But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. – Acts 1:8
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May 2, 2025 • Volume 6, Issue #17
C of O hosts 2025 First Responder Day
INSIDE: • Around Town.... 12A • Churches.......... 11A • Classifieds......... 10B • Education........... 8A • Food.................. 8B • Fun & Games.... 12B • Pets for Adoption �� 3A • Obituaries........ 10A • Weather........... 10A
PLUS:
Entertainer hopes song will help others – SEE PAGE 3A
The College presents the 2025 First Responder Award to Kimberling City Police Department Officer Dustin Mayden, recognizing his exceptional service and commitment to duty. (Photo courtesy of College of the Ozarks)
Submitted to Branson Globe College of the Ozarks honored the unwavering dedication and bravery of local first responders during its 2025 First Responder Appreciation Day recently. The event, held on the College campus, welcomed first responders, students and members of the public to join in a heartfelt tribute. The event served as a public expression of gratitude for the daily sacrifices of federal, state and local law enforcement officers, correction officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical services personnel, 911 dispatchers, probation and parole officers, park rangers, game wardens and wildlife officers. The College also honored the families who stand behind these individuals in support. The morning began with a stirring procession of emergency vehicles entering through the main gates
of campus. In parade-like fashion, the convoy traveled down Opportunity Avenue, passed the waters of Lake Honor, and concluded at the Hook Activities Center. Along the route, students, faculty and campus guests lined the sidewalks waving flags and applauding in appreciation. The formal program, held inside the Hook Activities Center, featured Branson Fire Chief and College of the Ozarks alumnus Ted Martin as the keynote speaker. Additional remarks were given by Dr. Marci Linson, Vice President of Vocational Activities and Dean of Administration, who emphasized the importance of honoring those who serve and uphold peace in our communities. Ceremonial elements included the Presentation of Colors by the Southwest Missouri Fire Color Guard, with support from the Col-
SEE FIRST RESPONDERS, PAGE 2A
The metrics of marketing Branson
On the darkest night – SEE PAGE 1B.
BY GARY J. GROMAN, Independent Journalist Heather Hermen has been the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB since September 2024. The Branson Globe (BG) interviewed Herman (HH) about using marketing metrics and data to market Branson. The results, in a Q&A format, are below: BG: What experience do you have in marketing tourism destinations, and for how long have you been doing it? HH: I’ve been in the tourism industry for over 20 years and have owned Front Burner Media, a full-service marketing and public relations agency focusing on destination management and marketing, for the last 14 years. BG: What metrics do you use to evaluate destination marketing performance? HH: KPIs, goals and objectives in a strategic plan are standard for destination marketing. From there, we divide that out into items that come from the STR re-
port, Smith Travel Research, around average daily rate, booking windows and then other data metrics that come in from data platforms like Datafy, Adara, Arrivalist, Placer.AI, and more. Data-driven decision-making is the key to destination marketing; these tools help us gather the proper metrics and show return on investment with tax dollars. BG: What are some of the KPIs that you evaluate? HH: Visitation activity increases or decreases, and increases in tax dollars, website activity, room occupancy, average daily rate and booking window, among others, are key indicators that we and other destinations follow. BG: What other metrics do you use? HH: Credit card, spending, how long people are staying in market, and how much people are spending per household. We’re following our digital ads from when they were served on a phone, computer, or mobile device to when they come
into the market to see how effective our ads are and the return on investment [ROI]. BG: That’s what they’re used for? HH: They provide data that helps us know how much credit card spending is, how long they’re staying, where they’re staying, where they’re shopping, what they’re doing so that we can then build plans all around that. BG: Digital media advertising handles most of that, but aren’t we also marketing using TV? HH: Yes, we advertise on both Traditional TV and Connected TV. BG: Didn’t know there were two different types of TV. Isn’t TV just TV? HH: No. “Traditional TV” is broadcast TV, including cable, satellite and antenna reception, where the person watching sees a scheduled TV program at the actual broadcast time. “Connected TV” puts the same content and more on your TV using the internet to deliver the content to a person’s TV, smart phone, SEE METRICS, PAGE 4A
Milton takes oath of office (Photo via Facebook)
Mayor, aldermen sworn in for another term
BY K.D. MICHAELS, Staff Writer Mayor Larry Milton was sworn in and took the oath of office for another term as Mayor of Branson during the most recent city council meeting. Milton, who ran unopposed, was named Mayor again following the April election. Also running unopposed and retaining their seats on the board of aldermen were Alderman Clay Cooper, Alderman Artie Lucas and Alderwoman Ruth
Denham. Aldermen Cooper, representing Ward 1, and Lucas, Ward 2, were also sworn in for another term on the city council during the recent meeting. Ruth Denham, representing Ward 3, will be sworn in at a future meeting of the board of aldermen. Following the swearing in ceremony, Alderman Clay Cooper was unanimously voted in as Acting President of the Board of Aldermen.
The Beck Museums of Branson Welcome You to...
SPRING!