ROGERS -- Visit Rogers' newly hired executive director said targeted marketing strategies and advanced staff training will help the organization continue to grow tourism in the city.
J.R. Shaw started with the organization March 2 after previous director Allyson Twiggs Dyer left to spend more time with family.
Shaw was president of the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency and vice president of tourism for the Washington County Chamber of Commerce in Washington, Pa. He also worked as the group and international sales director of tourism and cultural heritage at Visit Pittsburgh.
"I see a lot of opportunity in this organization," Shaw said. "I see an organization in great shape that has made great strides. I want to continue that and take it to the next level."
Creating marketing material for different groups is the first step to bringing more tourism, Shaw said. Creating videos telling Rogers' story is one way to do this, he said.
"We are developing one video focused on conventions," Shaw said. "It will be of interest to planners."
Other videos could focus on the the outdoor recreation options found in Rogers, Shaw said. Those include Beaver Lake, Lake Atalanta and golf courses.
The videos and other marketing material can be used to contact organizations planning conventions or events directly, Shaw said. This could mean cold-calling planners or networking at conventions, he said.
Another step in the process is to create a professional team able to address the needs of tourists, Shaw said.
"I want a professional staff of experts," Shaw said.
That means more training and certification for the staff, Shaw said.
"We are responsible for the proper administration and the use of tax dollars," Shaw said. "The larger goal is to increase the quality of life for those who live here by bringing more jobs, new money and creating development."
The Adverting and Promotion Commission, known as Visit Rogers, was established in 1999 after a city ordinance to collect a 2 percent hotel tax for the purpose of tourism, said Raymond Burns, Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO.
Some cities in the state and country also collect a tourism tax from restaurants, Burns said. Shaw previously worked promoting communities with only a hotel tax, Burns said. That experience will help him better serve Rogers, Burns said.
"He has seen the hotel side," Burns said. "We are a hotel tax organization. We are more concerned with putting heads in beds and that was the environment he had in Washington County."
Hotels in the region typically do well during the week because of business travel, Burns said. Hotels can struggle at times on weekends, he said. Shaw has experience attracting weekend tourism to regions, Burns said.
"He has some specific skills in leisure markets and with that experience will come new ideas," Burns said.
Visit Rogers is projected to receive about $710,000 in hotel tax revenue for 2015. The city also gives the organization about $100,000 annually.
The hotel tax revenue has grown from $550,000 to $710,000 since 2009, Shaw said. This is in part because events and conventions held in the city annually, he said.
One event is the Walmart Fishing League Worldwide Tournament held annually at Beaver Lake.
Joe Opager, director of public relations, said Visit Rogers has helped the tournament plan the event each year.
"They help facilitate our needs, whether that is finding a boat ramp to handle our crowds or to gather volunteers," Opager said.
The tournament holds 240 events each year with seven major tournaments, Opager said. Rogers is the only city the tour stops in every year, he said. That's partly because of the help it receives when planning the event.
The Rogers event in April drew 12,000 people, Opager said.
About 250 people travel with the event, Opager said. That includes anglers and their families along with staff, he said.
The plan is to continue to attract more events like the fishing tournament, Shaw said.
"The ultimate goal is to increase overnight stays in hotels in Rogers," Shaw said.
Mayor Greg Hines said the success of Visit Rogers is important to the city. Tourism helps the growth of amenities in a community, he said. That could mean an increase in restaurants and retail, he said.
"It is an element of the economic engine," Hines said. "Folks that don't live here are making a huge impact on generating revenue that pays for the community."
NW News on 05/18/2015