MERCER COUNTY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU BOARD MEETING MINUTES: FEBRUARY 2, 2026 VIA ZOOM

Members Present

Todd Boggess, Phil Lane, Patrice Belcher, Sam Wolford, Ansel Ponder, Jeff Disibbio, Bill Regas, Grant Bennett, Kim Jones, Henry Jones, Candace Wilson, Susan Williams

Members Absent

Jordan Maynor, Sam Lusk, Greg Puckett

Guests

Cat Grygiel, Alexa Nagy

Staff

Jamie Null-CEO/Director, Karen Morris-Assistant Director, Valerie Hendricks-Community Marketing Manager

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 2:03 PM. Welcome and introductions. The board reviewed and approved the minutes from the December 2025 meeting. The financial report for December 2025 were presented and approved.

New Business

A. New office space update, presented by the CVB Director

The CVB is working Todd Boggess, Digital Relativity, and a furniture store in Charleston, WV for the design and fixtures for the space. Digital Relativity showed the files that contain the decorating ideas for the office space, including the color palette and interactive aspects for visitors. The CVB Director explained that the website traffic decided the design themes for the space.

B. Digital Relativity 2025 In Review

Alexa Nagy, with Digital Relativity, informed the board that together we used a soft, heartfelt approach with new messaging to draw in visitors and re-engaged an older demographic with the “Golden Explorer” persona. We effectively reached ATV enthusiasts with year-round accessibility of the Pocahontas Trailhead. Some of the creative highlights include a website redesign (making it feel new and modern), used “All Terrain, All Yours” in the ATV campaign creative and “Uniquely Appalachian, Uniquely You” in the Great Outdoors campaign creative. Campaign Performance: Things to do google search campaign-ad data 170,535 impressions, 12,117 clicks and 7.11% average click-through rate. ATV campaign-ad data 6,998,372 Facebook link clicks, and 1.40% average click-through rate. Website data-Site traffic compared to 2024 is up, engagement is up, top pages-ATV on old and new site, Outdoor recreation on old site, travel guide and great outdoors on new site. Top states- Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, West Virginia, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, and Michigan. Social insights-compared to 2024, Facebook is up with top posts being the mountain coaster, travel guide, Pipestem aerial tram, and the holiday of lights. Instagram is up with top posts being the mountain coaster, dining, Princeton Railroad museum, Almost Heaven Swing, and Bramwell. TikTok is up and the most viewed posts were the mountain coaster, ATV, outdoor rec., and Pipestem. In the works-Strategic marketing plan, website-facing marketing plan, Uniquely Appalachian campaign, ATV campaign, Things to do google search campaign, Visitor center plan and designs, and seasonal photo/video shoots.

B. Pineapple PR 2025 Report

Lindsay Fruchtl, with Pineapple PR, reported that Mercer County had 231 total media placements, the editorial value was 331 million, 71% of placements appeared in top-tier media, and the total online reach was 11.9 billion. The 2025 snapshot for Always-On Visibility showed consistent monthly coverage, visibility growth, quality over quantity, strategic storytelling and timely pitches. The strategic pillars used were Outdoor Adventure, Heritage & History, Natural wonders & Scenic Beauty, and Small Town Charm. Several social media influencers spent time in the county to share their stories on their social media channels, blog posts and one influencer’s story was picked up by a CBS affiliate. Media Outreach quarterly pitches included: The “Hidden Gem” Escape, The Spring Revival, Thrills & Historical Charm, and Peaks & Path-Setting. Overall, 2025 was up from 2024 with Total Reach and Total Editorial value being up +19%, Quality Score was up +2%, and Top Tier Coverage was up +4%.

Old Business

A. Mobile Visitor Center Van, CVB Director

The CVB is looking at the value of the van and the potential sale. The cost of events outside of the area has risen and a sponsorship for the event is expected. A local dealership has been contacted and an online auction has been discussed, other avenues for the sale of the van will be looked into. The Director also discussed the purchase of a smaller van sometime in the future to use for guide delivery and possible events.

B. Calendar updates, CVB Director

The CVB is still working with partners to get information placed onto the calendar. The use of AI created images for event fliers was discussed and the board agreed to a note being put up stating that the CVB has discretion to accept or deny AI generated images for an event listing on the calendar.

C. Gusto Partnership, CVB Director

The Director explained to the board that a new employee handbook has been created within the bureau’s partnership with Gusto. It was explained that the bureau uses Gusto for Payroll purposes.

Next Meeting: March 30, 2026
Meeting Adjourned at 3:14 PM

Susan Williams, Secretary
Mercer County CVB Board

Last updated: April 28, 2026