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Dear COVA Members,
For forty-one years the Central Oregon Visitors Association (COVA) has served as the Regional Destination Marketing
Organization (RDMO) for Central Oregon, representing the unified voice of the tourism industry.
It was 1971 when a small group of resourceful business leaders deemed that Central Oregon should collectively market
the region as a premier vacation destination. With limited resources to market individually, the group determined that
by pooling resources they could leverage a more significant investment and a collaborative “Destination Central Oregon”
message to tout the combined assets of the region. The initial regional destination marketing was funded by this group
of volunteers with a budget of $25,000.
In 1975, a private and public sector alliance implemented the first Transient Lodging Tax (TLT), and dedicated
approximately 30% of the collected lodging tax for tourism marketing and promotion programs administered by the
Central Oregon Visitors Association. COVA has remained a frugal trustee of this investment and currently delivers more
than 75% of our total revenues directly to programs. Less than 25% of COVA’s resources fund personnel expenses and
overhead. In 2012, COVA’s programs will generate more than three million overnight visits to Central Oregon and the
total economic impacts of the tourism industry will exceed one-half billion dollars.
The COVA Board of Directors is comprised of some of the foremost leaders with the Central Oregon business and
tourism industry and geographically represents businesses from across Deschutes County. The programs and policies of
the Association are administered through Board directive to an experienced staff of professionals.
The COVA Board and staff are committed to working with our industry partners to make our strategies and programs an
integral part of the region’s economic success. We invite you to review and evaluate the marketing, promotion and sales
programs outlined in this Annual Report and welcome your comments and suggestions about our programs.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Alana Hughson
President & CEO
“Just over the Cascade Mountains, Central
Oregon boasts blue skies 300 days a year. Add
a rugged volcanic landscape crisscrossed by
rivers and mountains, and you have a top
outdoor destination”
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ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION
COVA GOVERNANCE AND FUNDING
mission STATEMENT
The 13-member Board of Directors is elected annually by the
General Membership. There are four Directors appointed by
the Top 4 Transient Lodging Tax collectors from Deschutes
County; three At-Large Directors to represent North, South
and West Deschutes County and five General Business
Directors and one Director appointed from the Deschutes
County Commission. Any Member of the association is
invited to run for a position on the Board of Directors.
The Central Oregon Visitors
Association will market and promote
Central Oregon as a year round visitor
destination to improve the long-term
economic vitality of the region.
COVA has served as the Regional Destination Marketing
Association for Central Oregon since 1971. COVA’s integrated
marketing programs are designed to build the brand image
and messaging for the region to develop and enhance Central
Oregon’s one-half billion dollar visitor industry.
Funding for COVA is derived from these primary sources:
1. 30% of the Transient Lodge Tax collected in the
unincorporated areas of Deschutes County
2. Membership Dues
3. Corporate Event sponsorship for the Pacific Amateur
Golf Classic
4. Travel Oregon Regional Cooperative Marketing Program
5. Leveraged private sector marketing partnerships
CALENDAR YEAR 2011 ROOM TAX:
Central Oregon welcomed more than 3.2 million overnight
trips annually (Longwoods: Oregon Regional Visitor Study)
with 55% of those overnight visits a Marketable Trip purpose.
According to the study, a ‘Marketable Trip’ is a destination
vacation that is not scheduled for the purpose of Visits to
Friends/Relatives or for Business purposes.
Central Oregon averages stronger than the rest of the state for
Marketable Trips (55% versus 47% statewide); less than the
state average for people visiting Friends/Family (36% to 43%);
and less than the state average for Business travel (9% versus
state average of 10%).
• Room tax in Deschutes County and the City of Bend grew
at the same rate (County 6.3%, Bend 6.7%).
• Excluding August (to adjust for the loss of the Jeld Wen
Tradition in Central Oregon) the County grew tax at 9.5%
and Bend grew at 6.5%.
• Excluding both peak months of July and August the
County grew at 8.2% and City grew at 5.5%.
• Excluding June – September, County tax grew at 12.2%
and Bend grew at 4.1%. (January through May and
October through December are the ‘non-peak / shoulder
season’ months and the timeframe targeted by COVA for
visitor development.
DESCHUTES COUNTY OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS
1993-2011 COLLECTIONS BY MONTH
$762,447
$640,605
$345,103
$313,722
$221,146
$190,961
$153,670
$148,310
$129,320
$119,788
‘95
‘96
‘97
‘98
‘99
‘00
‘01
‘02
‘03
‘04
‘05
‘06
‘07
‘08
‘09 ‘10
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REPRESENTING CENTRAL OREGON
IN THE STATEWIDE ARENA
COVA’s leadership over the past four decades has earned the
respect of our industry partners statewide. Central Oregon
has a voice at the table for industry development in Oregon,
with COVA as the advocate for Central Oregon amidst the
messaging of our urban destinations west of the mountains.
OREGON TOURISM COMMISSION
In 2010, COVA’s CEO was appointed by the Governor to
represent Regional Destination Marketing Organizations on
the Oregon Tourism Commission (dba Travel Oregon). The
Oregon Tourism Commission is a 9-member board who
govern the Travel Oregon staff and programs. Travel Oregon
was created by the legislature in 2003 to enhance the quality
of life for Oregonian’s by strengthening the economic impacts
of Oregon’s $8.7 billion tourism industry.
OREGON TOURISM & HOSPITALITY
CONSORTIUM
The Tourism & Hospitality Consortium brought together
a steering committee of industry leaders from around the
state in 2005 to unite industry collaboration. The COVA CEO
serves on the Steering Committee for the Consortium to
implement the statewide vision and voice for the industry.
The imperative of the Consortium is to:
1. Be the network catalyst for tourism in Oregon
2. Inform, mobilize and activate the industry
3. Unite the industry
4. Close research gaps
2011 Central Oregon Total Travel Impacts*
Travel
Expenditures
County
Crook
$26.7
Deschutes
419.8
Jefferson
38.3
Wasco (south)
22.8
Total Impacts
$507.6
2011 Central Oregon Travel Expenditures*
Accommodations
Eating / Drinking
Food Stores
Air / Ground Transp.
Recreation
Retail Sales
Total Impact
$124.8
$6.8
$5.6
$107.7
$4.7
138.8
5.4
10.0
116.3
7.1
50.3
2.1
5.9
37.9
4.4
58.7
2.3
5.2
48.4
2.8
65.9
3.8
6.2
51.9
4.0
69.0
2.3
5.4
57.6
3.7
$26.7$419.8$38.3$22.8$507.6
$8.7 billion
$2.1 billion
$310 million
90,500
$11.09 billion
*(Expenditures plus wages), in millions of dollars
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Visitor Spending at Destination
Payroll
Local/State Taxes
Jobs
Total oregon Impact
Sunset Magazine - February 2011
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Crook Deschutes Jefferson Wasco Total Impact
2011 Oregon Direct Travel Impacts
“‘The region makes a blessedly
bipolar home base for sport lovers:
Here, you can trail-run along the
rushing Deschutes River in the
morning and hit the snowy slopes of
Mt. Bachelor in the afternoon.”
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Taxes
PayrollJobs
500
$1.0
$9.0
5,440
18.8
118.9
700
1.5
9.8
390
0.5
7.2
$144.9
$21.8
7,030
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OFFICIAL CENTRAL OREGON
VISITORS GUIDE & WELCOME CENTER
THE OFFICIAL CENTRAL
OREGON VISITORS GUIDE
COVA produces the award winning “Official
Central Oregon Visitors Guide” as the primary
response piece to all inquiries received from
our $1.6 million advertising and promotion
campaign. More than 250,000 telephone and
mail inquiries are received and one half-million
website page views are monitored annually.
THE OFFICIAL REGIONAL VISITOR
INFORMATION & WELCOME CENTER
Open seven days a week in an easily accessible and convenient
location in the heart of the Old Mill District in Bend,
COVA’s location provides outstanding access to tourism
information for travelers. The COVA Welcome Center serves
approximately 2,000 walk-in visitors each month, increasing
to more than 3,000 visitors per month in the summer season.
High speed wireless internet access is available along with a
full-time staff of qualified experts to answer any questions
regarding our expansive and diverse region.
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COVA operates a reservations/response and inquiry
fulfillment center to meet the needs of each specific client.
Client Service Specialists respond to all inquiries generated
by COVA’s advertising and promotion campaigns. COVA
partners with Regional Chambers of Commerce and Economic
Development offices to share lead prospects related to
business development and relocation referrals.
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COVA’s Official Central Oregon Visitors Guide is:
• A 78-page, magazine-quality publication. It
is Central Oregon’s most comprehensive A-Z
resource guide of everything to see and do
in and around the region.
• Mailed in response to each inquiry received
in the COVA Reservations Center.
• Placed in-room in 3,500+ vacation homes,
condos, motels and B&B’s throughout
Central Oregon.
• Distributed at consumer trade shows throughout the
western United States and internationally through
partnerships with Travel Oregon.
• Distributed at each of
the nine Official State
of Oregon Welcome
Centers.
• Redmond & Portland
airport distribution.
• Distributed at AAA
offices throughout
the western U.S.
• Distributed at
COVA partner
Chambers of
Commerce,
Convention
Centers, and CVB’s
statewide.
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TELEVISION - MEDIA & PROGRAMMING
TELEVISION - ORIGINAL SPONSORED
PROGRAMMING
COVA’s 2011 television campaign focused on a partnership
with Comcast SportsNet (CSN) Northwest and California
featuring original sponsored programming, filmed in
Central Oregon.
• CSN Northwest DMAs include Portland, Seattle, Eugene,
Medford, Spokane and Bend with a total of 1.2 million
subscriber homes.
• CSN California DMAs include San Francisco, Sacramento,
Chico/Redding, Fresno, Reno, Monterey and Reno with a
total of 4.6 million subscribers.
Comcast SportsNet Broadcast Summary:
• 216 Central Oregon episode airings
• 802 commercials on CSN-NW
• 232 commercials on
CSN-California
• 200 vignettes on
CSN-NW
• 100 vignettes on
CSN-California
• 100+ event/contest commercials on CSN-NW
• 50+ event/contest commercials on CSN-California
• Central Oregon received additional exposure via a
Comcast-produced a :30 spot highlighting late summer
Central Oregon events and activities and encouraging
viewers to “Win a Central Oregon Summer Vacation
Getaway”
• CSN-NW Programming included WANTED: Adventure
Woman, Outdoor GPS, Blazers Pre and Post Game shows
and Emerald Downs Live.
• CSN-California Programming included Albertson’s Team
Championship Golf, San Jose Sharks Games, Oakland A’s
Season Preview and CIF State HS Basketball
FILMED ON LOCATION - CENTRAL OREGON
The Wild Life with Jeremy
• 2 episodes were taped on location in Central Oregon,
featuring Sunriver and Eagle Crest for lodging, while host,
Jeremy McLaughlin, water-boarded the Deschutes and
went rock climbing at Smith Rock.
• 1 additional bonus episode featured geocaching in the
Warm Springs area.
Adrenaline Hunter
• The format features female host, Bethy Rossos,
participating in a thrill-seeking outdoor adventure
every week.
• 2 episodes featuring Central Oregon exclusively were
filmed on location.
• The first episode featured Pole, Pedal, Paddle, with
crossover of Jeremy (from The Wild Life) taking on
the event. The episode was cut combining Jeremy’s
participation in PPP with segments of Bethy hang gliding
and white water kayaking on the Metolius. The second
episode features Bethy learning and participating in
rodeo events, under the tutelage of the Willis family
in Terrebonne.
“The area’s 300 days of sun annually allows for fourseason recreation such as rafting and stand-up paddle
boarding in the spring, summer and fall, and skiing
and snowboarding in the winter.”
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DESTINATION AND PRINT MARKETING
DESTINATION TRAVEL FEATURES
Getting Away Together on PBS:
COVA contracted with PineRidge Film & Television to
feature Central Oregon in one of thirteen half-hour,
destination travel features to air on PBS. Each of the
thirteen destinations feature a reality-based vacation
concept in America’s finest vacation home destinations.
The Central Oregon segment featured the popularity
of “Staycations” and was filmed entirely on location in
Central Oregon. The Central Oregon segment received
the bonus of being selected as one of four episodes
combined in the “Best Of Getting Away Together” and will
receive additional broadcast exposure as a result.
The Vacation Rental Managers Association of America secured
sponsorship from TripAdvisor and MMGY Global to promote
the series on PBS, with scheduled airings from 2012-2015, in
more than 65 PBS markets across the nation.
Getting Away Together
TOTAL VIEWERSHIP OF POTENTIAL AUDIENCE
distribution of airings
PRINT MARKETING
COVA’s print media is purchased in-house,
thereby expanding the buying power of
net rates. This leveraged expertise allows
COVA an additional 15% buying power
which directly expands the frequency and
reach of our message. Print remains a costeffective vehicle to leverage the broadcast
and interactive marketing for Central
Oregon. A multi-tiered approach to
media buying insures that Central Oregon
messaging is delivered through a variety of media portals
to reach more of our
target customers.
COVA’s 2011 print campaign
appeared in publications throughout
the western states, including:
• AAA
• VIA magazine
• AAA Western Journey
• Alaska Airlines in-flight
• Destination Golfer
• Edible Seattle
• Golf Digest
• Golf World
• New Yorker
• Parade-style newspaper inserts in
L.A., Sacramento, San Francisco,
Eugene/Salem, Medford, Portland
and Seattle
• NCGA
• Oprah magazine
• Race Center NW
• PNGA
• Southern Oregon Magazine
• Sunset
• Travel Oregon magazine
• United Express in-flight
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DIGITAL MARKETING
VISITCENTRALOREGON.COM
According to the most current research
of the U.S. Travel Association, the
Internet was used by approximately
90 million American adults to plan
travel, with 76 percent of online
travelers planning leisure trips online.
Importantly most see the Internet as a
useful tool for planning many aspects of
a trip including where to stay overnight,
planning travel routes, potential places
to visit, attractions to visit, as well as learning about what to
do. Numbers are on the rise for the use of mobile devices and
social networks when planning and sharing travel experiences.
To stay current with tourism’s digital marketing trends,
COVA re-designed the VisitCentralOregon.com website to
implement features that interface with social media and allow
users to share the content. Key improvements were:
• A rotating slide show in the masthead showcasing high
resolution images of the region gives the site a more
contemporary look.
• A blog style component which allows COVA to distribute
content reflecting topics and news of interest to visitors
and features a sharing tool so that site visitors can share
COVA content across a range of social networks/services.
• Member listing enhancements included Google
mapping to member business locations and a feature
which allows site visitors to recommend the member
listing to their friends.
As Central Oregon’s Regional DMO, optimizing digital content
for the “Central Oregon Brand” is how the region is postioned,
although internet search generally supports use of a city name
when typing search terms. However, COVA ranks #1 on all
search engines for the search term “Central
Oregon”. COVA is developing a interactive
strategy to optimize search terms as part of
the 2012 web marketing and interactive
plan development.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
COVA created and sustained conversations
with visitors as well as local residents via
Facebook and Twitter to build an awareness of
Central Oregon as a vacation destination and
to improve the perception that COVA is the authentic source
of tourism information for the region.
In 2011, participation in the
Travel Oregon Facebook
Spring Co-op Campaign
which promoted Central
Oregon lodging, activities
and travel deals resulted in an
increase of “Likes” from 537 to 10,650. In addition, COVA
communicates regularly with more than 750 Twitter followers,
as well as maintaining profiles on YouTube and Google+.
E-MARKETING
The successful Central Oregon Travel Club e-mail program
renewed for a third year in 2011. The campaign drove email
subscribers to a custom web page featuring travel deals from
participating members along with upcoming events, images
and specialized, seasonal content – all intended to increase
appeal for Central Oregon as a vacation destination.
COVA’s email marketing efforts resulted in a total of 470,000
emails distributed to the highly-qualified subscriber database.
“Adrenaline junkies get the juices flowing on whitewater rafting
trips, rock climbing wall and awesome mountain biking trails.”
“And then there is the golf. Golf Digest recently ranked Central
Oregon as 23rd in the top 50 best golf courses in the world…”
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INTERNATIONAL MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS
INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
Central Oregon’s International marketing efforts are led by
COVA’s partnership with Travel Oregon. The modest (less
than 1 percent of COVA’s annual budget) resources dedicated
to International marketing for the region are made possible
from a Travel Oregon grant program known as the Regional
Cooperative Marketing Program (RCMP).
The RCMP is governed by a Stakeholders
Committee, with representatives from each
Central Oregon Destination Marketing
Organizations and Chambers of Commerce.
With COVA’s regional scope and
involvement at the state level, we
are privileged to serve as the conduit
for management of Central Oregon’s
RCMP program management and
implementation.
While our Canadian neighbors receive the
lion’s share of Central Oregon’s emphasis,
we know that visitors will travel from as far
as 12,000 miles away to experience Oregon’s
wide open spaces. While here, International
visitors stay 3 times longer than their domestic
counterparts, making the international visitor
a significant contributor to our economy. The
average international visitor enjoys six weeks’
vacation annually. The weaker U.S. dollar makes visiting a sales
tax-free destination like Oregon very appealing.
1. COVA represented the region by attending the 2011 Go
West Summit, and 2011 U.S. Travel Media Marketplace
& International Pow Wow. With a combined total of
5,150 attendees, COVA participated in 155 face-to-face
appointments with international tour operators and travel
media from around the globe.
2. Throughout the year, Central Oregon hosts a myriad of
site visits to showcase Central Oregon to international
buyers. Additionally, Central Oregon was added as new
product by four international tour operators.
PUBLIC RELATIONS & FAMILIARIZATION TRIPS
A strong public and media relations program serves to increase
awareness of Central Oregon as a destination, elevate public
perception and pay long-term dividends. COVA’s paid media
and earned media (PR) programs are developed to strategically
leverage one another to optimize the investment in both.
COVA’s Public Relations programs help generate more than
$2.5 million in earned media
for the region annually.
In 2011, COVA hosted nearly
150 Travel Trade and Media
representatives to experience
Central Oregon’s product
first hand. Both domestic
and international journalists
visited the region at COVA’s
invitation. COVA and our
member partners sponsored
an average of three Central
Oregon FAM trips every
month, year-round.
FAM trips occur year-round
and cover the myriad of activities and
seasonality of the region. Writers are always seeking a unique
angle…what’s new? What hasn’t been done, seen, heard,
felt or tasted before? The Public Relations ‘pitch’ to the
writer, publisher or producer is the hook; but the diversity
and hospitality of the Central Oregon experience is what
is ultimately relayed to the audience. COVA’s PR outreach
includes print, broadcast and interactive.
COVA’s Public Relations Outreach
With a PR budget of $30,000 in 2011, COVA realized an Earned
Media value in excess of $2.5 million for Central Oregon.
Total Number of Media/FAM tours hosted by COVA*
Total Number of People in Attendance at hosted tours
Earned Media - Domestic
Earned Media - International
35
144
$2 million
$554,000
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SIGNATURE EVENTS
THE GOLF WORLD PACIFIC AMATEUR
GOLF CLASSIC
2011 was the 15th year of the Central Oregon Visitors
Association playing host to the largest amateur golf
tournament in the west, the Golf World Pacific Amateur Golf
Classic. The PacAm has grown to a field
of more than 600 golfers, and with more
than 50% of the field accompanied by
friends and family, the PacAm welcomes
more than 1,200 people to Central
Oregon for the event and generates
economic impacts in excess of
$3 million annually.
The PacAm, a part of Central Oregon’s
comprehensive destination golf marketing,
is a world-class amateur event that
led to Central Oregon’s designation
by Golf Digest as one of the Top
50 Golf Destinations in the World.
Scheduled during the “slump week”,
the last week of August leading into
Labor Day weekend, the PacAm
drives business in a non-peak
period, while still allowing for the
best-of-season weather and golf
course conditions.
events success and include Lithia Auto Dealers, Alaska Airlines,
Sunriver Resort, Horizon Broadcasting, KTVZ News Channel
21, the Bulletin, Deschutes Brewery and Pepsi.
The PacAm takes place on nine tournament golf courses
throughout the region, with the Central Oregon Visitors
Association staff and local contractors, operating
and managing all aspects of this annual golf event.
In addition, COVA is honored that our Festival of
Golf charity event during the PacAm has raised
over $130,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of
Central Oregon.
The PacAm brings visitors from across the nation
and from as far away as Australia, South Africa,
Ireland and the United Kingdom. The average
length of stay of our PacAm participant is 6+ nights,
with total economic impacts of more than $3 million
for the week-long event.
THE COVA GALA AT THE RIVERHOUSE
The Annual Visitor Industry Gala
at The Riverhouse is another
opportunity for COVA and our
tourism industry partners to give
back to the community in a big
way. COVA in partnership with
The Riverhouse produces the
entire event from preliminary
beneficiary selection through donation
procurement, ticket sales and volunteer support for the event.
Gala
The Pacific Amateur Golf Classic is
the first, and only, region-wide event directly developed and
managed by COVA. The PacAm is 100% self-funded through
sponsorships and participant entry fees, and helps generate
more than $100,000 in earned media annually for Central
Oregon as a golf destination. Nationally renowned sponsors
like Golf World, Taylormade, adidas, Ashworth, Cleveland,
PING and Callaway help showcase the event on a the national
golf stage. Our regional and local sponsors are pivotal to the
The Gala is the only community event wherein 100% of food,
beverage, facility, ticket sales, auction items and paddle pledge
proceeds directly benefit the selected charity. Celebrating
20 years, The Gala event remains one of the most successful
charity events in Central Oregon, having raised over $1.7
million for local non-profit organizations since its inception.
“The Golf World Pacific Amateur Golf Classic
has made Central Oregon the DREAM AND
DRAMA for every golfer. “
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INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS
The RCMP Stakeholders Committee meet quarterly
and the Committee is comprised of the assigned Destination
Marketing Organization and includes; the Bend Chamber and
Visit Bend; Redmond Chamber/CVB; Sisters Country;
Sunriver Chamber; LaPine Chamber; Madras Chamber;
Prineville Chamber; Crooked River Ranch Chamber and the
Maupin Chamber.
GROUP MEETINGS & THE DESCHUTES
COUNTY FAIR & EXPO CENTER
COVA actively supports the Group Meetings and Corporate
Events sales efforts of our business partners throughout the
region. COVA’s emphasis is to support, market and host large
group events that will drive region-wide, overnight stays.
An intensive, targeted 2011 RCMP Smart Meetings Group
Familiarization Tour (FAM) has already generated five
Requests for Proposal for meetings from 2012-2014. Booked
and pending contracts to date have recouped the Group
Meeting investment by 120%. In addition, Central Oregon
received earned media exposure for our group and convention
partners with Smart Meetings magazine valued at an
additional $25,000.
The focus was part of the 2011 RCMP Strategy, with COVA
initiating and coordinating a Meeting Planner Familiarization
trip for 25, highly qualified and hand selected group meeting
planners. COVA worked with Smart Meetings magazine and
our regional partners from the inception of a qualified list of
invitees; through travel arrangements, itinerary and a hosted,
three-day Central Oregon experience.
As partners with the Deschutes County Fair & Expo
Center (DCFE) COVA has worked with the DCFE to
bring large group and convention business to
Central Oregon for more than a decade.
In 2011, the DCFE hosted 365 individual
events and welcomed nearly half a million
guests to their state of the art expo and
convention facility. The region-wide events
build room demand compression throughout
the region.
COVA serves as a Housing Bureau to accommodate
the lodging requirements for the DCFE exhibitors and
participants. Over the years, Central Oregon and the DCFE
have welcomed dozens of large, nationally recognized groups
requiring accommodations throughout Deschutes County.
Commercial air service development
For decades, COVA has partnered with the Redmond Airport,
the Airport Commission and Economic Development
for Central Oregon to sustain and grow Central Oregon’s
commercial air service via targeted meetings and
presentations to the region’s key commercial air carriers.
The presentations are developed within the strategic plans of
Robert’s Field (RDM) and are executed in partnership with the
airport consultants, airport Commission and EDCO.
COVA’s tourism destination marketing plans are an integral
part of the decision-making process for commercial flight
sustainability to the region as we are a destination that
supports commercial travel equally between
leisure and business travel.
The Central Oregon Air Service Team
has initiated new air service to key
markets in the Bay Area, Denver and
Salt Lake City. In 2012, a concerted
effort to expand commercial air
service to Southern California
is a top priority.
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As the RDMO for Central Oregon, COVA
administers the Travel Oregon Regional
Cooperative Marketing Program (RCMP).
The Travel Oregon RCMP grant fund can
award up to 15% of the state 1% room
taxes generated in Central Oregon to
regional marketing. The RCMP grant funds
are required to be dedicated to out-ofstate or international marketing efforts to
drive overnight visitation.
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The Central Oregon Visitors Association is the Travel Oregon
appointed Regional Destination Marketing Organization
(RDMO) for the Central Oregon region comprised of
Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson and South Wasco counties.
COVA’s partners from throughout the region supported this
specialized FAM opportunity by providing complimentary
accommodations, activities, meals and hospitality. This FAM
was a collaboration of partners from throughout the region,
with long-range benefits resulting from the relationships
formed during the FAM weekend that will generate future
booked business to the region.
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REGIONAL, STATE & NATIONAL LEADERSHIP
FOR CENTRAL OREGON
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COVA BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The Official Central Oregon
Visitors Guide
Business Referrals
Members receive premier visibility for their business in the
award winning 78-page, full-color, Official Central Oregon
Visitors Guide distributed to every visitor inquiry received in
the COVA Reservation Center.
• Only COVA members receive
FREE copies of the Official
Central Oregon Visitors Guide
for display and distribution
through their business.
• Only COVA members receive a
FREE business listing in the 78page Official Central Oregon
Visitors Guide.
• Only COVA members have the
opportunity to purchase upgraded displayadvertising space in the Visitors Guide. (Advertising
opportunities are limited and available on a
first-reserved basis)
The Official Regional Tourism Website
Only COVA members receive a FREE website link to their site
directly from the COVA website.
• Additional FREE listing(s) on the COVA Web page(s) in the
appropriate pages, i.e.: lodging, dining, attraction, retail,
activity, real estate, banking and more.
• Additional FREE photos of your business (where
applicable) posted on the COVA website to help market
your product or services.
Cooperative Destination Marketing
Only COVA members are invited to participate in
the cooperative Destination Marketing programs of
the Association.
• Public Relations
• Cooperative Advertising
• Trade Show Exhibits, Sales Blitzes & FAM/Research Tours
• Direct Business Referrals
• Event Marketing & Sponsorship
• Database List Retrieval Access & Demographic
Research Information
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• The Central Oregon Visitor Information Center, located in
The Shops at the Old Mill, serves an average of 2,000
walk-in visitors every month and is open 7 days a week.
• COVA tracks more than $5 million in Earned Media
editorial coverage for Central Oregon in local, regional,
national and international media annually, generating
these results from a Public Relations budget of
just $35,000.
• COVA’s multi-tiered marketing, promotion and visitor
services programs are funded with a total budget of $1.6
million. 75% of the budget is directly spent on programs,
less than 25% spent on administration.
• COVA represents the Central Oregon Visitor Industry in
leadership roles including:
• Oregon Tourism Commission
• Oregon Tourism & Hospitality Consortium
• Oregon Destination Marketing Organizations
• Western Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau’s
• U.S. Travel Association
SUMMARY
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Membership in the Association is open to any business or
individual with an interest in supporting a public/private
sector partnership in tourism destination marketing. COVA’s
leveraged cooperative marketing program campaigns,
Visitors Guide advertising, comprehensive public relations
programs and web development marketing opportunities
are available to all members in good standing. For a detailed
copy of the COVA Strategic Marketing Plan or a membership
dues schedule, please visit the COVA website at www.
VisitCentralOregon.com.
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Network with more than 450 COVA Business Members to
showcase your business and share strategic marketing and
research data at COVA’s Annual Meeting and Membership
Marketing Research Forums.
Date
COVA AT A GLANCE
Tourism is the single largest industry in Central Oregon,
responsible for more than one-half billion dollars in total
economic impacts. By joining COVA your business will
directly benefit from COVA’s proven thirty-seven year history
in effective tourism destination marketing programs.
Business Networking & Research
4/27/12
The COVA Reservations Center responds to over 250,000
inquiries annually. Only COVA members receive FREE
direct referrals from COVA for visitors needing
accommodations, real estate information and complete
vacation planning assistance.