DMO of The Year

Entries

Visit Georgetown

1 of 5

Description: Visit Georgetown, Texas: A Year of Vibrant Growth and Tourism Initiatives

Two Step Inn: In 2023, C3 Productions, the largest music producer in the U.S. chose Georgetown to host its newest multi-day music festival, which resulted in a 57% increase in ADR and a 44% rise in occupancy compared to previous years. In 2024, ADR increased by 84% and occupancy by 30%. C3 Productions has contracted with us to host the festival in 2025 and 2026, with plans to expand to a three-day event.

“You Call It, We Call It” Marketing Campaign: This innovative marketing campaign aimed to transition from a "celebrity-persona" approach to a more universal strategy. The goal was to enhance awareness of Georgetown as a destination that meets all needs and builds positive perceptions. Initial digital campaign data showed a 58% increase in CTR for native ads and a 67% increase for social media ads.

Social Media Award: The Visit Georgetown Instagram page won the Texas Travel Award for Destination Social Media Account | Mid-Small Markets. With over 4 million impressions, our social media presence underscores our commitment to staying ahead of destination trends. Instagram engagement has increased by over 12% annually.

Boutique Hotel Recruitment: In collaboration with the Economic Development Department, we stepped into a first-time role in the recruitment process of a new boutique hotel in Downtown. This addition is expected to attract higher-spending visitors and provide unique lodging that complements the city's charm.

Wayfinding Signage Masterplan: To enhance the visitor experience, a comprehensive Wayfinding Signage Masterplan was approved. The plan will make navigating the historic Downtown area easier, boost foot traffic, and extend stays. It includes connecting hike and bike trails, lodging, and attractions.

Objectives: To increase the economic impact on Georgetown by promoting the community as a tourist and meeting destination.

Project Costs:

Two Step Inn - Funded by C3

Marketing Campaign - $18,000 Photography, $15,000 Design

Social Media Award - In-house

Boutique Hotel Recruiting - In-house

Wayfinding Signage Masterplan – $90,615

Corsicana Visitors Bureau

1 of 5

Description: In the past year, the Corsicana Visitors Bureau completed the Eclipse and 175th Anniversary marketing campaigns and launched the 'Corsicana: Perfectly Placed' campaign, significantly boosting tourism. Implementing a strategic tourism plan, we enhanced our downtown historic district with public art, a community survey, an ambassador program, and rebranded our visitor center to include a gift shop. These efforts resulted in record-high hotel occupancy tax collection, increased sales tax revenue, and substantial media coverage, earning the 2024 Texas Travel Award for Best Destination Marketing Campaign for a Small/Mid Market. The success is attributed to our strategic planning, robust community involvement, and dedicated staff efforts.

Objectives:

The objectives of the CVB is 4 goals in our strategic tourism plan which attribute to our success today:

1. Developed brand and strategic marketing

2. Enhanced Destination

3. Strengthened Organization

4. Collaborative Community Alignment

https://explore.visit.cstx.gov/checkout/380/visit-college-station/2178/heart-of-aggieland-visitor-s-pass

Discover Victoria, Texas

1 of 5

Description: The Victoria Convention & Visitors Bureau has had a banner year in our contributions to the City of Victoria and our residents, as well as working to further establish our identity as a tourism destination. Through our tourism rebranding project, we have embraced our rich Hispanic heritage and the vibrancy of the current arts, music, and culinary scene in Victoria. The CVB led the City's planning of our Bicentennial celebration, culminating in what was honestly a perfect series of community gatherings that is still being talked about to this day. All of these accomplishments include record high statistics for the CVB in regards to online and social media exposure for Victoria as a Texas travel destination.

Objectives: While Victoria has always had a small CVB, I could not be more proud of what my team has accomplished over the past year. With only 4 employees, we spearheaded and saw through the completion of an incredible Bicentennial celebration, developed an entirely new identity with our Discover Victoria, Texas "True to Tejas" tourism brand, and are now in the midst of planning a new signature community festival, similar to the preceding Bootfest event of 2011-2019, that has a budget over $300,000. We have with a servant's heart and passion for our community seen through these efforts while accomplishing record high statistics for website visitation, social media reach, and hotel room nights generated from sports events and awardees of our annual Hotel Occupancy Tax Funds Awards program, which our department also administers over each Summer. Our staff, with all of these projects in hand, also contribute to local and regional tourism organizations, our local travel partners, and lead our community's Texas Music Friendly and Texas Film Friendly programs. Our passion for Victoria and our belief in its potential as a premiere South Texas tourism destination push all of us at the Victoria CVB to strive every day to see that potential become a reality.

Visit Tyler

1 of 5

Description: As a division of the Tyler Chamber, Visit Tyler worked with leadership to create a Travel and Tourism Committee with for-profit tourism businesses, higher education, hospitals, and the school district, who now meet monthly. Visit Tyler also formed a Tourism Alliance with Chamber members interested in the tourism industry who meet quarterly. Visit Tyler requested a budget increase after not having seen one in 12 years. The organization received a 12% increase to $754,000. In 2023-2024, we launched a successful website, created a successful four-day eclipse weekend event, earned the Texas Music Friendly Community and the Brew City Texas designations. At the end of 2023, Tyler saw an increase of $900K more in direct travel spending and 3,300 jobs, up 200 from the previous year. Tax receipts were also up. We have seen double and triple digit increases in our website analytics and our social media numbers. Due to budget, Visit Tyler has only participated in the Mid-Winter conference and this year’s Annual Conference. The President of Visit Tyler has previously served on the TACVB board three times. In the past six months, Tyler has been in the media due to the efforts of the staff to promote our city in our public relations efforts. Texas Highways and AAA have included Tyler in recent articles based on recent media visits. The team of four currently serves on several local and regional boards/committees including the Northeast Texas Tourism Council; Tyler Music Friendly Advisory Board; Texas Music Office East/South Region; First Tee of Greater Tyler; Tyler Sister Cities; Tyler Chamber Contact Club; Boathouse Ministries; and Texas Historical Commission Music History Trail Subcommittee. Visit Tyler recently conducted SWOT analysis with the Visit Tyler Travel and Tourism Committee and the Tyler Music Friendly Advisory Board. SPORTyler will is conducting a strategic planning session in August. The Visit Tyler team will incorporate this information in a future strategic plan.

Objectives:

1. Create a strategic plan.

2. Develop partnerships with local tourism businesses and community partners.

3. Increase budget.

4. Rebrand

5. Seek designations for public relations.

6. Increase statewide and national media presence for Tyler.

Brownsville Convention and Visitors Bureau

1 of 4

Description: The mission of the Brownsville Convention and Visitors Bureau is to promote Brownsville as a premier destination for leisure, business, and cultural experiences. We aim to attract visitors from near and far by showcasing the city's unique attractions, rich heritage, and vibrant community spirit.

Objectives: Our vision is to position Brownsville as a globally recognized destination known for its warm hospitality, diverse cultural offerings, and unparalleled natural beauty. We envision a city bustling with tourism activity year-round, where visitors are drawn to our historical sites, cultural events, outdoor adventures, and thriving business opportunities. By fostering partnerships, embracing innovation, and preserving our unique identity, we aspire to create lasting memories and enrich the lives of both residents and visitors alike, ensuring that Brownsville remains a destination of choice for generations to come.

Visit Mesquite

1 of 5

Description: In late 2023, Visit Mesquite underwent significant changes in staff and leadership. With renewed enthusiasm, Visit Mesquite launched a new strategic marketing campaign to bolster our brand identity, increase community pride and facilitate economic development through visitors.

The marketing strategy included new social media videos to tell the story of Mesquite and highlight local businesses, facilitating large-scale events to build relationships with stakeholders (Solar Rodeo), and creating a new streamlined website to serve as a landing page for digital and print advertisements.

Below are a few insights into the success of this campaign (Oct 23 - Mar 23):

Visitors: +2.7% YoY

Visit Nights: +8.7% YoY

Visitor Spend: +8.8% YoY

Facebook Reach: +21.1%

Instagram Reach: +160K%

Instagram Followers: +382%

Facebook Followers: +21.3%

Video Views: +338%

Objectives: Increase Community Engagement, Generate Brand Awareness, Improve Community Partner Relations, Generate Hotel Revenue and Economic Development

https://www.visitmesquitetx.com/

Visit Boerne

1 of 4

Description: Despite being a small team with a limited budget, Visit Boerne has consistently demonstrated exceptional performance and made a significant impact within the Texas travel industry through innovative data-driven strategies, continuous growth, and commitment to mentorship and collaboration. We have instituted a pay it forward initiative that offers a no-cost, two-day mentorship training program here in Boerne for DMO directors or their representatives from various destinations that have identified themselves as needing guidance and support.

Objectives: To share our knowledge and experience with other destinations in hopes that they will be successful as well and contribute to the continued growth and success of the Texas travel and tourism industry.

Visit Austin

Description: Following a year of unprecedented spikes across all key KPIs for our organization in 2022, Visit Austin has been able to maintain and sustain our role driving visitation and economic impact to the city of Austin. In anticipation of the closure of the Austin Convention Center between 2025-2029, Visit Austin created and approved a strategic business plan alongside 50+ committee members representing hotel sales and marketing representatives from all over the city of Austin.

Objective: Visitor volume: 27.5 M (+17% YoY)

Visitor spending: $10.8 B (+2%)

State/Local taxes generated: $1.1 B (+4%; $607.9 M state, $485.5 M local)

Tax savings per household: $1,670 (+4%)

Leisure/Hospitality jobs: 147,100 (+4%)

Ranked #8 in Cvent's Top Meeting Destinations in North America in 2023

Ranked #4 by Move Maker Magazine as a best place to live and work a moviemaker in 2024

Selected as Sports Events & Tourism Association's Sports Commission of the Year, population above 500,000 category

In the last eight years, Visit Austin’s Music Office has helped secure more than $1.76M direct to Austin musicians. In 2023, we hired 148 different artists with $307,400 directly back to this talent for their support promoting Austin across local conventions, meetings and at key events including IPW, SXSW Sydney and CNN’s Austin New Year’s eve. These events not only give immediate economic impact to these artists, but they provide an opportunity for national – and even international – exposure to help build and grow their fan bases.

Visit Shenandoah, TX

Description: This past fiscal year our 2-person team produced some extraordinary results for our destination. As a result, we felt these efforts were worthy of submitting to this category.

Note: Refer to attached images for stats and creative samples.

Objective: Day in, day out, to do great work showcasing all the things our destination has to offer and to help our partners grow.

Visit McKinney

1 of 6

Description: Visit McKinney's 2023-24 fiscal year has been a standout period marked by significant achievements and community engagement. The grand opening of our re-envisioned Visitor Experience Center and Store in September 2023 has enabled the Visit McKinney team to more positively impact visitors and residents alike. The bureau expanded its free history and public art tour program, now offers complimentary coffee that is locally-roasted and specially formulated for Visit McKinney, and stocks its store with gifts and souvenirs from local businesses, enabling guests to get a sample “taste” of what they can experience in McKinney. Overall, the bureau’s Downtown McKinney location fosters a warmer and more inviting atmosphere than ever before. One of Visit McKinney’s KPIs involves hosting community events in the visitors which have included a cookie baker pop-up shop, a reception for the artists in Round 2 of our co-sponsored Downtown McKinney Tiny Doors public art installation, and a harmonica learn-it event for Make Music Day. The bureau also takes its presence outside of the Visitors Center to sponsor events around town, including the city tent at the Byron Nelson and a post-Byron Nelson golf and Cinco de Mayo-themed event at one of our entertainment districts and an alley stage complete with photo booth at Texas Music Revolution in Downtown McKinney.

Objective: The purpose of all this activity was to increase Visit McKinney's visibility and relevance in McKinney and the North Texas area with our municipal partners/colleagues and tourism partners. The city communications department is now using Visit McKinney’s website as its host site for major event landing pages for the Byron Nelson, the Eclipse event, Downtown McKinney Summer Events Calendar, and more. The bureau team also now has a leadership role in large visitor-focused events like the Byron Nelson, and McKinney extremely successful Solar Eclipse event during which we sold about 900 t-shirts, 100 postcards, 50 posters, and thousands of eclipse glasses! Visit McKinney has also been the focus of/included in three cover stories this winter and spring in Community Impact newspaper, articles highlighting city developments and growing support for tourism. Over the past year, Visit McKinney has solidified its role as a dynamic and essential Destination Marketing Organization, and has finally secured a seat at the table with McKinney Economic Development, hotel developers, and sports planners and organizers, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to enhancing McKinney's visibility and appeal. These accomplishments underscore why Visit McKinney should be considered for Destination Marketing Organization of the Year.

Visit College Station

1 of 3

Description:

Over the past year, the Visit College Station team has made significant strides in promoting our lively community. Our efforts have led to recognition as the 2nd fastest-growing domestic destination for US travelers by TripAdvisor. We hosted the historic MexTour soccer friendly match at Kyle Field with over 85,000 fans, and the George Strait concert dubbed the “King at Kyle Field” sold over 108,000 tickets surpassing all other ticketed concerts in history; our local hotels achieved a 94% occupancy both weekends. In addition to these two citywide events, during this period of time, we saw visitors travel from all over the state and nation to celebrate 41@100, the celebration of former president George H.W. Bush’s 100th birthday at his very own presidential library with the opening of a new free exhibit featuring Bush 4141 locomotive and Marine 1 helicopter. College Station is also set to host the 2024 USATF Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships, bringing approximately 10,000+ student-athletes and families to our destination for 7-10 days. Summer of 2024 will be the most prosperous in recent history, as we have added these events onto our annual book of business.

Objective: Our mission is to enhance economic growth through the marketing and promotion of the College Station area as a premier destination experience.

Visit Pearland

1 of 4

Description:

The mission of Visit Pearland, to inspire visitation, hotel stays, and local spend to Pearland, benefits from the drive, passion, and creativity that each team member brings to the table every day. A small but mighty department of three full-time and one part-time staff members, Visit Pearland manages the marketing of Pearland as a destination city, coordinates both leisure and sporting events, executes major cultural arts projects, and acts as a resource for all-things-Pearland for both visitors and residents alike.

Objective: The role of Visit Pearland is to promote and coordinate tourist related activity within the City of Pearland.

Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau

1 of 5

Description:

All times lead to good times with the Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), who capped off a successful year in 2023, solidifying its role as a leader in driving economic growth through tourism. Our efforts focused on both attracting conventions and meetings, as well as leisure travelers, with impressive results.

Please see attached file for comprehensive submission.

Objective:

Analyzing the impact of destination

Submitting destination management and campaign success

DMO Operations & Culture

Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau

1 of 2

Description:

Waco’s location within the path of totality during the 2024 total eclipse allowed us to experience a surge of visitors from all over the world, partially due to the CVB’s multi-faceted efforts to market the destination over the last year. We recently adopted a new focus of using data to drive decision-making, utilizing software like Zardico and Placer.ai to be more strategic in reaching potential visitors. The CVB also sought to draw visitors to Waco instead of other locations on the path of totality by helping host a festival featuring multiple events in the days leading up to the eclipse, which offered guests a full weekend of fun in addition to the Eclipse Over Texas: Live from Waco event. Some of the other efforts that helped make the eclipse so successful for Waco were due to the culture of collaboration the CVB has worked to develop, partnering with both local stakeholders and other industry professionals through organizations like TACVB, Texas Travel Alliance, Travel Texas, and Team Texas events.

Objective:

We relied heavily on the stats provided by software like Zartico and Placer.ai, and we used advanced booking data prior to the eclipse to help guide decisions and inform local partners and City Council.

Visit El Paso

1 of 5

Description:

Visit El Paso (VEP) has achieved numerous milestones and achievements that contribute to its worthiness of winning DMO of the year. As a collective unit, VEP’s mission is to provide convention, tourism, venue and event management services to visitors, clients and the greater El Paso community so they can enjoy a pleasurable experience that enhances quality of life and generates economic growth. Serving as the City of El Paso’s DMO, Visit El Paso goes above and beyond industry standards and expectations to promote El Paso as a premier travel destination in several ways.

Objective:

In 2023, El Paso’s hotel occupancy soared, rising above the Texas and United States’ average hotel occupancy rates, achieving 69%. Contributing factors to that number are VEP’s efforts to promote the destination on a regional, national, and international level to garner positive publicity and visitors. Tourism development in El Paso has driven unprecedented growth and prosperity throughout the city and its surrounding region.

As a result, the cumulative economic impact of tourism in El Paso surged to an astounding $2.2 billion in 2023, and El Paso recorded over 3.5 million visitors. VEP’s tourism team is responsible for promoting the city’s four pillars: history, culture, ecotourism, and food. VEP aims to promote events and attractions that will target the specific interests of visitors and showcase local businesses as an integral part of the tourism industry. VEP’s reach extends far beyond city limits, encompassing markets within a 300-mile drive radius, direct flight markets, and targeted international destinations.

VEP also emphasizes strategic alliances, such as what it has cultivated with the state of Chihuahua, Mexico to contribute to the overall success and sustainability of El Paso as a destination. The team actively builds partnerships with trade associations, chambers of commerce in target markets, and marketing agencies. Also in the last year, VEP secured relationships with Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization, to launch a campaign tailored for the city’s Canadian audience, inviting them to explore the Sun City. Simultaneously, VEP has expanded strategies to reintroduce El Paso to the Mexican travel market. Introducing ""A Un paso de El Paso,"" VEP’s reimagined marketing campaign poised to redefine the way travelers experience the journey from Mexico to El Paso.

DMO of The Year

Entries

Visit Georgetown

Corsicana Visitors Bureau

Discover Victoria, Texas

Visit Tyler

Brownsville Convention and Visitors Bureau

Visit Mesquite

Visit Boerne

Visit Austin

Visit Shenandoah, TX

Visit McKinney

Visit College Station

Visit Pearland

Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau

Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau

Visit El Paso

2024 - DMO of the Year