What is a CVB anyway?
What is a Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB)?
In this blog, Grace Caswell, C.E.O. of the Noble County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc., explores the many benefits of destination management and leadership organizations.
As fall settles across Noble County, Indiana, and another busy tourism season winds down, it's a great time to reflect on the tourism industry and the many services a convention and visitors bureau (CVB) or destination management organization (DMO) provides. From supporting local businesses and promoting community events to developing tourism assets and strengthening our visitor economy, these organizations play an important role in creating thriving communities for residents, visitors, and tourism partners alike.
From April to November, Visit Noble County experiences its busiest season, with over 75% of all visitors arriving during this time. As we look back on the spring, summer, and fall seasons, we're reminded that the work of destination management extends far beyond the busy travel months. The relationships we build, the experiences we promote, and the partnerships we develop help strengthen our destination throughout the year.
We generate employment, boost tax revenue, develop and promote assets, and manage the ebb and flow of the visitor economy. We sit at the table to make Noble County a more wonderful place to live, play, and visit.
Tri-State Bluegrass Festival Seating at Sylvan Cellars Gene Stratton Porter Home Black Pine Animal Sanctuary Baker Hall Wedding Venue Kimmell House Inn
Tri State Indiana Bluegrass Festival, Sylvan Cellars Event Center, Hemmingway Wetlands and Gazebo at Gene Stratton Porter State Historic Site, Tiger at Black Pine Animal Sanctuary, Baker Hall Wedding Venue at the Mid America Windmill Museum, Front door of Kimmel House Inn Bed and Breakfast
Visit Noble County is Noble County, Indiana's official CVB, established under state statutes. Many counties and cities in Indiana have CVBs. These organizations may also be referred to as destination management organizations, or DMOs. Sometimes, DMOs are not CVBs, but it's safe to assume any CVB is a DMO.
No matter what you call us, our primary responsibility is to promote a town, city, state, or region to increase the number of travelers and overnight stays, and to spur commerce.
While we are great at promotions and marketing, most CVBs and DMOs do significantly more than that. Think of us as a marketing, management, and relationship department for a geographic region, an extra tool in a destination's leadership toolbelt.
Our goal is to develop and execute strategies that raise awareness about all of the beautiful things Noble County has to offer, like our 117 lakes and waterways, scenic parks, charming communities, local businesses, festivals, and unique attractions. To do this, I create and publish articles, blogs, videos, guides, and social media content. I aim to help travelers and local tourism partners (those who make our region truly a "destination") connect to create a rejuvenating vacation experience.
You may already know that we create beautiful guides and flyers, engaging websites, and informative and timely blog posts. Sometimes, we also invite travel writers from other areas to tour our region in hopes our destination will be highlighted and promoted to their readers. We are active on all forms of social media, too.
But wait, there's more! Destination management is about much more than telling people where to go. It's about helping build a destination people want to experience, supporting the people who make those experiences possible, and connecting tourism to the larger goals of our community.
A CVB is the 2nd lane for economic development
CVBs and DMOs are the home of the "visitor economy." Our clients are the residents and partners who reside within our destination. We partner with visitors to our destination as investors in our community. We drive economic development by flipping the script, by driving in a separate lane towards the same goal as our local economic development organization (LEDO), which focuses on other contributors and partners that help create a thriving local economy.
While economic development organizations work to attract and retain businesses, support workforce development, and strengthen the local business climate, destination organizations focus on the economic opportunities created when people visit, explore, and spend time in our communities. These efforts are different, but they complement one another. Together, they help build a stronger local economy.
Our motto is Visit, Play, Live, Work. The perceptions of visitors drive enhancements to the quality of life and quality of place in our community. Sometimes, when we're most successful, visitors later become permanent residents!
Think about it: A visitor comes to Noble County for a festival, a weekend on the lake, or a family adventure. Along the way, they discover a local restaurant, shop at a small business, explore a downtown, or fall in love with the surrounding landscape. That experience can inspire them to return, invest in the community, or even make Noble County their home. Tourism can be an introduction to everything our community has to offer.
We promote and support local events and festivals
We are partnership-driven. We have tour partners who can help support and expand almost any local event to be bigger, better, and more impactful. We work to tackle challenges and help find solutions to meet community needs for transportation, entertainment, food, and more to help ensure a successful, sustainable outcome.
From community festivals and seasonal celebrations to outdoor recreation and educational experiences, events give visitors a reason to discover Noble County. By connecting organizers with promotional opportunities, tourism partners, and regional resources, we help create experiences that benefit more than just the event itself.
We provide information about local offers found nowhere else
At any given time, we may be able to offer rebates, discounts, and VIP tour options that are not available anywhere else, enhancing - and possibly extending - a traveler's stay. We are well-versed in our region’s “hidden gems,” too. When on a family trip or scoping out a possible vacation destination, we encourage you to ask the local CVB or DMO at your chosen destination how to find the best offers available there.
Sometimes the best parts of a trip are the unexpected discoveries: a locally owned shop, a quiet lakeside spot, a seasonal festival, or an experience you didn't know existed. Our job is to help visitors uncover those opportunities and connect them with the people and places that make Noble County special.
For our local tourism partners, these connections can mean increased visibility and new opportunities to reach potential customers. When we work together to share what's happening across the county, we help visitors discover more reasons to stay a little longer and come back again.
We market small and large meeting spaces
With the word “convention” in our name, you might guess we also market local venues for group meet-ups. Small meetings represent 70% of all meetings (those with less than 50 attendees) in the U.S. and more than $10 billion annually in spending. We strive (and compete) for planners to choose Noble County to host their next event!
Community Learning Center Baker Hall Madison Rose
Noble County has a variety of small meeting venues to offer, and we are here to help you find them! Like The Reception Room inside the Community Learning Center, Baker Hall at the Mid America Windmill Museum, and The Madison Rose inside Black Creek Ridge Flower Farm.
Meetings, retreats, educational tours, conferences, and group experiences can all create opportunities for Noble County businesses and attractions. From small team gatherings to larger group events, we work to connect planners with the spaces, services, and experiences that make our destination a great fit.
We LOVE to go above and beyond to fulfill special requests
CVB Board Members & Staff celebrating graduates at the Engage Noble Leadership Academy graduation, 2024.
Suppose a visiting group wishes to collect food for a local pantry, spend a half-day volunteering on a local service project, or contribute to a local non-profit cause. We are here to help make that extraordinary experience a reality!
Suppose a homesteading and farming conference wants to tour local farms...you guessed it! We make it happen.
Maybe, while visiting, you want to learn more about wine, beer, and food pairings, or kayak down a river, across a lake, or through a chain of nine lakes. These experiences are great for a team bonding or training day. Whatever you wish, we will work with you to make it happen.
The possibilities are as unique as the groups themselves. A successful gathering can combine business with local exploration, meaningful service, outdoor adventure, or an introduction to the people and traditions that define our region. We love helping planners discover ways to make their time in Noble County memorable.
We can provide helping hands and other support services
ITA Academy Graduates
Visit Noble County Staff volunteering to work informational booths and help set up NoblePalooza 2024, and Grace Caswell, Executive Director of the Noble County Convention & Visitors Bureau, along with the ITA Academy graduating class of 2024
Visit Noble County's staff goes above and beyond in our role as your destination concierge. We are ready to assist visitors, as well as local partners, to enrich experiences across Noble County and the greater region!
If you are a local tourism partner in need of additional "boots on the ground" at an upcoming event registration table, or to stuff visitor goodie bags, to judge a parade or food recipe, make commemorative T-shirts, or serve as tour guides to VIP guests and guest speakers, call us! Our team can help to provide or rally the support you need.
No two days in tourism look exactly alike, and that's part of what makes this work so rewarding! One day, we may be promoting an upcoming festival; the next, we may be connecting partners, helping coordinate a visitor experience, sharing marketing resources, or finding a new way to showcase a local attraction. Our small but mighty team works to connect people, ideas, and opportunities wherever we can.
We are community leaders and partners
CVBs and DMOs are typically great connectors within a community. We partner with our neighbors in the greater region and state to multiply and enhance efforts that support local, regional, and statewide economic development and vitality.
We are in the trenches alongside other leaders in tourism, arts and culture, festival planning, talent recruitment, recreation, main streets, towns, cities, and economic development. We do our best and learn the most while being a part of an extensive network of leaders who join us in our desire to drive tourism and improve the quality of life.
"CVBs are destination marketing/managing departments for our counties and communities. We are intentional stewards of our communities' greatest assets and resources. We manage the ebb and flow of the vistior economy. We lead through service" - Grace Caswell
Tourism is a team effort. Our destination is strongest when local businesses, attractions, event organizers, community leaders, and residents recognize the value each brings to the bigger picture. By collaborating locally and regionally, we can share resources, expand our reach, and create experiences that make people proud to call this place home.
Looking Ahead: Let's Keep Growing Together!
As we wrap up another fall tourism season and look toward 2027, I am grateful for the partners, businesses, organizations, and community leaders who make Noble County such a special place. Every attraction, event, small business, trail, lake, and local experience contributes to the story we share with visitors.
I encourage you, if a tourism partner in Noble County, to get in touch and remain current on free and low-cost advertising opportunities, upcoming events, learning opportunities, and other news.
Consider applying for a Visit Noble County Tourism Grant today to help boost tourism at your location and our destination!
Whether you're an established tourism business, a nonprofit hosting community events, an attraction looking to reach new audiences, or a partner with an idea for strengthening tourism, we want to hear from you. Let's explore how we can work together to promote your offerings and enhance the visitor experience.
I am excited to be here and look forward to serving you! Tourism doesn't happen because of one organization or one person. It happens because a community comes together to share what makes it special. At Visit Noble County, we're proud to be part of that effort, and we're excited about the opportunities ahead.
I am excited to be here and look forward to serving you!
Grace Caswell Chief Executive Officer Visit Noble County
