app01 Sat, 14 Nov 2026 15:45:50 +0000 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Econ Dev Show Podcast - Economic Development - Episodes Tagged with “Destination Marketing” https://podcast.econdevshow.com/tags/destination%20marketing Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:15:00 -0600 Dane Carlson explores the strategies, ideas, and insights that are driving economic development forward into the future. You'll hear new insights from passionate ED's about their successes and struggles, and you'll learn from attraction and retention experts about how to apply actionable strategies inside your EDO. We'll help take your organization, your community, and your career to the next level. en-us episodic Actionable economic development strategies and stories Dane Carlson Dane Carlson explores the strategies, ideas, and insights that are driving economic development forward into the future. You'll hear new insights from passionate ED's about their successes and struggles, and you'll learn from attraction and retention experts about how to apply actionable strategies inside your EDO. We'll help take your organization, your community, and your career to the next level. no econ dev, economic development, ed Dane Carlson show@econdevshow.com 241: The Industry Hiding in Your Tourism Brochure with Sandy Davis and Ryan Cannon https://podcast.econdevshow.com/241 f4750253-7f50-4983-9c45-e9bd27cb6e5b Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:15:00 -0600 Dane Carlson 241 The Industry Hiding in Your Tourism Brochure with Sandy Davis and Ryan Cannon full Dane Carlson Sandy Davis and Ryan Cannon explain how Myrtle Beach is using its golf tourism success to recruit the companies behind the game, with a goal of bringing residents more year-round jobs. 40:22 no <p>In this episode Dane Carlson talks with Sandy Davis of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation and Ryan Cannon of Golf Tourism Solutions about a business recruitment opportunity hiding behind decades of tourism success. </p> <p>Myrtle Beach knew how to attract golfers; the next question was how to attract the companies that make, supply, and support the game. Sandy and Ryan explain how they combined recruitment expertise with golf industry relationships to pursue manufacturers, technology companies, and suppliers. They connect that effort to local workforce programs, an existing market of golfers and courses, and residents’ need for better-paying, year-round jobs. </p> <p>For economic developers, the conversation offers a practical challenge: look beyond what your community’s biggest asset does today and ask what else it could support.</p> <p><a href="https://econdevshow.com/rate-this-podcast/" rel="nofollow noopener">Like this show? Please leave us a review here</a> — even one sentence helps! </p> <h2>10 Actionable Takeaways For Economic Developers</h2> <ol> <li> <strong>Map the businesses behind your biggest attraction.</strong> List who makes the products, supplies the equipment, maintains the facilities, and develops the technology behind the experience visitors come to buy. Myrtle Beach’s opportunity extends from playing golf to producing and supporting the game.</li> <li> <strong>Narrow your target until you can build a prospect list.</strong> Sandy points out that “advanced manufacturing” needs more definition. Identify particular products and operations that fit your assets, such as golf carts, batteries, or turf equipment, then identify the companies making them.</li> <li> <strong>Ask prospects how they already know your community.</strong> Sandy repeatedly met business leaders who had visited Myrtle Beach to play golf but didn’t know it wanted industrial investment. Their answers revealed both a relationship to build on and a business message that wasn’t getting through.</li> <li> <strong>Recruit alongside someone who knows the industry.</strong> Golf Tourism Solutions brings golf relationships and market knowledge; the economic development corporation brings recruitment and site selection expertise. Identify that complementary partner in your community and put both sets of expertise in front of prospects.</li> <li> <strong>Give the trade show a job to do.</strong> Choose target companies and arrange conversations before arriving. MBREDC used a lead-generation company to set meetings, and early outreach developed into continued discussions and repeated visits by a prospective company.</li> <li> <strong>Make customer access part of your location pitch.</strong> Show prospects who already uses their products in your region. For a golf company, Myrtle Beach offers local courses, residents, and visiting golfers, creating a potential market alongside a place to operate.</li> <li> <strong>Build the workforce pitch around actual jobs.</strong> Match an employer’s needs to specific training capabilities. The guests connect golf management and agronomy programs with CNC, welding, and technology education, showing how several programs could support different parts of the same business.</li> <li> <strong>Follow a product into its other markets.</strong> Golf carts led the partners to batteries and chargers, then to campgrounds that could use those products too. Look for adjacent customers that give a prospect additional reasons to consider your region.</li> <li> <strong>Explore whether production could become a visitor experience.</strong> Ryan suggests golf manufacturing tours similar to brewery visits. Ask whether a prospective manufacturer could connect production with tours, demonstrations, or product experiences that appeal to visitors already coming to town.</li> <li> <strong>Make the benefit to residents explicit.</strong> Sandy’s goal is year-round employment, better pay, and benefits in a community facing higher living costs. Use those needs to guide target-industry decisions and evaluate what a prospective project would actually add.</li> </ol><p>Special Guests: Ryan Cannon and Sandy Davis.</p> economic development, target industries, golf tourism, business recruitment, economic diversification, industry clusters, workforce development, destination marketing, myrtle beach, golf manufacturing In this episode Dane Carlson talks with Sandy Davis of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation and Ryan Cannon of Golf Tourism Solutions about a business recruitment opportunity hiding behind decades of tourism success.

Myrtle Beach knew how to attract golfers; the next question was how to attract the companies that make, supply, and support the game. Sandy and Ryan explain how they combined recruitment expertise with golf industry relationships to pursue manufacturers, technology companies, and suppliers. They connect that effort to local workforce programs, an existing market of golfers and courses, and residents’ need for better-paying, year-round jobs.

For economic developers, the conversation offers a practical challenge: look beyond what your community’s biggest asset does today and ask what else it could support.

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

10 Actionable Takeaways For Economic Developers

  1. Map the businesses behind your biggest attraction. List who makes the products, supplies the equipment, maintains the facilities, and develops the technology behind the experience visitors come to buy. Myrtle Beach’s opportunity extends from playing golf to producing and supporting the game.
  2. Narrow your target until you can build a prospect list. Sandy points out that “advanced manufacturing” needs more definition. Identify particular products and operations that fit your assets, such as golf carts, batteries, or turf equipment, then identify the companies making them.
  3. Ask prospects how they already know your community. Sandy repeatedly met business leaders who had visited Myrtle Beach to play golf but didn’t know it wanted industrial investment. Their answers revealed both a relationship to build on and a business message that wasn’t getting through.
  4. Recruit alongside someone who knows the industry. Golf Tourism Solutions brings golf relationships and market knowledge; the economic development corporation brings recruitment and site selection expertise. Identify that complementary partner in your community and put both sets of expertise in front of prospects.
  5. Give the trade show a job to do. Choose target companies and arrange conversations before arriving. MBREDC used a lead-generation company to set meetings, and early outreach developed into continued discussions and repeated visits by a prospective company.
  6. Make customer access part of your location pitch. Show prospects who already uses their products in your region. For a golf company, Myrtle Beach offers local courses, residents, and visiting golfers, creating a potential market alongside a place to operate.
  7. Build the workforce pitch around actual jobs. Match an employer’s needs to specific training capabilities. The guests connect golf management and agronomy programs with CNC, welding, and technology education, showing how several programs could support different parts of the same business.
  8. Follow a product into its other markets. Golf carts led the partners to batteries and chargers, then to campgrounds that could use those products too. Look for adjacent customers that give a prospect additional reasons to consider your region.
  9. Explore whether production could become a visitor experience. Ryan suggests golf manufacturing tours similar to brewery visits. Ask whether a prospective manufacturer could connect production with tours, demonstrations, or product experiences that appeal to visitors already coming to town.
  10. Make the benefit to residents explicit. Sandy’s goal is year-round employment, better pay, and benefits in a community facing higher living costs. Use those needs to guide target-industry decisions and evaluate what a prospective project would actually add.

Special Guests: Ryan Cannon and Sandy Davis.

Sponsored By:

  • Sitehunt: Sitehunt gives economic developers both AI-powered site selection software and a team of experts ready to do the work for you. Schedule a demo at sitehunt.io/demo.

Links:

]]> In this episode Dane Carlson talks with Sandy Davis of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation and Ryan Cannon of Golf Tourism Solutions about a business recruitment opportunity hiding behind decades of tourism success.

Myrtle Beach knew how to attract golfers; the next question was how to attract the companies that make, supply, and support the game. Sandy and Ryan explain how they combined recruitment expertise with golf industry relationships to pursue manufacturers, technology companies, and suppliers. They connect that effort to local workforce programs, an existing market of golfers and courses, and residents’ need for better-paying, year-round jobs.

For economic developers, the conversation offers a practical challenge: look beyond what your community’s biggest asset does today and ask what else it could support.

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

10 Actionable Takeaways For Economic Developers

  1. Map the businesses behind your biggest attraction. List who makes the products, supplies the equipment, maintains the facilities, and develops the technology behind the experience visitors come to buy. Myrtle Beach’s opportunity extends from playing golf to producing and supporting the game.
  2. Narrow your target until you can build a prospect list. Sandy points out that “advanced manufacturing” needs more definition. Identify particular products and operations that fit your assets, such as golf carts, batteries, or turf equipment, then identify the companies making them.
  3. Ask prospects how they already know your community. Sandy repeatedly met business leaders who had visited Myrtle Beach to play golf but didn’t know it wanted industrial investment. Their answers revealed both a relationship to build on and a business message that wasn’t getting through.
  4. Recruit alongside someone who knows the industry. Golf Tourism Solutions brings golf relationships and market knowledge; the economic development corporation brings recruitment and site selection expertise. Identify that complementary partner in your community and put both sets of expertise in front of prospects.
  5. Give the trade show a job to do. Choose target companies and arrange conversations before arriving. MBREDC used a lead-generation company to set meetings, and early outreach developed into continued discussions and repeated visits by a prospective company.
  6. Make customer access part of your location pitch. Show prospects who already uses their products in your region. For a golf company, Myrtle Beach offers local courses, residents, and visiting golfers, creating a potential market alongside a place to operate.
  7. Build the workforce pitch around actual jobs. Match an employer’s needs to specific training capabilities. The guests connect golf management and agronomy programs with CNC, welding, and technology education, showing how several programs could support different parts of the same business.
  8. Follow a product into its other markets. Golf carts led the partners to batteries and chargers, then to campgrounds that could use those products too. Look for adjacent customers that give a prospect additional reasons to consider your region.
  9. Explore whether production could become a visitor experience. Ryan suggests golf manufacturing tours similar to brewery visits. Ask whether a prospective manufacturer could connect production with tours, demonstrations, or product experiences that appeal to visitors already coming to town.
  10. Make the benefit to residents explicit. Sandy’s goal is year-round employment, better pay, and benefits in a community facing higher living costs. Use those needs to guide target-industry decisions and evaluate what a prospective project would actually add.

Special Guests: Ryan Cannon and Sandy Davis.

Sponsored By:

  • Sitehunt: Sitehunt gives economic developers both AI-powered site selection software and a team of experts ready to do the work for you. Schedule a demo at sitehunt.io/demo.

Links:

]]> 143: Dane on DMP: Why Destination Marketers Should Think Like Economic Developers https://podcast.econdevshow.com/143 afd27409-b9c5-46cf-817c-91ff6984223f Fri, 04 Oct 2024 00:15:00 -0500 Dane Carlson 143 Dane on DMP: Why Destination Marketers Should Think Like Economic Developers full Dane Carlson In this bonus episode, Dane Carlson appears on the Destination Marketing Podcast to talk about the crucial link between tourism and economic development 37:08 no <p>About a month ago, I had the opportunity to appear on my friend Adam Stoker's <a href="https://destinationmarketingpodcast.com" rel="nofollow noopener">Destination Marketing Podcast</a>. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, Adam joined me right here on the <a href="https://podcast.econdevshow.com/139" rel="nofollow noopener">Econ Dev Show</a>. We thought it would be fun to switch things up and share our respective podcast episodes on each other's feeds. So, today’s episode is a bonus feature—you're about to hear my appearance on the Destination Marketing Podcast!</p> <p>If you're interested in destination marketing, or want to know more about the work I did in Mariposa County, California, sit back, relax, and enjoy this special episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast."</p> <hr> <p>In this episode, Adam talks with Dane Carlson, host of the Econ Dev Show and CEO of Site Hunt, about the crucial link between tourism and economic development. Dane shares his journey from blogging to economic development, including how he transformed Mariposa California by adding an escape room to the visitor center. Dane also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between economic developers and destination marketers to create meaningful visitor experiences and drive local economic growth. </p> <p><a href="https://econdevshow.com/rate-this-podcast/" rel="nofollow noopener">Like this show? Please leave us a review here</a> — even one sentence helps! </p> <hr> <p><img src="https://econdevshow.com/content/images/2024/10/2-Escape-Room.jpg" alt=""></p><p>Special Guest: Adam Stoker.</p> econdev, economic development, eco devo, destination marketing, Mariposa County, tourism, podcast collaboration, visitor experiences, Adam Stoker, Dane Carlson, Sitehunt, About a month ago, I had the opportunity to appear on my friend Adam Stoker's Destination Marketing Podcast. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, Adam joined me right here on the Econ Dev Show. We thought it would be fun to switch things up and share our respective podcast episodes on each other's feeds. So, today’s episode is a bonus feature—you're about to hear my appearance on the Destination Marketing Podcast!

If you're interested in destination marketing, or want to know more about the work I did in Mariposa County, California, sit back, relax, and enjoy this special episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast."

In this episode, Adam talks with Dane Carlson, host of the Econ Dev Show and CEO of Site Hunt, about the crucial link between tourism and economic development. Dane shares his journey from blogging to economic development, including how he transformed Mariposa California by adding an escape room to the visitor center. Dane also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between economic developers and destination marketers to create meaningful visitor experiences and drive local economic growth.

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

Special Guest: Adam Stoker.

Sponsored By:

Links:

]]> About a month ago, I had the opportunity to appear on my friend Adam Stoker's Destination Marketing Podcast. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, Adam joined me right here on the Econ Dev Show. We thought it would be fun to switch things up and share our respective podcast episodes on each other's feeds. So, today’s episode is a bonus feature—you're about to hear my appearance on the Destination Marketing Podcast!

If you're interested in destination marketing, or want to know more about the work I did in Mariposa County, California, sit back, relax, and enjoy this special episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast."

In this episode, Adam talks with Dane Carlson, host of the Econ Dev Show and CEO of Site Hunt, about the crucial link between tourism and economic development. Dane shares his journey from blogging to economic development, including how he transformed Mariposa California by adding an escape room to the visitor center. Dane also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between economic developers and destination marketers to create meaningful visitor experiences and drive local economic growth.

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

Special Guest: Adam Stoker.

Sponsored By:

Links:

]]> 139: From Tourism to Business Attraction: Podcasting in Economic Development with Adam Stoker https://podcast.econdevshow.com/139 f3ce8011-361e-4dc8-a3ad-86d5a30ff4b3 Mon, 09 Sep 2024 00:15:00 -0500 Dane Carlson 139 From Tourism to Business Attraction: Podcasting in Economic Development with Adam Stoker full Dane Carlson Dane Carlson and Adam Stoker explore how economic developers can leverage podcasting as a powerful tool for community promotion, relationship building, and business attraction, drawing parallels between destination marketing and economic development strategies. 35:02 no <p>In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Carlson sits down with Adam Stoker, president and CEO of Relic, to discuss the intersection of economic development and destination marketing. Adam, whose company specializes in creating podcasts for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), shares insights on how the strategies used in tourism promotion can be effectively applied to economic development efforts. </p> <p>The conversation explores the similarities between attracting tourists and attracting businesses, with both aiming to bring outside money into specific geographic areas. The discussion then delves into the power of podcasting as a marketing tool for economic developers. </p> <p>Adam emphasizes how creating valuable, educational content through podcasts can help build relationships with potential investors and businesses without resorting to direct sales pitches. He shares success stories from his experience, highlighting how inviting guests to share their stories on a podcast often yields better results than traditional outreach methods. </p> <p>The episode also addresses common objections to starting a podcast, such as fear of poor performance and lack of time, with Adam encouraging economic developers to overcome these barriers and prioritize audience building for long-term success in their community promotion efforts.</p> <p><a href="https://econdevshow.com/rate-this-podcast/" rel="nofollow noopener">Like this show? Please leave us a review here</a> — even one sentence helps! </p><p>Special Guest: Adam Stoker.</p> Economic development, podcasting, destination marketing, content strategy, audience building, community promotion, business attraction, storytelling, audio marketing, relationship building, investor outreach, tourism strategies, EDO marketing, digital engagement, community branding In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Carlson sits down with Adam Stoker, president and CEO of Relic, to discuss the intersection of economic development and destination marketing. Adam, whose company specializes in creating podcasts for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), shares insights on how the strategies used in tourism promotion can be effectively applied to economic development efforts.

The conversation explores the similarities between attracting tourists and attracting businesses, with both aiming to bring outside money into specific geographic areas. The discussion then delves into the power of podcasting as a marketing tool for economic developers.

Adam emphasizes how creating valuable, educational content through podcasts can help build relationships with potential investors and businesses without resorting to direct sales pitches. He shares success stories from his experience, highlighting how inviting guests to share their stories on a podcast often yields better results than traditional outreach methods.

The episode also addresses common objections to starting a podcast, such as fear of poor performance and lack of time, with Adam encouraging economic developers to overcome these barriers and prioritize audience building for long-term success in their community promotion efforts.

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

Special Guest: Adam Stoker.

Sponsored By:

  • Sitehunt: Sitehunt gives economic developers both AI-powered site selection software and a team of experts ready to do the work for you. Schedule a demo at sitehunt.io/demo.

Links:

]]> In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Carlson sits down with Adam Stoker, president and CEO of Relic, to discuss the intersection of economic development and destination marketing. Adam, whose company specializes in creating podcasts for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), shares insights on how the strategies used in tourism promotion can be effectively applied to economic development efforts.

The conversation explores the similarities between attracting tourists and attracting businesses, with both aiming to bring outside money into specific geographic areas. The discussion then delves into the power of podcasting as a marketing tool for economic developers.

Adam emphasizes how creating valuable, educational content through podcasts can help build relationships with potential investors and businesses without resorting to direct sales pitches. He shares success stories from his experience, highlighting how inviting guests to share their stories on a podcast often yields better results than traditional outreach methods.

The episode also addresses common objections to starting a podcast, such as fear of poor performance and lack of time, with Adam encouraging economic developers to overcome these barriers and prioritize audience building for long-term success in their community promotion efforts.

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

Special Guest: Adam Stoker.

Sponsored By:

  • Sitehunt: Sitehunt gives economic developers both AI-powered site selection software and a team of experts ready to do the work for you. Schedule a demo at sitehunt.io/demo.

Links:

]]>