The Jefferson County Tourism Commission has begun its work to spread the word it was formed to spread: Jefferson County is a great place to spend some time and money.
The group was formed last summer as an offshoot of the Jefferson County Growth Association, and while it shares an executive director with the Growth Association – Sharon Floyd – it was designed to be a stand-alone organization that promotes the county’s assets to outsiders.
“We want to tell people that Jefferson County is a great tourism destination,” Floyd said. “Look at Kimmswick. A lot of people around St. Louis know about the quaint stores there, and the crowds the Apple Butter Festival and the Strawberry Festival draw. But, Jefferson County has a lot of areas that are attractive to others – they just have to learn about them. That’s what we’re about.”
Promoting tourism will pay off in many ways, she said.
“When we get people to come to Jefferson County, they will patronize our businesses, which keeps them going. And we believe people will come back, again and again.”
Central to the information campaign is a website (visitjeffersoncounty.com), which has a wealth of information about a variety of Jefferson County destinations, like restaurants, wineries and breweries, and parks and trails.
“I think a lot of people who live here will learn some things,” Floyd said. “I did some very extensive research in setting it up.”
The website also has information about farmers markets, lodging and parks and historic sites.
“There’s also a place for bike routes,” she said. “You can choose a destination (four local wineries are featured) and plan a scenic route, with a map included.”
A section on scenic routes also is included.
“Jefferson County is known for its scenery, but there are a lot of back roads people don’t necessarily know about,” Floyd said. “These are routes you can ride in a car or motorcycle and really get a good look around. I think these routes will be really popular for fall leaf tours.”
The website also will include a calendar of events.
“I want this to be the one place that you look for what’s going on around the county,” Floyd said.
Dan Govero, president of the Jefferson County Growth Association, said he’s impressed with the website. “There are listings for a lot of things people may not know are around them,” he said.
“There are day trips. If you just want to spend your day in, say, Festus, there’s a listing of a lot of things to do. Some things people who live there might not even know about.”
Advertising and sponsorships also will be available on the site and on the Tourism Commission’s Facebook page. To promote the Facebook page, Floyd said, people who “like” it will be entered into a weekly drawing for a $25 gift card to local restaurants.
The commission also has designed a logo, and it’s printed a brochure promoting destinations in Jefferson County that has been placed in lobbies at hotels and motels around the St. Louis area, Floyd said.
The group also has started a gofundme.com account to solicit donations to launch more marketing campaigns. The link is gf.me/u.znwnvq.
“We’re trying to get donations to help us get started with advertising,” Floyd said. “Now that we’re up and running, we want to work on all kinds of advertising – billboards, geofencing (directed social media popup ads) and regional radio.”
Because the commission was set up as a 501(c)(3) corporation, all donations are tax-deductible, she said.
“The biggest job is letting people know we’re here,” Floyd said.
The commission is a seven-person board that includes Scott Seek as president, Rob Schneider as vice president, Mark Russell as secretary and Bryan Richison as treasurer. David Hovis, Rhonda Gerstner and Tom Polesel complete the panel.
“It’s been a great start,” Govero said. “They’re doing a good job. We need to tell people what a terrific place Jefferson County is.”
A $20,000 loan from the Growth Association and $12,000 in contributions from each of the tourism commissions in Arnold, Pevely and Festus were used to establish the group, file all necessary paperwork and come up with bylaws, as required under Internal Revenue Service guidelines.
“Now we’re ready to spread the word,” Floyd said. “The Tourism Commission has been formed to promote the entire county, not just one area or another. We want to be one voice – and that voice is telling everyone that Jefferson County is here and it’s a great place to be.”