FY25 ANNUAL REPORT
KENNESAW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL BATTLEIELD PARK
s t n e nt
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From the President/CEO
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Tourism & Economic Impact
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Meet in Cobb
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Cobb Sports Alliance
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Marketing
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Community Engagement
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Budget
18
Team
19
MISSION The mission of Cobb Travel & Tourism (CT&T) is to increase visitation to and awareness of Cobb County, thereby enhancing economic impact.
VISION Cobb County remains a regionally and nationally known travel destination providing a rewarding and memorable experience to all visitors. Cobb County will continue to be recognized as a preferred destination among planners and conventions, trade shows, sports, and special events, as well as leisure travelers.
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LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT & CEO I am proud of Cobb Travel & Tourism’s (CT&T) role as a catalyst for our industry, driving visitation throughout Cobb. Each year brings incredible opportunities for tourism, and 2025 was certainly no exception. A noteworthy highlight from the year was when the eyes of the world were on Cobb as we hosted Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week. It was an incredible display of community partnership and engagement, showcasing Cobb County on an international stage. Our goal was always to make All-Star Week unforgettable, and through the efforts of many, we believe we accomplished that goal and so much more. Thank you to the Atlanta Braves, Cobb County Government, the Cobb Convention Center Atlanta and countless other partners for making our community shine bright. For CT&T, no matter how large or small the event or occasion, we pride ourselves on welcoming all guests with All-Star energy, ensuring that their time in our community exceeds their expectations. It is our honor to showcase Cobb as a premier destination and to highlight each part of our county as a place that needs to be explored. Tourism is powerful. It fuels our communities, energizes our economy, and lights the way for continued growth. On behalf of the Cobb Travel & Tourism Board and team, thank you for your partnership, your trust, and your continued belief in the value of tourism as an economic driver. We are proud of what we have accomplished together and are excited about what is ahead. Sweet regards,
HOLLY A. QUINLAN PRESIDENT & CEO
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SIX FLAGS OVER GEORGIA
TOURISM REMAINS ON TOP TOURISM IS COBB’S #1 INDUSTRY
$2.5 Billion
IN ECONOMIC IMPACT
$216.3 Million
IN STATE AND LOCAL TAXES
18,274
JOBS SUPPORTED
Cobb Travel & Tourism is the only organization that promotes all of Cobb County and its assets as a 365day destination by recruiting large events, serving as an insider's guide to the area, and telling Cobb’s collective story. These efforts benefit all areas of the county and have a bottom-line return. While most will not realize that it was CT&T’s efforts that brought business to their sports field, restaurant, attraction, performance, store or gas station, this activity has a significant impact on businesses large and small throughout Cobb.
TOP 5 OVERNIGHT VISITOR ORIGINS Georgia
Each Cobb household would need to be taxed an additional $744 per year to replace taxes generated by tourism economic activity. 4
* Source: Tourism Economics (2024)
Florida Tennessee Alabama North Carolina
ACWORTH TRAIN DEPOT
LODGING OVERVIEW In FY25, all of metro Atlanta experienced a downward trend in key hotel and lodging metrics, with the majority of the decline falling in occupancy. Economic uncertainty continued to play a factor in reduced consumer spending. Group business was a strong factor keeping the market stable as leisure travel softened. It is worth noting that Cobb County, and especially the Cumberland area, continued to outperform many of the surrounding markets in average daily rate (ADR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR). This speaks to the strength and resilience of Cobb's position, even in a challenging environment.
120 100 80
$107.43
$101.82
$114.11
$112.00
$114.00
64.2%
63.6%
63.5%
$89.83
14,137 ROOMS IN 128 HOTELS
$77.68 65%
60
48.1%
58.7%
62%
Average Daily Rate (ADR)
40 20
Hotel Occupancy
0 FY
19
FY
20
FY
21
FY
22
FY
23
FY
24
FY
25
FOR EVERY $100 SPENT ON LODGING, $234 ARE SPENT IN THE COMMUNITY*
* Sources: Tourism Economics (2024) & AHLA Economic Impact of the US Hotel Industry Report – January 2025
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COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
MEET IN COBB Cobb is Atlanta’s sweet spot for meetings, conventions, weddings, and reunions! Our professional Sales and Event Services teams do the heavy lifting to help event planners execute their vision and introduce attendees to opportunities to explore beyond the boardroom at hot spots like The Battery Atlanta, Six Flags over Georgia, Marietta Square, and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. In FY25, we fostered relationships with planners across the world and strengthened our repeat business, far surpassing our goals.
439
79
40
LEADS GENERATED
EVENTS SECURED DEFINITE*
SECURED ASSISTS*
$93,739,372 TOTAL ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT**
128%
OVER FY24
36,406 ROOM NIGHTS CONTRACTED
*A definite is an event that is booked using Cobb Travel & Tourism services to secure hotel rooms. An assist is an event that did not use Cobb Travel & Tourism services to secure the hotel rooms, however, we assisted the client by connecting them with additional services such as linen rental, florists, caterers, etc. **Destinations International Impact Calculator (These numbers represent the Professional/Group and Tradeshow/Convention Markets.)
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ATLANTA SHOE MARKET
JUNIOR THEATER FESTIVAL
SNAPSHOT OF EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN FY25 Cobb’s diverse amenities and world-class venues continue to attract events of all sizes to the area. In 2025, CT&T’s group sales team worked diligently to bring in new events such as the National Real Time Crime Center Association Conference (2,325 room nights), Music Business Association’s Music Biz Annual Conference (1,760 room nights), and the Electronic Security Expo (1,543 room nights).
CHECK OUT A FEW OF THE KEY EVENTS CT&T’S GROUP SALES TEAM BOOKED IN FY25: Georgia Alliance for Breast Cancer Two Day Walk Automotive Recyclers Association Meeting The Blade Show National Ataxia Foundation International Congress Southeastern Greek Leadership Association Annual Conference WISPAmerica Atlanta Shoe Market Junior Theater Festival Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Seventh District Meeting
DID YOU KNOW THAT COBB HOSTS THE WORLD'S LARGEST KNIFE SHOW, THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST SHOE MARKET, AND THE WORLD’S BIGGEST CELEBRATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE PERFORMING MUSICAL THEATER? 7
COBBLESTONE GOLF COURSE
COBB SPORTS ALLIANCE The Cobb Sports Alliance (CSA) partners with more than 60 area sports leaders to bring athletes and their families from across the world to compete in Cobb. In FY25, the CSA team traveled to eight trade shows across the country, soliciting sporting events ranging from classic balls and bats to mountain biking and mixed martial arts. With experience hosting high-caliber events such as the Super Bowl, MLB World Series, and MLB All-Star Week, the community is well-equipped to manage sporting events and keep spectators entertained when the games are finished.
228
151
493,564
LEADS GENERATED
EVENTS SECURED DEFINITE
PARTICIPANTS & SPECTATORS
$190,915,527
TOTAL ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT*
15%
OVER FY24
82,776
ROOM NIGHTS CONTRACTED
*Destinations International Economic Impact Calculator (These numbers represent the Sports Market.)
DID YOU KNOW COBB COUNTY IS HOME TO MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S ATLANTA BRAVES AND MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER'S ATLANTA UNITED FC? 8
GOALBALL
SAVANNAH BANANAS
KENNESAW GRAND PRIX
NOW PLAYING IN COBB * BASEBALL • BASKETBALL • BMX • BULL RIDING • CHEERLEADING • DANCE DRAGON BOAT RACING • ESPORTS • FISHING • FLAG FOOTBALL • FOOTBALL GOLF • GYMNASTICS • ICE HOCKEY • JETSKI • JIU-JITSU • JUDO KARATE • KICKBALL • LACROSSE MIXED MARTIAL ARTS • MOUNTAIN BIKING MUAY THAI • NFC FIGHTING • PICKLEBALL • POWERLIFTING • ROLLER DERBY RUCK RACE • RUGBY • RUNNING • SOCCER • SOFTBALL • SPIKEBALL SWIMMING • TAEKWONDO TENNIS • TRIATHALON • VOLLEYBALL WAKEBOARDING • WAKESURFING • WRESTLING ADAPTIVE SPORTS
ARCHERY • BASKETBALL • GOALBALL ROAD RACE • SWIMMING • TRACK & FIELD CHECK OUT OUR SWEET STATS:
100+
1.4+ 166+
of space dedicated to sports
available for biking & running
Million Sq. Ft.
Trillion Gallons
of water available for sports
Miles of Trails
*Sports the CSA worked with in FY25
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SMYRNA FOOD TRUCK TUESDAY
MARKETING Cobb Travel & Tourism’s marketing efforts capture the stories and essence of our unique communities and use those distinct characteristics and qualities to drive visitation throughout Cobb and its seven cities. Our advertising sent a strong call to action to travelers around the southeast – encouraging them to come and play in Atlanta’s Sweet Spot. As a result, our website saw more than 300,000 sessions and 430,000 page views this past year.
245,538
307,945
439,040
WEBSITE USERS
WEBSITE SESSIONS
WEB PAGE VIEWS
TOP BLOGS BY CLICKS
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Atlanta’s Sweet Spot for Holiday Lights
Holiday Pop-Up Bars in Cobb
How to Shoot The Hooch
Top 10 Things to Do in Cobb
Sweet Spots for Coffee in Cobb
30,799 clicks
13,346 clicks
11,590 clicks
7,266 clicks
6,161 clicks
VIDEOS THAT INSPIRED VIEWS In FY25, Cobb Travel & Tourism created more short-form video content than ever before, helping us draw in 11,555 new followers across our channels. 47 new videos were added to TikTok and 96 videos were added to Instagram and Facebook Reels, leading to a 18% increase in social media engagement compared to FY24.
Holidays in Cobb 60,025 views
North Georgia State Fair 37,735 views
Chalktoberfest 27,307 views
Cobb Holiday Lights 15,751 views
MLB All-Star Village 12,285 views
LET’S GET SOCIAL
27,408
30%
TOT AL I NCR EA FOL LOW SE IN ERS
facebook followers
13,113
4,376
4,066
1,628
338,000
18,947
Instagram followers
TikTok followers
Social Media Engagements
X followers
LinkedIn followers
Enewsletter Subscribers 11
MARIETTA SQUARE
ADVERTISING MEDIA MENTIONS In FY25, Cobb Travel & Tourism and its programs were mentioned 240 times by media. This had a potential reach of 4.37 billion and $2.5 million ad value equivalency.
EXPEDIA I October 2024 - April 2025 Cobb Travel & Tourism leveraged an $85,000 investment into more than $2 million in hotel revenue.
2.9 M
IMPRESSIONS COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS: How To Make A Perfect Pumpkin Pie, According To Southern Chefs Publication: Southern Living Reach: 11.3 Million Date: 11/24/24
28 Spring Travel Deals to Ring in the Season Publication: Conde Nast Traveler UMV: 4.1 Million Date: 3/14/25
Your weekend lineup: Dua Lipa, Food & Wine Fest, Atlanta Streets Alive Publication: Axios Atlanta Reach: 13.8 Million Date: 9/12/25
$2.5 M
AD VALUE EQUIVALENCY 12
10,914
ROOM NIGHTS
$2.2M
GROSS BOOKINGS
GOOGLE ADS I Year-Round New visitors were driven to travelcobb.org by strategically focusing on keywords such as "fun things to do around Atlanta" and "kids activities in Marietta."
82,201
IMPRESSIONS
6,167 CLICKS
7.5% CTR
SOCIAL MEDIA ADS I Year-Round In FY25, Cobb Travel & Tourism increased its investment in social media advertising by 15%, bringing the total spend to $14,886. Ads promoted community initiatives, itineraries, and blogs.
3,975,614 IMPRESSIONS
125,935 CLICKS
3.17% CTR
MULTI-CHANNEL ADS I October 2024 - September 2025 Targeted advertising in key Southeastern publications expanded Cobb Travel & Tourism’s reach across print, digital, and social channels, connecting with highly engaged travel audiences. These efforts strengthened regional visibility and delivered consistent, multi-channel exposure in priority drive markets.
Charleston Magazine Reached 88,400 readers per issue (including 7,200 in-hotel readers), 13,000 email subscribers, and 137,000 Instagram followers. PLACEMENTS: TWO HALF-PAGE ADS, DEDICATED E-BLAST, AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
Charlotte Magazine Reached 115,000 readers per issue, 50,000 email subscribers, and 220,000 Instagram followers. PLACEMENTS: THREE HALF-PAGE ADS, TRAVEL PLANNER NEWSLETTERS, AND INSTAGRAM PROMOTION.
CityScope Magazine (Chattanooga) Reached 15,000 households per issue and 8,200 email subscribers. PLACEMENTS: FULL-PAGE AD AND EDITORIAL, HALF-PAGE AD, AND NEWSLETTER PLACEMENTS.
Savannah Magazine Reached 54,000 readers per issue, 15,000 email subscribers, and 61,000 Instagram followers. PLACEMENTS: THREE HALF-PAGE ADS, NEWSLETTER ADS, AND INSTAGRAM POSTS.
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SMITH-GILBERT GARDENS
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COBB ARTS VIBE In FY25, Cobb Arts VIBE continued to support Cobb’s creative community by facilitating invaluable connections. Through regularly hosted engagement opportunities, Cobb Arts VIBE served as a resource for education, strategic partnerships, and awareness. We continued our popular arts tours, offering an immersive day visiting cultural landmarks throughout central Cobb.
COBBUNITY After receiving the Al Burruss Award for Creative Expression from the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau in FY24, CT&T launched a new video series highlighting community ChangeMakers and their impact on Cobb. The first of these moving testimonials shined a spotlight on Katie Hearn who works with the Atlanta Braves to make the community more accessible.
FILM COBB CT&T remained a strong partner to the film community in FY25, supporting more than 50 location inquiries, permitting connections, and production services. Projects from networks like Netflix, Hulu, Paramount, FX, and Apple TV brought national visibility to Cobb County, with local landmarks featured in popular productions such as “Sweet Magnolias” and “Stranger Things.” 14
2026 OUTLOOK
ANNUAL MEETING & MIXER
BUBBLES & BREWS RECEIVES AWARD
ANNUAL MEETING & MIXER
Annual MEETING + mixer
Cobb Travel & Tourism celebrated its Annual Meeting & Mixer with friends and partners, reflecting on the sweet successes of 2024 and looking forward to the year ahead. The program included the presentation of the Spot-On and Changemaker Awards, and the unveiling of a new video series. Award winners included:
Attraction Partner of the Year – Lake Acworth Cobb Sports Alliance Event of the Year – Brawlhalla World Championship Event of the Year – Mountain to River (M2R) TrailFest Hotel Partner of the Year – Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Vinings/Galleria Restaurant Partner of the Year – Glenn’s Cafe Cobbunity ChangeMaker Award - Katie Hearn
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK The eighth annual Cobb Hospitality Outlook brought more than 80 hospitality representatives together to gain insight on key planning data for the coming year. Speakers included:
Danielle Appley-Epstein, Expedia Group Jennifer Hogan, Town Center CID Tarik Milner, Cumberland CID John Oliver, CVent Hospitality Cloud Dr. Roger Tutterow, Kennesaw State University Caroline Whaley, Marietta Gateway CID Mark Woodworth, Woodworth Core Group 15
GLOVER PARK BREWERY
SILLA DEL TORO
ROUND TRIP BREWING COMPANY
COBB FOODIE WEEK In FY25, 72 restaurants across Cobb County offered meal deals' during Cobb Foodie Week, making it one of the largest restaurant weeks in metro Atlanta. Four influencers were enlisted to promote nine restaurants. Their posts received more than 44,000 plays and 1,600 interactions. 1,832 foodies signed up for a digital pass.
18,643
WEB PAGE VIEWS
286,443
AD IMPRESSIONS
300
CHECK-INS
BUBBLES & BREWS For the sixth year, Cobb County raised a glass to the thriving beverage scene during Bubbles & Brews, Cobb's Craft Beverage Month. In FY25, 15 participating breweries, wineries, and distilleries handed out 2,000 physical BrewPasses. 712 suds-lovers signed up for a digital pass, and 321 redeemed their passes for prizes!
20,501
WEB PAGE VIEWS
93,899
AD IMPRESSIONS
5,000+
CHECK-INS
2025 BEST OF BUBBLES & BREWS WINNERS Contrast Artisan Ales • Frog Rock Brewing Company • Glover Park Brewery • Horned Owl Brewing Lazy Guy Distillery • Round Trip Brewing Company • Schoolhouse Brewing Skint Chestnut Brewing Company • Viking Alchemist Meadery 16
MLB ALL-STAR WEEK During MLB All-Star week, more than 250,000 people visited The Battery Atlanta. The CT&T team joined in the fun by giving away swag and welcoming visitors to the Home Run Derby and the MLB All-Star Game. We painted metro Atlanta with more than 160 partner décor packages, collaborated to host the first-ever MLB All-Star Restaurant Week, and reached thousands of consumers with our full page ad in the official program and our custom edition of Grit & Garnish.
137,931
250k+
60k+
$4M+
VISITORS INSIDE TRUIST PARK
VISITORS TO THE BATTERY ATLANTA
ALL-STAR VILLAGE ATTENDEES
IN COMMUNITY INITIATIVES *Source: Atlanta Braves
HOLIDAYS IN COBB HolidaysInCobb.com features local Christmas light displays, visits with Santa, and seasonal events. In FY25, we worked with Courtyard Atlanta Vinings/Galleria, Six Flags Over Georgia, and Atlanta Ballet to offer a $1,200 getaway giveaway, boosting newsletter subscriptions.
30,631
LINK CLICKS
340,362 AD REACH
2,016
GIVEAWAY ENTRIES 13
CT&T TEAM
THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP In FY25, CT&T launched an enhanced partnership program, designed to strengthen relationships and increase services, including Operating Revenues marketing support, networking opportunities, data, Favorable toindustry Budget by .4% and qualified leads. This revitalization resulted in 29 new partners joining the ”Inner Circle.”
$4,797,895.60
94%
PARTNER RETENTION
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FY25 OPERATIONS BUDGET Since its inception, Cobb Travel & Tourism has managed its budget efficiently and effectively, always with a strategic eye toward the future. The FY25 budget ran from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.
$5,879,231.56
OPERATING REVENUES Favorable to Budget by 3.78%
$4,990,185.91
OPERATING EXPENSES Favorable to Budget by 11.91%
$889,045.65 NET INCOME
Savings Used to Help Support Future Commitments
COBB TRAVEL & TOURISM TEAM HOLLY QUINLAN President & CEO LINDSEY BURRUSS Chief Operating Officer KAITLYN CHITWOOD Director of Marketing LISA CLARK Director of Finance JESSICA COANE Vice President of Group Sales ANNE MARIE CROSBY Business Intelligence Manager
KIM FRANZ Director of Programs & Events
CRISTY PARK Sports Business & Service Manager
LINDSEY GENTRY Office & Team Manager
TIMOTHY RAY Sports Sales Manager
ELBA GONZALES Group Sales Coordinator AMANDA HUGHES Senior Director of Partnerships & Services MELISSA LEGAUX Senior Director of Tradeshow Sales
ALANNAH RINER Digital Marketing Manager RACHEL ROGERS Vice President of Sports Sales & Engagement MICHELLE STONE Executive Assistant
DIANNE LOVETT National Sales Manager – Professional & Group
BOARD OF DIRECTORS ZACH KERNS CHAIRMAN Kennesaw State University ROGER FLEMING VICE CHAIRMAN Atlanta Marriott Northwest Galleria JENNIFER BENNETT SECRETARY City of Smyrna MICHAEL KNOWLES TREASURER Fifth Third Bank
GREG FULLER Six Flags Over Georgia ERIC GRAY Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Vinings Galleria, hotel representative* DALE GUSTAFSON Cobb Convention Center Atlanta Al MARTIN Georgia Power Company JIM RHODEN Futren Hospitality
COUNCILWOMAN CHERYL RICHARDSON City of Marietta COMMISSIONER MONIQUE SHEFFIELD Cobb County Board of Commissioners DAWN TRUEMPER Atlanta Braves OMAR VEGA Omni Hotel at The Battery, hotel representative* *Non-voting member
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The Best
of
Atlanta is here!
#AtlantasSweetSpot
www.TravelCobb.org @travelcobb #AtlantasSweetSpot Cobb Travel & Tourism 300 Galleria Pkwy, Suite 1850 Atlanta, GA 30339
678.303.2622