The 2019 National Bicycle Tourism Conference will be held November 6-9 in San Antonio, Texas. The Bicycle Tour Network hosts this annual conference that allows bicycle event professionals and tourism professionals to meet and network with each other. The conference includes lectures, interactive sessions, group discussions and breakouts with a variety of topics related to the successful and safe administration of cycling events and tours and promotion of bicycle tourism.
The Bourbon Country Burn team takes pride in creating a truly unique, high quality experience for our guests. In this breakout session, we will be discussing how we have successfully blended a bike tour with a bourbon festival, and how we have grown from 200 to 1,000 riders from 45 states in just 3 years — largely by following this simple value: “It’s Not Just a Ride, It’s an Experience.”
However, having an unique experience to offer guests is just the beginning! The success of any cycling event is largely dependent on an organization’s ability to promote and market its experiences.
So, what has worked for The Burn? We have distilled our marketing plan down to a few key strategies which have helped us yield a high-demand product:
• Old-Fashioned: Don’t underestimate the power of old-fashioned bootstrapping.
• Manhattan: You don’t need a Mad-Men Advertising Budget.
• Bourbon Neat: Create neat, high quality experiences & marketing materials.
• Bourbon on the Rocks: Follow the trends in your industry.
