Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau Offers Cures for the Winter-Chill Buzz-Kill

Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau
Offers Cures for the Winter-Chill Buzz-Kill

Cabin Fever Reliever Marketing Campaign Highlights Fun and Vibrant Alternatives to Seasonal Hibernation

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. - Face it: Right now, most calendars and to-do lists are overstuffed, in preparation for the approaching holidays. Weekends are an endless stream of mall trips, school concerts and family visits.

But by mid-January, the pace will slow, affected by the cold weather and a general desire to hole up in front of the television and count the days until spring.

The Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau, however, wants to roust those hibernators from their recliners and remind them: Montgomery County, Pa., is a hotbed of activity and fun, even in the snow and cold.

The bureau is therefore launching a winter marketing campaign, Cabin Fever Relievers, to spark interest in the indoor and outdoor options the area has to offer.

"Here in Montgomery County," says bureau president Bill Fitzgerald, "we continually celebrate our uniqueness. And one of the things that makes us so attractive is that we have year-round opportunities for visitors. Other destinations like the Jersey Shore have a tough time when the weather turns cold. But our vibe is just as energetic when the snow flies."

The centerpiece of the campaign is a series of special offers being presented to the region. "We've reached out to our members and asked for deals that have specific value in the December to March timeframe. They have really come through," Fitzgerald says. On the bureau's website are downloadable discounts that include rock-bottom room rates and BoGo restaurant offerings.

Information about the campaign - and the savings possibilities for visitors - has been collected in a full-color brochure. It was distributed at a high-profile event that kicked off the Cabin Fever Reliever initiative, involving General George and Lady Washington at the King of Prussia Mall. Under the pretext that the First Family was doing some last-minute holiday shopping, an entourage of Continental soldiers handed out the literature to the throngs at the mall. The brochure is also available within local hotels and B&Bs themselves and at the bureau's King of Prussia office.

A social media component will be used to not only continually energize the program over its 10-week timeframe but also engage the public in a drawing for a "cabin" of their own. The bureau is giving away two large-scale wooden playsets that resemble cabins.

Additional information on the Cabin Fever Reliever campaign is available on the bureau website.

The Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ltd. is a nonprofit, membership-based sales and marketing organization that actively promotes the Valley Forge area and Montgomery County, Pa., as a convention site and leisure visitor destination by encouraging patronage of its 300-plus member hotels, restaurants, attractions and services. The Bureau's website serves visitors, meeting planners, tour operators and residents, as well as hosting The Pursuit, a twice-weekly blog.