HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.1a CGCVB Events Recap Memo
TO: Board of Directors, Cottage Grove Convention and Visitors Bureau
FROM: Julie Prior-Miller, Marketing and Communications Specialist
DATE: August 19, 2022
RE: Convention and Visitors Bureau Events Recap
Background/Discussion
April 30 – Cottage Grove Area Chamber Community Showcase
Details: The 17th annual Cottage Grove Area Chamber Community Showcase was held on April
20 at the Park Activity Center. Almost 700 people attended the annual event that was back after
a two-year hiatus. Council and staff supported the booth by talking with visitors during the 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. showcase. Visitors Guides and miscellaneous trinket items were handed out.
Marketing: Social media posts, City of Cottage Grove website, City of Cottage Grove Reports
monthly newsletter to homes, electronic signs at River Oaks Golf Course and Ice Arena. *The
Cottage Grove Chamber has also done their own additional marketing for this event.
Recap: Cottage Grove residents were happy to be back at the Chamber Community Showcase
after not hosting it for two year and the CVB partnered on a booth with economic development
to connect with the community at the Showcase. Part of the city’s strategic plan is community
engagement and being a part of this event helped to raise awareness about the CVB. This four-
hour event got the CVB in front of members of the community where we were able to engage
with residents to share the work that the CVB is doing to draw visitors to Cottage Grove.
Giveaway Items: Visitors Guides, frisbees, pens, luggage tags.
June 11 – Cottage Grove Community Night at the St. Paul Saints Game
Details: Discover Cottage Grove and the St. Paul Saints partnered together to bring the
community together for Cottage Grove Community Night at the St. Paul Saints. Discover
Cottage Grove ran contests for people to win tickets by signing up to receive our newsletter and
following Discover Cottage Grove on social media. In addition, the Saints donated $2 for every
ticket sold through the Cottage Grove portal to the Lions Club, a local Cottage Grove non-profit.
Discover Cottage Grove had a booth set-up at the Saints game near section 116 on the third
base side of the concourse, near the Spire Sun deck and City of Baseball Museum. At the
booth, staff and CVB members talked with people about Cottage Grove, the upcoming
Strawberry Fest and handout giveaways.
Marketing: Social media posts, social media ad campaign, social media event creation, two
contests to win tickets, City of Cottage Grove website, Discover Cottage Grove website, City of
Board of Directors, Cottage Grove Convention and Visitors Bureau
August 19, 2022
Page 2 of 3
Cottage Grove Reports monthly newsletter to homes, Discover Cottage Grove monthly e-
newsletter to subscribers, Explore MN events calendar, Discover Cottage Grove events
calendar, Java with Jennifer (2X), all staff emails, promotion at community committee meetings,
posters and information sent to senior center at the school district as well as the Cottage Grove
Chamber. *The Saints have also done their own additional marketing for this event.
Recap: Cottage Grove Community Night at the Saints game was very well received by
community members who attended the event as well as staff and board members. Observations
made by staff members were that it was a perfect weather night, we were able to giveaway all of
our swag items, talk to many people about the upcoming Strawberry Fest and Cottage Grove in
general, set-up and take down was smooth, location of our spot worked well and it was nice
being the only “tent” there as we did not have much in the way for “competition”. Having the
Strawberry Fest ambassadors (and their parents) there was helpful as well because we had that
many more people to help hand out guides and talk to community members and potential
visitors to Cottage Grove.
Giveaway Items: Visitors Guides, frisbees, pens, luggage tags, Strawberry Fest information,
Have Fun Biking maps.
For Sale Items: Strawberry Fest buttons.
June 18 – Strawberry Fest Marketplace
Details: Discover Cottage Grove, along with other organizations and businesses, will be at
Cottage Grove’s Strawberry Fest Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 18.
Discover Cottage Grove will be handing out Visitors Guides, answering questions about Cottage
Grove, and hosting games at their booth for folks to win some fun Discover Cottage Grove
giveaways.
Marketing: Ad placed in Minnesota Monthly magazine’s May/June edition with their Summer
Bucket List, social media posts including general event postings and individual event postings,
social media event creation, information distribution at Saints game on June 11, Java with
Jennifer to CG staff (2X), social media ad campaign, Explore MN events calendar, Discover
Cottage Grove events calendar, all staff emails, posters and additional information sent to senior
center at the school district. *The Strawberry Fest Committee has also done their own marketing
for this event.
Recap: By all accounts, the Strawberry Fest was a record setting success. The weather was
beautiful the whole weekend ensuring fantastic turnout each day, Discover Cottage Grove’s
booth had prime real estate at the Marketplace on Saturday, we were able to talk to hundreds of
people about Cottage Grove and what the city has to offer and be visible to thousands more, we
gained numerous email sign-ups through our River Oaks giveaway, and we partnered with the
Strawberry Fest Ambassadors to hand out our swag items (frisbees) at the parade. In addition,
the Medallion Hunt sponsored by Discover Cottage Grove was also a success. Clues led
participants all over the city ‘discovering’ different parks, but eventually led them to Hamlet Park
on day four where it was found.
Board of Directors, Cottage Grove Convention and Visitors Bureau
August 19, 2022
Page 3 of 3
Our Strawberry Fest online targeted ad was very successful with 120,114 impressions and
approximately 9,500 clicks on the ad itself bringing visitors to the Discover Cottage website.
Due to our efforts, the media also noticed the Strawberry Fest and came to take photos and do
live coverage of the event. CVB Board Chair Dennis was able to promote Discover Cottage
Grove on air!
Attached, you will find a full report breakdown of how the CVB supported the 2022 Strawberry
Fest in terms of marketing, dollars, manpower and more.
A few notes taken at the recap of the 2022 Strawberry Fest committee meeting:
• Almost $70,000 in profit. (Record year.)
• The parade was the biggest Police Chief Koerner has seen in his 30 years in Cottage
Grove.
• The beer garden had a record year with approximately 1,400 hamburgers sold.
• Over 1,500 buttons were sold receiving in $7,000. (Record year.)
• Thursday attendance which is always a question mark was good.
• 91 vendors signed up for the Strawberry Fields Marketplace. (Record year.)
Giveaway Items: Visitors Guides, frisbees, pens, luggage tags, Have Fun Biking maps, River
Oaks Golf rounds of golf.
Recommendation
Receive the Cottage Grove Convention and Visitors Bureau events recap information.
Attachments:
How the CGCVB Supported the 2022 Strawberry Fest