Lee Tasseff, President of Mansfield/Richland County Convention and Visitors Bureau, (M/RCCVB) appreciated sharing the bureau’s achievement with the Richland County Commissioners on Tuesday morning during their regular meeting. He described M/RCCVB’s successful marketing campaigns.
M/RCCVB entered two of its marketing campaigns, Tough Mudder Ohio and Shawshank 20-Year Reunion, into statewide tourism marketing competitions and placed first and second with both campaigns.
In the two competitions, there were 268 statewide submissions in 24 categories.
The Tough Mudder and the Shawshank Reunion were held earlier this year, only four months apart. “Both projects were very special,” said Tasseff. “Tough Mudder and the Shawshank Reunion were two of the most valuable events for this region, generating millions in new spending and positive public relations.”
He added, “We had a lot of fun and put in a lot of time, energy, money, and work in the Shawshank Redemption 20th Reunion. There were between 4,000 and 8,000 people who came… It hit not just here, but also Upper Sandusky, Malabar, and more. We had people from 15 states and four countries that we know of.”
M/RCCVB has partnered with Ashland University to determine characteristics of those who attended the reunion—where they live, what they liked about the event, didn’t like, why they came, and so on.
“What we found out is that some of the fans who were very deep into the movie took it all in. They loved everything. In fact, they didn’t have enough merchandise to buy—that was one of the shortages we had,” said Tasseff.
“We helped put ourselves on the map on a sleepy weekend, Labor Day weekend, and we’re figuring out now how to top it next year.”
Commissioner Ed Olson asked Tasseff if there are any hidden jewels in Richland County that most people don’t realize exist that could be highlighted to help promote the area.
Tasseff noted ELEKTRO, the Westinghouse robot built for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, which is currently housed at the Mansfield Memorial Museum. “That robot turns 75 next year,” said Tasseff. “That one we’ve already started to tell people about, and for those who are horseback riding fans, trails are now complete between Malabar to Pleasant Hill, all the way to Mohican.”
Olson commented, “I always think the CVB is one of multiple assets for economic development that we have in community.”
“Tough Mudder and the Shawshank Reunion were two of the most valuable events for this region, generating millions in new spending and positive public relations,” said CVB President Lee Tasseff.
