LIBERTY COUNTY CONVENTION
& VISITORS BUREAU
BI-ANNUAL UPDATE
SEPTEMBER 2017

BOARD COMPOSITION
Mayor Allen Brown, Chairman
Rep Al Williams, Vice Chairman
Chairman Donald Lovette, Treasurer
Councilman Palmer Dasher, At Large

THE MISSION
The LCCVB is the official destination marketing organization for Liberty County,
created in 2007 by the City of Flemington, City of Hinesville, Liberty County
Board of Commissioners & Liberty County Development Authority and given
final recognition with a resolution passed by the State of Georgia.
Our mission is to actively market Liberty County’s assets and sell the destination
brand experience through targeted strategies resulting in increased visitor
spending and enhanced community well-being and resident quality of life;
maximizing economic impact, while providing excellent visitor service. As well as
to stimulate economic development and growth, while internally ensuring our
citizens have the same opportunity to discover and explore locally.

WHAT WE DO
The primary function of the LCCVB is to actively market Liberty County’s assets, including historical
sites, museums, outdoor recreation, dining and accommodations. Marketing efforts include writing and
publishing blog posts, publishing on social media platforms, maintaining a robust and comprehensive
website in conjunction with the LCCOC, facilitating group tours, enlisting engagement from travel
writers and photographers and networking and partnering with entities such as the Georgia Coastal
Travel Association and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Lead packets, containing information about Liberty County’s tourism assets are requested and mailed
throughout the U.S. on a regular basis, and brochures and the Liberty County magazine are shipped to
the Georgia Visitor Information Centers to be put on display for travelers. The LCCVB also maintains a
highly active and engaging social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Through the use of social media marketing, the LCCVB has drawn greater attention to Liberty County’s
offerings of scenery, dining, accommodations, history, festivities and events.
The LCCVB also participates in various expositions and travel shows, including the GDEcD hosted
Georgia on My Mind Days and the Fort Stewart Travel Show. Promotional products branded with the
LCCVB’s tea jar logo and phrase, “the right blend” are given to visitors and travel professionals to
promote brand awareness.

THE NUMBERS
• State tourism numbers announced for FY15. $107.1
million in direct travel spending, an increase of over
$20 million since 2009. $4.2 million in state tax
revenues and $3.3 million in local tax revenues. Each
household in Liberty County received $327 in tax relief
as a result of the taxes generated by direct travel
spending.

APRIL 2017
• We moved!
• Southern Cooks Video Series-with Kedeen Morrison
• Presented at CLIF on Fort Stewart (monthly event)
• Promoted & worked the Earth Day Celebration on April 21
• Co-hosted a ribbon cutting with the Chamber for our new office
• Sent visitor bags for the State Media Festival to be held locally!
• The Sunbury Crab Co is named one of the 20 Best Seafood Dives of all time in Coastal Living
• Participated in Read Across Liberty Day
• South Magazine picked up our blogs on their website & social media shares (23,858 on FB and
10,000 on Twitter)
• Group Travel Leader
• Being featured in next edition
• Deborah, added Liberty County from the FAM, coming in August. Wants our fans.
• Hosting first tour from the FAM in Feb 2018, group coming from Missouri

APRIL 2017
• Promoting The Gathering at Geechee Kunda through social media, etc
• Additional website training for added features
• Staff participated in Read Across Liberty Day
• Promoted and participated in GA Cities Week activities w/City of Hinesville, Midway and
Walthourville
• Promoted Paint Liberty Blue
• Winner of the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus best Ideas Competition for Best
Digital Campaign for a budget under $500,000
• We were regrammed by Southern Living to their more than 800,000 followers
• We were regrammed by Explore Georgia to their more than 114,000 followers
• Okra magazine has picked up our blogs

MAY 2017
• Southern Cooks Video Series-with Chef Jason Hunt
• Our Coordinator of First Impressions, Mary Prince was presented with the Stellar
Service Award by the GA Dept of Economic Development, Tourism Division for
exemplary customer service
• Attended planning committee meeting for Blues, Brews & BBQ
• Presented at CLIF on Fort Stewart (monthly event)
• Purchased benches for gazebos
• Cleaned 12 historic markers throughout the county
• Started planning our next Liberty County magazine

MAY 2017
• Our CEO presented at the Mayor’s Small Business Conference & we had a joint
table w/Liberty Chamber
• Hosted a Film & TV Workshop for the public
• Co-hosted Emergency Preparedness Workshop w/Liberty Chamber
• Coordinated and hosted a familiarization tour for area realtors
• Celebrated National Travel & Tourism Week-visited all hotels w/goodies
• Attended the Georgia Coastal Travel Association meeting
• Had a production meeting w/reps from VH1 for a show filming locally
• Promoted Paint Liberty Purple

JUNE 2017
• Hosted Leadership Liberty for tourism day
• Southern Cooks Video Series-with Dwayne from Good to Go Jamaican
• TV show “American Grit” season 2 debuted on June 11. The majority of filming took
place on Hampton Island. Some parts were filmed at Bryant Commons.
• Co-hosted the Garrison Commander Farewell w/Liberty Chamber
• Co-hosted Marketing & Brand Awareness Workshop w/Liberty Chamber and City of
Hinesville
• Promoted the Walk to Dorchester
• Hosted the GA Tech Foundation for a Historic Rural Churches Tour (Chairman Lovette &
the Gospel Cousinaires came to sing!)
• The Coastal Courier started using our Right Blend Blog for page 2 content

JUNE 2017
• Met w/the Midway Museum to discuss marketing avenues & social media
• Helped promote the new Liberty County Rock Club
• Presented at CLIF on Fort Stewart (monthly event)
• Wrote a grant to the GA Dept of Economic Development TPD for a sign at the Bacon Fraser House
• Hosted and provided breakfast for 120 motorcycle riders on a tour down the east coast
• Our CEO was inducted into Rotary of Hinesville
• Two local restaurants Margie’s Southern Cooking (Best Food Truck) and the Rusty Pig (bbq fries)
and Blues, Brews & BBQ (Best BBQ festivals) were nominated & listed in the Georgia Culinary
Guide
• Promote, designed flyer for Liberty Proud & Healthy
• Cheapism.com ran a blog listing us as a place to visit “26 places to avoid & where to go instead”
• Met with the Coastal GA Greenway

JULY 2017
• Southern Cooks filmed
• Started #LIVE in Liberty
• Congressman Carter came to visit & congratulate Mary Prince on her Stellar
Service Award from the State
• Chamber/CVB Community Calendar planning meeting held
• Chamber/CVB Waterslide Party, over 300 people
• Chamber/CVB Social Media Workshop
• Worked the CAIR Fair on Fort Stewart
• Participated in the Flemington Council Workshop
• Started working on a project for Bryant Commons/Veterans Memorial Walk

AUGUST 2017
• Began Christmas in the Park/Parade planning meetings
• Southern Cooks
• Participated in Day One w/Liberty County Schools
• Participated in the Downtown Partners meeting
• Promoted event at Geechee Kunda
• Cleared all entries for GA Travel Guide
• Wrote a grant for signage for our new office
• Elle Hardy, Voyeur, Virgin Airline Australia’s inflight magazine article
published

ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY
OUTREACH
• Summer Lunch Program marketing/community awareness
• Softball tournament assistance
• Free flyer design for community events
• Free marketing for community events w/proper notification (email, call, website) such as the Blood
Drives held by the City, Mayor’s Thanksgiving Program, etc.
• Coordination of meetings w/incoming business owners with local and state elected officials
• Letting businesses know when large groups are coming to town so they can offer group discounts,
etc.
• Conduct surveys for various county/city needs (TPD is the most recent)
• Emergency Preparedness marketing/community awareness

CONTINUED
• Liberty Proud & Healthy marketing:
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Flyer design every month
• Copies
• Health calendar
• Administrative duties

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE/BOARDS
WE SERVE ON
• Hinesville Area Arts Council
• Liberty Transit TPD
• Liberty Proud & Healthy
• Liberty County BOE CTAE
• Keep Liberty Beautiful
• Hinesville Design Review Board
• Hinesville Downtown Partners
• Liberty County Gateway

ONGOING/FUTURE PLANNING
• Tabletents-900 monthly printed and delivered
• Brochure-reprints
• Press Releases
• Bags for events, weddings, conferences, etc.
• Facebook: 3052 fans (+704), Twitter: 1085 followers (+120), Pinterest: 710 followers
(+19) & Instagram: 1,907 followers (+335)
• Constant Contact-monthly electronic newsletter 4,185 active contacts. (since June
2017 +229)
• Tourism Product Development Grant
• Benches are purchased, need to be installed
• Applying by June 30-sign for Bacon Fraser House

ONGOING/FUTURE PLANNING
• Film Permitting Process has been approved and used countywide.
• Visiting local hotels to host educational classes to provide info on Liberty
County tourism that they can share with guests
• ContinueThe Right Blend blog posts and utilizing guest bloggers