INITIAL ISSUE

Following the departure of the Winston-Salem Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (CVB’s) communications director, leadership desired to assess the unstaffed two-person department. In the interim, the CVB looked to outsource their communication needs to a firm with expertise in tourism marketing.

The short-term contract, among other components, required Flying Compass to make recommendations regarding the department’s internal and external roles and functions and to oversee the following:

• Departmental workflow
• Media inquiries
• Tourist Development Authority (TDA) reports
• Publication schedules and delivery
• The CVB’s website

SOLUTION

The first order of business was establishing communication standards and baseline systems so a temp worker staffing the department would have a framework within which to operate. This included:

• Organizing the department’s infrastructure by expanding its role within the CVB and increasing the depth and quality of its resources;
• Working with the CVB in hiring a qualified media manager;
• Developing a positive working relationship among all departments, including the newly established leisure tourism department;
• Establishing operational efficiencies and departmental workflow;
• Setting standards for news releases and how to respond to media inquiries;
• Developing publication schedules and
• Formalizing a change order process for updates to the CVB’s website.

The annual visitor guide, already in progress, had been outsourced for a fee to a third party handling ad sales, design, production and delivery. Because of challenges with the finished printed product, Flying Compass negotiated between the vendor and printer and the CVB to address the printer’s poor workmanship.

BENEFIT

Flying Compass has a solid working knowledge of quasi-government agencies and nonprofits and their role in promoting destinations to leisure travelers and group market segments. We understand organizational management structure, the hospitality industry, outdoor recreation, board leadership, marketing and communications. As such, Flying Compass was able to assess the situation quickly, compare it against the CVB’s needs and make suggestions for improvement.

Our relationship with CVB continued after the term of this contract. To learn more, click here.

To learn more about this and other case studies, contact Flying Compass today.