Boyd County Tourism Relocates to a New Office
Pamela Hall
The Ashland Beacon
The Boyd County Tourism and Convention Bureau has a new home! The office recently relocated from the Old Courthouse Building in Catlettsburg to the Meade Station Plaza, 8100 U.S. Route 60 in Summit.
“We started the relocation project about a year ago,” said Andrew Steele, Executive Director for the Boyd County Tourism and Convention Bureau. “We’ve been here for a few months now. It took us a little while to get in here.”
Boyd County Tourism represents the whole of Boyd County in an effort to promote the businesses and attractions within the county. The office is fully funded by a transient tax, which is a tax on hotels, camping, and other accommodations within the county.
“Our goal is to put heads in beds,” Steele stated. “The more transient tax revenue we generate, the larger the budget we have to further market our area.”
Steele concentrates on marketing Boyd County in major draw areas such as Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, the state of West Virginia, and eastern Tennessee. The focus is to draw people to businesses and events that travelers will spend the night visiting and attending. Examples include a show at the Paramount Arts Center, Rush Off Road event, and Malibu Jacks, to name a few, along with other attractions and events, such as Sandy’s Gaming at Camp Landing and the new horse track once they both are open. Marketing entities such as these draw others to the county, which generates revenue and helps the economy within the county.
As for the new office location, the Boyd County Tourism and Convention Bureau now has a beautiful 1000 square feet facility that includes a sitting area, a conference room that is available for use by locals, and office space for employees. The Boyd County Economic Development office is also located there.
“We wanted to be a bit more centrally located within the county,” explained Steele. “When the chairman of our Tourism board, Dwight, who owns Fat Ash, learned that this space was becoming available, we jumped on it.”
There is also room for merchandise that can be purchased such as hats with the Bureau’s logo, Kentucky for Kentucky merchandise such as hoodies, t-shirts, hats, socks and more. Steele plans to have more merchandise with the Boyd County logo in the near future.
The décor in the office is unique, with items from various local artisans on shelves, walls, and throughout the office.
“It’s an ongoing project,” stated Steele. “Every week, it seems like there’s some new piece of local artwork or something random that pops up in here, which I love.”
Those random articles include paintings, sculptures, photographs, wood carvings and much more. The office décor showcases our Boyd County residents' special gifts and talents.
Of course, visitors can also obtain information about the area. Magazines, pamphlets, and other materials are available with local, regional, and state information. The Bureau is always looking for more content. Area businesses that would like information distributed may use the office as a distribution point.
All in all, the Boyd County Tourism and Convention Bureau is working hard for the good of Boyd County. Stop in to see the new location in Meade Station Plaza. You may also visit the Facebook page or website, www.visitboydcounty.com, or call 606-585-4770 for more information.