Kimberly SteverNew Jersey Capital Region Convention and Visitors Bureau
EDUCATION: Temple University, B.A., communications
RESIDENCE: Doylestown, Pa.
FIRST JOB: Summer riding instructor
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: Director of the newly formed bureau to promote tourism in the Trenton-Princeton area, Ms. Stever has held posts at the Valley Forge Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and Busch Entertainment. With WorldTravel Partners, a sponsor of the 1996 Olympic Games, Ms. Stever was director of marketing overseeing the Torch Run, Para Olympics and OIC Goodwill Tour.
Compared to your past jobs promoting Philadelphia and the Busch theme parks, do you view marketing the Trenton area a challenge?
I think it’s a challenge because a tourism infrastructure doesn’t exist, per se. The tourism industry as it currently exists the hotels, chambers of commerce, conference centers have worked together but there hasn’t been an infrastructure to generate opportunities or lead the way in developing packaging. So one of the challenges is in creating that infrastructure and creating a cohesive tourism community. What it’s really going to entail is taking an inventory of all the resources, and that’s a huge undertaking, and really working one on one in developing strategies as well as working collectively to talk about bundling, packaging and how to cross promote.
Why does this area need a coordinated marketing effort?
I think the state really has their hands full, firstly. What you find is each region needs to promote itself aggressively to tour operators and individual visitors as well as business travelers.
Do you see marketing this area a matter of branding or identifying key target audiences?
I think the answer to both is yes. I think we have to develop an image for the region and position ourselves. If you’re going to market heritage tourism, you need to work with tour operators, you need to tell them why they should come. I think (Mercer County) is an incredibly important area in our country’s history but it really has not been promoted to engage visitors in the way that other historic sites have.
I think this area is unique. It’s going to be the differences that make it stand out. We’re not another Williamsburg, Savannah or Annapolis. I don’t want to pigeonhole this area. I really think the area will stand on its own strengths.
Who are those target audiences?
We’re going to be reaching out to tour operators that do a lot of senior tours, educational tours and leisure travel. It could be anything from a one-day trip to overnight packages. This is a great place to use as a hub to get to other destinations. Visitors can unpack, stay, go to Washington Crossing, go to the Princeton Battlefield, and then head down to Valley Forge or Philadelphia.
What do members of the hospitality industry and private businesses stand to gain by working with the NJCRCVB?
Tourism is a very strong tool for economic development. It’s the number two employer both in New Jersey and in the country. So when you look at that it’s a significant opportunity to grow their businesses. If they can welcome tourists through their doors, they’re in a position to generate revenue.
What are your long-term goals for the NJCRCVB?
That’s in development right now. I’m still on the trail of meeting people and visiting different sites so I can get to know them firsthand as a visitor. We’re really starting from ground zero on this and revisiting a lot of initiatives that had been started in the past. We really want to approach this holistically and engage as much of the community as possibile.