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In the next few months, the Kansas Department of Commerce and Eckert AgriMarketing will be presenting an all day workshop following up on topics discussed or introduced at last year's Kansas AgriTourism Conference.
The workshop will focus on helping existing AgriTourism operators to sustain and grow their business. To make this workshop as helpful as possible to the most people, we are asking your assistance in prioritizing the following topics. Also please provide any additional suggested topics you may have for our consideration.
Please rate each topic from 1-7, with 7 being information you'd most like to learn about: |
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Customer Relations – How to create a WOW experience. Making your customers feel like guests. |
Hiring & Training Top Notch Employees – the questions to ask on the interview, ways to find good employees, and how to keep employees motivated and working. |
Event Planning – selecting the theme, choosing the food and decorations for the right experience, what makes a good event, and finding host partners. |
Attracting the Media to Your Property – follow a step-by-step process to writing a good release and getting the media to cover your story. |
Creating a Loyal Customer Through Frequent Communications – collecting the names, choosing the content, and developing the distribution for your newsletter or electronic newsletter. |
How to Attract Corporate and Private Events – marketing to community employers and groups to host private events, from company picnics to family reunions to team building. |
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Creating the Experience – explore the variety of activities that will make your customers return for more. |
Developing Educational Programs – schools and groups as a source of revenue for the farm. What to provide and what to charge? |
Building Colorful and Impactful Displays – what to do at your roadside stand or farmer’s markets to keep them coming back. |
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Step By Step Approach to Attracting the Motorcoach Travelers |
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Developing a Newspaper Ad, Radio Spot or Billboard |
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Websites – what goes in, what stays out, how to get travelers to your farm and keep them coming back. |
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The Customer Knows Best – ask them, and they will tell you what to improve. (research) |
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The Handling of Food & Food Safety for Food Concessions |
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The Certified Kitchen – getting started with establishing certified kitchen as part of your agritourism business. |
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Developing a Business Plan |
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Where to Begin –Assessing your land, your farm, and your family commitment. |
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Insurance and Property Risks – learn about liability insurance for agritourism businesses, as well as ways to make your property safer for visitors |
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Hunting as an AgriTourism Business – learn about state requirements and the basics of starting or expanding a hunting business on your property |
Lodging and Overnight Guests – what is necessary for successful bed and breakfasts, cabins, bunk houses, and other agritourism lodgings.
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Ag Clusters and Strategic Partners – working with your area tourism folks and other agritourism operators to build strategic partnerships that attract more guests to the area.
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Who Can Help Me? / the CVB, RC&D, Extension –navigating the alphabet soup to find people eager to help your agritourism business - learn how to find your local Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Resource Conservation and Development agent, extension officers, state press kits, and more. |
Do you have any other topics you would like to suggest for the workshop?
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Would you be willing to be on a panel at one of these workshops, discussing your AgriTourism operation with the workshop participants.
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| Questions? Contact Janna Dunbar, AgriTourism Leader for the Kansas Department of Commerce at jdunbar@kansascommerce.com, or call 785-296-8132. |
