Recommendations / Tourism / Big Idea #1: Embracing and Enhancing Community Identity by Writing Your Own Chapter of the Dalton Story

Big Idea #1: Embracing and Enhancing Community Identity by Writing Your Own Chapter of the Dalton Story

Part of the "DESTINATION DALTON" initiative

TourismDalton-Whitfield Under $250,000

Overview

Create a cohesive community-wide branding and storytelling strategy that allows each local organization to “write their own chapter” of the Dalton story while still contributing to one shared message. The initiative focuses on identifying common goals, coordinating tourism and community messaging, supporting new businesses, attracting visitors and new residents, strengthening community pride, and organizing stakeholders through a countywide strategic planning retreat.

Action plan

Short-term
Begin immediately by contacting major stakeholders and planning a countywide strategic planning retreat. Coordinate retreat date during months 1-3. Identify shared goals, community issues, and opportunities for collaboration.
Medium-term
Plan the retreat during months 4-7 and execute the retreat during months 8-11. Use the retreat to bring together organizations such as the Chamber, CVB, Joint Development Authority, City, County, Board of Education, hospital, and other partners to discuss goals for the next year, next 5 years, and next 10 years.
Long-term
Begin bi-monthly meetings with Dalton communications professionals in months 12-14. Continue building a unified Dalton story through community tours, blogging/podcasting, oral history, social media, community participation, and coordinated messaging across organizations.

Expected impact

Projected Strategic Alignment ScoreInstitutional

Tracks how well individual organizations align their own marketing and communications with the shared Dalton story while keeping their own missions and visions.

Timeframe: Long-term
Projected Governance AlignmentOperational

Tracks coordination among public agencies, tourism entities, business organizations, and community stakeholders around shared goals, messaging, and planning priorities.

Timeframe: Medium-term
Projected Partner OrganizationsOperational

Tracks the number of major organizations participating in the countywide strategic planning retreat and ongoing communications meetings.

Timeframe: Short-term
Projected Operational CostEconomic

Tracks estimated retreat costs for hotel, food, facilitator, materials, and travel.

Timeframe: Short-term
Projected Civic Engagement GrowthCommunity

Tracks increased participation in community conversations, community tours, local parks, events, and informal engagement opportunities connected to the Dalton story.

Timeframe: Medium-term
Projected Community EventsCommunity

Tracks increased participation in local events as a measure of community awareness and engagement.

Timeframe: Medium-term
Projected Tourism RevenueEconomic

Tracks tourism expenditures outside of hotel/motel tax to better capture visitor spending across the local economy.

Timeframe: Long-term
Projected Tax Revenue GrowthEconomic

Tracks tourism-related economic impact through increased direct impacts of tourism expenditures, as reported by the State of Georgia and Explore Georgia.

Timeframe: Long-term
Projected Awareness GrowthCommunity

Tracks the creation of possible award-winning content through unified storytelling and telling Dalton’s story.

Timeframe: Medium-term
Projected Social Cohesion ScoreCommunity

Tracks increase in community pride, sense of place, belonging, and cohesion among Daltonians.

Timeframe: Long-term

Key stakeholders

Dalton ChamberDalton Convention & Visitors BureauJoint Development AuthorityCity of DaltonWhitfield Parks & RecBoard of EducationHospitalWhitfield CountyGeorgia Department of Economic Development, Tourism DivisionGeorgia Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus

Estimated budget

Retreat expenses listed: Hotel $200-$600 per person depending on length of stay and hotel chosen; Food $200-$300 per person depending on length of stay; Facilitator $4,000; Materials $150 per person; Travel Costs $150-$250 per person depending on location.