As Hoosiers, residents of Indiana are inherently humble. Because we have always had such a Midwest-nice life, it is sometimes difficult to acknowledge that yes, other people want to come to Hendricks County for a visit.
I get it. I grew up in Danville and have lived around here most of my life. I remember when the first brand name hotel came to Plainfield in the early 90’s – the Days Inn – when they opened the new exit at I-70.
For a long time, it was the Days Inn, a retention pond and The Coachman Restaurant. That exit is very different today.
Sense of Place
More than 1,000 hotel rooms are now open at the exit, over a dozen restaurants, including The Coachman, which is still there, and numerous other businesses big and small that employ our neighbors, friends and family.
That exit is a snapshot of what is across all our towns – Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Pittsboro, Clayton – and all through the county.
Due to the unfortunate impacts of COVID-19, the tourism industry took a bit of a hit over the past couple years. Some attractions and retail shops closed. Hotels and restaurants are still opening every day with reduced staffing and even flipped their business model upside down just to survive.
Everything I just listed is part of the tourism industry, but all those businesses make up the fabric of our sense of place. They are who we are as a destination and they are the reason WHY we choose to live in this same place.
The Role of the CVB
Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) also called CVBs – Convention and Visitors Bureaus – are leading and supporting the vital role of rallying community support for the businesses listed above and planning sales and marketing efforts to lead their community’s economic recovery.
Our organization has always attracted visitors to our community through booking group meetings and trade show events, promoting the area for getaway weekend travel and providing support to our corporate community members with their business travel and supply chain support needs.
Community Champion
In addition to the above visitor-focused program, we also champion the sense of place through:
- Innovative programs that support the people of our community
- Advocacy for the growth and investment of small business entrepreneurs
- Elements of quality of place to transform communities into great places for residents and visitors
- Working alongside economic development locally and regionally
Our Opportunity
As we work toward our new normal, know that these small businesses, local favorites and community spaces that are so important to you survive based on the money that comes in from outside our neighborhood.
Visit Hendricks County – your CVB – is going to be the champion for these places to continue to be open and give them the economic and marketing support that keeps them open for residents to enjoy.
We will be at the table representing you – the people who chose to live here – to ensure that you have things to do and places to go daily and when you invite your friends and family to visit here.
