www.mountvernonnews.com/local/08/02/11/kno.tourism.html -
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Published on: 2/11/2008
Last Visited: 2/12/2008
Patrick Crow, executive director of the visitors bureau, said there were several major events coming to Knox County this year.Those events include the Great Ohio Bike Adventure, which will be in the county for two nights in June.Crow said the last time GOBA came through Knox County was eight years ago.According to Crow, the visitors bureau can advise the riders, but ultimately they set their own bike routes, usually having a more lengthy one and a shorter, less-intense one.
A publication that is providing Knox County with publicity is the Mohican Country magazine, which has a relatively high circulation of 180,000, according to Crow.In the current edition, the visitor's bureau created a co-op of 25 businesses from Knox County, all concentrated on a page of the magazine which also features a map of the county.
"We have a high presence in this magazine and we're real delighted about that," said Crow, adding that the cover of the magazine is a picture of the Knox County Bridge of Dreams.
Another item promoting events in Knox County over the coming year is the Calendar of Events, which Crow said was initially distributed during the Christmas Walk.The brochure lists numerous events, and highlights those related to the county's bicentennial celebration.
Crow said the recent raccoon dinner held in Danville is considered to be a major tourism event in Knox County.Approximately 800 people attended the event, which is the third-largest crowd to attend.
The Knox County Visitor's Bureau also advertises in the Ohio Camper magazine, as well as maintaining two Web sites promoting the county as a tourist destination.Crow also told the commissioners that Knox County had been featured in a 10-minute spot on the Ohio News Network as part of the travel series on the network.
The restoration of the Woodward Opera House is also an ongoing project related to the Visitor's Bureau; Crow said the exterior restoration is now complete.
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A new marketing campaign, Knox Ways, will be launched this year in order to further promote the main attractions of Knox County, which Crow said are "the byways, the rec trails [and] the rivers."
Another sub-function of the Knox Ways group, Crow said, is the potential welcome center in Knox County.Also in the works is a series of postcards featuring scenes from Knox County, which will be sold at local retailers.
"The Dan Emmett Festival was a hit [last] year," said Crow, with a record number of people attending the Saturday night concert.The 2007 festival was attended by people from at least three foreign countries: Australia, Canada and England.Crow also said the county fair was the only event in Knox County that was higher attended than the Dan Emmett Festival.
Crow presented the commissioners with new signs welcoming people into the county.Twenty-two signs will be placed near the county line on all state routes and "significant county roads" as well, according to Crow.