2017 Annual Report - Visit Baton Rouge

2017 ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO ............................................................................................................................................................................. 2 WHAT WE DO ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 DESTINATION SALES .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 DESTINATION SERVICES ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 SPECIAL PROJECTS AND EVENTS ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 ADMINISTRATION .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 29

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

Dear Partners In Tourism, Welcome to your new view of the Impact Report, Visit Baton Rouge’s Annual Report.

This newly designed, renamed Annual Report is one that reflects the changes that the tourism industry has and will continue to experience, as cities begin to understand the economic impact that a visitor leaves behind when traveling.

Travel and audience trends are shifting to a younger demographic, while shorter (but more vacations) are being taken.

Destination Marketing Organizations also understand that visitors experience a destination as whole when traveling, rather staying within the confines of a hotel. In turn, that means that the impact that visitors have on a city is wideranging, from hotels, to restaurants, attractions, retail, rental cars, and cities and states due to the taxes being collected.

In 2017, we were honored to receive re-accreditation for our commitment to industry excellence and meeting the industry standard for performance and accountability of destination marketing organizations from around the world. To date, there are just over 200 destination marketing organizations that have received accreditation.

We hope that by reading this report, it gives you a better understanding of what your Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) does for you and our city.

Together we are Visit Baton Rouge.

Sincerely,

Paul J. Arrigo, CDME President & CEO

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Visit Baton Rouge and our local hospitality industry partners work to promote the Baton Rouge area, both domestically and internationally, to attract business and leisure travelers here. When a destination attracts visitors, everything from local businesses to public services and residents win.

WHAT WE DO

WHAT WE DO

12,000+ JOBS supported by visitor revenue in Baton Rouge alone

$875 MILLION spent yearly by visitors to Baton Rouge

1 IN 14 Louisiana jobs supported by visitor spending

Source: Economic Impact in Louisiana Parishes Report 2016, UNO Hospitality Research Center, May 2017

BUILDING A BETTER BATON ROUGE Why Tourism Matters When visitors come to Baton Rouge ​to experience authentic Louisiana, the revenue that’s generated helps us build a better Baton Rouge. It supports the rise of small businesses, creates thousands of jobs and attracts new events and entertainment for both locals and visitors to enjoy.

The travel and tourism industry​makes up one of Louisiana’s largest industries and is currently the fourth-largest employer in the state.

As the Capital City, Baton Rouge depends on its ability to create jobs, stimulate economic recovery and drive needed tax revenue.

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2017 marked the 200th year since Baton Rouge was officially incorporated as a city by the Louisiana Legislature. The bicentennial year brought with it citywide celebrations, increased press coverage and a revitalized sense of pride throughout the community. For Visit Baton Rouge (VBR), it was an opportunity to highlight the incredible culture that has been created in the Capital City over the last two centuries and a call to the public to continue cultivating and exploring it.

As each of our departments continued to implement the strategies and tactics outlined in our Five Year Strategic Plan, our entire team took on new initiatives and strengthened our presence and influence on a local, regional and national level. Among other accolades, Baton Rouge was named #5 on the ranking of the Top 10 Digital Cities in America, #7 for the Best City for Single Men in the U.S., and placed in the top 70 for the Most Fun Cities in America. Through strategic creative and targeted content, our marketing, advertising and public relations endeavors helped promote the most advantageous themes of our city, including music, food and culture.

Visit Baton Rouge as an organization also achieved notable accomplishments in 2017, including updating our Crisis Plan for 2018, finalizing the Employee Policy and Procedure Manual and producing a balanced budget and clean audit for 2017, while amending the budget to best utilize available resources. A testament to the efforts of our staff, partners and community supporters, we were also named Outstanding Convention and Bureau Tourist Commision of the Year by the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association.

Much like every year, we walked away from 2017 with a better understanding of our unique traveler audience, as well as our own local community. We’re excited to analyze and leverage the tactics we implemented, the connections we made and the data we collected in 2017, in order to further position Baton Rouge as a nationallyrecognized, premier destination for years to come.

CELEBRATING 200 YEARS IN 2017

DEPARTMENTS

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The purpose of the Destination Sales Department is to serve as Baton Rouge’s primary sales agent for conventions, sporting events, trade shows and group travel of all types and sizes. This department serves as a liaison between meeting professionals, hotels, convention center, attractions, city officials and other local ambassadors. The sales team positions Baton Rouge as a future meeting and convention destination to hundreds of potential local, regional, national and international clients. The Destination Sales Department consists of the Director of Destination Sales, National Sales Managers and Sales Managers for sports and conventions.

DESTINATION SALES

DESTINATION SALES

HIGHLIGHTS The Destination Sales Department was instrumental in hosting many successful meetings, conferences and events in 2017. With more than 69,000 room nights booked by the Visit Baton Rouge staff, these events brought in business and leisure travelers to experience Baton Rouge while supporting our local businesses and partners and stimulating our economy.

Meetings & Conventions Hosted • Destination International Professional Development Conference | 300 Attendees • Louisiana State Beta Club Senior Convention | 6500 Students • Southcentral Society of Toxicology | 150 Attendees • South Central ARC User Group | 250 Attendees • National Association of Academic Advisors | 100 Attendees • Beta Sigma Phi | 75 Attendees

69,3222

Room Nights Booked

by VBR Staff Source: Visit Baton Rouge

608

Organizations Serviced

1049

Qualified Leads Distributed

DESTINATION SALES

Trade Shows Attended

Targeted Market Segments

• Active America China Leadership Summit • Connect Marketplace

•T rade Shows and Expositions, Business, Commercial, Tourism, Chamber

• Louisiana Society of Association Executives Convention

• Health and Medical

• Your Military Reunion Connection

• Educational: LSU, Southern University, Student Youth

• National Association of Sports Commissions

• Scientific, Engineering, Government/Public Administration

• Connect Sports

• Greek, Non-Greek Letter Societies, Professional Fraternities

• Association of College Honor Societies

• Social Welfare (Non-profits), Agriculture, Commodities

• Professional Fraternity Association

• Heritage, Patriotic, Veterans, Military Reunions • Hobby/Vocational, Cultural and Athletic Associations • Sports: LSU Sports, Recreational, Sporting Events • Multicultural, Diversity, Faith Based, Family Reunions •U nions, Black Greek Letter Fraternities and Sororities, Fraternal, Wedding, Corporate • I nternational, Domestic, Youth Travel, Foreign International Traveler (FIT), Online Travel Agency (OTA) •B oats, Buses, Entertainment, Off-site venue selection, Visitor Info

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DESTINATION SALES

TOUR/TRAVEL Highlights 2017 was a banner travel year for Tour & Travel at Visit Baton Rouge. Our involvement in local, regional and international events and initiatives, will help to expand our reach and strengthen our collaborative relationships with other innovative and ambitious people and organizations.

•A ttended several Domestic and International trade shows and sales missions—including three international sales missions with the Lt. Governor.

•J oined with New Orleans Northshore for international sales calls and a sponsored hospitality event for the United Kingdom and Irish delegations at IPW. •H osted seven Tour/Travel Fam Tours in 2017 with attendees from around the world, including Mexico, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

MEXICO FRANCE GERMANY

SWITZERLAND UNITED KINGDOM

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To ultimately encourage future visitation, the Destination Services Department focuses on providing exceptional service to all groups—at every touchpoint, from start to finish.

This includes pre-registrations services, itinerary planning and fulfillment in special requests, such as brochures, name tags and welcome bags. In addition, they coordinate the staffing at all visitor centers, departures and registration areas. The Destination Services Department consists of the Director of Destination Services, the Destination Services Manager and Visitor Information Counselors and Registration Hosts.

DESTINATION SERVICES

DESTINATION SERVICES TOTAL WALK-IN VISITORS 2017

HIGHLIGHTS With each new year, our Destination Services team is able to better serve visitors coming into Baton Rouge—from the moment they arrive to the individual experiences that follow.

In 2017, our Fam Tours added new venues and locations to the list of destinations, including new outdoor event spaces and the Downtown Greenway, a pedestrian/bicycle path through the North Boulevard Promenade that highlights beautiful new gardens beneath century-old oaks. For leisure travelers from around the world, our Destination Services team helps expand on all of the possibilities that await during their visit to Baton Rouge.

66,850

4,143

13,993 What is a Fam Tour?

A Fam Tour is a personalized tour to help showcase the city to a meeting professional or group tour operator when considering Baton Rouge as a potential location to bring an event or group.

Fam tours may highlight the city’s facilities and meeting spaces, attractions, restaurants and more.

18,852

Visitor Inquiries (up from 17,061) Source: Visit Baton Rouge

9,036

CAPITOL

RIVERBOATS

VBR OFFICE

AIRPORT

94,022

Walk-In Visitors to Information Centers

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DESTINATION SERVICES

FOLLOW THE RIVER The American Queen—said to be the largest riverboat ever built—has been paddling up and down the Mississippi River under its current ownership since 2012. In 2017, it was joined by sister ship, The American Dutchess, which can accomodate 166 passengers.

A growing number of travelers from all over the world will get an authentic snapshot of the Greater Baton Rouge Area, as they explore downtown, get a taste of our cuisine and even venture to nearby plantations and museums. With river cruises growing in popularity, Baton Rouge is expected to see an even greater economic impact made by the fleet of vessels and its passengers.

• 69 Dockings • 13,993 Guests

RIVERBOATS BRING APPROXIMATELY 8,000 VISITORS TO THE OLD STATE CAPITOL EACH YEAR.

Source: Riverboat Companies

Photo Credit: American Queen Steamboat Company

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The primary role of the Marketing and Technology department is to develop and implement ongoing public relations programs, lead all social media efforts and implement a variety of targeted advertising campaigns into an integrated marketing plan. The department is responsible for branding, content marketing and collateral development.

MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY

MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY

MARKETING OVERVIEW 2017 was a year of integration and engagement for the Visit Baton Rouge Marketing team. To more efficiently pursue initiatives, the year’s objective was to ultimately streamline their processes and create one common, integrated approach. Studies have shown that this can lead to annual revenue growth of up to 20%. With this in mind, VBR’s marketing & sales strategy sought to reach our audiences through purposeful touchpoints, move them along the sales funnel and ultimately connect with them in a deeper way.

Destination Awards

Initiatives 1. Increase overall visitation for new and returning visitors, thus ultimately increasing hotel occupancy through leisure travel 2. Increase leads and bookings for new and returning meetings and conventions

7 Gold Addy’s

3. Increase buy-in amongst community stakeholders and instill re-invigorated pride within Baton Rouge locals 4. Strengthen lead generation funnel by maximizing use of digital platforms.

Events Attended • Simpleview Summit • Lt. Governor’s Tourism Summit

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3 Silver Addy’s

MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY

2017 MARKETING CAMPAIGN Utilizing data from the Louisiana Visitor Profile Report, we worked with MESH and Morgan & Company—two of our long-standing partners— to research and refine our primary targets based on demographic, geographic and psychographic information. Focusing on our 6-hour drive market, we categorized our primary targets as the “inthe-moment millennial”—ages 25-34, HHI of $30k+, and looking for lesser known destinations with authentic cultures that provide enriching experiences—and the “Gen-X couple”—ages 35-64, HHI of $50k+, and looking for safe, family-friendly destinations and looking to make plans around school schedules.

With a focus on storytelling as a way to share authentic experiences, we outlined three unique categories that defined the city—music, food and festivals—to be marketed based on the seasonality of the city. Deliverables included photography, print advertising, video webisodes, video pre-roll, digital programmatic ads, digital radio (Pandora), a sales video and a sales profile sheet.

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MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY

ONLINE PRESENCE Visit Baton Rouge’s online presence saw an increase in engagement in 2017, in large part due to positioning the website as one of the final major touchpoints in the decision-making/purchasing process. Our strategic focus on driving traffic to the website, meant people were being directed to extended content and information after their interest was already peaked by another branded touchpoint—print ad, Pandora spot, etc. In 2017 the events page was the most popular entry page, Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland was the most popular event and the State Capitol remained the most popular listing.

Mobile device usage continued to increase, and our top cities for online visitors remained the same as the previous years: Baton Rouge, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans.

• • • • •

1.37M Total Pageviews +21,000 Blog Views Users Increased By 177% Year-Over-Year 85% of Visitors Were New to Site Pageviews Increased By 91% Year-Over-Year

Source: Google Analytics

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MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY

SOCIAL MEDIA In 2017, we carried-out a ​comprehensive social media strategy a​imed at driving web traffic, qualifying leads and ultimately bringing in overnight visitors. Event-centric ads and posts were used to raise awareness and pinpoint interested viewers based on their engagement, with the intention of building in more retargeted content-centric posts to guide them further down the decision-making process, i.e., once a user has clicked a Mardi Gras ad, he will later be served a “Go-To Guide for Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge” content piece to rekindle interest.

• • • •

+116,000 Facebook Likes +41,000 Twitter Followers +11,837 Instagram Followers +299,000 YouTube Plays

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MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY

PUBLIC RELATIONS Visit Baton Rouge used public relations as a key driver of tourism and economic development in 2017 on local, regional national and international levels. From bloggers and ambassadors to collaborative organizational partnerships, we are continuing to reach locals and visitors alike through our public relations efforts.

• $37,850,646 Editorial Value • 3.7 Billion Editorial Impressions Source: Meltwater

Development Counsellors International The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) entered into a one-year media relations contract with Development Counsellors International (DCI) with the possibility of extending the partnership beyond. Visit Baton Rouge, the Baton Rouge Airport and Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF) partnered with BRAC on this endeavor in June of 2017. DCI is a public relations firm who works directly with Economic Development Agencies and Destination Marketing Organizations to help tell their client’s stories in the regional, national and international media. DCI assists with creating prosperity and growth in communities, ultimately benefiting the lives of thousands of people who call these places home. DCI’s partnership with Visit Baton Rouge yielded: • • • • • •

699+ media impressions $2.5 million ad equivalency $12 million+ editorial impact 1 New York City Mission 6 Journalist Visits to Baton Rouge 21:1 ROI

Source: DCI/Meltwater

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MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY MAKING AN IMPACT THROUGH MEDIA Culinary Trails PR Mission In November of 2017, Visit Baton Rouge’s Communications Specialist attended a PR Mission to New York City with CVBs from across the state to promote Louisiana’s culinary scene—bringing along Chef Jay Ducote and his Sous Chef Aimee Tortorich of Gov’t Taco as a guest chef for a big media VIP night. With impressive attendance, present media publications included The Insatiable Traveler, Inside Travel Report, NY Lifestyle, Man About World, Bon Appetit, Orbitz, USA Today, American Way, Hemisphere, InStyle and more.

Foodie Fam Visit Baton Rouge’s Communications Specialist, Christy Lohmann, hosted a “Foodie Fam” in August 2017 that was based around Fête Rouge, a premier food and wine festival in Baton Rouge. All media flew into Baton Rouge for a 3-day food experience that included a food crawl through Downtown and Mid-City, the Food and Wine Festival and a morning at the Red Stick Farmers Market. DCI helped to secure media as part of the “Foodie Fam,” and the outcome was incredible, with articles appearing in several publications including Zagat, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Meal, Sun Sentinel and Baltimore Sun. Members of the media present included Matt Kirouac from Chicago’s Zagat and Nancy and Ron Stern from Daily Meal.

GETTING A TASTE OF BATON ROUGE • Cocha

• Brew Ha-Ha

• Red Stick Farmers Market

• Magpie

• Anthony’s Italian Deli

• C’est Si Bon Food Tour

• Red Stick Spice

• Twine

• Tony’s Seafood

• Zeeland Street

• Fête Rouge

• Tin Roof Brewery

• Tiger Deauxnuts

• Food and Wine Festival

• Cane Land Distilling Co.

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MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY & PLAN Better, faster, smarter and more secure An initiative that began in late 2015, Visit Baton Rouge has developed a long-term strategy to position ourselves as a leader in the tourism industry through technology. Our goal is to provide staff, partners, meeting professionals and visitors with the secure 24/7 access of integrated technology, tools and software that best suit their needs.

In 2017, we joined the Marketing and Technology Departments and shifted our focus to security, along with the continuation of upgrading software. Travel planning has changed and will continue to change at a rapid pace. Visit Baton Rouge remains committed to meeting the needs and expectations of our tourism partners and visitors. 2018 promises more changes and more platforms.

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The primary role of the department is to be responsible for the development and implementation of events, promotions, and film productions as they relate to the overall mission of Visit Baton Rouge to increase visitation and awareness thereby enhancing economic development.

SPECIAL PROJECTS AND EVENTS

SPECIAL PROJECTS AND EVENTS

2017 PROJECTS & EVENTS •B aton Rouge 200 | Celebrating the incorporation of Baton Rouge as a city •U nited States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships | 7,736 bowling participants resulting in a 17-million-dollar economic impact •R ed Stick Revelry | Revealed the Red Stick ‘drop’ to celebrate the end of the BR 200 Celebrations and ring in the new year •M eetings Means Business Press Conference | Press event designed to educate, and celebrate the real impact meetings and events have on businesses, economies and communities •P artners in Progress Meetings | Citywide educational meetings, held over a period of three months, to alert the industry of large scale events and how to get involved.

•V icari Louisiana Car Tour | July 6, regional event with over 150 cars participating

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• USA Track and Field Masters Outdoor Nationals | Brought together over 900 athletes on LSU’s campus • Marucci World Series | 48 teams from around the nation, garnering roughly 1,500 people in attendance, for baseball tournament and citywide events • National Fastpitch Softball | 500 participants at LSU • Destinations International Re-Accreditation Celebration | 200 industry partners and stakeholders celebrated the efforts and professionalism of VBR at Galatoire’s Bistro • Destinations International, National Fall Educational Conference | 100 attendees from around the nation • Holiday Shop Hop and Downtown Hotels Champagne Stroll Events Attended • 2017 Crop Design Conference • 2017 American Advertising Federation Conference

$17 MILLION

Baton Rouge 200 Events Hosted

Economic Impact Made from Bowling Championships

Source: Visit Baton Rouge

Source: SportsBR

Visit Baton Rouge works with partners from across the parish and state in order to better leverage our combined expertise and utilize available resources.

Together, our efforts work to identify new opportunities for growth, create more compelling bids on new business, provide support for already-acquired businesses and ultimately promote and position Baton Rouge as an ideal location for film and television, sports, entertainment and more.

PARTNERSHIPS

PARTNERSHIPS

FILM & TELEVISION In 2017, alongside our partner organization Film Baton Rouge, we continued with our efforts to firmly position Baton Rouge as a premier location for the film and television industry. This includes communicating incentives, maintaining online databases of local crews, vendors and locations, and promoting the local film culture through festivals, programs and events. Last year, Jack The Reacher, The Magnificent Seven and pieces for Hallmark and the History Channel were added to the list of projects filmed in the Capital City. Film Baton Rouge’s Executive Director Katie Pryor, and Production Coordinator Emily Morrow Chenevert collaborated with the Visit Baton Rouge team to ensure we are collectively working to build our presence and reach within the industry and local creative community.

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Stats $86.2 Estimated Economic Impact 31 Total Productions Hosted 3500 Estimated Hotel Nights Occupied Source: Baton Rouge Film Commission

PARTNERSHIPS

SPORTS​ ​B R In April of 2017 the Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation became SportsBR. With the new name came an updated brand identity, expanded mission and strategic positioning, but ultimately their vision remained the same: promote Baton Rouge and uplift our community through sport events and activities. This year, through our growing partnership with SportsBR, we saw nearly 150,000 athletic travelers drawn to Baton Rouge for a number of longstanding and first-time events.

Major​ Sports​ ​Events: • 2017 USBC Women’s Championships • 2017 USBC NCAA Collegiate Championships • 2017 Louisiana Marathon • 2017 USA Track and Field Masters Outdoor Nationals • 2017 Marucci World Series • 2017 National Pro Fastpitch Softball Championships • 2017 USSSA Elite Select 30 All American National Camp • 2017 Louisiana Car Tour • 2017 Cajun Classic Wheelchair Tennis Tournament • 2017 National Collegiate Water Ski Association Collegiate Water Ski National Championships • 2017 Tiger 10K inaugural event with 4500+ runners hosted by SportsBR

6O+

Events Hosted Source: SportsBR

145,576

Athletic Travelers

$35,988,873

Estimated Economic Impact

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PARTNERSHIPS

COLLABORATION BUILDS COMMUNITY Local Partners • American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge

• Louisiana Society of Association Executives

• American Bus Association

• Louisiana Travel Promotion Association

• American Society of Association Executives • Baton Rouge Area Chamber

• M eeting Professionals International, National, and Local Chapter

• Baton Rouge Lodging Association

• National Association of Black Meeting Planners

• Baton Rouge Social Media Association

• National Association of Sports Commissions

• Destination Marketing Association International

• National Tourism Association

• Downtown Business Association

• New Orleans CVB

• Event Service Professional Association

• Professional Convention Management Association

• Fraternity Executives Association

• Professional Fraternity Association

• Forum 35

• Regional Arts Council of Zachary

• Greater Baton Rouge Society of Human Resource

• Religious Conference Management Association

• Management • Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations

• S ociety of Government Meeting Professionals, National, and Local Chapter

• Louisiana Hospitality Foundation – Baton Rouge Chapter

• S ociety of Human Resource Management, National Chapter

• Louisiana Office of Tourism

• South Central Motor Coach Association

• Louisiana Press Association

• Southeast Louisiana Gumbo

In addition to collecting $4,744,294 in tax revenue through December 2017, the Administration Department made great strides in accomplishing a number of internal initiatives. In 2017 the Administration Department produced a balanced budget and clean audit for 2017 while amending the budget to best utilize available resources, updated Visit Baton Rouge’s Crisis Plan for 2018 and finalized revisions to the Employee Policy and Procedure Manual.

ADMINISTRATION

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OUR PEOPLE From the biggest events in the fastest-growing industries to the new wave of travelers drawn to our city, the staff at Visit Baton Rouge is dedicated to providing the most authentic Louisiana experience from beginning to end. No matter the task, no matter the department, the Visit Baton Rouge organization instills integrity, energy and pride in everything we do.

Board of Directors

President & CEO

Vice President of Administration

Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant

Travel Counselor - PT

Couriers - PT

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Controller

Director of

Information

Communications

Content Marketing

Marketing & Technology

Technology Manager

Specialist

Specialist

Director of

National Sales

National Sales

National Sales

Sports & Convention

Destination Sales

Manager, Tourism

Manager, Convention

Manager, Convention

Sales Manager

VIS - Airport - PT

VIS - Capitol - PT

Directors of

Destination Services

Destination Services

Manager

Directors of Special

Event & Design

Events & Projects

Specialist

Registration Hostesses - PT

OUR PEOPLE Board of Directors

Staff

Flynn Foster, Chairman / Represents: Baton Rouge Area Chamber

Paul J. Arrigo, CDME, President & CEO

Carolyn McKnight, Vice Chairman / Represents: Metropolitan Council Norman Chenevert, Secretary / Treasurer / Represents: Downtown Development District Mark Drennen, Immediate Past Chairman / Represents: Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge C. Denise Marcelle / Represents: Metropolitan Council Andy Blouin / Represents: Louisiana Restaurant Association Baton Rouge Chapter Ralph Ney / Represents: Baton Rouge Lodging Association Mickey Parenton / Represents: Preserve Louisiana Scott Michelet / Represents: Baton Rouge Lodging Association Reverend Lee T. Wesley / Represents: Mayor-President

Lauralyn Maranto, Vice-President of Administration

Courtney Hunt, CMP Destination Services Manager Lori Lasseigne, Executive Assistant

Karron Alford, Director of Marketing & Technology

Natalie Paul, Projects & Design Specialist

Philipa Blair, Director of Destination Services

Erica Sweeney, Content Marketing Specialist

Geraldine Bordelon, CMP Director of Destination Sales

Support Staff

Barney Doyle, Controller

Frances Bennett, Registration Hostess

Stacy Simon, Director of Special Events & Projects

Linda Dudley, Registration Hostess

Carla Bergeron, Travel Counselor

Mary L. Lieux, Visitor Information Counselor

Stephanie Celestine, National Sales Manager, Convention Christy Chachere, Communications Specialist

Vincent Jeanpierre, Courier

MaryBeth Manriquez, Registration Hostess Bobbie Ned, Registration Hostess

Zach Ebarb, Sports & Convention Sales Manager

Florence Rabalais, Visitor Information Counselor

Tiffany Ellis, National Sales Manager, Convention

Gary Traylor, Courier

Tracy Francis, CTIS, CSTP, National Sales Manager, Tourism

Ernest LeBlanc, Host

Fatima Gautier, CAA, Executive Assistant

Keith Landaiche, Host Ute’ Cress, Registration Hostess Jacqueline Jack, Registration Hostess/Information Pam Bounds, Information Counselor

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WHAT’S NEW FOR BATON ROUGE

BIG LEADS SECURED Travel South International | Coming in 2018 Domestic showcase for 500 industry partners and group travel professionals National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials | Coming in 2018 National meeting for NAARSO to bring 300 people to the Capital City Louisiana State Beta Club | New Annual Event Starting in 2018 Senior Convention for over 6,500 high school students Lt. Governor’s Travel Summit Annual Summit | Coming in 2019 LTPA’s largest educational organization predicted to attract over 500 attendees USA Track & Field Master Indoor Nationals | Coming in 2020 VBR and SportsBR hosted event estimated to bring 900 athletes to Baton Rouge

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