Leon County Introduces New Tourism Marketing Structure: Visit Tallahassee
OCTOBER 1, 2009 - The new consolidated tourism marketing organization for Tallahassee and Leon County officially begins operations today under the name of Visit Tallahassee. This new organization will combine the tourism advertising, public relations and marketing research, previously under the direction of the Tourist Development Council, and the direct sales and visitor service functions, previously under the Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, into one organization that will operate as a department of Leon County Government. The new organization will promote the entire Tallahassee area and region without regard to membership. The Tourist Development Council will still serve as the advisory board to the Leon County Board of County Commissioners on matters pertaining to tourism marketing and expenditures of Tourist Development Tax proceeds.
Heading up Visit Tallahassee will be Executive Director Lee Daniel, who was hired March 30 of this year and brings over 20 years of tourism related experience to Tallahassee. Staffing will consist of the following individuals and positions:
Kerri Post, Senior Marketing Director
Brian Hickey, Sports Council Director
Chris O'Brien, Sports Council Assistant Director
Katie Kole, Marketing Communications Director
Lorrie Allen, Leisure Sales Director
Raymond (Ricco) James, Visitor Services Director
Kaye Hogan, Assistant to the Executive Director
Wanda Barnard, Administrative Assistant
A Meetings & Conventions/Customer Service director will be named later this week.
Along with these exciting new changes comes the announcement of the new advertising agency and marketing research firm that will handle all advertising and public relations efforts for Visit Tallahassee. The Zimmerman Agency, a local firm, will work hand-in-hand with the staff of Visit Tallahassee to help make Tallahassee and Leon County a year-round visitor destination. The Bonn Marketing Research Group, Inc. will provide pertinent marketing research information and tourism economic impact statistics to Visit Tallahassee and the Tourist Development Council.
"There is tremendous opportunity to expand tourism in the greater Tallahassee area," said Lee Daniel. "With the participation and support of our tourism-related partners and our new marketing agencies, we will be able to fully develop our potential as a leading destination for nature-based, historical, heritage, cultural, conference, educational, film and sports related visitation. I am very excited about the future of tourism in Tallahassee."
For more information on Visit Tallahassee, contact Lee Daniel, at (850) 606-2300.
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