WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.019 LEX 18 presents a podcast with hot takes, hot 00:00:12.019 --> 00:00:20.920 topics with your hosts, Megan Manering and Evelyn 00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:29.949 Schultz. This is Hot Mic. Hello everyone and 00:00:29.949 --> 00:00:32.810 welcome back to another episode of Hot Mic. We 00:00:32.810 --> 00:00:35.390 are just rolling along this year with another 00:00:35.390 --> 00:00:38.299 episode. episode. And another great guest. We 00:00:38.299 --> 00:00:40.240 are going to learn so much about Lexington today. 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:43.200 I'm really excited for this one. We have Mary 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:46.299 Quinn Raymer with Visit Lex joining hot mic today. 00:00:46.500 --> 00:00:49.100 Welcome. Good morning, ladies. We're so grateful 00:00:49.100 --> 00:00:51.240 that you're here. Well, I am so happy to be here. 00:00:51.380 --> 00:00:53.159 Thank you for the invitation. Yeah, we know that 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:56.920 you're very busy. I imagine someone that works 00:00:56.920 --> 00:00:59.259 in tourism, like you always have stuff going 00:00:59.259 --> 00:01:01.359 on. There's always the next event or the next 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:03.960 thing. That's for sure. But keeps it fun. It 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:06.260 does seem like a really fun job. Sometimes I 00:01:06.260 --> 00:01:08.219 think about the people who work in tourism, and 00:01:08.219 --> 00:01:10.519 I think that would be a really fun career. There 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:14.239 is no doubt that there are so many rewarding 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:17.760 moments. It's also a job, and there's a lot of 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:20.500 responsibility and a lot of long days, long hours. 00:01:21.079 --> 00:01:23.500 But the people that we meet, really, and the 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:25.420 fact that we get to share our little slice of 00:01:25.420 --> 00:01:27.900 heaven with the world makes it worth it. Did 00:01:27.900 --> 00:01:30.439 you grow up here in Lexington? I grew up over 00:01:30.439 --> 00:01:33.579 in Danville, so not far. I consider myself very 00:01:33.579 --> 00:01:35.120 much a central Kentucky girl. You're a local 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:37.659 girl. Through and through, but I was not born 00:01:37.659 --> 00:01:41.500 here in Lexington. So I felt very thankful for 00:01:41.500 --> 00:01:43.400 growing up in Danville. It was a wonderful place 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:48.299 to be young. sort of learn how to fly. Then you 00:01:48.299 --> 00:01:51.379 went to Center as well. I did. I took a bit of 00:01:51.379 --> 00:01:53.799 a circuitous route, but I ended up back at Center 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:56.620 at the end of my freshman year and finished there 00:01:56.620 --> 00:01:58.739 and have no regrets. It was a wonderful place. 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:01.780 So many amazing professors got to live in France 00:02:01.780 --> 00:02:05.040 while I was studying abroad through the Center 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:07.920 abroad program and just extremely grateful for 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:10.360 the opportunity that I had during my years at 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:13.259 Center. Was that travel abroad experience part 00:02:13.259 --> 00:02:15.379 of what ignited your love for tourism? Or how 00:02:15.379 --> 00:02:17.919 did that come about? I think so. So obviously, 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:21.080 I grew up doing, you know, the family trips, 00:02:21.139 --> 00:02:23.300 we would go visit my grandparents or go visit 00:02:23.300 --> 00:02:25.400 family. We had a lot of family in North Carolina. 00:02:25.419 --> 00:02:28.000 So we would track down in the old station wagon 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:30.539 to North Carolina, we did the beach trips a couple 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:34.699 of times. And so I was accustomed to, you know, 00:02:34.699 --> 00:02:39.020 this idea of a vacation. But it was really when 00:02:39.020 --> 00:02:42.000 I lived abroad that I was able to do all that 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:45.120 on my own sort of planning the whole itinerary, 00:02:45.139 --> 00:02:48.319 making all the logistics work and really just 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:50.280 fell in love with it. I mean, I've always been 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:53.979 so happy about coming home to Kentucky. Never 00:02:53.979 --> 00:02:56.900 really wanted to live anywhere else. I'm so proud 00:02:56.900 --> 00:03:00.020 to call this place home, but I have a deep love 00:03:00.020 --> 00:03:02.580 for seeing the world, meeting people from around 00:03:02.580 --> 00:03:04.860 the world, meeting people from all over this 00:03:04.860 --> 00:03:08.539 fantastic country that we're in. And the fact 00:03:08.539 --> 00:03:11.889 that I get to, you know, Do that as part of my 00:03:11.889 --> 00:03:14.770 mission at visitlex is is a great honor. Yeah. 00:03:14.949 --> 00:03:17.330 What are some of your favorite places that you've 00:03:17.330 --> 00:03:19.370 visited over the years? Oh my goodness. This 00:03:19.370 --> 00:03:23.409 is like asking for a favorite child. But I have, 00:03:23.430 --> 00:03:25.949 I mean, I have a love of Europe. There's no doubt 00:03:25.949 --> 00:03:28.889 when I lived in France, obviously I was able 00:03:28.889 --> 00:03:32.330 to travel via train to so many of the European 00:03:32.330 --> 00:03:34.849 countries. I have a soft spot in Strasbourg, 00:03:34.849 --> 00:03:37.210 France. That's where I lived when I was in college. 00:03:37.849 --> 00:03:40.629 I tell you what, I love the Canadian Rockies. 00:03:40.990 --> 00:03:44.050 Some of the most stunning scenery that I've ever 00:03:44.050 --> 00:03:46.810 been a part of. I took my first trip to Asia 00:03:46.810 --> 00:03:49.270 a couple of years ago. I was in Japan and South 00:03:49.270 --> 00:03:53.710 Korea, both again, just. beautiful people, beautiful 00:03:53.710 --> 00:03:58.389 country. So, so clean. Japan is so clean and 00:03:58.389 --> 00:04:02.310 so organized and so quiet compared to what we're 00:04:02.310 --> 00:04:05.699 used to here in the United States. Um, and I 00:04:05.699 --> 00:04:07.800 was, I had the opportunity to be with our sister 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:10.759 city, which is Shinnodaka Japan and just, I mean, 00:04:10.900 --> 00:04:14.099 truly the kindest people and they have a profound 00:04:14.099 --> 00:04:15.919 love of the horse. Of course, all of our sister 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:19.060 cities here in Lexington share a love of the 00:04:19.060 --> 00:04:21.079 horse and the equine industry. And so it was 00:04:21.079 --> 00:04:23.980 just amazing to be at this horse farm in Japan. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:27.000 having them show us, you know, their their stud 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:29.139 farm and thinking about all the stud farms that 00:04:29.139 --> 00:04:31.860 I've been in, you know, or been on here in Lexington 00:04:31.860 --> 00:04:34.540 and thinking we are thousands of miles apart 00:04:34.540 --> 00:04:37.339 from one another. And yet so much in common and 00:04:37.339 --> 00:04:39.360 so much to learn from each other. It probably 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:41.560 shows you we have, like you said, so much more 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:43.519 in common than we are actually different. So 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:45.560 very true. And I think that's one of the great 00:04:47.269 --> 00:04:49.470 I think that's one of the great lessons in travel. 00:04:49.730 --> 00:04:51.930 It really is the antidote to hate. The more that 00:04:51.930 --> 00:04:55.649 you have the opportunity to experience other 00:04:55.649 --> 00:04:58.910 cultures, to meet people, to see what it is that 00:04:58.910 --> 00:05:02.730 binds us as humans, it's so much easier to love. 00:05:02.970 --> 00:05:06.050 people that are different than us. My college 00:05:06.050 --> 00:05:08.290 had a really strong study abroad program. I know 00:05:08.290 --> 00:05:11.029 you've done a lot of traveling, Evy, but I really 00:05:11.029 --> 00:05:13.490 felt like the five months that I spent, I was 00:05:13.490 --> 00:05:16.730 in Madrid were the most transformative of my 00:05:16.730 --> 00:05:18.949 whole life so far. You're so right. Spending 00:05:18.949 --> 00:05:21.629 time with, I was living with another family and 00:05:21.629 --> 00:05:24.189 really being immersed in the culture. You just 00:05:24.189 --> 00:05:29.149 realize a lot of similarities in values of family 00:05:29.149 --> 00:05:31.689 and togetherness, but then also all these differences. 00:05:32.269 --> 00:05:35.509 learning another culture is just too fun. It 00:05:35.509 --> 00:05:37.870 is cool. It's really, it's a great opportunity. 00:05:37.870 --> 00:05:39.649 And that's part of what I love when we bring 00:05:39.649 --> 00:05:42.350 visitors to Lexington. Yes, we're getting to 00:05:42.350 --> 00:05:43.730 share with them, you know, some of the things 00:05:43.730 --> 00:05:46.529 that make us truly distinct, for example, our 00:05:46.529 --> 00:05:48.930 fantastic scenery, our rolling hills, our amazing 00:05:48.930 --> 00:05:51.910 horses. If you like bourbon, we've got a lot 00:05:51.910 --> 00:05:55.529 of that that we make as well. And yet we're also 00:05:55.529 --> 00:05:57.790 just saying like, you're welcome here, right? 00:05:58.110 --> 00:06:02.769 I, um, I'm so delighted with these recent Conde 00:06:02.769 --> 00:06:06.449 Nast awards because I think it speaks directly 00:06:06.449 --> 00:06:09.529 to how warm and friendly people are to our visitors. 00:06:09.610 --> 00:06:11.410 And I think that's what we're sharing as much 00:06:11.410 --> 00:06:13.370 as anything is just, you know, ourselves, our 00:06:13.370 --> 00:06:16.170 hearts and our home. For those who haven't heard 00:06:16.170 --> 00:06:19.269 yet, what awards is Lexington racking up? So 00:06:19.269 --> 00:06:21.910 we kicked off the year in fabulous style. We 00:06:21.910 --> 00:06:25.339 were awarded three Conde Nast awards. one for 00:06:25.339 --> 00:06:28.120 being the most visitor friendly city. And the 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:29.939 thing that is really fantastic about this is 00:06:29.939 --> 00:06:32.839 this is a reader's choice style award. So this 00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:36.209 is people who've been here voting. on Lexington. 00:06:36.410 --> 00:06:39.250 This is not, you know, the bureau saying, Hey, 00:06:39.370 --> 00:06:41.329 we'd love to Lex for, you know, to put our city 00:06:41.329 --> 00:06:45.290 forward for these awards. This is truly generated. 00:06:46.149 --> 00:06:50.329 We were number six for our food. So diversity 00:06:50.329 --> 00:06:53.189 in Lexington, and then we were number eight for 00:06:53.189 --> 00:06:56.250 best small city. And I just think again, with 00:06:56.250 --> 00:06:59.050 these being readers selections, their choices 00:06:59.050 --> 00:07:02.870 for us to come out, being in the top 10 and three 00:07:02.870 --> 00:07:05.089 different lists, and then for the number ranking 00:07:05.089 --> 00:07:07.949 to be a direct reflection of the people that 00:07:07.949 --> 00:07:10.149 call Lexington home and that welcome folks from 00:07:10.149 --> 00:07:11.990 around the world with open arms. It's pretty 00:07:11.990 --> 00:07:14.149 awesome. Yeah. So for our viewers and listeners, 00:07:14.290 --> 00:07:17.089 pat yourself on the back. You want an award if 00:07:17.089 --> 00:07:19.430 you haven't heard. And if you're not here, come 00:07:19.430 --> 00:07:22.529 visit. Absolutely. So thank you to all the folks 00:07:22.529 --> 00:07:24.850 in Lexington who really do go out of their way 00:07:24.850 --> 00:07:28.870 to share the city. And, you know, I get one of 00:07:28.870 --> 00:07:30.930 the perks of the job is the emails that come 00:07:30.930 --> 00:07:33.250 completely unsolicited from folks who have been 00:07:33.250 --> 00:07:37.230 to visit. And I got this great email a few years 00:07:37.230 --> 00:07:41.149 ago when UNC Chapel Hill was here to play UK 00:07:41.149 --> 00:07:44.769 in basketball. And these diehard Chapel Hill 00:07:44.769 --> 00:07:48.689 fans, UNC fans had come to the game. Well, they 00:07:48.689 --> 00:07:51.060 ended up popping across the street after the 00:07:51.060 --> 00:07:53.920 game was over and ended up, you know, as you 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:56.139 do striking up a conversation with a couple at 00:07:56.139 --> 00:07:59.740 the bar. These couple became fast friends and 00:07:59.740 --> 00:08:02.500 that couple invited them out the next night to 00:08:02.500 --> 00:08:06.699 their home for a meal. So this UNC fan was saying 00:08:06.699 --> 00:08:09.540 you all have got to be the nicest people on the 00:08:09.540 --> 00:08:12.259 planet. I'm like that. That's just it. And it's 00:08:12.259 --> 00:08:15.920 for anyone. It is that southern hospital. That's 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:17.519 actually one of the reasons why. So my husband's 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:21.220 from Tennessee. I'm from Indiana. But we've lived 00:08:21.220 --> 00:08:23.339 in Lexington for six years now. And we got married 00:08:23.339 --> 00:08:26.769 three almost three years ago. We I initially 00:08:26.769 --> 00:08:28.790 thought about having our wedding in Indianapolis 00:08:28.790 --> 00:08:30.350 because it's closer to my family. It would be 00:08:30.350 --> 00:08:32.029 maybe a little bit easier to plan with my mom. 00:08:32.330 --> 00:08:34.409 But eventually we set it on Lexington because 00:08:34.409 --> 00:08:37.490 we wanted people to be able to come experience 00:08:37.490 --> 00:08:40.549 Lexington. And I'm so grateful we had our wedding 00:08:40.549 --> 00:08:42.929 here because we heard from so many of our guests 00:08:42.929 --> 00:08:45.889 that they loved getting to experience the city. 00:08:46.350 --> 00:08:48.649 So it worked out so well. That's perfect. Have 00:08:48.649 --> 00:08:50.830 everybody meet in the middle. Exactly. And get 00:08:50.830 --> 00:08:53.690 to see all of our restaurants and just the... 00:08:53.419 --> 00:08:55.980 the scenery and everything that we've got going 00:08:55.980 --> 00:08:58.179 on. Yeah. Rolling Hills in the background of 00:08:58.179 --> 00:08:59.980 your wedding photos. You really can't beat it. 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:03.659 I think Lexington, and I have felt this since 00:09:03.659 --> 00:09:06.539 I moved here, it's like the perfect mix of that 00:09:06.539 --> 00:09:09.299 Southern charm, Southern hospitality, but also 00:09:09.299 --> 00:09:14.960 with Midwest nice. It's kind of the perfect mix. 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:18.759 I have a husband who's from his family. very 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:21.220 rooted in the Midwest and that Midwest nice is 00:09:21.220 --> 00:09:24.679 a real thing. And I do think we are at right 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:28.440 at this inflection point of both here in central 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:31.419 Kentucky, which makes it really charming. We 00:09:31.419 --> 00:09:33.419 can, we can cater to both. We can be a little 00:09:33.419 --> 00:09:37.200 bit Southern and a little bit Midwestern. a whole 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:41.100 lot of nice and good. So I like that with Louisville 00:09:41.100 --> 00:09:44.559 and Cincinnati and Nashville, Dollywood, all 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:47.980 of these larger cities and other destinations 00:09:47.980 --> 00:09:51.700 nearby. How do you make sure that Lexington stands 00:09:51.700 --> 00:09:54.470 out? Well, it's a great question and we do it 00:09:54.470 --> 00:09:56.490 in a lot of ways, as you might imagine. There's 00:09:56.490 --> 00:10:00.370 no one sort of magic answer to how we stay competitive. 00:10:00.789 --> 00:10:03.230 But first of all, we just lean in from a brand 00:10:03.230 --> 00:10:06.210 perspective to our authenticity. What do we have 00:10:06.210 --> 00:10:08.529 that is authentically ours? You know, we're not 00:10:08.529 --> 00:10:10.929 going to be able to go create what Dollywood 00:10:10.929 --> 00:10:14.909 has created in East Tennessee. And so why, I 00:10:14.909 --> 00:10:17.570 mean, why try? Let's just do what we do really 00:10:17.570 --> 00:10:20.059 well. And of course, It goes without saying, 00:10:20.139 --> 00:10:22.940 we do horses and bourbon really well. And those 00:10:22.940 --> 00:10:25.620 are great hooks. Those are great sort of initial, 00:10:25.620 --> 00:10:28.360 let us inspire you with our scenery. Or if you 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:31.299 happen to be into the, you know, bourbon culture, 00:10:31.779 --> 00:10:34.440 let us entice you by visiting some of these home 00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:37.000 places. But then the magic is that once they're 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:39.639 here, we can show them so much more. Obviously 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.720 you all know this, you live here, we have a wonderfully 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:45.600 rich and energetic city. There is always something 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:48.220 going on. So whether you're in the arts and culture 00:10:48.299 --> 00:10:51.529 space. Or you really love genealogy and you want 00:10:51.529 --> 00:10:54.250 to take a deep dive into perhaps how your family 00:10:54.250 --> 00:10:57.309 came through Kentucky on its way west or whatever 00:10:57.309 --> 00:10:59.629 it is that strikes you. You know, there's lots 00:10:59.629 --> 00:11:01.889 of different ways that we can introduce you to 00:11:01.889 --> 00:11:04.490 the rest of our city. And of course, no trip 00:11:04.490 --> 00:11:06.590 is complete without a little shopping and a lot 00:11:06.590 --> 00:11:09.750 of eating. And so we can also give you great 00:11:09.750 --> 00:11:12.250 experiences with those two things. I mean, I 00:11:12.250 --> 00:11:14.789 joke that I eat out as a recreational hobby. 00:11:15.769 --> 00:11:17.190 But you probably have to do a little research 00:11:17.190 --> 00:11:19.429 for work too, right? That's what I say all the 00:11:19.429 --> 00:11:24.509 time. I'm just, I can't be. Um, and then we just 00:11:24.509 --> 00:11:26.809 have the beautiful outdoors as well. It's a, 00:11:26.809 --> 00:11:28.769 you know, central Kentucky, especially if you 00:11:28.769 --> 00:11:31.950 look at it as, you know, Lexington and contiguous 00:11:31.950 --> 00:11:35.299 counties. Um, just a playground. I mean, just 00:11:35.299 --> 00:11:38.620 nature's playground, honestly. And so even just 00:11:38.620 --> 00:11:41.179 the, the sort of connection that we have from 00:11:41.179 --> 00:11:43.600 Lexington to the Red River Gorge, it's a great 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:46.340 sort of like outdoor meets city. You get a little 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:48.159 bit of both, you know, you can go do a couple 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:50.539 of days in the Gorge and then come here and, 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:52.580 you know, check into a nice hotel and take a 00:11:52.580 --> 00:11:55.200 shower and, um, treat yourself to a good restaurant 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:57.059 after you've done all that right rock climbing. 00:11:57.100 --> 00:12:00.500 And so just really leaning in to the things that 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:04.129 we have, um, in space. but that are really authentic 00:12:04.129 --> 00:12:07.730 to who we are. Of course, we do advertising. 00:12:07.870 --> 00:12:11.309 We try to be active on social media. If you've 00:12:11.309 --> 00:12:15.389 followed along on any of our Instagram or Facebook, 00:12:15.389 --> 00:12:17.809 we try to be very inspirational in those spaces, 00:12:17.970 --> 00:12:20.250 sort of showing these stunning moments that we're 00:12:20.250 --> 00:12:23.929 so blessed with around here. We do a lot of earned 00:12:23.929 --> 00:12:26.370 media. So we're always looking for an opportunity 00:12:26.370 --> 00:12:29.250 to tell our story. And we've had many different 00:12:29.250 --> 00:12:31.169 journalists that have visited over the years 00:12:31.169 --> 00:12:34.929 and have Let us take them on a two or three day 00:12:34.929 --> 00:12:37.250 tour of the city. And then they have gone back 00:12:37.250 --> 00:12:39.190 to their audiences and written these stories 00:12:39.190 --> 00:12:41.669 or shared, you know, these segments with their 00:12:41.669 --> 00:12:44.450 viewers. And that's been a great way, you know, 00:12:44.529 --> 00:12:47.629 to give people a close look at what's happening 00:12:47.629 --> 00:12:50.480 in the city. And then, of course, on our sales 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:53.559 side, we are always looking for conventions and 00:12:53.559 --> 00:12:56.679 meetings and events that fit into the city. So 00:12:56.679 --> 00:12:58.460 that functions a little bit differently than 00:12:58.460 --> 00:13:00.679 your leisure traveler, your person who's looking 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:03.220 for maybe a long weekend or a family vacation. 00:13:03.620 --> 00:13:05.879 But it is a really important part of what we 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:08.440 do at Visit Lex is recruiting meetings and conventions. 00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:11.539 So we have a number of hotels that can host meetings 00:13:11.539 --> 00:13:13.700 in their own properties. And then, of course, 00:13:13.700 --> 00:13:15.840 we have the Central Bank Center downtown and 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:17.980 the Kentucky Horse Park out on the north end. 00:13:18.220 --> 00:13:20.919 And both of those facilities are just economic 00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:23.740 engines for the city. If you are out at the Kentucky 00:13:23.740 --> 00:13:26.220 horse park during the summer, I promise you there 00:13:26.220 --> 00:13:29.019 will not be one quiet day out there with a number 00:13:29.019 --> 00:13:32.600 of competitions and horses and humans that are 00:13:32.600 --> 00:13:35.259 coming in through those gates to be a part of 00:13:35.259 --> 00:13:39.450 pony club or some championship. Central Bank 00:13:39.450 --> 00:13:42.389 Center just been a tremendous game changer for 00:13:42.389 --> 00:13:44.830 the types of events and the size of events that 00:13:44.830 --> 00:13:48.350 we're able to host in Lexington. We get tremendous 00:13:48.350 --> 00:13:50.490 feedback from our meeting planners that they 00:13:50.490 --> 00:13:54.919 love. being in Lexington. Geographically, it's 00:13:54.919 --> 00:13:57.960 a fairly easy place to get to. We have wonderful 00:13:57.960 --> 00:14:01.039 facility in the Central Bank Center. Downtown 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:03.720 is really walkable and safe and that those are 00:14:03.720 --> 00:14:05.940 great selling points. Of course, there's lots 00:14:05.940 --> 00:14:08.519 of fun restaurants that you can walk to from 00:14:08.519 --> 00:14:11.159 easily from our downtown hotels and the convention 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:14.799 center. So there's just a lot that goes into 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:18.980 the work that we do at Visit Lex. But Travel 00:14:18.980 --> 00:14:21.820 is a very competitive space and we can never 00:14:21.820 --> 00:14:23.980 take our foot off the gas. We have constantly 00:14:23.980 --> 00:14:27.850 got to be out there. Keeping Lexington top of 00:14:27.850 --> 00:14:31.549 mind keeping people excited About us as a destination. 00:14:31.549 --> 00:14:34.629 I will say I do follow the Instagram and it's 00:14:34.629 --> 00:14:36.549 so good And sometimes I will see a post and I'll 00:14:36.549 --> 00:14:39.250 be like, ooh, where is this thinking? It's a 00:14:39.250 --> 00:14:40.750 different city or something and then I realized 00:14:40.750 --> 00:14:45.090 oh my gosh, this is That's a good thing. Yeah, 00:14:45.090 --> 00:14:47.610 it's fun. It's fun, too when we have so many 00:14:47.610 --> 00:14:50.009 talented photographers that we work with that 00:14:50.009 --> 00:14:54.960 are great partners of ours and It just, it never 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:57.799 gets old. Yeah. Seeing some of these like stunning 00:14:57.799 --> 00:15:00.639 moments that have been captured. What about TikTok? 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:04.120 Because I myself am on TikTok and I find travel 00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:07.039 destinations rolling through, right? People saying 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:09.679 either I went here or you should come to my city. 00:15:10.019 --> 00:15:12.500 Are you all using apps like TikTok to reach a 00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:16.080 new audience? We absolutely are. I have two. 00:15:17.070 --> 00:15:20.250 Well, one is a junior high school and the other 00:15:20.250 --> 00:15:23.269 is a freshman in college and they have kids in 00:15:23.269 --> 00:15:26.570 the house and they have assured me that if you're 00:15:26.570 --> 00:15:28.889 not looking on TikTok, you're not doing it right. 00:15:29.509 --> 00:15:31.990 Right. And so especially with this younger demographic, 00:15:31.990 --> 00:15:35.789 we have seen TikTok be extremely successful for 00:15:35.789 --> 00:15:38.789 us. And so we have that is absolutely an opportunity 00:15:38.789 --> 00:15:41.429 that we are also targeting for growth this year 00:15:41.429 --> 00:15:44.370 to continue showing up in that space in ways 00:15:44.370 --> 00:15:48.179 that, you know, or that meet that type of audience 00:15:48.179 --> 00:15:50.460 exactly where they are and give them inspirational 00:15:50.460 --> 00:15:52.779 content. Of course, we've got collaborators that 00:15:52.779 --> 00:15:56.080 we that we want to work with specifically for 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:58.740 TikTok. But yeah, it's a great medium. I mean, 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:01.620 it is a really wonderful way to discover a destination. 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:05.820 And so these social platforms are just they've 00:16:05.820 --> 00:16:10.559 been great equalizers for destinations like Lexington 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:13.070 who maybe cannot compete dollar for dollar with 00:16:13.070 --> 00:16:15.529 a Nashville or an Indianapolis, like we just 00:16:15.529 --> 00:16:18.929 don't have the big budget, but we have social 00:16:18.929 --> 00:16:22.129 media and we can really leverage that as an inspiration 00:16:22.129 --> 00:16:25.190 tool. Um, and so that it's very much part of 00:16:25.190 --> 00:16:27.129 our strategy. And I think a lot of times people 00:16:27.129 --> 00:16:29.490 trust, not that you don't trust a magazine or 00:16:29.490 --> 00:16:32.230 a travel show, but if it's just a regular person 00:16:32.230 --> 00:16:35.389 on your phone saying, Hey, I went here. Right. 00:16:35.590 --> 00:16:37.649 I liked this restaurant. You should try it. People 00:16:37.649 --> 00:16:40.070 are more likely sometimes to trust. Yes. You 00:16:40.070 --> 00:16:43.889 feel like you're getting the unpolished version 00:16:43.889 --> 00:16:48.490 of it. So, yeah. So we know bourbon thoroughbreds, 00:16:48.830 --> 00:16:50.950 basketball, those are the thing the identifiers 00:16:50.950 --> 00:16:53.990 for Lexington. But do you think there is an aspect 00:16:53.990 --> 00:16:56.710 of Lexington's identity that doesn't get enough 00:16:56.710 --> 00:17:00.070 credit? Or maybe that's growing? That's a great 00:17:00.070 --> 00:17:03.990 question. So I mentioned this briefly just a 00:17:03.990 --> 00:17:07.380 minute ago, but I think we get overlooked. um, 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:09.960 as an outdoor destination. And so much of what 00:17:09.960 --> 00:17:12.960 we actually have to offer is outdoors. If you 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:15.079 think about like, where do you experience a horse 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:17.880 farm? Where do you experience? Um, you know, 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:20.160 a day at the races, well, you're outdoors. And 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:22.980 so we are, we are actually in the process of 00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:25.799 visit Lex of creating a lot more content for 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:28.779 outdoors. It also lends to be very family friendly. 00:17:29.390 --> 00:17:32.069 Personally, one of my favorite ways to spend 00:17:32.069 --> 00:17:34.630 an afternoon in the bluegrass is in a kayak on 00:17:34.630 --> 00:17:38.609 the water, looking at, you know, or going down 00:17:38.609 --> 00:17:42.609 a creek or river, whatever, have a lake. The 00:17:42.609 --> 00:17:45.269 scenery is stunning and it's a completely different 00:17:45.269 --> 00:17:48.269 way, you know, than driving our back roads to 00:17:48.269 --> 00:17:51.470 see the bluegrass. And so we'd love to lean into 00:17:51.470 --> 00:17:55.559 that a little bit more. The city has. property 00:17:55.559 --> 00:17:57.460 that they have recently acquired that's down 00:17:57.460 --> 00:17:59.960 on the Kentucky River, which will give Fayette 00:17:59.960 --> 00:18:03.240 County access, public access to the river for 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:06.579 the first time in a long time. So I think that 00:18:06.579 --> 00:18:08.980 that's an opportunity for us to really continue 00:18:08.980 --> 00:18:11.839 to market is the experiences. I don't know if 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:13.839 you've ever had the opportunity to be like on 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:16.220 Boone Creek or the original Tate's Creek. These 00:18:16.220 --> 00:18:19.039 are little offshoots of the actual Kentucky River 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:23.460 on the south end of our county. Gorgeous. I mean, 00:18:23.559 --> 00:18:26.829 it is really really beautiful and so I would 00:18:26.829 --> 00:18:30.690 love for us to continue really leaning in, getting 00:18:30.690 --> 00:18:34.089 folks out and about adventuring. Of course, as 00:18:34.089 --> 00:18:36.069 I mentioned, we're very close to the Gorge. And 00:18:36.069 --> 00:18:38.369 so that's a great sort of partnership with our 00:18:38.369 --> 00:18:41.430 colleagues and friends over in the Red River 00:18:41.430 --> 00:18:44.170 Gorge area. I think we play very well together. 00:18:45.089 --> 00:18:50.549 And I'm not a rock climber, but I hear that it 00:18:50.549 --> 00:18:53.869 is literally the best rock climbing east of the 00:18:53.869 --> 00:18:56.420 Mississippi. So I trust them. And I take their 00:18:56.420 --> 00:18:59.140 word for it. And I'm proud to tout that to anybody 00:18:59.140 --> 00:19:02.660 who's willing to listen. So, um, I also think 00:19:02.660 --> 00:19:05.420 really and truly like the arts and culture, cultural 00:19:05.420 --> 00:19:07.500 offerings that we have in the city punch way 00:19:07.500 --> 00:19:09.579 above our weight class. I mean, you know, in, 00:19:09.579 --> 00:19:16.339 in many ways this is, um, it is, um, small city, 00:19:16.339 --> 00:19:18.880 right? And if you think about just the depth 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:21.599 of creativity, the visual artists, the performing 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:24.579 artists, if you think about the fantastic legacy 00:19:24.579 --> 00:19:27.200 of literary history that has happened here in 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:29.980 Lexington, the tremendous amount of, you know, 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:33.559 authors and poets and screenwriters and folks 00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:37.740 that have produced just stunningly beautiful 00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:41.119 words. And so you think about the just the open 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:44.180 mic nights or you think about the productions 00:19:44.180 --> 00:19:46.380 of small theater productions, or you think about 00:19:46.380 --> 00:19:50.440 a traveling show, you know, visual arts. And 00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:52.660 so I think we'll just continue to really lean 00:19:52.660 --> 00:19:55.839 into the types of events that you can experience 00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:57.819 in the arts and cultural space as well, because 00:19:57.819 --> 00:20:00.440 I think, I think people are drawn to those experiences, 00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:05.000 you know, I think that art helps us process what's 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:07.000 happening in everyday life, whichever medium 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:09.599 we're drawn to, but I think it's, I think it's 00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:13.569 essential and I just would love to continue lifting 00:20:13.569 --> 00:20:16.970 up all the makers in the city that are doing 00:20:16.970 --> 00:20:20.009 phenomenal work. You know, you mentioned the 00:20:20.009 --> 00:20:21.809 artists. I just think of the murals too, that 00:20:21.809 --> 00:20:24.269 are all over. When I first moved here, that was 00:20:24.269 --> 00:20:26.930 one of the things that stuck out to me was you 00:20:26.930 --> 00:20:28.950 look up in this downtown and there's something 00:20:28.950 --> 00:20:30.910 new on every corner. It's great. I mean, it's 00:20:30.910 --> 00:20:32.950 great to have those little pops of color. It's 00:20:32.950 --> 00:20:36.650 great that they all have stories within the story 00:20:36.650 --> 00:20:39.559 and to give yourself something to think about. 00:20:39.619 --> 00:20:41.779 Some of them have really inspiring messages, 00:20:41.779 --> 00:20:45.319 you know, which I think, you know, speaks again 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:47.960 to that humanity that's in all of us. And I love 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:50.859 that. And so the murals have certainly been fun. 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:53.799 But yeah, there's, I mean, there's everything. 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:57.319 There's everything from street art to high art. 00:20:59.150 --> 00:21:01.950 It's all a matter of your tastes and the bottom 00:21:01.950 --> 00:21:04.549 line is we have really wonderful ways to experience 00:21:04.549 --> 00:21:07.569 it something for everyone and I like that We 00:21:07.569 --> 00:21:10.609 are driving distance to some larger cities that 00:21:10.609 --> 00:21:12.829 we wanted But you don't have to leave Lexington 00:21:12.829 --> 00:21:16.049 for anything like you were saying a show or music 00:21:16.049 --> 00:21:19.170 or performance Whatever it might be right Lexington. 00:21:19.170 --> 00:21:21.450 Yeah punches above its weight under estimate. 00:21:21.450 --> 00:21:25.369 I agree Well, I just think that You know, it's 00:21:25.369 --> 00:21:28.369 hard for small cities to compete with large cities 00:21:28.369 --> 00:21:31.650 simply because you just, you know, the dollars 00:21:31.650 --> 00:21:34.990 don't match evenly. And there are so many people 00:21:34.990 --> 00:21:37.509 in these large metro areas and, you know, they 00:21:37.509 --> 00:21:40.599 have all those brand ambassadors out there. um, 00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:42.880 cheering for them. And so it's, it's a little 00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:44.900 bit of like David and Goliath, like the little 00:21:44.900 --> 00:21:47.480 guy. Um, but that's okay. We love that. It's 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:50.319 a good challenge for us. And I, there's nothing 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:53.619 that makes me happier than a person who has come 00:21:53.619 --> 00:21:57.440 to town, not really having any particular expectation, 00:21:57.700 --> 00:22:00.339 intrigued, but no real expectation. And for them 00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:02.940 to, at the end of their trip, say, you know, 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:05.640 Lexington is more than a place. Like it's a feeling. 00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:09.539 I'm like, yes. You have gotten it. That's good. 00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:11.900 You have really been here. You have really experienced 00:22:11.900 --> 00:22:14.240 it. You have been well taken care of and you 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:16.539 were going home knowing that this place is more 00:22:16.539 --> 00:22:18.779 than just a place. It's a feeling. How do you 00:22:18.779 --> 00:22:23.279 describe that feeling? For me personally? Oh, 00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:27.099 goodness. Well, it's It's hard to describe, like, 00:22:27.339 --> 00:22:29.339 you know, coming up with this is a good, like, 00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:33.319 liberal arts education challenge. How do I describe 00:22:33.319 --> 00:22:36.579 this? It's almost like we're asking you to write 00:22:36.579 --> 00:22:39.779 a poem or something. I want to just fully disclose 00:22:39.779 --> 00:22:43.460 that I am not a poet. The house that I bought, 00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:46.799 which is a really... Precious house. I bought 00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:49.819 from a poet and I wow when I purchased the home 00:22:49.819 --> 00:22:52.700 for her I said, I hope you have no expectation 00:22:52.700 --> 00:23:01.019 I Think for me so much of it is very tied to 00:23:01.019 --> 00:23:05.559 the land, right? I think there is The more that 00:23:05.559 --> 00:23:08.779 I Look at our signature industries the more that 00:23:08.779 --> 00:23:13.440 I understand like the agricultural richness of 00:23:14.299 --> 00:23:17.180 the land that we're surrounded by it is been 00:23:17.180 --> 00:23:19.980 so essential to the story of Lexington and so 00:23:19.980 --> 00:23:22.599 I think the feeling first of all is deeply rooted 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:29.660 in the land. I think it is I think it is a genuineness 00:23:29.660 --> 00:23:31.960 and I think that is has everything to do with 00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:36.890 the people. Obviously, I think it's pretty. I 00:23:36.890 --> 00:23:39.869 mean, you know, not to sound so trite. No, it 00:23:39.869 --> 00:23:42.009 is. It's a really pretty place. It's a really 00:23:42.009 --> 00:23:46.150 friendly place. So yeah, it's homey is I'm gonna 00:23:46.150 --> 00:23:48.470 have to really think about this. Well, I put 00:23:48.470 --> 00:23:51.109 you on the spot. Come back to you. I will work 00:23:51.109 --> 00:23:55.910 on my poem. Maybe an Instagram post. Yeah, maybe 00:23:55.910 --> 00:24:00.109 we actually asked. Yeah. We are you go. What 00:24:00.109 --> 00:24:02.720 is it? How do you describe? If Lexington is a 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:04.640 feeling, how do you describe it? I love that. 00:24:04.779 --> 00:24:06.779 That's really sweet. Okay. I have a question. 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:10.279 We do a lot of stories about like economic benefits 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:12.680 of this event coming to town or this tournament. 00:24:13.099 --> 00:24:16.299 Um, we do a lot of those stories. What does that 00:24:16.299 --> 00:24:18.839 mean for the average citizen though, when they 00:24:18.839 --> 00:24:22.539 see, Oh, so and so, or this event brings in X 00:24:22.539 --> 00:24:25.119 number of dollars and has this large of a benefit. 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:28.359 What does that mean for the average person? Well, 00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:30.839 it means a lot. So let me just give you a couple 00:24:30.839 --> 00:24:33.220 of numbers and then we can kind of unpack them. 00:24:33.940 --> 00:24:36.400 So there are about 12 ,000 people in Lexington 00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:41.019 that call this industry their home, right? It's 00:24:41.019 --> 00:24:43.759 their job, their career. And so first of all, 00:24:43.900 --> 00:24:45.990 it's just the people that you, you know, live 00:24:45.990 --> 00:24:48.509 in your neighborhood with. Many of them are going 00:24:48.509 --> 00:24:51.190 to a job every day, whether it be at a hotel 00:24:51.190 --> 00:24:53.890 or an event venue, or they're working in catering 00:24:53.890 --> 00:24:58.190 for, you know, a big caterer, anything like that. 00:24:58.269 --> 00:25:00.920 You know, these are people who are have wonderful, 00:25:01.180 --> 00:25:03.500 meaningful careers in the hospitality industry. 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:06.200 And so it's just a vital part of people making 00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:08.319 their living and people putting food on the table 00:25:08.319 --> 00:25:10.539 for their families and all the stuff that kind 00:25:10.539 --> 00:25:12.819 of comes with that. So I'm very proud that we 00:25:12.819 --> 00:25:15.440 have a lot of folks in the city that are employed 00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:19.980 in this space and make it what it is. We also 00:25:19.980 --> 00:25:24.519 love the dollar that comes in from outside. spends 00:25:24.519 --> 00:25:27.819 its money here, right? So they're buying food 00:25:27.819 --> 00:25:29.680 in our restaurants, they're buying, you know, 00:25:29.779 --> 00:25:31.700 something to take home as a souvenir in our gift 00:25:31.700 --> 00:25:36.119 shops, they're buying tickets to the show, whatever 00:25:36.119 --> 00:25:37.900 it is that they're doing, right? And so they're 00:25:37.900 --> 00:25:40.140 spending their money here, which is just great 00:25:40.140 --> 00:25:44.279 in terms of the overall economic impact for what's 00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:46.539 happening inside the city, and then they go home, 00:25:46.660 --> 00:25:50.269 right? So we're not more than likely, we're not 00:25:50.269 --> 00:25:52.289 going to be like, worried about how do they have 00:25:52.289 --> 00:25:54.329 streets and roads or how they have EMS service, 00:25:54.329 --> 00:25:56.650 or who's going to remove their snow when this 00:25:56.650 --> 00:26:00.390 winter snow, you know, arrives. And so it's a 00:26:00.390 --> 00:26:04.990 it's a fairly like limited moment in time where 00:26:04.990 --> 00:26:07.089 they spend their money here, and then they leave. 00:26:08.730 --> 00:26:12.009 And we love that because that dollar then gets 00:26:12.959 --> 00:26:15.660 transferred over and over throughout the community 00:26:15.660 --> 00:26:17.839 and that economic impact is something that we're 00:26:17.839 --> 00:26:20.220 able to really feel. And I think the thing that 00:26:20.220 --> 00:26:23.279 probably makes the most sense, the good stat 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:25.539 that I can give you that makes the most sense 00:26:25.539 --> 00:26:29.140 for how does this impact you, just person on 00:26:29.140 --> 00:26:33.539 the street. The tourism industry saves you approximately 00:26:33.539 --> 00:26:37.819 $600 a year in your taxes because of the money 00:26:37.819 --> 00:26:41.099 that is brought to this community by folks who 00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:43.329 are just visiting. and then leaving. So you have 00:26:43.329 --> 00:26:47.150 a cheaper bill because of the money that we are 00:26:47.150 --> 00:26:49.349 able to bring into this community and offset 00:26:49.349 --> 00:26:52.109 your expenses by virtue of them spending the 00:26:52.109 --> 00:26:54.029 money here. And so I would not have known that 00:26:54.029 --> 00:26:57.509 tourism works really hard for this city every 00:26:57.509 --> 00:27:00.750 single day. And again, if you're not employed 00:27:00.750 --> 00:27:03.069 in the industry or at one of these venues, you 00:27:03.069 --> 00:27:06.230 may not realize that even today, right, just 00:27:06.230 --> 00:27:10.380 a random Thursday in the middle of January. There 00:27:10.380 --> 00:27:12.180 is a whole industry out there that is working 00:27:12.180 --> 00:27:14.480 and there is money that is being invested in 00:27:14.480 --> 00:27:16.819 this community and these people then turn around 00:27:16.819 --> 00:27:20.039 and leave and yet we've got the residual benefit 00:27:20.039 --> 00:27:23.940 of it. So there is real incentive in. being friendly. 00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:28.559 And being known as a warm city and having these 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:31.220 events offerings. Yeah. And of course the easiest 00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:33.700 for anybody who's in sales or marketing, the 00:27:33.700 --> 00:27:35.700 easiest customer is the one that you already 00:27:35.700 --> 00:27:37.880 have, right? They're the easiest one to get back. 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:40.880 They're the easiest one to continue to develop 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:44.599 a relationship with. And so we love it when people 00:27:44.599 --> 00:27:47.259 have good experiences here because they go home 00:27:47.259 --> 00:27:51.000 and then I think the statistic is for one really 00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:53.819 good experience. tell seven people at a minimum. 00:27:54.400 --> 00:27:56.279 Oh my gosh, we just got back from Lexington, 00:27:56.460 --> 00:27:58.400 we had the most wonderful weekend, we met the 00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:00.579 nicest people, or we saw the most amazing, you 00:28:00.579 --> 00:28:05.160 know, like, horse farmer, I just got to actually 00:28:05.160 --> 00:28:07.859 visit Buffalo Trace, my favorite, yeah, whatever 00:28:07.859 --> 00:28:11.059 it is that pops for them, they go home and tell 00:28:11.059 --> 00:28:13.119 lots of people about that experience, which just 00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:16.099 then plants the seed and allows us to show up. 00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:19.619 and say, inspiration, here you are. Do you find, 00:28:19.859 --> 00:28:21.720 I don't even know if you could, I'm sure you're 00:28:21.720 --> 00:28:23.559 tracking all sorts of data, but are you able 00:28:23.559 --> 00:28:26.380 to pinpoint like an area of the country where 00:28:26.380 --> 00:28:28.740 Lexington is a growing travel destination for 00:28:28.740 --> 00:28:33.099 that area or a different country that those citizens 00:28:33.099 --> 00:28:35.400 might be coming to Lexington? Yeah, that's a 00:28:35.400 --> 00:28:37.460 great question. So yes, we actually are able 00:28:37.460 --> 00:28:40.079 to, you know, with the way that you can track 00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:43.940 everything these days, we are able to look at 00:28:44.119 --> 00:28:46.920 both credit card spend and also cell phone data. 00:28:47.099 --> 00:28:50.099 So it's not credit card spend. Oh, Lord. It's 00:28:50.099 --> 00:28:52.480 not personalized. You should look at Lisa Mandarin. 00:28:53.720 --> 00:28:57.799 My mother's credit card goes crazy. Smoking after 00:28:57.799 --> 00:29:01.019 she leaves Lexington. Right. So and we love her 00:29:01.019 --> 00:29:06.980 for that. We appreciate it. So yeah, we we do 00:29:06.980 --> 00:29:09.480 look at data that shows where we've got some 00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:11.400 like hotspots. And so I can tell you like the 00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:13.740 Chicago market has been really good for the city 00:29:13.740 --> 00:29:17.619 over the last decade. We draw a lot from the 00:29:17.619 --> 00:29:21.059 Midwest, so Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, 00:29:21.279 --> 00:29:24.240 of course Dayton as a sort of suburb of the Sensei 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:27.940 metro area. Chicago, we've done we've actually 00:29:27.940 --> 00:29:30.400 seen some really good traffic out of Michigan, 00:29:31.579 --> 00:29:34.099 Detroit leading the way by virtue of being, you 00:29:34.099 --> 00:29:37.200 know, the main metro area. But yeah, the Midwest 00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:40.500 states have been super good to us in a very consistent 00:29:40.500 --> 00:29:43.119 way year over year. And I think that makes sense 00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:46.859 for a lot of reasons. It's easy travel. It's 00:29:46.859 --> 00:29:49.319 a very different product and experience than 00:29:49.319 --> 00:29:52.920 what they have at home. I can ask you if you 00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:55.200 agree with this, having spent a lot of time in 00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:59.380 Indiana in your life. And so we really do a lot 00:29:59.380 --> 00:30:03.160 of strategic advertising and marketing, specifically 00:30:03.160 --> 00:30:05.720 in these feeder cities that are super good to 00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:09.680 us. We had been seeing a lot of really great 00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:13.500 traction out of Toronto. And it was fun for us 00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:18.579 to really do some experimental you know, messaging 00:30:18.579 --> 00:30:21.660 and marketing in the Toronto area. Unfortunately, 00:30:21.940 --> 00:30:24.200 given the tensions between the US and Canada, 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:26.779 that has played out on a much larger, you know, 00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:31.660 sort of scale. We didn't feel like we could sustain 00:30:31.660 --> 00:30:34.319 that, you know. there was just a lot of hesitation 00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:36.940 on Canadians about travel to the US period. And 00:30:36.940 --> 00:30:39.539 so we kind of had to take our foot off the gas 00:30:39.539 --> 00:30:41.779 on that. So I'll be curious to see if maybe when 00:30:41.779 --> 00:30:44.339 some of those tensions are smoothed out, if we 00:30:44.339 --> 00:30:47.460 can't regain some of that initial interest in 00:30:47.460 --> 00:30:49.839 and foothold that we had in the Toronto area. 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:52.599 From an international standpoint, I can tell 00:30:52.599 --> 00:30:55.700 you that Kentucky as a whole. So it's, it's much 00:30:55.700 --> 00:30:58.700 easier when you're in the international marketing 00:30:58.700 --> 00:31:02.940 space for travel specifically. to lead with Kentucky. 00:31:03.619 --> 00:31:07.440 It's really unlikely that somebody knows any 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:10.299 specific city in Kentucky. Yeah. They may know 00:31:10.299 --> 00:31:12.960 of the Kentucky Derby. I'm almost positive that 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:14.640 they're going to have heard of Kentucky Fried 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:18.319 Chicken. They may think that's a worldwide phenomenon. 00:31:18.619 --> 00:31:22.400 In Asia, it's a super big deal. And so they may 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:26.559 think rolling hills or horses or something that, 00:31:26.660 --> 00:31:28.599 you know, bourbon, but they're not necessarily 00:31:28.599 --> 00:31:33.319 thinking like. Oh, Lexington. So we have a collaborative 00:31:33.319 --> 00:31:36.000 partnership with many of the cities in the state 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:38.809 and certainly with the Department of tourism 00:31:38.809 --> 00:31:41.609 that's headquartered over in Frankfurt to work 00:31:41.609 --> 00:31:44.329 on a Kentucky message to the world. And I will 00:31:44.329 --> 00:31:47.630 say that just given the popularity of the South 00:31:47.630 --> 00:31:51.349 in the last, you know, five, 10 years shows like 00:31:51.349 --> 00:31:54.410 Nashville, the rise of country music as a really 00:31:54.410 --> 00:31:57.990 like mainstream again, you know, that has done 00:31:57.990 --> 00:32:01.150 wonders for just elevating the whole Southeast 00:32:01.150 --> 00:32:05.029 as a destination. Bourbon has been, again, a 00:32:05.029 --> 00:32:07.569 great calling card. A lot of people really do 00:32:07.569 --> 00:32:10.690 drink bourbon around the world. And so the idea 00:32:10.690 --> 00:32:13.440 that you get to go to the home place. Same for 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:15.700 us, if we're traveling to the Champagne region 00:32:15.700 --> 00:32:17.579 of France, you know, it's like, Oh, I'm in the 00:32:17.579 --> 00:32:19.240 home place. So I've actually never thought about 00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:21.680 it like that before, but that is, that is the 00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:24.059 exact equivalent. Like you go to Napa for wine. 00:32:24.180 --> 00:32:26.240 It's like, well, if bourbon is your thing, then 00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:28.559 you have to come to Kentucky or your favorite 00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:33.000 beer going to that brewery. Absolutely. And so 00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:35.200 for us, there's a lot, I mean, you know, bourbon 00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:37.900 has been a great calling card for us internationally 00:32:37.900 --> 00:32:39.740 there. And there are some countries that drink 00:32:39.740 --> 00:32:42.039 a lot more bourbon than others, for example. 00:32:42.059 --> 00:32:47.500 the Australians love it. The Japanese love it. 00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:53.339 Okay. The folks in the UK and France and Ireland, 00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:56.619 they love it. And then of course, we have some 00:32:56.619 --> 00:33:00.019 really strong global connections in the thoroughbred 00:33:00.019 --> 00:33:03.299 industry. And we're always happy to celebrate 00:33:03.299 --> 00:33:06.079 those we love I, you know, one of the things 00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:09.710 that I think is a treat for folks. that they're 00:33:09.710 --> 00:33:12.869 welcome to do as locals is just go out to the 00:33:12.869 --> 00:33:16.029 Keeneland sale, especially in September when 00:33:16.029 --> 00:33:18.509 it really is the, you know, the biggest sale 00:33:18.509 --> 00:33:20.369 that they have during the year. And they've got 00:33:20.369 --> 00:33:22.569 buyers in from all around the world. And it's 00:33:22.569 --> 00:33:24.630 just, I mean, it's amazing. You've got like 50 00:33:24.630 --> 00:33:27.789 different countries that are in the sales pavilion 00:33:27.789 --> 00:33:31.250 at Keeneland looking at horses and having lunch 00:33:31.250 --> 00:33:33.789 and getting to know each other. And it's just, 00:33:33.789 --> 00:33:36.869 it's the coolest. It's unique. It is very, very 00:33:36.869 --> 00:33:40.269 special. Speaking of Keeneland and with all of 00:33:40.269 --> 00:33:42.210 the festivals and the traditions that we have 00:33:42.210 --> 00:33:45.950 in Lexington, is there one event or weekend that 00:33:45.950 --> 00:33:49.190 you just love more than the rest? Is that like 00:33:49.190 --> 00:33:54.470 picking a child again? There are a lot of special 00:33:54.470 --> 00:33:58.289 moments throughout the year. I have to say, I'm 00:33:58.289 --> 00:34:03.210 really fond of late April, just particularly 00:34:03.210 --> 00:34:06.250 if you are interested in horses. And I'll be 00:34:06.250 --> 00:34:11.630 honest, I, as a like, probably like 10, 11 year 00:34:11.630 --> 00:34:14.820 old. did what a lot of girls do and said to my 00:34:14.820 --> 00:34:16.440 parents, I think I want to learn how to ride 00:34:16.440 --> 00:34:18.980 a horse. Got to the barn. Turns out I was really 00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:22.019 allergic to hay. It was not going to be a long 00:34:22.019 --> 00:34:24.920 career for me on the back of a horse. So I didn't 00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:28.179 really grow up entrenched in the horse industry 00:34:28.179 --> 00:34:30.260 or business. And again, I just grew up over in 00:34:30.260 --> 00:34:32.780 Danville, but in Danville, it was much more like 00:34:32.780 --> 00:34:35.139 cattle farms and horses that work on the farm, 00:34:35.460 --> 00:34:39.949 not the race horses. And so I really had to learn 00:34:39.949 --> 00:34:43.010 so very much about the thoroughbred industry 00:34:43.010 --> 00:34:46.650 when I was first getting started in this role. 00:34:46.769 --> 00:34:48.469 And I have loved learning about this industry. 00:34:48.630 --> 00:34:52.170 It's endlessly fascinating to me. And just how 00:34:52.170 --> 00:34:55.869 much Lexington really gets to claim as the centerpiece 00:34:55.869 --> 00:35:01.769 of it for the world. But just being at Keeneland 00:35:01.769 --> 00:35:06.409 and seeing the race fans and then leading into 00:35:06.409 --> 00:35:08.530 the Kentucky Horse Park with the Kentucky three 00:35:08.530 --> 00:35:11.789 day event. And then capping off with the Kentucky 00:35:11.789 --> 00:35:14.250 Derby. To me, that is just this like, and it 00:35:14.250 --> 00:35:17.210 all happens within the span of like 10 days. 00:35:17.469 --> 00:35:19.869 And so I think that's a really special time. 00:35:20.289 --> 00:35:23.210 Also, it doesn't hurt that the spring is so beautiful, 00:35:23.510 --> 00:35:26.130 right? You got everything that is in full bloom. 00:35:27.110 --> 00:35:32.210 People are back outside and you're like actually 00:35:32.210 --> 00:35:36.110 talking to your neighbors again. And so I just 00:35:36.110 --> 00:35:40.130 I am certainly fond of that little. 10 day window 00:35:40.130 --> 00:35:43.650 that puts Keeneland into the April meet, the 00:35:43.650 --> 00:35:45.389 Kentucky three day at the horse park and then 00:35:45.389 --> 00:35:47.090 leads into Derby week. Even though the Derby 00:35:47.090 --> 00:35:50.190 is held over in Louisville, there's so much celebrating 00:35:50.190 --> 00:35:52.369 that happens here in Lexington and then around 00:35:52.369 --> 00:35:55.869 it. And it's a great tradition. And then I also 00:35:55.869 --> 00:35:58.789 think that the fall is really special. I mean, 00:35:58.809 --> 00:36:03.409 I love it. It may sounds just absolutely cliche 00:36:03.409 --> 00:36:06.630 to you, but I love it when you have one of those 00:36:06.630 --> 00:36:09.230 perfect fall days and you have like Keeneland 00:36:09.230 --> 00:36:11.929 during the day and then a football game at night. 00:36:12.150 --> 00:36:15.269 And it's like, we have just, the stars have aligned. 00:36:17.750 --> 00:36:20.809 Like that sweet spot, the end of summer, the 00:36:20.809 --> 00:36:22.789 start of fall, the weather is perfect. Everything 00:36:22.789 --> 00:36:26.369 is beautiful. Yes. Oh man. Again, like that crisp 00:36:26.369 --> 00:36:29.829 autumn air and those bright, vibrant fall colors. 00:36:30.150 --> 00:36:32.349 And with the weather that we're about to be experiencing, 00:36:32.909 --> 00:36:35.920 that sounds really nice. We're all a bit nostalgic 00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:38.940 for spring or fall. We're waiting for it. Yeah. 00:36:39.280 --> 00:36:41.579 Okay. We only have a few more minutes. I can't 00:36:41.579 --> 00:36:44.119 believe we just... I know. The time goes so fast. 00:36:44.119 --> 00:36:46.719 We can talk to you all day, I think. I'll come 00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:48.840 back any time. Okay. Perfect. But we want to 00:36:48.840 --> 00:36:52.219 get some final quick questions in. Sure. You 00:36:52.219 --> 00:36:54.699 have done your research. You go to the restaurants. 00:36:54.900 --> 00:36:57.860 You know what's going on in Lexington. Is there 00:36:57.860 --> 00:37:00.679 an underrated or maybe a hidden gem restaurant? 00:37:00.920 --> 00:37:03.780 Now, see, if I tell you my hidden gym restaurant, 00:37:03.940 --> 00:37:06.820 then you all might know there tonight and I might 00:37:06.820 --> 00:37:11.480 run into you. And then I'll be like, no, there's 00:37:11.480 --> 00:37:15.179 so many lovely spots. So actually, as a matter 00:37:15.179 --> 00:37:17.539 of fact, tonight, I'm going to a place that I 00:37:17.539 --> 00:37:19.400 don't know how well known it is, but I think 00:37:19.400 --> 00:37:23.860 it is fantastic Japanese food. And it is Michikusa. 00:37:24.159 --> 00:37:27.219 Where is that? And it is in a little shopping 00:37:27.219 --> 00:37:30.800 center that is off of Richmond Road. than off 00:37:30.800 --> 00:37:35.599 of old Mount Tabor. Okay, okay. So you're like, 00:37:35.940 --> 00:37:38.039 cutting up you're on old Mount Tabor and you 00:37:38.039 --> 00:37:41.119 can go right into Lowe's. Well, across the street 00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:43.559 is a fairly nondescript shopping center. I'm 00:37:43.559 --> 00:37:47.210 sorry, I don't know the name of it. And tucked 00:37:47.210 --> 00:37:51.690 back in there is an unbelievably delicious Japanese 00:37:51.690 --> 00:37:56.130 restaurant called Mujikusa. Okay. I love a recommendation. 00:37:56.489 --> 00:37:58.750 That's my hot tip. And I've actually never heard 00:37:58.750 --> 00:38:00.769 of that restaurant before. Well, great. And I 00:38:00.769 --> 00:38:02.530 love restaurants. They are wonderful. They're 00:38:02.530 --> 00:38:04.489 absolutely wonderful. They take amazing care 00:38:04.489 --> 00:38:07.230 of you inside there. And I mean, I could do this 00:38:07.230 --> 00:38:09.449 for so many restaurants. It's just that I happen 00:38:09.449 --> 00:38:12.590 to be going there tonight. So it's top of mind. 00:38:13.389 --> 00:38:16.880 But yes. so many so many fun spots around town. 00:38:17.079 --> 00:38:19.619 I do think we have been really blessed with people 00:38:19.619 --> 00:38:23.480 from all around the world. And I just whether 00:38:23.480 --> 00:38:26.519 you were like popping in Martins for like, you 00:38:26.519 --> 00:38:29.300 know, French croissant, or you're going to meet 00:38:29.300 --> 00:38:33.139 Cusa or you're out in Beaumont at Masala and 00:38:33.139 --> 00:38:35.699 you're getting probably the best naan bread I've 00:38:35.699 --> 00:38:38.139 ever had in my life. That's amazing. I mean, 00:38:38.239 --> 00:38:41.829 truly. Yeah, like Run, don't walk. It's so good. 00:38:42.429 --> 00:38:45.750 We have all these global influences and for what, 00:38:46.030 --> 00:38:48.230 for one reason or another, their journeys have 00:38:48.230 --> 00:38:50.929 led them to Lexington and they are making delicious 00:38:50.929 --> 00:38:54.670 food. Now it would not be right for me to say, 00:38:54.869 --> 00:38:57.750 I also love sort of your institutions, right? 00:38:57.750 --> 00:39:01.570 The places that have long been, um, you know, 00:39:01.750 --> 00:39:04.969 Belenote has been on my, I mean, we used to drive 00:39:04.969 --> 00:39:08.449 to, from Danville to Lexington to eat at Belenote. 00:39:09.039 --> 00:39:11.539 I still think they do it great all the time. 00:39:11.900 --> 00:39:14.340 Dudley's an institution in downtown. Like if 00:39:14.340 --> 00:39:17.539 you were doing fine dining in Lexington, you 00:39:17.539 --> 00:39:20.900 know, Dudley's has been, I think they are celebrating 00:39:20.900 --> 00:39:25.019 their 45th year this year. Truly like an institution. 00:39:25.500 --> 00:39:28.159 Weida Michael, probably Kentucky's most famous 00:39:28.159 --> 00:39:32.539 chef. An unbelievable ambassador for this destination. 00:39:32.900 --> 00:39:35.659 She obviously has her home place at Holly Hill, 00:39:35.679 --> 00:39:37.280 but then a number of these great restaurants. 00:39:37.500 --> 00:39:40.079 I think Smith town, like don't sleep on Smith 00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:43.289 town, best fish and chips. that you'll get in 00:39:43.289 --> 00:39:45.590 the city. That sounds so good right now. Right. 00:39:45.809 --> 00:39:48.289 I'm hungry. I'm really hungry. But I could do 00:39:48.289 --> 00:39:51.570 this for so many different spots. And so I want 00:39:51.570 --> 00:39:54.809 to just say for the record, this is not my exhaustive 00:39:54.809 --> 00:39:57.510 list. But the point is there are great places 00:39:57.510 --> 00:39:59.489 in all of these neighborhoods around the city. 00:39:59.489 --> 00:40:02.010 And I just would encourage people like get out, 00:40:02.150 --> 00:40:04.510 try someplace new, have some fun, invite some 00:40:04.510 --> 00:40:07.920 friends. And you will. You will meet wonderful 00:40:07.920 --> 00:40:10.239 people with these just beautiful stories about 00:40:10.239 --> 00:40:12.719 how they made their way to Lexington and they 00:40:12.719 --> 00:40:14.480 love nothing more than making delicious food 00:40:14.480 --> 00:40:16.820 for us. We're so lucky to have so many options 00:40:16.820 --> 00:40:19.119 and so many incredible neighbors who, like you 00:40:19.119 --> 00:40:21.570 said, have. come to Lexington for one reason 00:40:21.570 --> 00:40:24.349 or another. I'm a transplant to Lexington. A 00:40:24.349 --> 00:40:27.050 little bit of a melting pot. Fantastic. That's 00:40:27.050 --> 00:40:29.190 what makes it interesting. And that's what makes 00:40:29.190 --> 00:40:32.269 it I mean, as much as I like fried chicken, we 00:40:32.269 --> 00:40:35.030 can't eat every night. So not that good for you. 00:40:35.690 --> 00:40:38.409 And you can eat Japanese food and not feel guilty. 00:40:39.369 --> 00:40:44.630 So yeah, I mean, it's just if you think about 00:40:44.630 --> 00:40:48.610 the sort of pastiche of flavors that has made 00:40:48.610 --> 00:40:50.409 its way to Lexington. We're really fortunate, 00:40:50.730 --> 00:40:55.969 again, to be in a place that has that can celebrate 00:40:55.969 --> 00:40:59.010 all these global tastes. Okay, I have a final 00:40:59.010 --> 00:41:02.230 question for you. Your elevator pitch to someone 00:41:02.230 --> 00:41:04.570 who maybe has never even heard of Lexington before. 00:41:04.860 --> 00:41:14.500 That's probably hard to believe. So what is your 00:41:14.500 --> 00:41:16.920 elevator pitch to them to come visit Lexington? 00:41:17.179 --> 00:41:20.119 My elevator pitch is that Lexington is a wonderful 00:41:20.119 --> 00:41:25.039 small city with an unparalleled scenic beauty, 00:41:25.679 --> 00:41:29.500 rolling hills, fantastic, fantastic courses. 00:41:30.769 --> 00:41:33.989 and farms that will just truly blow your mind 00:41:33.989 --> 00:41:39.389 that we are an energetic university city that 00:41:39.389 --> 00:41:42.650 has a vibrancy and a youthfulness to it. And 00:41:42.650 --> 00:41:46.409 so there is always something going on that we 00:41:46.409 --> 00:41:50.690 are basically a park. a city inside of a big 00:41:50.690 --> 00:41:54.090 park and there is plenty of outdoor exploration 00:41:54.090 --> 00:41:57.869 to be had and that we are the nicest people that 00:41:57.869 --> 00:42:00.369 you'll come across and we cannot wait to show 00:42:00.369 --> 00:42:04.139 you home. I'm sold. Nailed it. Nailed it. Yeah. 00:42:04.139 --> 00:42:06.719 So if you have not been to Lexington, come visit. 00:42:06.940 --> 00:42:09.639 Please come visit. The pandemic's over. Get out 00:42:09.639 --> 00:42:12.320 of your houses, go explore, and have fun. Mary 00:42:12.320 --> 00:42:14.519 Quinn Raymer, thank you so much. This is so recent. 00:42:14.519 --> 00:42:16.960 You've reignited our love of Lexington. Well, 00:42:16.960 --> 00:42:19.380 I'm so happy. Thank you. Now you'll be part of 00:42:19.380 --> 00:42:24.039 the ambassador pool. And absolutely, I hope that 00:42:24.039 --> 00:42:26.300 folks listening will either get out and do something 00:42:26.300 --> 00:42:30.920 new to them. And for those that are not in Lexington, 00:42:31.019 --> 00:42:33.199 I hope. you'll come visit us. Okay, thank you 00:42:33.199 --> 00:42:36.179 so much. Mary Quinn Raymer with Visit Lex, a 00:42:36.179 --> 00:42:38.460 fabulous guest and to our viewers and listeners. 00:42:39.000 --> 00:42:40.840 Thank you so much for joining us. We'll see you 00:42:40.840 --> 00:42:42.400 next time on Hot Mic.