Tourism boards seek ways to work together

pressreporter@thefranklinpress.com

The Franklin-Nantahala Tourism Development Commission and the Town of Franklin Tourism Development Authority met Dec.18 to discuss ways they can work together on potential joint projects.

Linda Harbuck, Franklin chamber of commerce executive director and TDC member, and Deb Thompson-Heatherly, Deb's Cats N Quilts owner and TDA member, shared a proposal about the Town of Franklin/county starting its own "Quilt Trails" project.

According to Thompson-Heatherly, a Quilt Guild member, the idea for a "Quilt Trail" started in Ohio, when a woman put a painted block on her barn to honor her mother.

The idea caught on and grew, with more people putting the brightly painted blocks or "quilt squares" on their barns and people began coming from all around to follow this "Quilt Trail."

Now there are Quilt Trail sections in Kentucky, Tennessee and parts of Western North Carolina such as Mitchell and Yancey counties.

The website quilttrailswnc.org says the project has spread to 33 states overall.

"And people go around and learn the history of each building," Thompson Heatherly said. "The block is related to that history."

TDC chairman John Norris asked who does the Quilt Trail and organizes it. Thompson-Heatherly said that Barbara Webster started the "Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina."

Webster took the concept a step further and puts painted blocks not just on barns, but on any historic structure in town or the building of anyone who is willing to pay a fee to have one erected, according to Thompson-Heatherly.

Norris asked what a Quilt Trail is and how it would work.

Thompson-Heatherly said the Quilt Trail was first brought to her attention in May when she spoke with five women who wanted to follow the Quilt Trail and spent five days in a small town they never would have visited if the trail had not passed through there.

Thompson-Heatherly said she envisioned that people would come into town and ask for a "Quilt Trails" map to follow the trail and visit sites throughout the county.

If it is a quilt block on a business, they could go into a business and buy merchandise related to the Quilt Trail. For blocks on historical structures, the map gives the history of the buildings on which the painted blocks appear. It works hand in hand with preserving heritage.

"So they are learning the history of our area," she said.

Thompson-Heatherly added that if you have a Quilt Trail map, where people are taking the time to identify buildings, this might possibly lead to developing a tour.

She said that Webster, the executive director of the nonprofit corporation Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina, has turned the Quilt Trail into a guided tour in her area of Western North Carolina, and that has proven successful.

TDA member Bea Sanford added that when Webster gave a presentation to the TDA, she told the committee that quilting is a million-dollar industry involving educated women who have discretionary money and spend it freely.

"So it could be very advantageous," Sanford said.

TDC chairman John Norris expressed support for the project and said it could serve as a good year-round attraction and activity.

Commissioner and TDC liaison Bob Simpson added, "that'd be a great off-season thing,"

Norris inquired about the costs and who pays for it. Sanford said the person who owns the building pays for the painted block.

Webster got a $5,000 grant to begin her Quilt Trails project, but it has become self-supporting and they still have the initial $5,000, according to Thompson-Heatherly.

In order to launch the endeavor, Thompson-Heatherly said Webster suggests the project should start as they did with $5,000 because initially they will have to buy materials such as wood for quilt blocks, paint, etc.

Thompson-Heatherly said she has spoken with Margaret Ramsey of the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County and the executive director of the Franklin Main Street Program Linda Schlott. Both have expressed interest in being involved in the project.

The committees decided that Harbuck and Thompson-Heatherly will work to organize another presentation on the Quilt Trail with Webster and invite all interested entities, potential volunteers, etc., in order to discuss what the community would need to get a Quilt Trail started and how to move forward with the project.

For more background on Quilt Trails in Western North Carolina, visit the website www.quilttrailswnc.org.

In addition to a joint effort on the Quilt Trail project, TDA chairman Tony Angel said he would like to see both tourism bodies work together on the Appalachian Trail "Community Partner Designation Program" and down the road, possibly a joint billboard advertising venture in the Atlanta market.

Angel said the four different groups here (Macon County, Franklin, Nantahala and Highlands) with its different audiences would require them to still be unique in their look, but added that they could still promote the same message and events.

TDC member and Nantahala representative Vince West commented that he felt they are really trying to market the same thing: "activity and development within our county." West reiterated his stance from earlier TDC meetings that the different areas coordinate their look and ensure they plan ahead so all their efforts are going toward the same goal.

Angel commented that while he agreed with West to a certain extent, you would have to do some things differently. "Franklin is not Highlands," Angel said. "Highlands is not Nantahala. Macon County is not Franklin. I still think you need to have a unique identity."

Commissioner and TDC liaison Bob Simpson agreed with West and said the objective is that they needed to make Franklin and surrounding areas a destination. "And this is what we all need to work towards," Simpson said. "If somebody comes here to Franklin, let's send them to Nantahala or send them to Highlands on a day trip, but don't send them to Gatlinburg."

He further suggested the tourism committees put more advertising money towards winter months, and that the area offer people more events to attend so they have a reason to come here during the off-season. He added that the Smoky Mountain Performing Arts Center opening next year will help, but they did not have much else during these months.

Norris said the chamber has tried doing winter events but they usually do not make money.

TDA member Candy Arvey said she felt the two tourism boards could work to offer something in the off-season months to fill our hotels and get people to restaurants and stores.

She referenced the example of national cheerleading competitions, which often take place in January, February and March, as one future possibility,

Arvey, who said she has traveled with local cheerleading teams to two competitions, said they are typically three-day events that host up to 600 teams and their families. She commented that if we get the type of venue that could host a cheerleading competition, this would be one potential way they could fill hotels in the off months.

Norris said drawing events in the winter months would be something for the tourism boards to work towards, and emphasized that they should be indoor events due to the unpredictability of the weather this time of year.

To hold such an event, the only requirements would be having a convention center to host the cheerleading teams and to give them a place to practice, and hotels, Arvey said. West added that if the area decided to host such an event, they should make it a multi-function event.

Harbuck expressed concern about available hotel space for growing these prospective big events and West expressed concern about holding them the same weekend as concerts or events at the soon to open Smoky Mountain Performing Arts Center.

Arvey said if someone wants to attend an event here, people will fill up Franklin hotels first, and then will stay in surrounding areas such as Sylva. "If we can keep those things going, someone will eventually build a hotel and it will work from there," Arvey said.

TDC chairman John Norris said if they have off-season events that get started, other chain hotels may consider the area. He suggested they start with a number of small events and work towards growing bigger things.

"It's hard to start gigantic when you can't take care of it," Norris said.

Commenting on the two boards and their similar objectives, Norris said they should continue to collaborate and not think they are in competition. "I think the better we work and do things together, the more we get for our buck," Norris said.