Six Degrees of Separation: Leveraging Celebrity Connections to Drive Tourism

Every destination, no matter the size, likely has some connection to a celebrity, whether a famous author was born there, or a movie star calls the city home. During this Take-Off Talk, Sarah Townes, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer for Experience Columbus, will share how Ohio’s capital city leveraged being the hometown of legendary horror author R.L. Stine of “Goosebumps” to create a PR-led moment that had huge results and drove visitation. Attendees will gain insights into how Experience Columbus’ “Get Goosebumps in Columbus” campaign came about, the incredible results and tips for how attendees can identify their own possible celebrity connections and generate creative campaigns to drive tourism. 

Takeaways: 

• Learn how to research and brainstorm what celebrity connections your destination has and create a compelling event or campaign around them. 
• Discover what goes into partnering with a celebrity, from contracts to event planning.
• Learn marketing and communications strategies for maximizing the impact of your campaign and how to work with national media to pitch your story idea and help facilitate coverage.