It’s hard to believe its back to school time – already! As families experience a “re-entry” into their familiar routines, they are bombarded with advertising about school supplies, clothes and other necessities. All while being shuttled to school for band practice, pre-season football games, cross country meets, and more. But in the midst of this smothering back-to-school mania, people are craving a last gasp for summer experiences.

It’s what we like to call “pre-fall” – a time to capture the last of the warm summer days while anticipating the fun to be had as autumn descends upon us.

TourismOhio is full-steam ahead promoting pre-fall in Ohio, investing $525,000 into media advertising through mid-September. Ads are encouraging people to find their next adventure at the new website, DiscoverOhio.com. The tactics include digital radio, print, social media marketing, paid search and more.

We want to keep the conversation going with the fall co-op which is well underway with 36 industry partners participating this year. Be sure to check out the insert in Midwest Living’s September/October issue, highlighting memorable fall experiences in Ohio. Thanks to those of you who provided feedback about the co-op program and how it can be most effective and relevant to your needs. We are committed to investing our shared marketing dollars as wisely as possible. As always, if you want to share feedback on what works best for your organization, please reach out to me at Mary.Cusick@development.ohio.gov.

Ohio continues to see strong momentum based on the quality of experiences and the diversity of our offerings. There are lots of heads turning to Ohio these days - from tip to toe, and all points in between. Cleveland made a positive showing with national media attention for the first of the presidential debates, while Cincinnati shone brightly during the summer MLB All-Star game.

Fall is an opportunity for all of us to continue that strong momentum while taking a fresh look at opportunities for 2016. Just as back-to-school means a new wardrobe, new experiences, and new lessons, Ohio tourism is undergoing its own growth and maturation.

A few points to keep in mind as you look ahead to 2016. As you budget for the year, don’t forget to share content you plan to create with TourismOhio - that will make all of our marketing dollars go further as we promote the state. In addition, you will have the opportunity to get 2015 economic impact numbers, so be sure to budget for that, and look for 2016 co-op opportunities to be presented early this fall.

Thanks for all you do to deliver on the visitor experience.

For the Good of Ohio,

Mary L. Cusick