Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau Premiers Fresh, Energized Approach to Attracting Visitor

Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau
Premiers Fresh, Energized Approach to Attracting Visitors

Using Contemporary Imagery and a Social Media Overlay, the Goal of the "Montco Experience"
Is for Visitors to See That There Is Something for Everyone

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. - Since coming onboard last March as president of the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bill Fitzgerald has had one over-arching goal: position the whole of Montgomery County, Pa., as a destination of choice for convention, meeting and consumer visitors.

Nowhere was the progress more evident than at the annual membership luncheon earlier this month, which celebrated the Bureau's 50^th year. "The Montco Experience," a nearly five-minute promotional video, was the centerpiece of the afternoon's presentations; it now available on the Bureau's website and YouTube channel.

The reaction of the nearly 300 attendees - enthusiastic applause and a series of encores - confirmed the video's success. Following the premier, Chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Josh Shapiro tweeted that the momentum and buzz on display positioned the Bureau as "...the best CVB in PA and only getting better."

Fitzgerald explains the thought that guided the production: "This video is only part of our broader effort to rebrand Valley Forge and Montgomery County. We have a phased approach in mind, and phase one is to get locals excited. The people who live, work, and play here have to be jazzed about the shopping, culture, outdoor adventure, dining, arts, natural beauty and history that unfolds every day in the area. Once that happens, the vibe starts to spread. Tourism leads the way."

Produced by Freshfly, LLC, a Philadelphia-based production company, the video includes county-wide footage, from the Bryn Athyn Historic District in the eastern part of the county to Green Lane Park in the northwest corner.

John Golden, director of communications at the Bureau stressed the importance of drawing viewers in by engaging them in the "story" of Montgomery County. "Typical tourism videos can be little more than a kaleidoscope of shots set to non-descript, up-tempo music. We wanted to captivate the audience in a full experience, using today's technology. So we incorporated a number of tweets to accompany the imagery. By individualizing the experiences - a family at the Elmwood Park Zoo, zip-liners at Spring Mountain Adventures, shoppers at Suburban Square - we've made them that much more compelling."

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.