Visitors Guides
Your destination visitors guide may well be the flagship print communications piece published by your destination marketing organization (DMO).
For many convention and visitors bureaus, chambers and other DMOs, the role of the guide has been changing with the rise of the Internet for visitor information. However, study after study shows that the printed guide is still an important piece of communication for prospective visitors and especially visitors once they arrive.
A visitors guide is often the best single piece for promoting your organizations accommodations and partner businesses. It is an opportunity for them to reach their target audience with precision at a very effective price.
Hoot Communications is an experienced publisher of destination guides for markets from small resort areas to large metropolitan communities. Bob Hoot has been creating effective visitors guides since 1994 and has produced guides for markets including Corvallis, OR; Albany, OR; Salem, OR; Tacoma, WA; Wenatchee, WA; Billings, MT; Missoula, MT; Chicago Southland, IL; Cedar Rapids, IA; Waterloo, IA; Iowa City, IA; and Winona, MN. In Wisconsin, Hoot has produced guides for Madison, Manitowoc-Two Rivers, La Crosse, Kenosha, Racine, Green Lake, Oshkosh, Stevens Point, Sturgeon Bay and Wisconsin Rapids. Hoot has also produced guides for statewide organizations such as ThinkWisconsin and Wisconsin Harbor Towns Association. Hoot has produced more than 150 guides for more than 25 destinations.
Hoot Communications is unique among publishers and co-publishers of destination marketing guides because Hoot can provide a broader range of services including:
- Design and production services
- Establish print specifications and acquire print bids
- A network of professional travel writers
- In-house cartography
- Advertising design and production
- Ad approval system
- Offering online guides with page-turn functionality and automatic links
- Turnkey sales and production
- Sales training for your organization to maximize the net revenue from advertising sales
- Free rate card creation
- Easy-to-understand specifications
Hoot works with each destination to show its unique assets which will entice and motivate visitors and prospective visitors to experience all the area has to offer.
Every DMO has many audiences to please including visitors, prospects, board members, marketing partners, members, accommodations, funding sources and/or taxing authorities to name a few. Hoot understands this and is a patient yet firm production coordinator to assure that your guide is produced in a timely manner.
Hoot Communications is not in business to profit from mark-ups. If you want Hoot to provide turnkey service, such as purchasing the printing, a mark-up will be charged. However, Hoot wants you to get as much bang for your buck as possible and will let you purchase printing, photography, cartography and other services directly from the vendor to avoid mark-ups. There are never any additional production coordination fees. All charges are usually built into a price per page.
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