Hinckley Convention, Visitors Bureau aims to drive more traffic downtown

The city of Hinckley is aiming to encourage more visitors, more traffic, and more revenue to businesses, parks, and activities through the efforts from the Hinckley Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Executive Director Kristy Hosler states the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is an organization that promotes the Hinckley area as a destination for visitors to come. “What we do is market the area and experiences.”

Hosler explains the CVB markets the amenities, events and businesses the area has to offer visitors and passersby. Some of these marketing techniques has led the CVB to place five billboards around the state, drawing the attention of drivers to this part of East Central Minnesota.

“We’re funded by lodging tax,” Hosler states. The lodging tax is a 3% fee that is added on to local hotel stays.

“Our main focus last year was our billboards and updating our website.”

Hosler also adds the Hinckley Convention and Visitors Bureau promotes a 30-mile radius around Hinckley, touching on Mora, Pine City, Sandstone and 

The CVB currently has billboards in Perham, Spooner, Wisc., Grand Marais, and Forest Lake, and one on I-35, “Trying to grab all the traffic that’s coming to Minnesota from Canada, the Dakotas, Wisconsin.”

The Hinckley Convention and Visitors Bureau is made of an eight-person board. Two members are from the Hinckley Chamber, two from the city, a member from St. Croix State Park, a representative from the hotel, and two from the Grand Casino. Tim Burkhardt, a city councilmember, sits on the board as the chair.

In order to help promote the city more, the CVB has hired bloggers that came into town to share their experiences of Hinckley on their pages. The CVB also uses these on its website. “Hinckley is known as the halfway stop. The CVB is trying to get visitors to stop, stay the night or weekend, and explore the area.” Hosler adds.

A long-term goal for the CVB is to entice more people to stop and stay in the Hinckley area. Hosler and board members have attended training and conferences learning what the CVB can and cannot spend lodging tax dollars on to help get people to the area. The state’s regulations on these funds are restricted.

“It can only be spent on marketing and promoting the area,” Hosler explains. The CVB has had to get creative with their marketing to try and reach a larger audience and bring in visitors to Hinckley. The bloggers were a way to do that, along with the billboards, creating maps brochures, updating the website, and having information about business and other places for visitors to visit available.

The CVB is working to better promote the city of Hinckley and to help bring in more positive attention to the businesses that help keep Hinckley a tourist attraction. For more information on the Hinckley Convention and Visitors Bureau, visit https://hinckleymn.com/.

Source: Pinecountynews.com  Sierra Kingen editor@hinckleynews.com