A marvelous Media Marketplace event

HURON TWP. — The fourth-annual Shores & Islands Ohio Media Marketplace event successfully took place on May 14 at Sawmill Creek Resort in Huron, bringing together key players in the tourism and media industries for a day of collaboration, networking and destination storytelling. This year's event featured 26 local businesses, attractions and community organizations showcasing their offerings to a curated group of 34 qualified media professionals. The marketplace served as a valuable platform for media to connect directly with destination representatives, fostering new relationships and laying the groundwork for future travel coverage. New this year, the marketplace included a networking lunch, which featured a presentation by Shores & Islands Ohio on the destination's Shore Explore trails. Guests were first educated about the trails, which include the: • Iconic Cheers Trail • Family-friendly Sweet Treats Trail • Historical Ottawa County History Mystery and Erie County Shoreline Stories trails, both commemorating America 250 • All-new Art-Venture Trail, featuring public art and artist spaces They then walked through the process of signing up for and utilizing the trails. The presentation even included some "visitors" from the 1860s who talked about the importance of and ways to celebrate America 250 in the region. In addition to the marketplace, 12 content creators and their guests attended a VIP event at Cedar Point and participated in Friday familiarization tours, offering a firsthand look at the region's Shore Explore trails, which include unique attractions, culture and hospitality. Tour participants were split into four tour itineraries, following different trails and including stops from multiple trails. Content creators visited locations, such as Put-in-Bay, Lakeside Chautauqua, African Safari Wildlife Park, The Arts Garage, Twin Oast Brewery, Gideon Owen Winery, outdoor sculptures and murals, unique dining spots and more. Three weeks after the event, the collective tour participants have created more than 120 videos and multi-image posts on social media platforms — such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook — with a combined reach of more than 391,000 and an estimated media value of over $423,000. We are, once again, thrilled with the quality of engagement during and after this year's Media Marketplace. The event continues to help tell the story of Shores & Islands Ohio as a tourism destination and the stories of our partners through meaningful media connections." Columbus content creator Aissatou Diallo of @SignedbyAissatou shared, "I genuinely enjoyed attending and thought it was such a well-organized and valuable event. It was great getting to connect with so many attractions, businesses and tourism partners all in one space, and I left with so many ideas and new places I'd love to experience throughout the season." Julie Miller of What Should We Do Today Columbus?, another creator who participated, said, "I love attending the marketplace and have made so many great contacts throughout the years. My family has made yearly trips to the Shores & Islands region thanks to those partnerships and connections." The Media Marketplace is a signature Shores & Islands Ohio event, positioning the region as a must-visit destination and offering media access to a wide range of experiences in one setting. People can visit shoresandislands.com/media or contact jill@shoresandislands.com for more information.