The Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has unveiled a new video produced to help attract conventions and visitors to the city.
The five-minute video was debuted at the CVB board of directors meeting on Sept. 19. It is a fast-paced and colorful montage of places, activities and events in the city and surrounding area, tied together with music and a friendly, down-home narration.
The video has already served as a key marketing tool in recruiting at least two large organizational meetings to Charleston.
During the 2012 Marine Corps League National Convention (MCL) held in Mobile, Ala., the CVB used the video in its successful campaign to persuade the MCL to bring its national convention to the city. After watching the video the group overwhelmingly voted 800-to-30 to hold its 2014 convention in Charleston.
The city also won a bid to host the official national conference of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) in August 2017. The group’s national convention held in Charleston in 2011 broke the organization’s record for attendance with more than 1,700 participants.
An estimated economic impact of $3.1 million is projected to result from the two groups visiting the city.
“The name of the game in marketing these days is video,” said Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the CVB. “When consumers visit our website, they expect a compelling video before they decide to travel to Charleston. Using our number one salesman, Mayor Danny Jones, to welcome potential visitors, helps us brand Charleston as Hip, Historic…Almost Heaven and gives this video a personal touch.”
According to The New York Times, online video is becoming a first stop for many customers. It is akin to what the Web page was a decade ago – something that can give early adopters an edge over competitors. It gives them a channel to talk directly to customers in ways previously accessible only to large companies that could afford TV advertisements.
The CVB video was designed so that footage can be edited to tailor a pitch to a specific group. In the MCL video, Mayor Jones donned his Marine uniform to personally extend the invitation.
“When we are going after large citywide meetings and conventions, we go up against other U. S. cities,” Bailey said. “Customizing this video with a mayor’s welcome and visuals of a group’s member gives us an edge in our presentation.”
The video features the nationally recognized Mountain Stage, the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, festivals, and professional baseball, as well as shopping, food, and recreational opportunities. The CVB’s slogan, Hip…Historic…Almost Heaven is featured prominently in the video’s content, as well as the city’s historic past and world-class adventures available within an hour’s drive from the city.
To view the video, visit www.charlestonwv.com and click on the YouTube icon.
