Exciting changes are underway at Visit Bentonville, the organization connected to every hotel, restaurant, and activity in the city. If you’ve ever needed help staycation planning, chances are a friendly face at the Visit Bentonville has supported your search. With an emphasis on community engagement while promoting tourism, Visit Bentonville advocates for our town nationally and helps visitors feel welcome while maintaining resources for locals.
Recently, Visit Bentonville finalized its new Master Plan to improve communications with visitors and locals and brainstorm new city events, addressing the need for more event spaces nearby, and more. The organization also finished moving back to the square from its temporary home near the Meteor Cafe. Visit Bentonville celebrated the grand opening of its new offices and Welcome Center at Central Avenue and SW A Street in Downtown Bentonville in early May.
Visit Bentonville is ever-present, but if you’ve ever wondered what they do, here’s the gist, according to Chief Marketing Officer, Alison Nation: The organization is split into three areas: the [tourism] industry, sales, and finance. Each area of the company plays a crucial role in monitoring Bentonville and keeping track of daily events. CEO Kalene Griffith largely manages Visit Bentonville’s brand at the industry level, while the sales team works on, “Actively promoting Bentonville as a place for large groups to host conventions and special events.” This kind of traction is crucial for promoting economic and social growth, and it gives Visit Bentonville an idea of what activities are most enjoyable for residents and visitors, allowing the city to create more memorable experiences.
Why is tourism so important for the NWA economy? Nation explains, “We did a study a few years ago about specific downtown restaurants, and we found that 25% of people in the room were visitors, but 50% of the dollars going to the restaurant were from visitors.” So, while only a quarter of guests were from out of town, tourists contributed half of the revenue.
This is important data for Visit Bentonville to know because it’s where their funding comes from. For every dollar spent on hotels or restaurants in Bentonville, a small percentage goes to Visit Bentonville’s operating costs; some of which the organization reinvests into local businesses.
But while tourism is an important aspect of Bentonville’s economy, Visit Bentonville recognizes that it is important to consider life for city residents among tourist activity. Tonya Jackson, the Community Engagement Manager, explains: “Tourism is pretty much what we consider the gateway to economic development, and my job is to ensure that hotels and restaurants have their needs met while making residents feel welcome.”
Visit Bentonville considers every aspect of city life to make decisions that benefit the community, and this involves maintaining great relationships with city officials. Nation notes that the company’s unofficial motto is to “search for the yes.” The phrase is posted all around the office as a reminder to do everything possible to answer questions and provide resources.
Visit Bentonville also encourages what they call “unreasonable hospitality”: going the extra mile to make people feel comfortable and heard, no matter their relationship with the city. Because the company strives to always be improving the city, they understand the importance of meaningful customer interaction. This dedication to meeting people’s needs with patience and consideration is the hallmark of Visit Bentonville’s welcome center, a mindset they employ in every aspect of community engagement.
Jeff Nicholas is the Outdoor Recreation Sales and Event Manager. Nicholas entered his role at Visit Bentonville as an avid mountain biker with a love of meeting new people. He previously worked for a bike brand that was “heavily involved with the community.” Now at Visit Bentonville, Nicholas celebrates that he not only gets to continue promoting the biking industry, but also the city as a whole, “Which is kind of the happiest place on Earth.” In fact, just before the interview, Nicholas had been leading a Greenway bike tour, showing guests around town in an exciting way, the very combination of activity and community he loves having at Visit Bentonville.
The emphasis on community engagement is what makes Visit Bentonville such a unique organization. While economic growth is important to the city, the company values the experiences of every visitor and local on a personal level.
Unreasonable Hospitality: Going the extra mile to make people feel comfortable and heard, no matter their relationship with the city.
For every dollar spent at local hotels or restaurants, a small percentage goes to Visit Bentonville’s operating costs; some, the organization reinvests into local businesses.