Kentucky is more than just bourbon and horses. The fine folks at Visit Northen Kentucky in conjunction with the Kentucky Tourism Industry Association showed that fact off in style last week at their annual conference. What were the top takeaways from the conference? We asked our man on the ground in Kentucky, Andrew Held, to help answer that question. 

So, of course there was indeed some incredible bourbon, most notably featured on the city tour Bourbon and Backdrops. A visit to Revival Spirits was a real treat as proprietor Brad Bonds told stories about old bottles of bourbon he has collected. It was like Antiques Roadshow meets a bourbon bar. We got to sample three bourbons, all more than 40-years-old. 

Bourbon is a huge tourism driver within Kentucky, and tourism numbers are up within the state. Kentucky Department of Tourism Commissioner Mike Mangeot shared an overview of the current Kentucky Tourism marketing campaign and shared a brand-new video and campaign to promote the wonders of the state. The tag line, "Find What Moves You" will be a prominent part of the campaign moving forward.  

Some key educational takeaways for the Advance Travel and Tourism team were around influencer marketing, podcasts, sports event marketing, and agritourism:  

1. Vetting for influencer marketing is a critical and often overlooked component. Also, should your destination explore an ambassador program for local residents to help share your stories? 

1. Podcasts don't have to be just about your location. Storytelling about people who visit or attractions you have can be just as valuable. Don't be too ambitious with your content plan either. Start small and then grow. Very few podcasts are overnight sensations, expect this to take years to develop. 

1. Sports Marketing is an increasingly powerful growth strategy for small and medium sized destinations in the state. And while stadiums and arenas present clear opportunities for attracting tournaments and events, smaller destinations need to utilize resources currently on hand. With intentional and narrowed marketing outreach, existing offerings can be successfully tailored to smaller, niche hosting opportunities. And while physical buildout can seem the best start to increasing visitor appeal, quite often the first step needs to be the creation of a dedicated operational system and a commitment to sports marketing in general. 

1. Agriculture is core to economic prosperity for most counties in Kentucky, but harnessing it for the purposes of attracting visitors often presents difficulties on the ground. Creating awareness and changing the perceptions of local populations is key to creating traction. Kentucky State Government has many programs and initiatives designed to assist more rural destinations entice and secure the participation of the farms and producers in their areas. It seems vital to integrate as many of these financial carrots as is practical. 

Covington, Kentucky put plenty of spirit into their job as conference host. From history, culture, food, and entertainment, it was easy to see why Northern Kentucky is a popular travel destination. We are grateful for all the presenters and of course our industry partners and friends for sharing a meal, a drink, and the dance floor with us. We look forward to seeing you in Frankfort for Legislative Days or in Shepherdsville for the Spring Travel Forum. 

Find what moves you, Kentucky!