PUBLIC RELATIONS

While in college, I had begun making connections with PR/Influencer Relations specialists who worked with digital agencies across the country, learning the ins and outs of contract negotiations and media partnerships. This was my first step into the PR space, as I would later take on the role of Media Relations Manager for the Branson Convention and Visitors Bureau (Explore Branson). This time in travel and tourism public relations allowed me the opportunity to build up a list of media and influencer contacts in the travel and lifestyle space, organize and execute press trips and media events, and represent the destination nationally at conferences and tradeshows.

During my most recent full time position as Marketing Manager with Hotel Vandivort, I spearheaded PR efforts that had not before been done in the history of the property: sending consistent media alerts, distributing press releases, hosting press events for local media and influencers, and committing to sponsorship opportunities to expand our influence.

MEDIA PLACEMENTS

These placements could be the result of one or a combination of pitching to media, an invitation to a media FAM or press trip, or my existing relationship with a writer or media member.

MEDIA FAM TOURS AND PRESS TRIPS

Throughout my time in PR with Explore Branson, I was responsible for planning and executing media events, including FAM tours and individual press trips. My main tasks for doing so included:

• Planning trip itineraries
• Communicating with local partners to organize attractions and visits
• Collaborating with marketing team to create a video invitation
• Sourcing and pitching to media members, freelance writers, and influencers
• Booking travel and lodging for media guests and their allowed +1
• Creating and providing press bios and internal itineraries to local partners
• Creating media kits: sourcing photo/video assets, providing talking points or key facts about included attractions, gathering additional resources for articles or content pieces, and creating feedback surveys for media to share about their experiences
• Accompanying media members as needed throughout the media FAM/press trip

Below is a summary of just one of many media FAMs that I led:

CHRISTMAS 2022

The 2022 Christmas FAM was a very productive one in my role. Welcoming travel influencers and media guests who are contributors to numerous national publications, this trip produced an estimated Ad Value Equivalency of $3.2M.

My pitches, depending on the recipient, included mentions of Silver Dollar City’s “6.5 million twinkling Christmas lights,” trees scattered around Branson that is known as “America’s Christmas Tree City,” and nostalgic Christmas experiences that cater to families, solo travelers, and couples alike.

PRESS EVENTS

Spring Menu Exclusive Tasting Event, The Order Food & Drink | April 2025

When launching The Order Food & Drink’s spring menu, I knew I wanted to strategize in a way that hadn’t been done before for this establishment. I leaned into storytelling for the first ever media menu preview at The Order, highlighting the personal inspirations behind each of Executive Chef Calvin’s culinary creations.

I wanted this event to remain intimate while still driving impactful results for our property as a whole. The creators and media professionals who attended covered the spring menu’s offerings with excellence and great detail. Here are some highlights:

A 417 Magazine food editor attended the event and posted positive coverage to their Instagram stories all evening long,
sharing each dish with their audience of approximately 23k followers.

INFLUENCER VISITS

The following are pieces of content created by talented travel influencers who accepted an invite to visit Branson. My guiding minimum follower count for influencers was 100K, but I often welcomed and partnered with creators with much larger audiences that that. Below are some examples.

Kevin Escalera, @snackeatingsnacks on TikTok

Kevin, a foodie and travel influencer, visited in late 2022 as part of our fall media FAM tour. His content performed very well, and this piece was his best received with nearly 600K views, 47K likes, and 3K shares. All of his content centered around his Branson visit was very positive and well-received by his audience.

Abbey Romeo, @hatsbyabbey on Instagram/TikTok, seen on Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum

Abbey Romeo is an influencer, known for her business of selling handmade stocking caps and raising awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder, of which she was diagnosed as a toddler. She starred on Netflix’s “Love on the Spectrum,” documenting her journey to finding love as she met and began dating her boyfriend, David. She was invited to attend the 2023 spring media FAM, but due to scheduling conflicts, she and her mother visited on an individual press trip in late spring 2023. Her highest performing post while in Branson was of her getting behind the wheel for the first time—the wheel of a go-kart at the Branson Tracks, of course! This post garnered 285K views and 9K likes.

Kagan Brooks, @kaganbrooks on TikTok

Kagan, a travel inspiration influencer on TikTok, had been visiting nearby Lake of the Ozarks when I stumbled across her video as I was conducting organic TikTok influencer research. I promptly reached out and pitched her on a visit to Branson. Based in Chicago, she and her husband were a quick flight away and were thrilled to accept my media invitation, as they had never before been. While here, she created TikToks that very positively reflected the destination of Branson, and the following video is her highest performing, centered around their visit to the attraction, Beyond the Lens! This video garnered 246K views, 7K likes, 3K saves, and 2K shares.

Shay Spence, @theshayspence on TikTok

Shay Spence is a Key West based travel and foodie content creator and influencer with large audiences both on Instagram and TikTok. While visiting for the 2022 Christmas media FAM, Shay and his husband enjoyed their first visit to the Ozarks for the highly anticipated Christmas season. He created some incredible content about Branson during his stay, and his highest performing piece was this TikTok video about the TITANIC Museum Attraction. This video garnered 10.1M views, 1M likes, 108K saves, and 43K shares.

Kileen Valenzuela, @cutenlittle on Instagram

Kileen, a fashion and style blogger from Dallas, Texas, accepted my invitation to bring her husband and two children to Branson, as she was actively incorporating her travels into her social media content. Once she accepted, I set to work creating an itinerary that she and her family would love. I arranged lodging for them at the Chateau on the Lake Resort, about which she sweetly let me know that her kids exclaimed, “This is like a castle!” Her content was visually vibrant and perfect for our marketing team’s repurposing efforts, as well.

TV/RADIO APPEARANCES