Reporting for the months of January, February, and March of 2024
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New Year, New Team, New Outlook for 2024 |
Turning the page on a new year is an exciting time for individuals as well as businesses/organizations. We all experience renewed hope to achieve personal and corporate goals, to move forward in our success. A new year doesn’t start off any better for us than winning two state awards for a tourism experience product we developed and launched last year along with 10 of our local industry partners: the Authentic Augusta Experience. This collection of experiences won in two categories at the 2024 Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus Annual Conference in January. Not only is it a powerful jumpstart to the year, it demonstrates a strong alignment with Destination Augusta and our community. We’re now in the second year of our three-year Strategic Plan. One key focus is securing a consultant to guide the planning and implementation of an Outdoor Adventure Center — a new asset that will be a major attractor in getting visitors to Augusta and play a central role in connecting people to the river. This is made possible by a $1.75 million investment from the City of Augusta’s SPLOST funding. It’s a great feeling to fill the staff openings in our Marketing Department. We are fortunate to have Karen Lee Davis join us as our Chief Marketing Officer, and Cassidy Veach has stepped into the role of Marketing Manager. These positions complete our vision of unifying the important work of both our marketing professionals and our group business development efforts – the team members who recruit meetings and events to our city venues, like the Convention Center. Internally, they call themselves S’MARKETING – sales and marketing. I think we’re on to something. Board support of our work is foundational to our success. It’s accomplished by the guidance of the board at large, but not without the elbow grease and in-depth work of our board committees: Executive, Advocacy, Board Development, Destination Development, Marketing and Tourism Grant. As you make time to read through this quarterly report, keep in mind our ongoing commitment to develop and promote our community and generate economic impact for those who live and work in Augusta. It’s going to be a great year! |
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Marketing Team Update
Change is exciting when you’ve got a solid foundation from which to work. That’s certainly true as it pertains to the new team members and new alignment of the marketing arm of Destination Augusta. We completed the Marketing Team with hires in the first quarter, which included filling the Marketing Manager position with the energetic and talented Cassidy Veach. Cassidy brings experience in destination marketing, as well as sports event marketing. Karen Lee Davis joined the Destination Augusta Team as its Chief Marketing Officer in March, with a resume of over 20 years’ experience in non-profit marketing/communications, as well as event planning, that spans from outdoors and conservation to veteran service support to workforce development and retail/hospitality. She’s stepped into a new strategic role to bridge the marketing strategies and needs of both leisure travelers and group business. Karen leads our team of professionals in marketing, communications and group business development, with the goal of increasing overall travel through destination awareness, targeted group sales, and working with the entire Destination Augusta team to service and secure repeat visits.
Black History Month was a fantastic time to showcase Augusta’s rich heritage, culture and the contributions of the Black community. Some notable articles include AAA’s Electric Vehicle Road Trip Guide Celebrating Black History that includes Augusta, as well as an in-depth story on the Black Caddies featured in Garden & Gun. We also hosted our first influencer of 2024, Martinique Lewis of the Black Travel Alliance, who spent two days capturing video content on historic sites like Springfield Baptist Church and interviews with some of the legendary Black Caddies. She dined at Black-owned restaurants and was filled with excitement over the diversity of our city. Find links to her videos here.
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Collaboration is our Goal
The Group Experience Team collaborated with Jani-King to introduce the Authentic Augusta Experience - "Augusta's Black Caddies: Men on the Bag" - at their 2024 Franchise Conference. Held at the Augusta Marriott from March 1–3, the event attracted almost 300 attendees. Notably, this marked the inaugural off-site execution of this unique experience.
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Augusta Coffee Trail Launches with Resounding Success!
Since its launch in January, more than 1,300 people signed up for the free mobile passport featuring locally-owned Augusta coffee shops. The mobile passport offers discounts and special offers for select coffee shops. It encourages pass-holders to visit all 11 coffee houses offering rewards like Augusta coffee mugs and Augusta stickers for reaching certain levels.
The Augusta Coffee Trail was designed for locals and visitors to find local coffee experiences easily and to drive visitor and local spending to local businesses.
"Participating in the Augusta Coffee Trail has been an incredible opportunity for us to engage with NEW customers and partner with other fellow coffee shop owners as we launch Trellis Coffee Bar. It's so cool to see the local coffee community rallying together to elevate relationships for the good of our city, all through coffee," said Ross McDaniel of Trellis Coffee Bar.
The Augusta Coffee Trail is the first of several curated collections planned for digital passport distribution by Destination Augusta.
Developing this type of destination product provides a tool for locals and visitors to easily navigate the destination. It creates products to incorporate into marketing/promotional plans, and it is a resource to gather customer contact information for future communications and to encourage repeat visits. For more information on the Augusta Coffee Trail’s key performance indicators please access this report. Check out the details and catch a video explaining the Augusta Coffee Trail on our website.
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Soul of Augusta
In collaboration with the Greater Augusta Arts Council, Augusta & Co. showcased the "Soul of Augusta" Art Show (January 4-March 28). The show featured works by NuBag (the New Urban Black Artists Guild) and celebrated culture, diversity and victory of blackness in Augusta through art.
NuBAG is an Artists’ Guild where artists join to feel empowered through the arts. A name which was inspired by Augusta icon, James Brown’s “Papa’s got a brand new bag.” NuBAG’s mission is to create opportunities for artists in Augusta’s River Region to create, show and profit from their work.
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Valentine Market
On February 10, Augusta & Co. hosted a Valentine Market featuring four local vendors providing handcrafted local goods for your special someone. Retail Partners included La Bonbonniere Chocolate, Journey Raine Candles, Augusta Clay Company jewelry and Sincerely Skin Bath Goods.
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Market on the Green
On March 23, Augusta & Co. hosted an Augusta on the Green Market featuring seven vendors offering local gifts and decor to celebrate Springtime in Augusta. Vendors included Fruitland of Augusta, Bubbas Fudge, Light of Grace Candles, Glow by Mafia, Ivy Hill Interiors, Kate Gary Designs and Augusta Pop Company.
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New Product Highlight
Augusta & Co. is now offering tastings of the new Berkman's vodka, and celebrating its launch by offering whiskey glasses, shot glasses, tee shirts and tin signs.
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Q1 Activity:
Religious Conference Management Association
GBD collaborated with The Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center to exhibit in San Antonio, Texas, January 9-11. Augusta was one of 14 exhibitors representing Georgia. There were 272 planners in attendance. Mark Winner of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, became Taylor’s 2024 Masters guest, resulting in a city-wide RFP of 1000 attendees, 400 rooms on peak, and 3000-3400 collective room nights for 2027. Additionally, nine viable RFPs were received.
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Rendezvous South
The GBD Team attended Rendezvous South in Spartanburg, SC. This is an appointment-based conference where they met with 26 national meeting planners that seek to source their meetings and events in tier 2 and 3 cities in the Southeast. The GBD Team built great relationships and received interest from several meeting planners to participate in a site selection tour. Si Long Chang, or the Augusta Authentic Experience Promenade & Paint, joined them and engaged planners to paint an original piece of art.
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Meeting Professionals International | Georgia Chapter Spring Summit
Taylor Brown attended the Meeting Professionals International Spring Summit, a networking event at Zoo Atlanta on March 19. Keynote speakers discussed leadership, community, industry trends, and resources for suppliers and planners. New Atlanta contacts were established.
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James Brown Arena & Introductory Collaboration Meeting
The GBD Team + Marketing met with the James Brown Arena’s Manager and Marketing Team to discuss future collaborative efforts regarding digital collateral, tradeshow attendance, and target markets for the purpose of advertising the new arena to attract larger groups to Augusta. Quarterly meetings will be held in preparation for the arena’s completion.
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Site Visits
The GBD Team conducted three site visits:
- Rolls Royce Solutions America
- Southern Harmony Brigade
- Southeastern Association of Public Facilities
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Mister Sleep Premiere
We were delighted to attend advance screening of Mister Sleep on Monday, March 25. Filmed entirely in Augusta, produced by Amy Rheinhart Bailey, and featuring local cast and crew members, this thriller follows a serial killer seeking revenge from insomnia patients that he believes stole his memories. Mister Sleep released online on April 2 and is available on the following platforms: iTunes, Amazon, Google, YouTube, Microsoft, and Vimeo.
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50 Years in Film
Film Augusta sponsored the Georgia Film Offices 50 Years of Georgia Film in an effort to expose and inform attendees of Augusta as a film production center. The Film Augusta logo was on banners and in slide show presentations for all attendees to see. Governor Kemp, and Commissioner Pat Wilson were speakers at this event, held at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta in March.
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Advocacy Update - State Capitol Visit
Film Augusta went to the State Capitol in March to speak to area legislators about the importance of the film tax credit and its impact on the continued growth of the film industry in Augusta. We visited on one of the busiest days at the Capitol, "Crossover Day," where we had the opportunity to meet briefly with Rep. Lynn Gladney, Rep. Brian Prince, Rep. W. Mark Newton, Rep. Karlton Howard, and Senator Harold Jones II. It was a successful visit and opportunity to make our elected officials aware of all that's going on in Augusta.
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As of March 31, 2024, total current assets equaled $4,267,515 of which $169,178 are unrestricted and $4,098,336 are restricted for tourism grants, the adventure center, and wayfinding, or board designated. Liabilities equal $1,617,956 of which $6,852 are payables, $38,727 are payroll liabilities and accrued interest, and $1,572,377 are the deferred rent revenue, note on 1010 Broad Street, and Federal Disaster loan.
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