2009-2010 Annual Report - Alabama Department of Conservation ...

n Lakepoint State Park:
• The parking lot at the golf pro-shop was paved. New 50
amp electrical service was installed in one of the campground
loops by members of the electrical union. The renovation
of the Lodge was completed and a new swimming pool was
installed.
n Monte Sano State Park:
• Main park entrance roadway was enlarged and repaved.
n Rickwood Caverns State Park:
• All park roadways were repaved.
n Joe Wheeler State Park:
• The new covered marina dock was completed and opened
for business. The parking lots at the lodge and marina were
paved. Parking areas at the south side cabins were enlarged
and paved.
STATE PARKS PROMOTIONS
The Alabama State Parks Promotions Section was created in 1983
to coordinate the overall advertising, marketing and promotional
efforts of the Alabama State Parks system. The section currently
employs three people in the Montgomery office.
Administrative functions include coordination of radio and
television public service announcements; preparation and distribution
of promotional literature; coordination of print and photographic
material for magazines, campground directories, and newspaper
articles; cooperation and coordination with the Alabama Bureau of
Tourism and Travel, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors
bureaus, tourist association and special events promoters; evaluation
of advertising opportunities; purchasing of advertising space;
production of ads and advertising materials; assistance with individual
State Parks promotional efforts; participation in travel shows, sport
and boat shows, special events, and the National Fair exhibits;
continuous updating of photos; presentation of programs for various
organizations; and the operation of the Central Reservations State
Park service to the public.
Accomplishments
This past year saw the economy continue to be sluggish throughout
the country. As if this weren’t problem enough, we experienced an oil
spill in the Gulf that seriously affected all tourism along the Gulf Coast.
The Promotions Section started off the 2009-2010 fiscal year with
a display booth at the National Fair in Montgomery, Ala. The fair
lasts for 10 days and hundreds of people come by and ask questions
about the parks, pick up literature, and register for free weekend
give-away certificates at the parks. After the first of the calendar year
the Promotions Section gets extremely busy. Early in January, we
represented the parks with a display booth at the Tampa Super Show.
This show is billed as the largest RV & Camping show in the United
States. For five days literally thousands of people file by providing
great opportunities to distribute informative literature and answer any
questions about the State Parks. Later in January, it is on to Atlanta for
the Spring RV & Camping show. We have participated in this show for
years and because of the enthusiastic and pro-active approach toward
greeting our potential customers, we have secured the first booth as
people enter the show. We are literally the first they see when they
enter and the last they see as they leave the show. In February we
participated in the Huntsville and Birmingham RV shows. These shows
provide an excellent opportunity to discuss the vacation opportunities
available to citizens that live right here in Alabama. Our primary
promotion item is a calendar that is produced each year, with the
assistance of the I&E Section.
February saw the end of our Fab 5 website promotion that began
in July of 2009. It was a very popular promotion that taught us a lot. In
March, we kicked off our spring website promotion/ad campaign. Our
I&E Section produced a radio commercial for our spring promotion
campaign. Air time was purchased through the Luckie Ad Agency.
The theme was, “Life’s More Fun Outdoor” and “Come on in, in 2010.”
Buttons for staff to wear and table topper signs were provided to all the
parks; along with a rack card promoting all the activities available at the
parks. Guntersville State Park had t-shirts designed that read, “Come on
in, in 2010.” They were fairly successful in selling them, and park staff
actually wore them during the summer months. Representatives from
the Promotion Section appeared on several television newscasts and
some cable TV outlets. All of the Alabama Welcome Centers participated
in the promotion along with several of the state’s CVB’s.
In April, open house events were planned for 18 of the 22 state
parks. These events were to allow individuals the opportunity to visit
park facilities; such as lodge hotel rooms, cabins, chalets, and cottages
with a free tour. Several television appearances across the state were
made to promote the open house events. A second day of open house
events was scheduled for August.
During the summer months, the Promotions Section was
responsible for the installation of the sound system at Lakepoint Resort
State Park in Eufaula, Ala. The system included the restaurant, lounge,
lobby and ballroom. The system included multiple cd players to allow
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ALDCNR 09-10 Annual Report