6-16-10 —     If Memorial Day weekend was any indication, Wayne County's new 

tourism marketing efforts are working. The campgrounds were full and  

the lake was filled with boats throughout the three-day holiday  

weekend. And it may be the start of what could be the best summer for  

tourism this area has seen since the work on Wolf Creek Dam began and  

the lake level was lowered in 2007.

    "Everybody I have talked to is pleased with Memorial Day 

weekend...Both our local marinas had an excellent weekend and there  

were a lot of rooms rented here," said Shannon Hutchinson, who works  

in Community Development for the county. "I think it's directly  

related to the job we have done in marketing."

    With a 30 second television commercial that has aired on television 

stations in Louisville, Cincinnati and Lexington, a new logo and  

brochure, print ads that have been published in The Lane Report and  

Kentucky Monthly, as well as a website that is updated each week,  

local officials have climbed another rung on the ladder to marketing  

Wayne County as a great vacation destination.

    The great thing is this has been accomplished with little local 

money committed to the marketing effort. The county has used matching  

money for all these efforts and has gotten back about 90 cents of  

every dollar spent.

    The television commercial includes about 15 seconds that promotes 

Kentucky vacations, and then an insert for the final 15 seconds about  

vacationing in Wayne County. Hutchinson said the great thing about  

this commercial is that everything featured on it relates to Wayne  

County, like boating and camping.

    Plus the commercial also provides the web address which is 

www.heartoflakecumberland.com.

    "It's growing everyday," said Hutchinson as he talked about the 

website, as well as the interest in Wayne County. "We are mailing out  

visitors packets everyday. The Chamber helps us with those, as well  

as relocation packets."

    The requests are coming in from a variety of states, as well as from 

folks in Kentucky who are looking for a relaxing place to spend a few  

days. For example, Hutchinson noted that someone in Lexington may see  

the commercial, which is running on Bluegrass Insight Communications,  

and they may decide to make the drive for a weekend visit. They can  

be in Wayne County and on the water in only a couple of hours.

    The website also provides information about restaurants and 

attractions. It provides a schedule of events, as well as weather  

information. It's updated about once a week by County Judge-Executive  

Greg Rankin. In fact, Hutchinson noted that any inquiries for  

visitors packets through the website are directed to Rankin's mailbox.

    That's a tremendous asset, noted Hutchinson.

    "We have a great website and he believes in this enough that he 

updates it weekly himself," said Hutchinson.

    They also have a twitter account, and Rankin sends out tweets to 

anyone who registers through the website. Hutchinson said they are  

informative and provide details about things that are coming up. It's  

another important marketing tool in an age were social media is so  

popular, noted Hutchinson.

    It's taken a while for the county to get to this point. Hutchinson 

said the first meeting was held in the spring of 2007, when local  

individuals go together and began to come up with ways to better  

market Wayne County. There have been many small steps along the way.

    "It didn't happen overnight," said Hutchinson. "We are not where we 

want to be, but we are making steps each day."

    In fact, he noted that the marketing plan has already been made for 

the fall of 2010 and the spring of 2011.

    "We are sitting at tables that we never sat at before," noted 

Hutchinson., who is now serving as vice-president of the Southern  

Lakes and Rivers Tourism organization. He will move into the  

president's role next year.