By Stephen Smoot
Last week, the Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau held its monthly meeting as it gears up for a big tourist season over the next several months.
First, Amber Nesselrodt, executive director, announced that the “budget is pretty much on target.” Some areas, such as mileage, went slightly over budget, due to the scheduling of a number of conferences and other needed trips during the first quarter. Marketing, however, came under budget due to the low level of tourism activity for the region early in the year.
Annie Humes, board member, explained that “this year is primarily about learning.” Since the CVB, as currently constituted, did not exist before last year, it has no history or benchmark from which to refer. “Paying extra close attention” to how the year’s spending develops will help to create a bank of data to use as “a strategic tool” for future budget planning.
Nesselrodt agreed and said, “This will be our foundation going forward.”
After the marketing committee report, the board discussed what they wished to do in terms of purchasing a Warner’s Drive-In sponsorship. The sponsorship includes display of an image selected by the sponsor on the movie screen before each film presentation.
“The drive-in is a huge tourist attraction,” Nesselrodt explained, adding that “it’s one of the only standing drive ins in the region.” Using the drive-in opportunity “encompasses all of Pendleton County.”
Board members elected to not use the CVB logo or any image which might show specific businesses. Instead, they chose to purchase the highest sponsorship level so that they could include clips from the Pendleton County CVB promotional video.
Jeff Munn, board member, also suggested that the CVB consider purchasing an advertisement in Virginia Rider, an online motorcycle enthusiast publication with a circulation of more than 40,000. Munn explained that the “rates are really reasonable,” only $100 for a six-month run.
“We’re talking about something that’s good for the entire county,” Munn shared, adding that motorcyclists “go everywhere. They buy food. They buy gas. We might be able to embed the video in it too.”
The board then took up the issue of replacing Sam Wood as vice chair of the board. It passed a resolution vacating the position, then appointed Melinda Brooks (with her permission) to fill the spot.
Finally, Nesselrodt gave her director’s report. She started with a description of the Pendleton County Historical Society’s Franklin fire event, saying, “We helped them with marketing. It superseded anyone’s expectations” with over 180 in attendance.
She then added that “Katie had them over to the McCoy House with wonderful, wonderful food.”
Katie VanMeter added that “we probably had 120 at the McCoy House afterwards.”
Board members then heard about Rick Gillespie, Pendleton County Emergency Services coordinator, suggesting that the new welcome signs at the county line be placed, where possible, in the line of sight of traffic cameras to deter vandalism and theft.
Nesselrodt then reported that a social media influencer planned to record video in Pendleton County over the weekend.
She then shared that Mountaineer Trail Network, a body created by the West Virginia State Legislature to market state trails, wished to engage with the county to include it in its network. Currently Mountaineer Trail Network’s efforts are concentrated mostly in the northern tier of counties in the state between the Ohio River and Grant County border with Hardy. Other surrounding counties in the organization are Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker.
