grade resource and Mobile Vis. Exp.

• Expand PR, earned media and

engagement opportunities

• Expand online communities and networks

through use of digital technology

• Implement Sport Tourism & Outdoor Rec.

Strategy (econ. Impact calculator, Pete

Dye Trail relaunch, & Golf Guide refresh)

• Implement Ag/Culinary Strategy

(consumer microsite, industry website &

database.

2018

• Be a leading regional destination with

annual growth that exceeds adjacent

states

• Expand domestic & international reach

• Establish statewide standard of service

excellence and be the omnipresent

voice of Hoosier Hospitality

• Increase influence over highway rest

stops; use rest stops as a means to

“market the welcome”

• Implement international strategy

• Implement specialty strategies for

Heritage & Arts and Culture tourism.

• Implement interstate and roadways

signage strategy

• Powerful brand identity

• Expanded programs & assets

• IN more desirable place to live

• IN more desirable place to visit

• Increased tourism revenue

• Increased tourism momentum

• Enhanced domestic and int’l

profile

Pivotal Year

Leverage Specialties

New

Horizons

IMPACT

STRATEGIC TRAJECTORY – 2016-2018

Indiana Office of Tourism Development

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Growth in Indiana’s Tourism Industry

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$1

0,0

74

$1

0,2

74

$1

0,6

12

$1

1,5

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2012 2013 2014 2015

VISITOR SPENDING

Visitor Spending (In Millions)

71

.2 71

.7

73

.9

77

.2

2012 2013 2014 2015

VISITOR VOLUME

Visitor Volume (In Millions)

Key Partnerships

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Integrated Marketing Communications

IOTD’s integrated marketing communications approach is

designed to increase the following:

• reach and awareness of Indiana assets, attractions and

quality of life

• intrastate and regional leisure travel to Indiana

destinations

• leisure travel spending in Indiana

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DNR Partnership

In FY16, IOTD began providing

direct marketing services to the

Department of Natural

Resources to promote state

parks and other assets. The

value of the services is in excess

of $500,000.

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About Honest-to-Goodness Indiana• A quality of life brand that reflects the Indiana experience

– Indiana’s brand experience is one that combines the beauty and simplicity of our backroads with the dynamism of our population centers

• Honest-to-Goodness Indiana is designed to be versatile, enduring

and inspiring; it reflects contemporary relevance & nostalgic appeal

• A rigorous design and development process was undertaken over a

12-month period to define the Indiana brand experience and

establish an identity platform that reflects it

– Site visits and observation

– Brand development panel and one-on-one interviews

– Online surveys (stakeholder and consumer) and focus groups

– Post hoc effectiveness testing

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ag & culinary

“Mile for mile, Indiana justmight offer the richeststatewide dining lineup in

the region—and foodiesnationwide are takingnotice.”

Midwest Living, 2014

arts & culture

• 650+ festivals and events• 92 counties• 12 months a year

“Epic mountain biking in theheart of Indiana.”

Gadling, 2013

A State of Undertold Stories

outdoor rec & sportheritage

“There I grew up . . .”Abraham Lincoln

The Indiana Brand Experience is typified by . . .

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Agency Awards

• 2014 Content Marketing Award from the Content

Marketing Institute

• 2014 award for Innovative Email Strategy from

WhichTestWon.com

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AGENCY ASSETS

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VisitIndiana.com• Primary consumer-facing digital property

• Responsive website that adapts to every screen size and device

• Redesigned user experience + trip planning functionality

• New paid advertising platform for industry partners; revenue stream for IOTD

• 1.49M+ user sessions in FY16, an increase of 66.9% over FY15 (all-time high)

• 511k+ user sessions to date in FY17

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VisitIndianaTourism.com• Industry-facing website developed to facilitate

better communication, increase awareness of

industry programs, provide resources, and

promote the value of tourism among partners

and stakeholders

• Site usage has nearly tripled since its introduction

in 2014

• Key attributes include KPI Dashboard, industry

newsletter and press release archive, digital

media library, data and research resource

center

• Traffic increase of 57% from 2015 to 2016

• Valued Purdue University research partnership.

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VisitIndianaFall.com• Microsite designed to feature

Fall festivals and harvest

activities

• Best of Indiana public voting

• Featured trip ideas and

customized itineraries

• 199,420 page views in 2016

(Aug. 29-Oct. 31), an

increase of 103% over 2015

Fall Web Image here

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ShopVisitIndiana.com

• Merchandising portal launched in 2014 to extend Honest-to-Goodness Indiana brand awareness

• Earned revenue stream for IOTD

• Introduced Heritage Collection of apparel to celebrate Indiana Bicentennial and rich historical profile of the state

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Industry Newsletter

• Monthly newsletter e-

mailed to 1,900+ tourism

industry partners and

stakeholders

• Covers agency initiatives,

news items, partnership

opportunities, etc.

Industry Email Image here

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Consumer E-mails

• Popular monthly broadcast email program highlighting things to do, trip ideas, festivals, events, and discounts

• 72k+ qualified subscribers

• New paid advertising platform for industry partners; revenue stream for IOTD

• Achieved substantial growth in subscribers, average open rates and click-to-open rates in 2016

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Social Media Platform• 83k+ combined followers on Twitter, Facebook and

Instagram

• 8.1M+ Impressions year to date in 2016 between Twitter

and Facebook

Facebook.com/VisitIndiana@VisitIndiana Instagram.com/VisitIndiana

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• Award-winning annual print

publication

• 525,000 units in 2016 (^5% over 2015)

• Multi-channel targeted distribution

strategy including direct-to-home

• Enhanced digital access through e-

flipbook capability

Indiana Travel Guide

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• Acquired from INDOT in 2013

• One million units in 2016

• Paid advertising platform for industry

partners, product sponsorship

opportunity & revenue stream for

IOTD

• Earned revenue is reinvested into

industry initiatives

Indiana Roadway Map

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• 4th Grade Social Studies Curriculum

Resource

• Created for teachers by teachers

• Designed to teach Indiana’s history

through the lens of tourism

• Endorsed by IN Dept. of Education

• Used in 311 Indiana classrooms in

2016

VisitIndianaTeachers.com

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Indiana Festival Guide and Golf Guide

• IOTD provides warehouse, bundling and distribution services for the Indiana Festival Guide and Indiana Golf Guide– 175,000 Indiana Festival Guides and

60,000 Indiana Golf Guides in 2016

• Over 650 festivals and events receive promotion, leadership and education opportunities through the Indiana State Festival Association

• The Indiana Golf Guide promotes more than 400 golf courses and packages

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Cooperative Advertising Program• IOTD offers Indiana tourism partners the opportunity to purchase ad

space in major regional and national lifestyle publications at deeply

discounted rates.

• In 2016, IOTD co-op advertising ran in 10 publications with a total

circulation of 3,121,693.

• Co-op advertising generated $200,000+ in revenue for IOTD in 2016.

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Cooperative Research Program

• This research cooperative offers comprehensive

economic impact studies to counties at deeply

discounted prices.

• DMOs are afforded the opportunity to receive

consistent, accurate and vetted data that they

would not otherwise be able to obtain on their own.

• In 2016, 24 counties will participate in the program,

up from 19 in 2015.

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How-To Guide for Indiana Festivals

• A comprehensive manual to aid

festival organizers in the planning

and preparation of their event

• Produced in conjunction with the

Indiana State Festivals Association

• Available online at VisitIndiana.com

and IndianaFestivals.org

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Lincoln Amphitheatre

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• IOTD took responsibility for programming

and management of Lincoln

Amphitheatre in 2015.

• Lincoln Amphitheatre Concert Series was established

in 2016.

• DNR retains ownership and maintenance

responsibilities for the facility.

• Revenues are reinvested into programming and

operations.

Lincoln Amphitheatre

Concert SeriesSaturday, May 21 Surf’s Up Beach Boys Tribute

Saturday, June 4 The Ultimate Garth Brooks’ Tribute

Friday, June 10 Cracker

Saturday, June 25 Dirty Deeds USA – the Ultimate AC/DC Experience

July 7, 8, 9 LINCOLN: A Pioneer Tale

July 14, 15, 16 LINCOLN: A Pioneer Tale

Friday, August 12 The Marshall Tucker Band

Saturday, September 3 Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra

Saturday, September 10 Eddie Money

Saturday, September 24 Cool City Band

Saturday, October 1: Pink Droyd: The North American Theatrical Pink Floyd

Tickets and information at LincolnAmphitheatre.com.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORTS

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Public Relations Impact• Coordinated media “road shows” to pitch Indiana assets

and destinations to national publications in New York City and Des Moines, IA

• Host annual Media Marketplace that brings top lifestyle and travel writers together with destination representatives

• Over 500 earned media articles in state and national publications

• 70+ TV appearances by executive director Mark Newman promoting Indiana destinations and the allied travel, tourism and hospitality industry

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Recent National Exposure by IOTDTravel and Leisure

What to See and Do in Indianapolis Right Now

Smithsonian MagazineLevi Coffin House named top 12 new museum in the world to visit in 2016

USA TodayIndiana named top 16 place to visit in the US in 2016

Food + WineMilktooth named one of the best restaurants in America

Small Business Revolution

Wabash, Indiana selected for web series

Images of the Exposure Here –screenshots of Smithsonian and USA Today

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Media Exposure – Lasting Impact

• Expanded press release distro list

• Authored farewell letter to cast and crew of NBC’s award-winning sitcom, Parks & Recreation, 2015.

• National media coverage of the letter resulted in the popular game show, Jeopardy!, using it to create a clue.

• Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay

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MAJOR EVENTS & PROJECTS

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Timeline of Major Events & Projects

2016

Jan American Bus Association Marketplace; NYC Media Roadshow

Feb Indiana Boat, Sport and Travel Show

Mar Meredith Publishing Media Roadshow

Apr Hoosier Hospitality Conference; RFP review; Media Marketplace

May Visit Indiana Week, Lincoln Amphitheatre Concert Series Launch

June China Tourism Mission

Aug IN State Fair and Hoosier Hospitality Awards

Sept Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay

Oct National FFA Convention

Dec NCSTD Leadership Forum, Economic Impact Summit

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AGENCY GRANTS AND INDIANA

TOURISM COUNCIL

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Competitive Grant Programs

• Launched in 2015, the Indiana Office of Tourism Development

offers matching funds through its competitive grant program to cities, towns, counties tourism enterprises and nonprofit entities

located in Indiana that demonstrate a financial need and are

involved with tourism promotion and development.

• During its first year of operation, IOTD’s competitive grant

programs awarded in excess of $800,000.

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Competitive Grant Programs

1. Destination Development Grants: This program makes awards to applicants for large-scale projects that enhance the desirability of Indiana destinations. Expanded for 2016 to encourage large-scale ideas.

2. Marketing Asset Grants: The Marketing Asset Grant Program is designed to fund assets that increase awareness among leisure travelers and enhance the marketing and communications effectiveness of the applicant.

3. Festival and Event Fast Track Grants: Festival and Event Fast Track Grants assist with the promotion of selected festivals and events in Indiana that have a historical, cultural, artistic or culinary focus. * Retired after 2015

4. Place-Based Investment Fund: The Place-Based Investment Fund is a program of the Indiana Office of Tourism Development and Office of Community and Rural Affairs. Grants are targeted at “quality of place” initiatives across Indiana that improve both the quality of life and tourism experience in a community. The Place-Based Investment Fund has been in existence since 2012.

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Sports Indiana Grant Program

• The mission of Sports Indiana is to

promote Indiana as a premier

destination for sports-related events.

• IOTD awards $550k annually to

Sports Indiana in support of sport-

related events and bid efforts that

enhance the quality of life of

Indiana communities and stimulates

economic development.

Counties in which funding has been utilized:

• Marion

• Lake

• Porter

• La Porte

• St. Joseph

• Kosciusko

• Allen

• Tippecanoe

• Hamilton

• Hendricks

• Monroe

• Bartholomew

• Dubois

• Vanderburgh

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IOTD Grant Initiatives

• IOTD contributes $500k annually toward keeping

the FFA Convention in Indianapolis. This is a 9-

year commitment.

• IOTD awards $125k in Museum Grants annually

to the Studebaker Museum in South Bend and

the Grissom Air Museum in Peru.

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Indiana Tourism Council Responsibilities The Council engages in the following activities:

(1) Assist in developing goals and objectives for the office.

(2) Analyze the results and effectiveness of grants made by the office.

(3) Build commitment and unity among tourism industry groups.

(4) Create a forum for sharing talent, resources, and ideas regarding tourism.

(5) Encourage public and private participation necessary for the promotion of tourism.

(6) Make recommendations to the office regarding matters involving tourism.

(7) Make recommendations concerning grants from the tourism information and

promotion fund.

(8) Make budget recommendations to the lieutenant governor.

(9) The council may establish advisory groups to make recommendations to the office

on tourism research, development, and marketing.

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Indiana Tourism Council MembersDanny Lopez, Chair – Lt. Governor Designee

Mark Newman - Exec. Director, IOTD

Cam Clark - Director, Dept of Natural Resources

Patrick Tamm - IN Restaurant & Lodging Assoc

Lorelei Weimer - IN Tourism Assoc

Misty Weisensteiner - IN Tourism Assoc

Carrie Lambert - IN Tourism Assoc

Jim Arnold (D) - State Senator

Chip Perfect (R) - State Senator

Wes Culver (R) - State Representative

Justin Moed (D) - State Representative

Denise Pence - Appointee, Exit 76 Antique Mall

Eric Snow - Appointee, Holiday World

James Wallis - Appointee, Visit Indy

Chris Leininger - Appointee, French Lick Resort

Pete Eshelman - Appointee, Joseph Decuis

Rob Caputo - Brewers of Indiana Guild

Gale Gerber - IN State Festival Association

Lu Porter - IN Association of Museums

Dr. Jonathon Day - Ex Officio, Purdue University

Dr. Liping Cai – Ex Officio, Purdue University

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Agency KPIs

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Key Performance Indicators

VisitIndiana.com

KPI METRIC BENCHMARK -2015

GOAL ACTUAL - 2016 RESULTS

VisitIndiana.com

Sessions (Year) 981,781 YTD 2015 20% year over year (1,178,137) 1,625,948 YTD 2016 Session increase of 65.6% year over year

Users (Year) 794,447 YTD 2015 20% year over year (953,336) 1,250,009 YTD 2016 User increase of 57.3% year over year

Online Effectiveness

Twitter 35,314 30% increase year over year (45,908) 39,120 10.8% increase year over year

Facebook 20,729 30% increase year over year (26,948) 27,657 33.4% increase year over year

Instagram 6,524 50% increase year over year (9,786) 17,049 161.3% increase year over year

Email Subscriptions

Avg Monthly Opt-In 3,696 2015 3,204 monthly avg opt in 4,612 2016 144% of goal

CONSUMER SPEND$111 spent for every

dollar invested in marketing campaign

$122 (10% increase) measured annually End of year

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INDIANA BICENTENNIAL INITIATIVES

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Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay

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“…a marvelous way to truly unite

all of our diverse communities as

one Indiana.”- Becky Skillman, IBC Co-Chair

Indianapolis Star, 2016

Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay• Sept 9 – Oct 15

• 92 counties

• 3,226 miles

• 2,245 torch bearers

• Kicked off in Corydon

• Specially designed high-tech torch

• The Bicentennial Experience (BEX)

• Conceived and orchestrated by IOTD

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Indiana Bicentennial Torch• Designed by Purdue University School of

Engineering

• Exterior inspired by the Hadley Torch

found on Indiana state flag

• Interior comprised of high-tech

components:

– E-85 bio-fuel

– Lithium-ion battery pack

– Micro-processor with WiFi interface

– Onboard GPS tracking module

– HD mini-camera for photos &video

– Multiple safety features

MA

JOR

DES

IGN

FEA

TUR

ES

A Hoosier Made High-tech Torch Designed by a team of Purdue Engineering students, staff, and faculty for a 21st century torch relay.

Inspired by the Indiana State Flag

23.5 inch tall, 8 inch max. diameter

Aluminum shell for total weight under 5 lb

Highly reliable burner assembly inspired by oil lamps and tiki torches

Automatic shut-off based on internal electronic gyroscope

Fueled with Indiana-made E-85; available in over 185 gas stations throughout Indiana

GPS for high accuracy and near real-time positioning and tracking

HD camera for photos and videos connected to social media

Wi-Fi connectivity

Replaceable & rechargeable Li-ion batteries

For additional details, contact: Dr. Timothée Pourpoint timothee@purdue.edu

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi interface with –Intel Edison Computing Board and Linux operating system

Arduino based board with Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) interfaces with burner shut-off mechanism, flame extinguishes automatically when torch tilts past 45

2016 Indiana Bicentennial Torch A High-tech Torch Full of Symbolism!

BURNER ASSEMBLY

Automatic shut-off system

½”  fiberglass  wick  connected  to  6  V  peristaltic pump

Demonstrated at winds up to 30 mph

High density polyethylene 180 ml (6 oz.) fuel tank for up to 45 min burn time

1791-1812: 5 States

1787-1790: 13 original states

1816: Indiana 19th State in the Union

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The Bicentennial Experience

• Custom-designed highly interactive mobile unit

• Theme – Hoosier Pride: Past, Present and Future Interactive and tactile displays located both inside and outside the unit

• Content Collaborators– Indiana State Museum, Conner Prairie Interactive

History Park, Indianapolis Children’s Museum, Indiana Humanities, Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Archives, Sensory Technology, Sport Graphics, SindenRacing, and IOTD

• The Bicentennial Experience traveled along the route of the Torch Relay, but only visited two counties per day.

• 55,325 Visitors to the Experience Since August.

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Modes of Transportation

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Torch Relay Media Exposure

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• Ball State-produced documentary

demonstrating the far-reaching impact of the

celebration’s signature event to premiere on

December 11, 2016.

• Reached over 2M people via social media and

IndianaTorchRelay.com during the event.

• Indiana Torch Relay mobile app was featured

the most active users of any Bluebridge Digital

app in the tourism sector.

• 170+ Radio/TV/Print/Digital hits over the course

of the relay’s 37-day duration.