LaSalle County committee previews new park videos, agrees to run 30‑second ad for March event

Real Creative presented a portfolio of promotional assets for LaSalle County parks and attractions and the LaSalle County Tourism Committee agreed to run the agency’s 30‑second broadcast spot on the county marquee during March Madness.

Connor (Presenter, Real Creative) showed a 3½‑minute video tour of county and state parks, a 30‑second broadcast ad and a library of still photos and footage. He told the committee the production covered Starved Rock State Park, Matheson State Park, Buffalo Rock State Park, Catlin County Park, Illini State Park and several county parks, and that the project files remain archived for future edits. “We never really delete anything on any of these projects,” Connor said, explaining the team can create shorter edits from existing footage.

The committee discussed specific shots they wanted emphasized. Amanda (committee member) and others pushed to include footage of the long‑running local root beer stand; Connor said the stand appears in several shots and that the team can make a version that highlights the stand. Ryan (staff, visitor guide distribution) reported that the root beer stand clip performed strongly online: “the root beer stand video … shared really well,” he said, noting that video content is increasing engagement on the county’s social channels.

Deliverables and counts: Connor presented the long form video, a 30‑second broadcast ad and still photographs. In a later project summary he reported a final delivered total of 75 edited still photographs and more than a terabyte of media archived for future use. During the presentation speakers also referenced other counts earlier in the meeting — including statements that the photo set was “close to 100” and that the team has a large on‑file media library — which the committee clarified before accepting the 75‑photo final count.

Distribution and next steps: Committee members endorsed using the 30‑second broadcast spot on the marquee for the March Madness period. Committee discussion placed the tentative run window as beginning around March 20 and extending to the first week in April, and members asked staff to confirm the exact marquee schedule with event coordinators. Connor and committee members also agreed shorter edits (per‑park clips and alternate music mixes for different audiences) can be produced from the archived footage without new filming.

Editorial choices and content gaps: Members asked about several specific images and natural features. The committee requested clearer footage of the Buffalo Rock effigies and eagle footage for seasonal promotion; Connor said eagle footage exists in the agency’s archives and the team can review winter footage to identify usable shots. The committee also asked that the I & M Canal State Trail be included in future video work; Amanda noted the canal trail is “on the list” to get its own video in a subsequent project.

Marketing cadence: Amanda outlined a schedule for social posting and local promotion: one new reel per week plus a repost cadence to maintain a steady feed. Ryan provided web and social metrics for January, reporting thousands of site visitors and increased reach from recent video posts and other content. The committee discussed running the 30‑second ad on the marquee during the March tournament and asked staff to coordinate timing and placement.

Administrative items: The committee closed the meeting with a motion to adjourn. Mr. Brown moved to adjourn, Mr. Blue seconded; a voice vote was taken and the motion carried.