Five Ways Bandwango Helps Your DMO’s Budget Go Further

There are two main ways to make your DMO’s budget go further: increase revenue or reduce expenses. Ideally, you can find a way to do both. That helps maximize your budget even more. It can be done, and Bandwango can help you do it. Here are five proven ways that have been used by other organizations. 

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Increase Revenue by Creating a New Revenue Stream 

Perhaps your budget has traditionally relied upon one source of funding. For example, many DMOs are funded through collections from a local hotel occupancy tax. Sometimes those numbers are out of your control, though. A tough economy or lack of hotels in your destination can affect the budget you have to work with. In that instance, it can become more challenging to balance your budget. However, creating a paid pass is one revenue move a destination can make. A paid pass is an experience that lets consumers pay one price and visit multiple attractions, wineries, etc. Depending on how you choose to set up a paid pass, the revenue generated can go to local businesses, your organization, or a combination of the two. 

You can also create a new revenue stream by selling advertising. Bandwango passes can include ad space, and your organization will keep 100% of the money made from the sale of advertising. Using that ad space proved to be a way to help Keep Waco Beautiful’s budget go further. Executive Director Carole Fergusson used the space in their Waco Restaurant Week Passport and sold ad space to Uber Eats. She said, “That ad space was such a great asset for us. And being able to use it for this sponsor paid for our Bandwango license. It was definitely worth the investment.” 

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Increase Your Budget by Growing Membership Revenue

Some DMOs also have another revenue stream that they are already utilizing – membership dues. Organizations with a membership model have another way to fund their bottom line. They also have an additional responsibility, though, and must grow and retain paying members. In order to do that, they have to create valuable benefits that give local businesses a reason to be a member. A listing on your website isn’t enough anymore. They need to see measurable ROI. 

Bandwango works with many membership-based organizations that are growing and retaining members with digital passes. Jaylyn McCloy, Marketing Partnership Manager for Experience Grand Rapids, said, "There have been plenty of times when a business reaches out because they've seen one of our passes and want to participate. That gives us an opportunity to talk about partnership as a whole and all the additional benefits available to them. The pass is often what starts the conversation, but the relationship grows from there. It's definitely become a unique selling point for us.” By retaining and growing your membership base, your organization will be able to increase incoming funds, and in turn, have more money to make your budget go further. 

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Reduce Research Costs

‍Getting visitors to come to an area is a core reason that destination marketing organizations exist. However, continued existence also relies upon having a way to prove to stakeholders that you’re accomplishing that job. Perhaps you have a tourism development council that you report to. They need to see the results of your marketing efforts. If your budget has been supplemented by grant funds, you’ll also likely need to show the measurable results those grant funds produced. Research and data are extremely valuable for proving your return on investment, but gathering this information can also be costly. Independent research can be helpful, but it can also add another line item to your budget. You may be able to reduce your reliance on some of it, though, by seeking ways to get some of that information from other partnerships that you have. For example, as a Bandwango partner, you’ll have access to data that can help you prove ROI. 

Alexa Dorn with Travel South Dakota shared that she likes that the reporting data is easy to track within their Bandwango dashboard, saying, “You're able to really see what passports are being downloaded, and what businesses and locations where people are checking in. You can share that with your shareholders and with your legislators, and it’s really good to be able to show that ROI.” 

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Reduce Printing Costs

Trails highlighting experiences in a destination aren’t a new thing. However, many of the early adopters of this successful marketing tactic started with paper-based versions of these experiences. As technology has evolved, there are now more efficient and trackable ways to create a trail. We’ve seen firsthand that many organizations are ditching paper passports, and switching to digital. Not only does it create an easier and more valuable experience for DMOs and the participants using the passes, but it also saves a lot of money on printing costs. Paper prices are increasing, and by reducing the amount you use, you’ll be helping your budget go further. (You’ll also be saving trees, too.) 

The Keuka Lake Wine Trail is one example of a pass that started out using paper. Once it was moved to a digital format, the organization saw impressive results. “I think the logistics of it have been super helpful,” said Chelsea Race, the Director of Marketing for the Yates County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Office, the organization that handles the administration and marketing for the trail. “We’ve been able to save on printing costs, and since we do a lot of digital marketing, having a digital passport is extremely important to make those campaigns successful.” 

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Reduce Staff Workload

Time is money. The people executing your marketing plans are the key to their success, but staffing is another significant line item in the budget. Their time is valuable, and you want to make sure your efforts aren’t creating more work for your staff who are already tasked with many projects. With any new campaign or program, you want to be cognizant of the amount of work you are putting on your staff, and you want to create meaningful programs that don’t necessarily require you to hire additional employees. 

While you are able to customize a Bandwango pass in a multitude of ways that fit your needs, many are set up in a way that allows passholders to use them on nights and weekends when your staff may have already checked out for the day. That’s ok. If a passholder has a need or a question, information on their pass instructs them to reach out directly to the Bandwango team. We have a 24/7 customer support team that can help your guests at any time of the day or night so you don’t have to. That reduces the amount of time your staff spends helping visitors, and frees up your team to focus on other priorities. 
When you need help from Bandwango, we’re here for you, too. Visit Bloomington, Indiana is a partner that has used Bandwango passes to drive spending at local businesses. Leisure Marketing Manager Jordan Smith has been pleased with the success of the trails, but he’s also thrilled about the process of working with the Bandwango team. “It's been flawless,” he said. “They're very accommodating and extremely helpful. I’ve worked with other companies on other types of things, and it's just kind of hard to reach them, but Bandwango's always there at the drop of a hat.” 

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If you’re looking for ways to make your DMO’s budget go further, let’s talk. We work with organizations of all sizes and are excited to learn more about your goals. Reach out to Bandwango to set up a free demo with our team.