Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before...
With apologies to Morrisey, we're growing increasingly excited about the regional tourism vision plan that we've been asked to develop with the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau (RMCVB). We're about halfway through the process – hundreds of interviews and surveys, tons of research and a series of theming conversations – and we feel like we're landing something that is both familiar and transformational.
That balance is important, and challenging. Richmond is a city in transition, and finding a narrative that feels both familiar and fresh is tough. We described it in a meeting with design firm JHI last week as trying to write and design a college catalogue that convinces young people that your school totally rocks and reassures their parents that the school takes learning seriously.
We'll be spending the next three weeks submerged in half-shaped themes and ideas with a project team before delivering the final draft plan to the designers, and the RMCVB Board of Directors. The final vision plan is expected to be unveiled during National Tourism Week in May.