Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

Uncovering Unique Experiences in

COLUMBUS

Mainstream and pre-packaged aren’t found in the vocabulary of today’s trekkers. Travelers seek authenticity, exclusivity and immersion on a trip.

Columbus, Ohio gives them what they want.

Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

The travel industry has shifted due, in large part, to travelers’ changing demands. Experiential travel isn’t a new term. In fact, it’s been around for more than a decade. The trend emerged as consumer demand for more enriched lives through genuine, engaging activities grew. Experiential travel, or immersion travel, is a form of tourism where visitors discover a destination through active connections with local culture, history, food and people.

Experience Columbus recognized the switch in consumer behavior early in the game. To stand out in a crowded travel market, the city adjusted its focus to provide visitors one-ofa-kind experiences that introduced them to Columbus in a whole new way.

I

n 2007, “experiential travel” was floating around the travel trade show floors. While it may have gone in one ear and out the other with some attendees, the concept stuck

behavior,” says Joe Veneto, the consultant that came on

They recognized the change in travel behavior. Veneto pushed Columbus to find its strengths, to look for those unique places and experiences it could sell to the market.

to help Columbus develop their program. Veneto pushed

~ Joe Veneto,

with Amy Tatman, former sales manager for Experience Columbus. This was the future of travel.

Experience Columbus decided to jump ahead of the trend, looking for ways to create these immersive experiences people wanted. “They recognized the change in travel

Columbus to find its strengths, to look for those unique

The Opportunity Guy

places and experiences it could sell to the market.

Columbus focused its attention on group travel first, creating a new program called Experiential Tours. The first phase included about a dozen local partners that worked with Experience Columbus to craft special activities for groups of all sizes, according to Roger Dudley, director of tourism sales at Experience Columbus. The initial launch generated a lot of buzz and positive feedback, allowing them to launch a second phase in 2010 that included over 40 different experiences.

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Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

“The kinds of partners we work with range from a small cookie baker all the way up to our large attractions like the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium,” said Dudley.

And no two experiences are alike. Each partner tells their story—and the city’s story—through the experiences they offer. “[Columbus] is a capital city, they’ve got a great fabric of attractions,” said Veneto. “What these experiences allow you to do is to get into the destination. You literally get below the surface. These experiences are hands on, behind the scenes,

The kinds of partners we work with ranges from a small cookie baker all the way up to our large attractions like the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, ~ Roger Dudley

interactive. It’s a deeper, richer cut of all these attractions.”

The uniqueness and variety of options gave Columbus a leg up on other destinations. The city offered groups something different and intriguing, with a range of tours that allowed everyone to find something to fit their interests. In addition, Experience Columbus helped their

partners

collection

of

develop

a

immersive

experiences that diversified their portfolio and boosted business.

Description: Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Copyright: Levi Ely

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Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

Uncovering the Unique The first step in building the program was

we could optimize what we already had to

finding the right partners. The key was

make it a more compelling experience.”

selecting businesses and attractions that already had something special and just

They had a beautiful house, original

needed some fine tuning, according to

antique furniture, and a family with a

Dudley. “You need to look at programs you

captivating story, but they weren’t sharing

already have, but you never realized you

it in the most exciting way. With the help

could remake,” he says.

of Joe Veneto and Experience Columbus, they transformed their everyday tour into

The Kelton House, a house museum that

Sophia’s Secret, an immersive, dramatic,

opened in the 1970s, was part of the

and educational look at Sophia Kelton and

first phase of the program. Georgeanne

her involvement with the Underground

Reuter, director of the Kelton House, said

Railroad. The emotion and action behind

they were looking for ways to evolve their

the tour appeals to today’s traveler, giving

product and were excited to be part of

them a different look at this period in

the Experiential Tours. “We were trained

Columbus’ past. It has become a top-

to evaluate our own organization and our

selling experience, along with the Kelton

own offerings,” she said. “To recognize how

House’s more social offering, Tour and Tea with Sophia.

Description: Kelton House Copyright: Randall L. Schieber

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Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

Mrs. Turbo’s Cookies teamed up with Experience Columbus back in 2016, and they worked together to promote the store’s Whoopie Pie tour. Holly Schaffner, owner of the bakery, came up with the idea to tell her story, share the history of the sweet treat, and show people how to fill the pies with buttercream. It’s a simple concept, but it fit right in with what Experience Columbus wanted to provide: a deeper look into a local business, with some hands-on fun thrown in. “People love it,” said Schaffner. “Experience Columbus usually books between six to eight tours with us every year, and people from those tours often come back to do it again

Experience Columbus usually books between six to eight tours with us every year, and people from those tours often come back to do it again or get more whoopie pies. ~ Holly Schaffner

or get more whoopie pies.” It doesn’t hurt that the bakery has a total retro 50s throwback theme, complete with black and white floors, red and silver v-back chairs and benches, and 50s tunes blaring from the jukebox. Many visitors tell Schaffner it reminds them of their childhood.

Description: Mrs. Turbo’s Cookies

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Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

While smaller museums and attractions

Africa region. “This experience includes

like the Kelton House have the flexibility

a catered meal with the lions before the

to create unique experiences like this,

zoo is open to the public, a private visit

Experience Columbus did not ignore the

from Jungle Jack Hanna’s animals, a giraffe

bigger players in the city. They brought

feeding, and a reserved spot to watch our

on the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Cheetah Run,” said Lindsey Orme, group

and worked closely with them to build

sales representative at the Columbus Zoo

programs that would work for larger

and Aquarium. The response has been

groups, designed to give them a closer look

overwhelmingly positive. “Tour operators

at the species living there without some

seem to enjoy the exclusivity and ease

of the usual challenges that come with a

of this zoo experience,” said Orme. “With

zoo visit. This made the zoo experience

this tour being focused in just one region

more accessible to everyone, including

of the zoo, guests feel fully immersed

older visitors who may not find the idea of

without ever having to leave the Heart of

walking around a large zoo appealing.

Africa and without having to commit an

The

latest

offering

is

an

exclusive

entire day of their tour to the zoo.”

experience for groups in the Heart of

Description: A visitor feeding a giraffe at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Copyright: Laura Watilo Blake

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Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

A Solid Foundation Finding the right partners and discovering their unique experiences was only part of the process for Experience Columbus. The program needed to provide a good foundation for partners to use in the future. Experience Columbus and Joe Veneto worked with the partners to create the initial scripts for the experiences, giving them a good base to grow from. “Partners like the idea, and many recognized this would give them an opportunity to innovate their business,” said Veneto. “But it also gave them a framework in order to do

“Partners like the idea, and many recognized this would give them an opportunity to innovate their business,” ~ Joe Veneto

that.” This process can be used repeatedly to develop new experiences, allowing partners to drive their own initiatives.

An important element of the program is continued management of the products. Experience Columbus provided a lot of the initial resources to partners, but as time went on, there were a couple of challenges that arose, according to Dudley. “A lot of the information is held with the person that created [the experience] at the time,” he said. “And if that person moves on, then the new person may not have all the knowledge to keep that experience alive.” Even with a strong foundation, the program still requires work from partners to keep the experiences going.

“Once the experiences were released, the challenge is that they are assets and they need to be managed,” Veneto said.

The best way to maintain them is to create well-formulated experiences that can be used to retrain partners and new employees who come onboard.

“The great thing is that these experiences have been designed, crafted, scripted, and staged, so they have the hard asset,” said Veneto.

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Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

A Win with Groups When Experience Columbus started the Experiential Tours, it kicked them off with groups. The market was eager for more authentic experiences that catered to groups of all kinds, and Columbus answered that call with a wide selection of unique options. A nature lover’s group might opt for releasing the butterflies at Franklin Park Conservatory, while history buffs will gravitate towards the Kelton House experience, says Dudley.

“We have had positive feedback from the groups that we have sent to Columbus,” ~ Michael Coumos, AAA East Central

The overall response from groups has been extremely favorable, and tour operators really enjoy working with Experience Columbus to create genuine, enriching visits for their customers. “We have had positive feedback from the groups that we have sent to Columbus,” says Michael Coumos, product development at AAA East Central.

“And we have had a positive experience working with Columbus and its partners.”

The strong relationship the city has made with local businesses on this program has made it easy and convenient for tour operators to coordinate their itineraries. And the unique experiences the partners have organized are extremely well received by group members. In fact, many people who attend one of these tours with a group, enjoy them so much they end up returning later with family or friends.

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Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

An Evolving Experience Experience Columbus wanted to work with the best local partners to create something special for groups, but they also helped the businesses evolve in ways they never thought possible.

Steve Weaver, owner of The Candle Lab, signed on to the second phase of the program. His store was essentially a candle shop, but it did have an option for people to make their own candles. Experience Columbus wanted to polish it up, but also amend it to allow for bigger groups. “We never thought about going after the bus tour market or the group tour market,” said Weaver. “It was attractive to us to create something that was able to bring in a bigger market.”

Working with Experience Columbus was a game-changer. The Candle L a b transformed from an everyday candle shop to a full-fledged custom fragrance bar. Stores had to be remodeled to accommodate larger groups. More locations opened over the years, with the latest location opening with 3,000 square feet and a 48-seat bar.

“We can do parties of 100 in there,” says Weaver, which is something I never thought we would get to.”

Description: The Candle Lab Copyright: Laura Watilo Blake

The program also introduced Weaver and

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Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

his team to the idea of creating custom itineraries for groups visiting The Candle Lab. “The candles and soaps take about an hour to set, so after groups make them, they are affectively trapped in our neighborhood while they wait,” says Weaver.

His staff then assembles other experiences for them, from manicures and pedicures at the nearby spa to wine tasting or letter‑pressing stationary. “The more we can help group travel leaders plan a memorable day, the more likely they are to come back,” Weaver said.

Other partners are looking to progress, too. The Kelton House has found a lot of success with Sophia’s Secret, and to better

“Plans are in the works to extend the [Heart of Africa] tour to different times of day, different seasons of the year, and different regions of the zoo,” ~ Lindsey Orme, Columbus Zoo

promote it, they’ve put together a video that showcases what the experience entails. It’s a more effective way of highlighting how unique and exciting the tour is, according to Reuter.

They’re also training new individuals to be Sophia, so they can offer the tour more frequently and to more groups. For drop-in visitors, the Kelton House developed a self-guided audio tour with the same underlying concept as the live tour.

While it may not be exactly the same, it still brings people into that world, providing them with educational entertainment.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is also making some changes to its experiences to help expand its reach. “Plans are in the works to extend the [Heart of Africa] tour to different times of day, different seasons of the year, and different regions of the zoo,” says Orme. “We hope to have more options and availability for tour operators in the coming years.”

Experience Columbus is eager to continue offering these unique experiences to travel groups and tourists. But it’s aware of possible shifts in the market, and the staff and partners are always keeping an eye on trends and traveler tendencies. Luckily, with the strong program it has developed, Experience Columbus is well situated to evolve with those trends and demographics.

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Uncovering Unique Experiences in Columbus

The Future is Now In today’s world, it’s all about experiences.

In fact, most people value experiences over things, especially when it comes to travel.

And it’s not just younger travelers seeking authentic connections when they travel, it’s all ages. And behaviors don’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

“Experiences

are

the

currency

of

21st

century consumers,” said Veneto. Experience Columbus created the Experiential Tours because

it

recognized

this

was

where

the market was going. By working closely with local partners to develop authentic, educational, and fun experiences that got to the heart of the community, it was able to reframe Columbus.

The city is now seen as fresh and innovative, a true experiential destination.

Description: Visitor holding a baby kangaroo at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Copyright: Laura Watilo Blake

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For information on unique group experiences in Columbus, contact: ROGER DUDLEY, CTA Director, Tourism Sales Experience Columbus O: 614-222-6136 T: 800-354-2657 rdudley@experiencecolumbus.com experiencecolumbus.com/tours