Visitor's Bureau Seeks to Help Grow Quilt Shows

The Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau Board met Thursday afternoon and was addressed by Meredith Schroeder, with the American Quilter's Society, about survey responses of Quilt Show attendees, with ideas to help both the spring and fall shows continue to grow.

Several items were discussed, including different hotel pricing options and packages. Executive Director, Mary Hammond, suggested that the board host a special round table discussion in the near future for quilt show and hotel management, to further discuss the ideas on this subject. The date for the meeting will be announced soon.

In other business, the 2018-2019 Development and Marketing Plan was explained. The target markets were discussed which are Associations, Religious, Corporate, and SMERF (Social, Military, Education, Religious, Fraternal). They will be working closely with the Paducah-McCracken Expo and Convention Center and Partners to promote and bring meetings and conventions to Paducah.

The 2018-2019 Destination Marketing Plan was discussed and a major goal will be to leverage the UNESCO Creative City designation to educate new audiences on the value of Paducah's heritage and creative culture. Also a major goal is to develop awareness of Paducah as a cultural destination with new, prospective travelers. The Base Brand Positioning Statement is:

"Only in Paducah can visitors be inspired by the distinctively creative culture of a UNESCO Creative City with significant American heritage staged within the elegant sophistication of a historic river town. Home to the renowned National Quilt Museum, Paducah's diverse creative assets fuel the local culture and authentic personality that energizes the visitor experience."

Director of Marketing, Laura Oswald, explained that The Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) of Paducah-McCracken County, and it exists to create new economic opportunities through destination marketing, management and tourism development.

The 2018-2019 Destination Sales Plan was presented with an objective to increase group room night production by 10%, by focusing on national association and quilt-related affinity groups. Also, they will be attempting to increase overall City occupancy to 70%. The sales team is committed to attracting more business to Paducah hotels, attractions, and restaurants.

The budget for fiscal year 2018-2019 was also discussed and unanimously approved.