Contact:
Shannon Hays
Communications
Shannon.Hays@snoco.org
425-409-7916
Big Data Insights at the Next Snohomish County Tourism Alliance Forum April 23
Tourism industry invited. Open to the public. Registration Required.
EVERETT, Wash., April 15, 2019 – The Snohomish County Tourism Alliance will host its second industry forum on April 23, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo (304 Lincoln Ave.). New compelling tourism data about Snohomish County visitors will be shared for the first time, as well as the Seattle NorthCountry visitor website and the much anticipated branding roll out for the four identified visitor regions within Snohomish County. Attendees will also hear updates from Snohomish County Paine Field Airport (PAE) Director Arif Ghouse on commercial air service.
Gibson Media will present their rigorous analysis of data Snohomish County has acquired this year from multiple sources. At the forum, Gibson will dive into the latest visitor behavioral data and interpret current visitor trends creating the first benchmark for future planning.
“What we are now able to collect and analyze will change how we promote tourism in the county. This data will allow us to sustainably plan for the future,” said Tom Teigen, Snohomish County Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT) Director. “The data will inform how we communicate to those coming and recreating here.”
“The data point boundaries are accurate within mere feet, and they are set throughout the county, our cities and towns with nearly 60 individual points of interest including the new commercial terminal at Paine Field Airport; we are seeing great interest from our communities in these findings,” said Amy Spain, Executive Director of the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau (SCTB).
“We will use all of this information in innovative ways nearly unprecedented in the tourism industry,” said SCPRT Development Specialist, Annique Bennett. “The data will provide insight about how people travel to and through the county from urban areas to wilderness areas like trails and rivers. With our expected growth, this information will inform capacity planning not only about visitors but of our resources from roadways and traffic congestion points to conservation areas and critical salmon habitats.”
Big data findings and marketing insights will be primary topics at upcoming Tourism Alliance conferences in development for 2019, with county-wide reports posted online in the future.
Angie Riley, SCTB Marketing and Communications Manager, will also introduce the new SeattleNorthCountry.com visitor website during the April 23 forum. "The new Seattle NorthCountry website will be a trusted visitor directory and will have original travel videos and editorial, tourism industry resources and will welcome visitors to Seattle NorthCountry's four visitor regions.” said Riley.
Milltown Creative is set to reveal the long-awaited brands for each of the four visitor regions during the forum, and PAE Director Ghouse will share what’s been happening at the airport since commercial air took flight in Snohomish County. There will also be an opportunity to connect with SCTB staff on programs, marketing and sales activities in which stakeholders can cooperate during the forum.
For additional information and to register for this event ($10-$20/person), visit @SeattleNorthCountry on Facebook or contact CJ.Jones@snoco.org.
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The Snohomish County Tourism Alliance (SCTA) is a sustainable tourism initiative facilitated by the SCPRT and the SCTB, and is funded by Snohomish County Lodging Taxes. The SCTA provides an accessible forum for the local industry and partners to connect communities and visitors through love of place, a priority direction adopted by the local Snohomish County Tourism industry in 2018.