October 2021 CVB Report

Happy Fall! Rooster Rush is right around the corner on October 11 – 17, 2021. Don’t forget to contact the Chamber to make an appointment to take pictures of your hunting displays for Paint the Town Orange. To make an appointment, call the Chamber at 224.7361 or email tkafka@pierre.org. We are excited to be personally welcoming the hunters arriving at the Pierre Regional Airport. However, Rooster Rush isn’t just for hunters, there are activities for families as well. Make sure to check out the Autumn Wine Walk and the Hunters’ Wives weekend at Northridge Plaza.

Over the last year, I have been working hard to grow our social media presence. Part of the social media growth is due to a social media co-op program the CVB is offering for industry partners. Currently the focus is on boosting posts geared towards hunting and fishing. Chamber membership participation in this program allows us to grow in this area of marketing to encompass more than just hunting and fishing and to broaden our reach to visitors. If you are interested in partnering in the social media co-op marketing program, please contact me at tkafka@pierre.org.

In addition to the social media marketing, you may see other ads from the South Dakota Departments of Tourism and Game, Fish and Parks, as well as ads from the CVB this fall. Both campaigns will be promoting hunting and outdoor activities. These types of campaigns are important to the Pierre area. Tourism is Pierre’s fourth largest industry and is vital to the community as a income generator. For every dollar spent on marketing and advertising, we receive $52 in visitor spending to support local businesses and generate tax revenue for Pierre. Tourism also creates local jobs. In Hughes County alone there were 1,301 jobs created or sustained by travel spending in 2019. These are unprecedented times, but for the success and survival of our community, it is important to continue to promote travel and tourism to the area.