Partners in Circulation

A big part of DCVB's or any destination marketing organization's role begins after the job of creating interest and drawing the traveler to Durham is complete.

Equally, if not more important, is to encourage visitors once they are here to circulate through the community and see and do as much as possible. That’s not just because doing so optimizes spending and tax yield. Encouraging circulation is what sustains and grows the destination and has the potential to convert visitors into evangelists.

In part, to help achieve this in a normal economy, DCVB annually produces and distributes half a million pieces of literature, distributing much of it bi-weekly via 150 outlets. Many of the outlets are now securing kiosks, wall maps and displays designed and produced at cost by DCVB and reflecting the overarching Durham brand signature.

Three recently enlisted distribution partners illustrate this is not only good for the community but critical to delivering on Durham’s brand promise:

• Duke Pediatric ICU is putting table top displays of official Durham literature throughout its waiting rooms.
  
  Jennie Pothoven had spotted the DCVB community materials on display at the Children’s Health Center but realized that most parents and family coming to ICU don’t go through the Center. She noted, “Many of our families have children in our unit for months at a time and the opportunity to get out of the hospital and take a break is very important.”
  
  
• NCDOT is working with DCVB to make sure a feature-coded wall map of Durham including insets for Downtown districts is mounted in the new Durham Train Station in a beautifully renovated, historic tobacco factory. DCVB will also manage information displays to be sure arriving passengers have official and comprehensive community information.
  
  
• Durham Area Transit Authority is installing a 3-sided free-standing kiosk in the new Durham Transportation Center for passengers of Triangle Transit Authority arriving from other cities and towns throughout the region, DATA local transit passengers and Greyhound/Trailways passengers from other cities.
  

Destination marketing is a partnership and DCVB is indebted to stakeholders like these to ensure every visit to Durham is as productive and successful as possible.