The Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau, also known as Discover Saratoga, is a driving force in economic development and tourism in Saratoga County.
The county includes regional attractions including the Saratoga Spa State Park and Saratoga Lake, the famed thoroughbred horse racing track and harness track, numerous performing arts venues, museums, and the Saratoga Springs City Center, a 32,000 square foot conference complex with adjoining hotel and parking structure.
Even with an illustrious history, culture, and distinguished amenities, the Saratoga region still competes with destinations across the Northeast and beyond to attract visitors, especially when it comes to group travel.
Our work with Discover Saratoga began by understanding Saratoga County’s place in relation to other regional tourism hotspots:
- Who currently hosts large events or brings groups to the area and why?
- Where else did they consider during planning?
- Why do they keep coming back?
It was clear that once an attendee visited for the first time they were likely to return.
At every touchpoint, incredible customer service in the Saratoga region is key. We even developed a campaign slogan from this insight!
Health. History. Horses. And Hospitality: A play on the existing Saratoga Springs tagline.
We then developed a supporting visual brand that would feel recognizable to existing Discover Saratoga clients while highlighting the key differentiators.
As with other tourism clients, Discover Saratoga’s group travel and large-scale event initiatives drive their annual marketing initiatives.
Playing an important role in tax revenue for the county, group tourism gets those “heads in beds” far in advance (6 months to 3 years ahead of the event start date), helping business owners and county leaders set revenue expectations.
Ensuring that group travel and event planning leaders are aware of the variety of options available to their clients is essential.
Most medium-to-large-size cities have accessible, modern hotels with on-site conference rooms.
Many even have convention centers.
But only Saratoga Springs offers its unique variety of accommodations with immediate access to post-meeting activities, dining, and shopping.
Paired with the rest of the county’s lodging, meeting, and entertainment offerings, and the area’s proximity by car, train, or plane to major cities, Saratoga County is an unmatched group tourism destination.
While we led a quarterly multi-channel ad campaign for group travel, our team also assisted Discover Saratoga with membership-building initiatives, advertising for local events hosted by the organization, and collateral design and production.
