Partying With a Purpose: How Launch Parties Are Taking Cumberland Valley’s Passes to Another Level

The Goal

Cumberland Valley wants to continue to see an increase in sign-ups and check-ins for their trails. That’s important since each check-in equates to money that is being spent in their local businesses. Matthew Simmons leads the trail initiative for the destination and he shared, “For the Coffee and Chocolate Trail, participants spend an average of $15 per location.” (They send surveys to their passholders and ask a variety of questions, including some related to average spend.)

In addition to local businesses reaping the financial rewards of their trails, Simmons says the trails are bringing more people to the area, “Visitation has increased year over year through our trails,” he said. “And we're really excited to see them grow.” He works hard to keep their trails exciting and shared many of his tips for pass themes and Spotify playlists in the webinar: Top Strategies for Pass Refreshes. 

Their passes are successful, but they wanted to find an impactful way to help accomplish the growth they were seeking. They felt that doubling down on the launch of the trails was an important step. If more people signed up and started using their passes earlier, they would have time to visit more locations. And of course, the idea of a launch party sounded like a fun way to engage with their passholders too. So, they gave it a shot. 

The Launch Party Experiment

For the experiment, they decided to host launch parties to kick off the start of all three of the check-in challenges they’ve launched this year. Simmons was strategic and intentional with each of the parties and they all varied accordingly to match their themes. The first trail to launch this year was the 2025 Coffee and Chocolate Trail. The launch party was held at a coffee and donut shop that has pink walls and neon lights, which was a perfect fit for the Taylor Swift themed trail. He said, “It fit perfectly with the vibe and they played her music on repeat during the event.” 

In addition to promoting the trail through social media and email marketing, they also partnered with a local Chamber of Commerce, which helped promote the party to a wider audience. At the event, the Chamber presented the DMO with a plaque celebrating the new trail. As attendees arrived, they were encouraged to sign up for the trail. If they did, they found a coupon in the pass for a free donut and coffee that was redeemable at the event. Simmons explained, “That really incentivized them to sign up right then and there.”

The next parties came a few months later for the launches of their 2025 Beer Trail, which had an opening toast, and the 2025 Ice Cream Trail that featured another plaque presentation.

The coupons within the passes were customized for those accordingly, and party-goers were able to get free beer and ice cream. Just like the first party, the DMO covered the expense for the free items redeemed during the events. As soon as the launch parties ended, they removed the coupon from the passes. 

The Impact: They Met Their Goal of Increased Sign-Ups and Usage 

Simmons shared, “The launch parties were tremendous successes. We've seen that impact on the sign-ups and check-ins for the trails already.” 

Coffee and Chocolate Trail

Since this trail has already ended for the year, final numbers are available to show the overall growth. 

• 17% increase in sign-ups for 2025
• 106% increase in check-ins for 2025

Beer Trail 

The 2025 trail started on April 3, 2025 and the launch party showed a substantial increase in sign-ups and usage on the trail’s first day. 

• 20% increase in sign-ups on the trail’s first day 
• 130% increase in check-ins on the trail’s first day

Ice Cream Trail 

The 2025 trail started on May 23, 2025 and the launch party contributed to strong growth in the trail’s opening weekend. 

• 43% increase in sign-ups on the trail’s opening weekend 
• 209% increase in check-ins on the trail’s opening weekend 

Bonus Effects: Earned Media and Collaboration with Elected Officials 

In addition to accomplishing the goals of more sign-ups and check-ins, Cumberland Valley has seen some other residual effects from the launch parties. Their PR team pitches their trails to local media, which has resulted in additional earned media coverage for the organization. They’ve also seen the launch parties be an outlet to engage with elected officials. While this wasn’t the primary goal, they began inviting elected officials to their launch parties and it has become a valuable opportunity to showcase the DMO’s work.

Conclusion:

Launch parties have been an overwhelming success for Cumberland Valley and are a part of their ongoing pass strategy moving forward. To build on their momentum, Simmons also introduced “Bonus Weekends,” where check-ins earn double points. He uses Experience Builder to quickly adjust point values and uses Bandwango’s messaging tools to notify passholders. The result was even higher engagement. He believes the combination of launch parties and bonus weekends has taken their success to the next level this year. 

Cumberland Valley’s Tips for Creating the Perfect Launch Party:

• Plan in advance. 
• Pick a date for the party and make sure that aligns with the official launch day. 
• Find the correct venue. Make sure you work with a partner who is easy to communicate with – streamlined communication is key when planning a party. Also consider factors such as location, parking, and ambiance. 
• Promote the event on social media, email invitations to your network, and consider working with other organizations to tap into their networks as well. 
• Simmons smiled as he said, “Have fun with it!”

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