Carla Pendergraft's guest appearances

Carla Pendergraft

Destination On The Left

Economic Development Secrets

Destination Marketing Podcast

Kristen Jarnagin

Adam Stoker

Bill Geist

Nicole Mahoney

Jim Bartoo

Robb Wells

Will Seccombe

Andy McNeill

Brian Bossuyt

Karley Cunningham

Andreas Weissenborn

David Holder

Jim Walter

Mike Testa

Josh Collins

OwlTail

Waco CVB

Today’s special guest is Carla Pendergraft, Director of Marketing for the Waco Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau. Carla discusses how attracting visitors and getting 'heads in beds' can actually enhance quality of life for residents. Despite a big drop in tourism in 2020, Waco as a destination is coming back strong in 2021.

060 Economic Development Secrets Carla Pendergraft, Waco CVB

Carla Pendergraft is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has a B.A. degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has a master’s degree in business from Texas State University. Since 1990, she has worked for the Waco Convention Center and Waco Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, first in the convention sales area and for the last 4 years, as Director of Marketing. Carla is the proud grandmother of Aviana, who is 8 years old, and Rosie, 2 years. In this episode of Destination on the Left, Carla Pendergraft, the Director of Marketing for the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau, discusses the growth of tourism in Waco, Texas. She walks us through the introduction of tons of new attractions like Magnolia Market at the Silos, and she explains the impact that television shows like Fixer Upper have made on Waco’s community and brand.  What You Will Learn in This Episode:  Carla’s journey into the travel and tourism industry What Carla has done to help Waco stand out from the crowd How Waco overcame its negative image and increased tourism How the Waco brand has changed over the last thirty years The main drivers of tourism for Waco and how Carla has leveraged them How CVBs can do their job while serving the locals How destination marketers are playing a role in local support instead of just tourism alone  Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau Carla Pendergraft is the Director of Marketing for the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau in Waco, Texas. Since 1990, Carla has developed a broad perspective on the success of her community and the Waco brand. She was there for the Waco Siege of the Branch Davidians compound and witnessed the rebound of the Waco brand after the smoke cleared. There is a lot to be said about a community’s willingness to band together and thrive, especially in times like these. That is why Waco continues to stand out after years with Carla at the helm. In this episode, we talk about the success of the Waco brand and how it has changed throughout Carla’s carer. We also discuss the significant impact Magnolia Market at the Silos and Fixer Upper has made on the growth of tourism in Waco. An Uphill Battle Carla fell into the CVB world by accident, but she has been there for thirty years now without having the same job once. There are certainly some glamorous elements to the job, but for the most part, it is all about getting in the trenches and figuring out how to make your destination stand out. Because of Waco’s history, standing out was never the problem. It created an uphill battle for destination marketers like Carla who were tasked with shedding Waco’s negative image. Texans have always known Waco well, but people across the world determine the appeal of smaller destinations in one or two thoughts—if they are negative, it is a lot harder to market the destination. Putting Waco on the Map As time went on, the Waco community began to develop organically. Baylor was always a major driver of tourism and as the school grew, so did the travel market. Waco became home to many new attractions like the Waco Mammoth National Monument, the Texas Rangers Museum, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and it is the birthplace of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Fixer Upper on HGTV. Everyone in Waco has a story about how the television show impacted their life. It completely changed the public perception of Waco and made the CVB’s job so much easier. Instead of fighting a negative image, they could focus on using creativity to grow. There is always a way to cut through the noise with creativity and collaboration, and Waco is a testament to that.  Website: wacoheartoftexas.com LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlapendergraft/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/waco-cvb/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WacoCVB/ Twitter: @WacoAndTheHoT 

Carla Pendergraft is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has a B.A. degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has a master’s degree in business from Texas State University. Since 1990, she has worked for the Waco Convention Center and Waco Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, first in the convention sales area and for the last 4 years, as Director of Marketing. Carla is the proud grandmother of Aviana, who is 8 years old, and Rosie, 2 years. In this episode of Destination on the Left, Carla Pendergraft, the Director of Marketing for the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau, discusses the growth of tourism in Waco, Texas. She walks us through the introduction of tons of new attractions like Magnolia Market at the Silos, and she explains the impact that television shows like Fixer Upper have made on Waco’s community and brand. What You Will Learn in This Episode: <ul> <li>Carla’s journey into the travel and tourism industry</li> <li>What Carla has done to help Waco stand out from the crowd</li> <li>How Waco overcame its negative image and increased tourism</li> <li>How the Waco brand has changed over the last thirty years</li> <li>The main drivers of tourism for Waco and how Carla has leveraged them</li> <li>How CVBs can do their job while serving the locals</li> <li>How destination marketers are playing a role in local support instead of just tourism alone</li> </ul> Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau Carla Pendergraft is the Director of Marketing for the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau in Waco, Texas. Since 1990, Carla has developed a broad perspective on the success of her community and the Waco brand. She was there for the Waco Siege of the Branch Davidians compound and witnessed the rebound of the Waco brand after the smoke cleared. There is a lot to be said about a community’s willingness to band together and thrive, especially in times like these. That is why Waco continues to stand out after years with Carla at the helm. In this episode, we talk about the success of the Waco brand and how it has changed throughout Carla’s carer. We also discuss the significant impact Magnolia Market at the Silos and Fixer Upper has made on the growth of tourism in Waco. An Uphill Battle Carla fell into the CVB world by accident, but she has been there for thirty years now without having the same job once. There are certainly some glamorous elements to the job, but for the most part, it is all about getting in the trenches and figuring out how to make your destination stand out. Because of Waco’s history, standing out was never the problem. It created an uphill battle for destination marketers like Carla who were tasked with shedding Waco’s negative image. Texans have always known Waco well, but people across the world determine the appeal of smaller destinations in one or two thoughts—if they are negative, it is a lot harder to market the destination. Putting Waco on the Map As time went on, the Waco community began to develop organically. Baylor was always a major driver of tourism and as the school grew, so did the travel market. Waco became home to many new attractions like the Waco Mammoth National Monument, the Texas Rangers Museum, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and it is the birthplace of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Fixer Upper on HGTV. Everyone in Waco has a story about how the television show impacted their life. It completely changed the public perception of Waco and made the CVB’s job so much easier. Instead of fighting a negative image, they could focus on using creativity to grow. There is always a way to cut through the noise with creativity and collaboration, and Waco is a testament to that. <ul> <li>Website: <a href="http://wacoheartoftexas.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">wacoheartoftexas.com</a></li> <li>LinkedIn: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlapendergraft/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlapendergraft/</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/waco-cvb/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/waco-cvb/</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WacoCVB/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/WacoCVB/</a></li> <li>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/WacoAndTheHoT" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@WacoAndTheHoT</a></li> </ul>

Episode 179: The Rebirth of the Waco Brand, with Carla Pendergraft

Carla Pendergraft, Director of Marketing at Waco, Texas, joins the Destination Marketing Podcast to talk about dealing with a sudden tourism change. Topics include the impact of Fixer Upper and Chip and Joanna Gaines, catching up with an influx of visitors, and how Waco has benefitted from those new visitors.   "The main thing that they help us with is they talk about their love of Waco and convey that to the world. Because of that, people have come to this town and really see it as a tourist destination. Maybe even the most important thing is that locals are starting to look at their town in a more positive way too". - Carla Pendergraft on the impact of Chip and Joanna Gaines on Waco.   Follow the Destination Marketing Podcast on social media: Instagram Twitter YouTube TikTok  If you’re enjoying the show, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!  Do you want to be featured on the show? Send us a voice message!  The Destination Marketing Podcast is a part of the Destination Marketing Podcast Network. It is hosted by Adam Stoker and produced by Relic. If you are interested in any of Relic’s services,  please email adam@relicagency.com or visit www.relicagency.com.   To learn more about the Destination Marketing Podcast Network and to listen to our other shows, please visit www.thedmpn.com. Email adam@relicagency.com with any inquiries regarding the network.

Carla Pendergraft, Director of Marketing at Waco, Texas, joins the Destination Marketing Podcast to talk about dealing with a sudden tourism change. Topics include the impact of Fixer Upper and Chip and Joanna Gaines, catching up with an influx of visitors, and how Waco has benefitted from those new visitors.  "The main thing that they help us with is they talk about their love of Waco and convey that to the world. Because of that, people have come to this town and really see it as a tourist destination. Maybe even the most important thing is that locals are starting to look at their town in a more positive way too". - Carla Pendergraft on the impact of Chip and Joanna Gaines on Waco.  Follow the Destination Marketing Podcast on social media: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/destination_pod/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Destination_Pod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfT01mniIabu_7l1XgE1Vtg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@destination_pod?_t=8YCqUk1zwI2&amp;_r=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TikTok</a> If you’re enjoying the show, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Do you want to be featured on the show? Send us a <a href="https://telbee.io/channel/1b9v9h4ok4w1eosf3ykfzw/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">voice message</a>! The <a href="https://destinationmarketingpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Destination Marketing Podcast</a> is a part of the <a href="http://www.thedmpn.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Destination Marketing Podcast Network</a>. It is hosted by Adam Stoker and produced by Relic. If you are interested in any of Relic’s services,  please email <a href="mailto:adam@relicagency.com">adam@relicagency.com</a> or visit <a href="https://www.relicagency.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.relicagency.com</a>.  To learn more about the Destination Marketing Podcast Network and to listen to our other shows, please visit <a href="http://www.thedmpn.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.thedmpn.com</a>. Email <a href="mailto:adam@relicagency.com">adam@relicagency.com</a> with any inquiries regarding the network.

41: Dealing With A Sudden Tourism Change with Carla Pendergraft