MERCER COUNTY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU BOARD MEETING MINUTES: OCTOBER 20, 2025

Members Present

Sam Wolford, Grant Bennett, Susan Williams, Patrice Belcher, Ansel Ponder, Bill Regas, Sam Lusk, Jeff Disibbio, Greg Puckett, Candace Wilson, Jordan Maynor-Zoom, Kim Jones-Zoom, Henry Jones-Zoom, Todd Boggess-Zoom

Members Absent

Phil Lane

Guests

Lindsay Fruchtl, 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 2:05 PM. Welcome and introductions. The board reviewed and approved the minutes from the June 2025 meeting. The financial report was presented and approved.

Old Business

A. Pineapple PR Updates

Lyndsay Fruchtl, with Pineapple PR, presented the media results of 3.5 billion impressions and $97.6 million in editorial value between June and September 2025. Year-to-date: 8 billion impressions and $238 million in value, reflecting strong national media coverage. Will continue the media and influencer outreach focused on holiday and arts/culture campaigns. Will finalize and submit the 2026 PR Plan, aligning with Mercer County’s tourism strategy.

B. Digital Relativities Update

Alexa Nagy, with Digital Relativity, informed the board that over $66,000 invested in campaigns generated millions of impressions and significant increases in engagement and conversions. Visitor guide requests rose 138% and newsletter signups are up 16%. Digital campaigns will be maintained and optimized with the focus on conversions and visitor guide requests. Digital Relativity will provide regular website analytics and social media reports to the board as well as coordinate with commission and stakeholders on 2026 campaign and co-op planning.

New Business

A. Community Marketing Updates

Valerie Hendricks reported on events such as Bridge Day and Burke’s Garden drawing regional and out-of-state visitors, showcasing cross-promotion opportunities. The local visibility continues to grow through outreach and partnerships. Community outreach and event representation will continue to increase awareness among locals and new residents. Educating partners on event calendar submissions and assist with troubleshooting, collaborate on packaging and marketing efforts based on visitor data and engagement trends will continue as well.

B. Committees

Preparations are underway for the 2026 Budget and Nominating Committees. Board members are asked to sign up for one of the committees. Any empty committee spots will be filled by the director, Jamie Null.

C. Review of calendar policies and operational systems

ITI Digital event calendar has a 92% engagement rate with 1,000+ events listed annually. The calendar auto-syncs with properly configured Facebook business pages and Eventbrite. Non-compliant partners risk exclusions if they aren’t set up as a business on Facebook and Eventbrite as well as not submitting events correctly or at all. Built in quality controls and AI-enhanced event descriptions maintain content standards and user engagement. Work with ITI Digital for partner Facebook compliance and calendar submissions will continue.

Tourism outlook 2026

A. Directors Report

The CVB will coordinate updated photo and video shoots for refreshed tourism media library, revenues and assets remain stable while supporting ongoing and planned initiatives.

B. Building update

Staff will complete office space measurements and layouts for the Mercer Street location and coordinate furnishing and branding efforts; present space design proposal.

C. Suggestions from board members

To focus on high-impact, sustainable tourism investments over one-time funding, dedicate $25,000 annually toward key attraction projects (e.g. Wolf Creek Falls improvements), explore regional partnerships, and launch Historical Trail Initiative, funding through state tourism sign funding.

Next Meeting: November 24, 2025 at 2 PM
Meeting Adjourned

Susan Williams, Secretary
Mercer County CVB Board

Last updated: April 28, 2026