Mark Calitri, President/CEO of Visit Owensboro announced that Brooklyn Maple of Kentucky Legend and Brian Smith of Diamond Lakes Resort have been added to the board of directors.
Its bittersweet said Calitri as we are losing two very committed and experienced hospitality veterans. Ruthann Dearness was an icon in our business managing and opening many hotels across the United States. Her impact on the hospitality community was tremendous. Larry Kirk, owner of the Miller House, which has been recently recognized as one of the top 40 whiskey bars in the country has provided sure handed guidance over the years.
The new board members are coming on at a crucial time for Visit Owensboro and the City of Owensboro. This year the CVB will be releasing a new marketing plan that will focus heavily in the digital format. They are also transitioning into an elite sales organization pursing state association. Also, this year it was announced Owensboro will be hosting and facilitating the newly created 2A State of Kentucky Championships starting with boys and girls basketball and adding additional sports each subsequent year.
‘Visit Owensboro as an organization is looking to be an incredible driver of economic impact to Owensboro and Daviess County.”
We truly are the culinary and cultural hub of Western Kentucky and our goal is continue delivering world class experiences that make guests want to keep coming back. This year we are proud to announce that O.Z. Tyler Distillery has joined the world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail. This is huge said Calitri, because bourbonism, which combines the words bourbon and tourism has become so valuable in attracting foreign and out of state visitors. When it comes to leisure travel, OZ Tyler will increase hotel nights and visitation being that it located 100 miles from the closest distillery on the bourbon trail. Owensboro is the western gateway to the bourbon trail. “Start here. End here. Stay here.” That’s our message.
Because over one million people visit the bourbon trail a year, the CVB has made OZ Tyler a focal point to our marketing efforts.
Also this year Owensboro will open the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum, the only one of its kind in the world.
This year Southern Living magazine also named Moonlite Barbeque as the #1 barbeque in the State of Kentucky.
We believe this combination of Bourbon, Bluegrass and Barbeque is a game changer for Owensboro.
We are encouraging strategic alliances with the new Bluegrass Museum, Moonlite, and OZ Tyler to give people more than one reason to come here.