April | 2016 Issue  
Good Ideas Gleaned from Heartland Conference


 
 
Iowa Conference Banners, contributed by Jessica Johnson
 
 
The Heartland Byway Conference was a great opportunity for byway leaders to meet new friends, renew acquaintances, see some terrific byways in Iowa and learn from one another.  Representatives from over 10 states attended the conference including several NSBF members.
Sharon Strouse, NSBF Board Member and Amish County Byway leader, described important components of providing an authentic byway experience for byway visitors whether it be in the world's largest Amish settlement or in South Africa through historic wine country.    Sheila Scarborough described cross-promotion of byways with byway partners (merchants, attractions, hotels, parks, etc.) online.  We learned how to pitch our stories to newspapers, magazines, travel blogs and other media from Dan Weeks, editor of The Iowan magazine.

Laura Crawford and Russ Roca shared their story of selling all of their worldly possessions and biking many places in the US and New Zealand.  They shared what the bicycling market is for byways.  We also took a fantastic tour of the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway including stops at the Hitchcock Nature Center, the Harrison County Historical Village, DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge and ending up for dinner at the Bodega Victoriana Winery with entertainment by the Brown Family. 

Regional Byway Conferences are great ways to learn, share and appreciate all that byways mean to all of  us. This year's conference was hosted by the state of Iowa and chaired by Brenda Windmuller of Golden Hills RCD. Thank you Brenda and your committee for a very successful Conference.

Contributed by Deb Divine, Co-Executive Director NSBF   
Did you know?
The National Scenic Byway website is undergoing a transformation. We are busy redesigning the navigation and look of the site to make it easier to find valuable information. Stay tuned for our final makeover in the months to come. 

 
Social Media Tip of the Month 
It's great when your Byway destinations, attractions, lodging, and businesses are active on social media like Facebook, but who has time to run around checking all of those Pages for updates to like, comment on, or share for partner cross-promotion?
 
On Facebook, make it easy on yourself - create an Interest List.
 
An Interest List groups together status updates (from the Pages that are on the List) into one custom News Feed. Once it's set up, you can skim down, see what's going on, and maybe share some of those update posts over to your Byway Page. 
 
A link to the List sits on the left sidebar of your normal personal Facebook News Feed, so it's easy to take a few minutes to click it and see what's new. 
 
If you make it Public, anyone can see and support all the Facebook action among your Byway partners.
 
Go here to learn how to create a Facebook Interest List:  https://www.facebook.com/help/199115746856074  
 
Here is an example of a List for a group of state historic sites and Trails:  https://www.facebook.com/lists/10153034072539916  
 
Go here to learn more about cross-promotion and "building a marketing layer cake," one of the breakout sessions at the Heartland Byways conference earlier this month:  http://www.tourismcurrents.com/build-a-marketing-layer-cake/   
 

Contributed by Sheila Scarborough and Leslie McLellan, Tourism Currents
 

  IPW 2016 will be held Saturday, June 18, through Wednesday, June 22, at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Among those scheduled to participate at IPW with the Foundation are The Great River Road (KY), Creole Nature Trail (LA), Illinois Lincoln Highway, Cane River Heritage Trail (LA),Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway, Lakes to Locks Passage (NY), Boom or Bust Byway (LA) and Flyway Byway (LA). 

For more information about the conference, contact NSB Foundation board member, Stacy Brown at (318) 222-9391 or email the NSBF at [email protected]
A new NSBF Webinar - April 28, 2016 - Thursday @ 1 p.m. EDT
"Byway Sustainability: Vision, Leadership & Funding"
Hear from two Scenic Byway leaders, each with over 20 years experience in cultivating byway organizations that not only survive, but thrive! You ask -- how do you find funding? The answer is having a clear vision and strong leadership. These byway leaders will share their experience and tips that will strengthen your byway organization and put you on track for sustainability. Guaranteed! Mark your calendar now to save the date for National Scenic Byway Directors Janet Kennedy and Bobby Koepplin to share their experiences.


DOWNLOAD
April 28th Webinar Flyer - Byway Sustainability
and
share with your byway leaders.
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Please visit our website and learn more:  www.nsbfoundation.com 
National Scenic Byway Foundation | [email protected] | nsbfoundation.com
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