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Visit Greater Lima reports 2024 gains, awards destination grants and expands retail storefront
Summary
Visit Greater Lima presented its 2024 annual report, citing tourism marketing campaigns, distribution of eclipse glasses, nine destination development grants totaling roughly $67,000 and the launch of an online/in-office storefront to support destination development grants.
Betsy Billingsley, representing Visit Greater Lima, presented the organization’s 2024 annual report to Lima City Council, highlighting tourism marketing, grant awards and staffing changes.
Billingsley credited outgoing and long-serving staff — Christine Pleva, who retired in May after 23 years, and Sherry Reeling Brenneman, who retired after 38 years — and introduced new hires and team members including Jessica Logan (sales event coordinator), Jessica Lammers and Tina Kester. She described a new retail storefront branded “Greetings From Lima” that sells apparel and merchandise; proceeds fund Visit Greater Lima’s destination development grants.
On outreach and events, Billingsley said the agency distributed more than 7,000 eclipse glasses to hotels, the fairgrounds and walk-in visitors during last year’s eclipse; remaining glasses were sent to Lima, Peru, which will host an eclipse next year. She reported that hotels performed well during the event and called the logistics “smooth.”
Visit Greater Lima awarded nine destination development grants to local nonprofits in Allen County totaling about $67,000. The group also issued two “first-timer” grants (for the Soar Women’s Convention at In Faith Ministries and the Lima Music Festival) and two retention grants for recurring events including motorcycle races and Max’s Trader Days.
“We distributed over 7,000 glasses to the hotels, the fairgrounds, anybody that walked in,” Billingsley said. She also reported a 119% increase in tracked return on investment across print, digital and social campaigns, crediting the marketing manager and the organization’s targeted advertising in neighboring states.
Billingsley said Visit Greater Lima’s geo-caching trail continued to attract visitors from multiple states and that the organization plans to expand efforts to reach meeting planners and larger conferences. She invited council members to follow up with questions and offered to provide additional numbers in a separate meeting.
No vote was required for the report; the presentation was entered into the meeting record.
