1. Celebrating the Creativity and Growth in Waco: Marketing & Advertising the City of Waco
February 1, 2019

2. The story – Part 1
A sleepy little town in the heart of Texas. Texans know it for Baylor University and its quirky museums, but outside of Texas, it’s not so well known. About 550,000 people visit its attractions each year. Some people remember it for the tragedy at the Branch Davidian compound a few miles outside of town.

3. The story – Part 2
Then… a show called Fixer Upper catches the nation’s imagination. It’s one of the top rated shows on all of cable TV, and its stars, Chip and Joanna Gaines, love this little town. The Gaines open a retail shop downtown near some rusty cottonseed silos, and within 3 years, 1.6 million people are visiting annually.

6. Hotel Tax Growth

7. Marketing budget Growth

8. Waco attractions attendance

9. New Hotels La Quinta Downtown 118 Hilton Garden Inn 111 Aloft 117
Cambria Suites
132
Embassy Suites
168
EVEN Hotel
128
Holiday Inn Express
101
Hyatt Place
125
La Quinta 85
Residence Inn
104
Springhill Suites
TownePlace Suites
Tru by Hilton 98
Total Rooms
1497

10. Growth: 37% Hotel Growth Current hotel rooms: ~4,000
Additional rooms: 1,497
Growth: 37%

11. Tourism Drivers for Waco
Magnolia Market and our attractions Culture and the Arts Baylor University Texas State Technical College McLennan Community College Area corporations – TYMCO, Neighborly, Mars Wrigley, others Aviation/aircraft modification Hospitals – Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest, Providence Hospital Meetings and Conventions Sporting Events Festivals And much more.

12. Logo and Branding
The tourism logo is the “outward-facing” logo for Waco
“Heart of Texas” is the tagline
Mentions of Waco as the “Heart of Texas” can be traced back to 1885
Tourism Logo
City Logo

13. The Heart of Texas
1917

14. The Heart of Texas
1911
1925
1885 – Waco Daily Examiner

15. The Heart of Texas 1885 – Fort Worth Gazette
1885 – Waco Daily Examiner

16. Waco’s Marketing Print Advertisements Digital Advertising Campaigns
Billboards
Waco TX mobile app – Please download this for yourself!
Websites:
wacoheartoftexas.com (for visitors)
wacocc.com (for the Waco Convention Center)
Waco Film Commission
Brochures – maps, visitors guides, shopping guide, etc.

17. Markets We work with Leisure Travelers
Journalists and Travel Writers/Bloggers
Sports Market
Meeting and Convention Planner Market
Festival Planners

18. Our Partners Creative Waco Texas Brazos Trail
Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce
Centex African American Chamber of Commerce
Centex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Greater Waco Sports Commission
City Center Waco
City of Waco Municipal Information Office
Waco Hotels
Partner Cities: Bellmead, Hewitt, McGregor, Waco

19. Our Creative Approach

20. Our Creative Approach

21. Digital

22. Outdoor

23. outdoor

24. Outdoor

25. Outdoor

26. Outdoor

27. outdoor

28. Official Visitor App Nearly 15,000 downloads
Robust numbers of pageviews and sessions
Underwent change to new vendor in July, 2018

29. Waco Film Commission

30. Hollywood Comes to Waco/

31. What’s Next for Waco?
Tourism is becoming a larger segment of the total Waco economy.
Vacation rentals - $1 million/year
New tour companies
Riverboat tours
New restaurants, wineries, Balcones Distillery, craft breweries
Retail Businesses are still learning how to tap into the Magnolia visitor market.
Wacoans are still in shock over the increased traffic and visibility of the town.
The world is beginning to discover what a beautiful gem this town is!

32. Questions?