Amanda Davis has an apt description for the year-long effort to determine a tourism marketing identification for Grove City.
“It’s been an adventure,” said Davis, the director of Visit Grove City, the city’s convention and visitor bureau.
Adventure is the key word, because the bureau’s new marketing strategy is to position Grove City as central Ohio’s premier destination for outdoor activities.
Davis introduced “Altogether Adventure” as the slogan that will be used to promote the city to visitors and tourism groups, unveiling it at the CVB’s annual meeting held July 13 at the Aladdin Shrine Center.
“Altogether Adventure” sums up “what makes Grove City special,” Davis said.
“We’re the place for folks who are looking for a getaway and a little elbow-room close to the big city,” she said.
Visitors want to know what differentiates Grove City from other central Ohio communities as a tourism destination, Davis said.
It is the wealth of outdoor activities and attractions in and near Grove City that sets it apart, Davis said.
A research study conducted over the past year for the bureau by the Nashville-based North Star Destination Strategies confirmed Grove City’s status as a hub for outdoor pursuits, she said.
“There’s no one else in our region that comes close to offering the variety of outdoor activities and attractions that we do,” Davis said.
“We offer adventures for everyone — all ages, all skills levels, all interests.
“You don’t have to be a rugged individual to find an outdoor pursuit you can enjoy in Grove City,” Davis said.
And that’s the double meaning behind “Altogether Adventure,” Davis said.
“We’re all about adventure and there’s adventure in Grove City for any and all of us,” she said.
The final step is to determine the best and most creative ways to use the new marketing slogan, Davis said.
A video promoting Grove City as a tourist destination has been produced and is available for local businesses and organizations to use free of charge, she said.
The interior of the CVB offices will be redesigned to add elements reflecting Grove City’s outdoor adventure identity, Davis said.
A retail shop at the offices will be selling an array of products made by Grove City area businesses, she said.
It’s an exciting time for the community and Visit Grove City, said Chris Fulton, president of the bureau’s board of trustees.
The city’s growth as a tourism center is reflected by the number of hotels in Grove City — currently 14 with four more coming, he said.
“As we grow as a community and as a convention and visitor bureau, we want to present ourselves to the world,” Fulton said. “We want to have visitors return again and again” and perhaps find Grove City a place they want to call home.
“We’re not a small town anymore, but we want to maintain our small-town feel,” he said.
Along with the new marketing slogan, the inaugural Trailblazers Awards were presented at the annual meeting.
“The awards are our way of recognizing an individual, business and event that go above and beyond in drawing attention to our community and bringing in visitors to Grove City,” Davis said.
The individual award was presented to Steve Carr, founder and long-time director of the Grove City Alumni Softball Tournament. Carr retired last year after serving 34 years as tournament director.
The business award went to Scioto Grove Metro Park, which is the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District’s first Metro Parks facility to offer overnight camping.
The Grove City Wine and Arts Festival, presented by the Grove Town Center Inc., was the event honoree.
