The Go-To Strategy

As an original committee member during the inaugural year, I had the pleasure of watching The Roanoke Go Outside Festival transform over the past decade. What began as a small, rudimentary gathering with minimal marketing quickly transformed into one of the East's premier outdoor festivals, once attracting three-day crowds of nearly 50,000 attendees. My involvement expanded significantly in the second year when I took ownership of the festival's marketing strategy. As the event was managed primarily by Roanoke Outside and Roanoke Parks & Recreation (my full-time employer), our collaborative goal differed from a typical private-sector business. We needed to drive high foot traffic and attendance was the main target opposed to immediate revenue because the high increased foot traffic was the ultimate segue to gain impressions for corporate funding. Through research, we found that most sponsors required a minimum attendance of 25,000 to commit. I spearheaded a comprehensive marketing campaign primarily consisting of social media, print advertising and grassroots public relations that quickly surpassed this target, ultimately driving the revenue needed to make GoFest one of the most sought-after outdoor experiences for outdoor enthusiasts in Virginia's Blue Ridge and beyond. Shown below: A collage of advertisements I created for the festival, highlighting specific programs and key sponsors. Here