ANNUAL REPORT - Onondaga County Parks

Marketing&Promotions
Augmenting cooperative tourism-building relationships with the
Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau and Finger Lakes Tourism, Onondaga
County Parks focused upon cross-marketing local attractions
in 2006. Initiatives included reciprocal Coral Reef promotions between
the Museum of Science & Technology and the Zoo, banners touting
Park activities at high visibility points throughout the system, adding
peer facilities to our signature Discovery Guide which in turn was
printed in higher volume, and improving displays in visitor centers so
that guests are aware of best choices for what to do next.
The pair of web sites - Onondaga County Parks.com and Rosamond
Gifford Zoo.com - maintained by Onondaga County Parks were accessed
over 340,000 times for event, travel, employment, research and
registration purposes. New touches to this ever-evolving medium
included downloadable trail maps, sports standings, and current crosscountry
ski conditions, with online customer satisfaction surveys and
an enhanced program calendar coming soon. In addition, Onondaga
County Parks’ e-mail newsletter, which has nearly 4,500 subscribers,
has been effective in promoting registration for upcoming programs
and enhancing awareness of services of related organizations such as
the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA).
This is the first full year of our online reservation system, which is used
for viewing information and booking a variety of shelters, lodges,
campgrounds and ballfields. The database of customers allows us to
quickly tabulate marketing and revenue data, create master schedules
and target mailing lists. It now takes less than two minutes to book a
returning customer and the convenience has lead to 356 reservations
being done online. Collectively, ActiveNet processed over 10,000 transactions
and nearly a half million dollars in income. Online sales, which
currently represent 3% of the business, will be targeted in upcoming
promotions and should become more prevalent when technology at
activity based, rural sites such as Beaver Lake is improved.
Computerized cash register systems installed at the Zoo will also provide
demographic information on visitors which will be used to target
optimal out-of-town markets for day and overnight trips to Syracuse
attractions and events.
Fishing is the Reel Deal!
When the daily newspaper features a fisherman on the Weekend entertainment
tabloid cover, Main Street is closed for a parade of anglers in their NASCAR- like
custom wrapped boats, national television
has a one hour special on Oneida
Lake fishing and Gander Mountain
fishing department sales increase by
76%, something very noteworthy has occurred.
Mix in perfect summer weather,
a superbly managed special event, and
gracious hospitality provided by the
Central New York community , then top
it off with the kind of fishing even the
professionals only dream about -
that was the immediate outcome of this
summer’s BASS Master Elite Series Empire
Chase held at Oneida Shores Park.
It will be double the pleasure on the national fishing scene in 2007 with the BASS
Master Memorial, featuring a $1.7 million purse, plus the American Carp Society
regional championships which were secured and will be hosted by Baldwinsville.
These events, and many others, are coming to our water-blessed Finger Lakes
region because they have been nurtured in a sports-marketing initiative led by the
Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau and Onondaga County Parks.
Fishing is one of the top three outdoor recreation activities, and New York State
is one of the top three fishing destinations in America. Onondaga County boasts
of over 24,000 registered boats and fish license sales twice per capita those in
Monroe County, with annual, pre-derby economic impact approaching $4 million.
The national play from derbies has doubled that figure, resulted in improved boat
launch facilities for resident use, and perhaps most importantly showcased our
town’s greatest tourism assets - the splendors of the great outdoors - during peak
travel season.
Billboard seen by thousands of
vehicles traveling thru Central
New York on I81
Tommy Biffle from Oklahoma shows off
some of the largemouth bass that made
him the top angler.
Promotions for year-round lodges and special event settings at the
Zoo and Sainte Marie have been effective, with new touches including
direct mailers to current customers, a full color brochure targeting
higher end wedding and corporate functions, and follow-up fulfillment
calls to verify user satisfaction during their park experiences.
“I wanted to take a moment to thank you for hosting Leadership Greater
Syracuse’s Embracing Diversity Day at Arrowhead Lodge. We appreciate
everything you and your staff did in making (the day) such a success. From
the time that it took to organize and plan the logistics in advance of our arrival,
to making sure that our needs were met once there, I’m truly grateful.”
Sherry A. Mossotti Syracuse, N.Y.