Every community in the Pikes Peak Region is open for business and open for fun! Help spread the word by reviewing this toolkit and using the files, links and information provided. If you have any questions, problems or suggestions, please contact Amy Long at the CVB – if I can’t assist, I will find someone who can!

Read the press release here.

Community Website:
http://WelcomeBackCS.com
– this website serves as a single point of information for for the community to see what is being done to promote the region and how they can help with the economic recovery. Please link to this site from your website, social media posts, emails and press releases. If you have content submissions, including copy, images and video, please send them to Chelsy Murphy at the CVB.

Videos: A link to the first promotional video for the community can be found here. It will be available on the Community Website, and we encourage you to post it on your website and social media outlets (twitter hastag #welcomebackcs). The full HD file for air can be found here.We will also post a link to the embed code. The link to the second promotional video for a national audience will be posted soon when it is complete. Both videos have been produced by Bourbon Street Productions as a community service.

Welcome Back Art Files: Art files with community-specific welcome back messaging are available on our FTP site. The files were developed by MHC United (a Colorado Springs ad agency) based on the Colorado Springs brand logo and bumper sticker (created by Fixer Creative Co.). We have created .eps, .png and .jpg files for each community in the Pikes Peak Region. We have also created versions without a logo or community name so that individual areas or companies can customize the file. If you need graphic design assistance with creating a customized file, please contact Marco Hernandez at MCH United and he will be happy to assist you.

Colorado Pledge: This is a state-wide program to encourage people to “Take the Colorado Pledge” to visit a community in Colorado affected by the fire. You can also see how the CVB has formatted its pledge page: CVB’s Colorado Pledge page.

Regional Staycations: The Downtown Development Authority is developing a “Staycation” program that will invite locals to submit their ideal Staycation itinerary. The person whose itinerary receives the most “likes” will win a great staycation. The staycation landing page will be posted as soon as it is ready. Please link to it from your website and promote it to your Facebook fans and Twitter followers.

Pikes Peak Country Attractions Photo Contest: This organization is running a photo contest to encourage people to post images of how beautiful the Pikes Peak region still is. It will debut soon and will be run on the PPCAA Facebook page.

Web Cams: Link to one of the area web cams – if you have a web cam and it’s not on the list, please email the link to Chelsy.

• Pikes Peak Cam
• Royal Gorge Cam
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

KKTV: Where in Colorado: Submit a photo of your business to this news website. They are featuring businesses that have been affected by the fire or evacuations. Don’t make the photo too obvious – needs a bit of mystery so people have to guess. Theywill then say a few words about your business – you provide this info when you upload the photo.

Colorado.com: The Colorado Tourism Office is working overtime to help all areas in Colorado affected by wildfires. They will include content about your business so please forward news and deals to Chelsy and she will pass it along. If they have a special request, we will send out an email to all CVB members.As their various programs go live, we will post links here.

Twitter: When tweeting about the recovery effort, use #welcomebackcs

Facebook: Post current and beautiful photos on your Facebook page and those listed below. Be sure to “like” the Facebook pages below as well as those of any other area businesses.

• Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Pikes Peak Country Attractions
• I Love Colorado Springs
• City of Colorado Springs
• Colorado Springs Chamber/EDC
• Old Colorado City
• Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce
• Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce El Paso County
• Teller County
• Visit Colorado

Geo-Targeting: When tarketing online marketing efforts concentrate on our region’s top markets.

• Colorado – entire state
• Texas / Dallas / Ft. Worth / Houston / Austin
• Kansas / Kansas City / Topeka
• Arizona / Phoenix
• New Mexico / Santa Fe
• Wyoming / Cheyenne
• Utah / Salt Lake City
• Illinois / Chicaco
• Iowa / Des Moines

Welcome Back Campaign:

The Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched a regional advertising campaign to help bring visitors and tourism back to the region under a coordinated marketing umbrella called the “Welcome Back” campaign. The campaign will total $200,000, $100,000 contributed from CVB reserves and $100,000 raised from community supporters. This campaign will run mid-July through mid-October.

For more information about this campaign, please contact Amy Long, Vice President of Marketing & Membership at the CVB, amy@visitcos.com. If you would like to contribute to the campaign, please contact Jim Cassidy, Chief Financial Officer, Colorado Springs CVB, jim@visitcos.com.