City communications officer unveils 'Score and Explore' sports-tourism brochure and hotel discounts

Maggie Aguilar, the city’s communications officer, briefed the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission on July 14 about a sports-tourism program called “Score and Explore” funded by LTAC that aims to entice visiting sports teams and their families to stay and spend in Oak Harbor.

Aguilar said the program assembles weekend packages of lodging, restaurants and local activities — including parks and trails — and that the brochure will be distributed to visiting coaches and families so group organizers can plan weekend stays. “So what we did is we put packages together for these teams and these coaches to spread to their families so that we're doing the work for them,” Aguilar said.

Aguilar said the city is working with several hotels on trackable discounts. “A few that we have talked to right now, Best Western and Candlewood, would like to provide a discount,” she said, adding any discount would need a specific Score and Explore code to permit tracking of use for LTAC reporting. Aguilar said the brochure also includes parks, hikes and downtown attractions, and that the city coordinated with Main Street to highlight downtown festivals and visitor options.

Aguilar also described a back-to-basics social-media push using interns to run a “photo of the week” feature and to produce videos and photography showcasing parks and family activities.

There was no commission vote associated with the presentation; Aguilar said the brochure was near completion and that staff would share it with the commission when finished.

Key speakers

- Maggie Aguilar — Communications officer, City of Oak Harbor - Nolan Soltenstall and Caitlin — interns (mentioned)

Authorities

- funding: "LTAC funding" — referenced_by: ["Maggie Aguilar"]

Actions

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Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion only: Aguilar presented a program concept, partner outreach, and marketing plans. - Formal action: None taken by the commission.

Clarifying details

- hotels-discounts: Best Western and Candlewood indicated willingness to offer trackable discounts tied to Score and Explore — source_speaker: Maggie Aguilar - brochure-status: Brochure near completion; staff planned to distribute soon — source_speaker: Maggie Aguilar - city-limits-focus: Program currently focused on in-city stays, shopping and restaurants — source_speaker: Maggie Aguilar

proper_names:[{"name":"Score and Explore","type":"program"},{"name":"Best Western","type":"business"},{"name":"Candlewood","type":"business"},{"name":"Main Street","type":"organization"}],

community_relevance:{"geographies":["Oak Harbor","downtown Oak Harbor"],"funding_sources":["LTAC (Lodging Tax Advisory Committee)"],"impact_groups":["sports teams","visiting families","local hotels and restaurants"]},

meeting_context:{"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":3,"duration_minutes":25,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"low","history":[],"notes":"Brochure nearly complete; interns assisting with social media and content creation."},

searchable_tags:["sports tourism","LTAC","Score and Explore","Maggie Aguilar"],

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sections":{"lede":"Maggie Aguilar, Oak Harbor’s communications officer, told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission on July 14 that an LTAC-funded ‘Score and Explore’ program will package lodging, restaurants and activities for visiting sports teams and their families to encourage multi-day stays.","nut_graf":"Aguilar said the brochure will distribute recommended hotels, dining and park options to visiting coaches and families; she said Best Western and Candlewood have agreed in principle to offer a trackable Score and Explore discount to help the city capture visitation data for LTAC reporting.","ending":"No commission vote occurred; staff said the brochure was near completion and social-media interns would support outreach and photo/video promotion." },