Greta's Promotions & Strategies, Inc.

About Greta Lint

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Greta Anita Lint provides an outsourcing service to attractions, festivals, events, economic development offices, small towns, farmers markets, venues, arts councils, historic sites, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, regional tourism organizations, and state and federal agencies. She provides contract labor to organizations and companies that either don’t have time, staff, money or knowledge to do the necessary work.

She also works with small businesses, showing them ways they can build a client base and increase their bottom line.

She blends nearly 25 years of tourism marketing experience with nearly 25 years of overlapping media and public relations work, forming her company in November 2003.

Aside from tourism, Greta has a strong public relations background working with crisis management agencies - FEMA, NC Division of Emergency Management, NC Division of Forest Resources and the American Red Cross – during natural and manmade disasters.

She writes press releases, develops media kits, creates tourism itineraries and trails, counsels event coordinators and attractions on their marketing efforts, produces general promotional copy and gives seminars. She writes marketing plans and identifies key strategies to help attractions, festivals, events, meeting planners and small businesses get the most for their advertising dollars. She coordinates sales blitzes and offers telemarketing services.

An accomplished public speaker, Greta gives a variety of educational seminars about tourism promotion and product development. She teaches small business promotion and marketing periodically at Randolph Community College through the Small Business Center.

She is a former member of the International Special Events Society (ISES), National Tour Association (NTA), American Bus Association (ABA), North Carolina Motorcoach Association (NCMA), Virginia Motorcoach Association, Travel Council of North Carolina, North Carolina Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (NCACVB), and the Piedmont Triad Tourism Host. -- She is a member of the North Carolina Association of Festivals and Events, North Carolina Farm Bureau and the North Carolina Agritourism Networking Association. She has been a tourism consultant for Clemson University in South Carolina.

From 1999-2003, she received 5 awards from the NC Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus. In 2005, she was honored by Bizlife Magazine as a “Mover and Shaker.” Her press releases have been included in media kits which have won awards from the NC Association of Festivals and Events. In 2008, she was honored with a First Place award by the NC Press Club and Third Place by the National Federation of Press Women. In 2010, she received another First Place honor from the NC Press Club.

SEMINARS

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Interested in an entertaining keynote speech, seminar or workshop for your classroom, downtown merchants, chamber of commerce, tourism industry partners or tourism association annual convention? If so, give me a call - 336-626-0527. Here is a selection of topics. Others can be created to suite your needs. I have been addressing groups all my life. I utilize humor and stories - let's have some fun!

“The Power of the Press Release” – One press release can garner you up to $250,000 worth of free publicity! How? What makes your news stand out? Who is your next new best friend? Why should you make personal visits to newsrooms? How can you make your release work for you?

“How to Promote Your Events” – Want more attendance? More money? Learn traditional and non-traditional ways to promote your event. Some won’t cost you a cent!

"ROI - Making Your Trade Show Booth Work" - Want traffic at your booth? Make your booth fit your audience - and forget the chair! Use your creativity to work the crowd.

“Building Tourism Trails” – Tourism, art, agritourism, economic development, governments and more are components to forming a workable tourism trail. Find out why partnerships are so important and how to use them.

"Two Ears of Corn and a Watermelon" - Road-side stands and farmers' markets are seeing a new trend in younger customers. They confuse the drive-through window with the kitchen. How can farmers avoid composting their fruits and vegetables?

“Creating Motorcoach Itineraries” – Are you motorcoach friendly? What does that mean? How do you determine what sites fit into an itinerary that operators will use? How do you connect them all together?

“Tourism Marketing 101” – Where do you start? When? How? What do you need to do to get the ball rolling to promote your community, your event or your attraction. What do tourism people do?
"Y-Web?" - Learn why the Internet is important to help you develop your product and promote it. Bring your laptop and walk away with a blog. Find out what your Website needs to include to make it really work for you.

“How to Give an Effective Presentation” – Got shaky knees? Can’t speak? Take control of the room and create your own haven before you stand up.

"Pumpkin Heads: Catapaulting Your Media Coverage" - This is a humourous keynote based upon an actual media preview for a festival. If you're looking for a way to help your audience think outside the box, then this is the topic for you!

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTSNorth Carolina Arts Council project (30 NC counties)
North Carolina Rural Center NC STEP program
Randolph Community College
City of Maxton Elected Officials Dinner
ConvergeSouth Bloggers' Conference
Destination Marketing Organization University
Annual North Carolina Park Rangers’ Institute
North Carolina Association of Festivals and Events
North Carolina Main Street 2006 Conference
Pender/Duplin County Non-Profit Workshop
Virginia Commission of the Arts
(*Each session lasts 45-60 minutes)

CLIENT PROJECTS

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NC Rural Center - Providing training through the NC S.T.E.P. program for some 60 small towns. Helping them learn what tourism is and how they can benefit from developing it.

Pender/Duplin County Tourism - Provide an all-day seminar for non-profit organizations on how to develop a festival/event, do fundraising, promotion and increase their bottom line.

Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau – Encouraged members of the hospitality industry in Cumberland County to develop a way to exchange information regarding tourism and economic development activities. Assisted Fort Bragg to increase awareness of activities open to the public there. Researched and wrote itineraries for the FACVB to use in soliticing the group travel market.

Crossroads Pumpkin Fest – Created and produced a Media Preview in 2004 and 2008 where pumpkins decorated as political candidates were catapulted to see which ones were hurled the farthest. “The Great Heads of Statesville Exit Poll,” as the event was called, garnered international media coverage and increased out-of-town attendance at the Festival itself. Wrote and distributed all press materials.

Fort Fisher Restoration Committee, Inc. – 1) Facilitated sessions with the non-profit support group to create a membership plan for the “Friends of Fort Fisher.” Wrote and developed it. The program was launched during the 140th Anniversary Celebration in January 2005. 2) Researched, wrote press releases and created a media kit for the 140th Anniversary Celebration. 3) Updated the image banks for Fort Fisher, the NC Department of Cultural Resources and the North Carolina tourism office.

Mid-Carolina Host – 1) Researched a 15-county region in both Carolinas to determine attractions that would be suitable for the motorcoach market. Wrote 12 itineraries that were published in a booklet and on www.tourcarolinas.com 2) Researched tour operators between Florida and Canada and created a database of 500 who either bring groups into our state or who are interested in doing so. 3) Developed a sales blitz for members of Mid-Carolina Host to make personal visits to operators and AAA offices in Ohio.

Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau – Developed and conducted a survey to determine what the fans of Dale Earnhardt would like to see in a “Dale Trail.”

North Carolina Arts Council – Researched 30 counties in the Piedmont portion of North Carolina to build an inventory of artists, farmers and other participants for http://www.homegrownhandmade.com/, a project funded by the Golden L.E.A.F. Foundation. Counseled project leaders regarding marketing and promotional opportunities. Wrote press and distributed press releases about the project. Spoke to more than 60 groups about the effort.

Oakboro Main Street Development, LLC – Researched and wrote a marketing plan, wrote and distributed press releases for downtown organization and area special events. Counseled local merchants, retailers and event organizers on tourism promotion. Oakboro has the largest downtown cruise-in held in the state of North Carolina with around 10,000 people showing up on a pretty day.

CLIENTS - partial list

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Asheboro Chili Cookoff
National Balloon Rally
Barbecue Festival
Big Lick Bluegrass Festival
Burlington/Alamance County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Carolina Balloon Fest
City of Conover
Clemson University
Crossroads Pumpkin Fest
Davie County Chamber of Commerce
Denton FarmPark
Fall Festival*
Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Fort Fisher State Historic Site 140th Anniversary Celebration
Fun Fourth Festival
Hickory Downtown Development Association
Martin County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Mid-Carolina Host
Museum of North Carolina Traditional Pottery
North Carolina Arts Council
North Carolina Blueberry Festival
North Carolina Motorcoach Association*
North Carolina Pottery Center, Inc.
North Carolina Rural Center, Inc.
Oakboro Cruise-in
Oakboro Main Street Development, LLC
Pender County Tourism Development Authority
Person County Tourism Development Authority
Randolph County Tourism
Sanford Pottery Festival
Seagrove Pottery Festival
SmallWander.com
Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce
Statesville Convention and Visitors Bureau
“Strike at the Wind”
Town of Grifton
Town of Spring Lake

*pro bono

RESULTS and AWARDS

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“Festival organizers expected 90,000 people to show up… 100,000 people made it the largest Fourth of July festival in the Triad.” … Neill McNeill, News Anchor, WGHP-TV

“Thanks for all your help for Fun Fourth before and during the event, most organized one I’ve dealt with my entire 7 years here” … Devetta Blount, Assignment Editor, WFMY-TV

“Greta has the experience, both in the media and in public relations. She communicates with journalists and is able to provide the details we need."… Raeford Brown, News Director, WECT-TV

"Our first day's attendance was double what it normally is! - Karen Miller, General Manager, Denton FarmPark

“I never expected so many people. They were everywhere. We had a record-breaking day in our gift shop.” … Barbara Hoppe, Director Fort Fisher State Historic Site battleground

“Our attendance doubled. Good turnout!” … Tracy Gibson, Crossroads Pumpkin Fest

“Your release landed a 5-page spread in Martha Stewart Living!” …Denny Mecham, Executive Director, NC Pottery Center

“Did a terrific job creating our itineraries.” … Ann Sternal, President, Mid-Carolinas Host and President of Cabarrus County CVB

“I never gave so many interviews before. Good publicity!” … David Herndon, President, Statesville Area Chamber of Commerce and 31st National Balloon Rally committee

“Jay Leno’s producers called!” … Rotha Dawkins, artist and author

AWARDS

2010 National Federation of Press Women - 3rd Place for Press Releases

2010 North Carolina Press Club - 1st Place for Press Releases

The subject matter of this press release was the Asheboro Chili Cookoff, a street festival in downtown Asheboro, N.C. My entry won on the state level and advanced to national competition.

2009 National Federation of Press Women - 3rd Place for Media Kit
2009 North Carolina Press Club - 1st Place for Media Kit

The subject matter of this kit was the media preview for the Crossroads Pumpkin Fest in downtown Statesville, N.C. This entry included the production, coordination and promotion of a media preview, “The Great Heads of Statesville Exit Poll.” The media preview is documented at www.thegreatheadsofstatesvilleexitpoll.com

2009 Business Leader Magazine - Movers and Shakers Award
2004 BizLife Magazine - Movers and Shakers Award

The awards were given for my work with tourism development and promotion of festivals and events in North Carolina.

2002 North Carolina Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus
Rising Star
Gold – Co-Op Print Advertising Award
Gold – Outreach to Local Constituents Communications

2001 North Carolina Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau
Platinum – Public Relations Placement

1999 North Carolina Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau
Platinum – Primary Marketing Publication