Industry Services

Free One-on-One Consultations for Tourism Businesses

Have you ever wondered if something more could be done to drive more traffic to your business? Do you need assistance in enhancing your curb appeal? Do you know if your website and print media are working effectively for you? Want to learn how to use social media, like Facebook and Twitter, to drive customers to your door? Interested in co-op and partnership opportunities to leverage your budget? If you answered yes to any of these questions, contact the VisitMartinsville team for a free consultation, 276.403.5948 or Tourism@YesMartinsville.com.

Online Marketing

Listing tourism related venues and events on both the state and local tourism websites is easy and free!

Event / Venue Listings - VisitMartinsville.com 

To help you market your upcoming events, we ask that you please fill out this FORM so that we may manually add your events to our Event Calendar.

• These event listings are where we are able to source our various marketing materials; social media posts, blogs, etc.

To help you market your tourism related business, we ask that you please fill out this FORM so that we may schedule a site visit and create a business listing on our website. 

If you have any trouble with these forms or how to submit it, please email Kelly Rowland at krowland@yesmartinsville.com.

Event / Venue Listings - Virginia.org / VTC (state tourism website) 

Virginia.org is used by more than 500,000 visitors per month all with an expressed interest in Virginia travel. These visitors log on from all over Virginia, the US and the world. The system is backed by VTC's multi-million dollar advertising campaign promoting the Virginia.org address and drawing users to the site. All listings are mirrored on VisitMartinsville.com which is accessed by visitors more than 320,000 times each year.

Once you set up an account, simply follow the directions step-by-step to complete the listing. Please notify our office once your listing has been approved so that we can ensure that your event or venue receives the maximum amount of publicity. 

If you have any questions or need assistance in managing your account, please contact Kelly Rowland at 276.632.8006 or krowland@yesmartinsville.com.

• Web Administration Tool
• Instruction Manual 

E-Newsletter

The Martinsville - Henry County Tourism Division publishes a bi-monthly E-newsletter. The E-newsletter reaches more than 19,000 and features top stories and upcoming events for the month. If you would like your event featured in the E-newsletter, please make sure that it is listed on Virginia.org a minimum of two weeks in advance.  

View a sample E-newsletter. Be sure to add Tourism@Yesmartinsville.com to your list of trusted senders to ensure prompt delivery. 

If you are currently not receiving the newsletters and would like to, please click the link on our homepage to enroll.  

The Martinsville - Henry County Tourism Division also publishes a monthly Industry E-newsletter. This E-newsletter is targeted to our tourism industry clients and provides the latest updates from our office including major upcoming marketing campaigns, news from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), and more. To sign up for the Industry E-newsletter, send your email to krowland@yesmartinsville.com.

Print Marketing

According to a 2016 International study by the Center for Marketing Technology at Bentley University, 98% of International Hospitality professional want printed maps & brochures. Professor Ian Cross, Director: “I had an expectation that in 2016 there would be some sort of skepticism about the value of print materials,” he said. “But as we dug into the research, it was clear that the people charged with actually helping guests find paper to be much more user friendly than digital.”

Martinsville-Henry County Activity Guide

This 30 + page brochure is printed annually and features top attractions, dining, lodging, and retail to visit in the MHC area. More than 50,000 copies are distributed annually. Request a free copy online.

Let us help you get the word out! 

• All events listed on the Virginia.org / VisitMartinsville.com calendar are included on a printed calendar that is distributed monthly. Please make sure that your events are submitted by the 15th of the month before your event in order to take advantage of this free opportunity. 
• Ensure that we have copies of your most up-to-date brochure for us to send when visitors request local information. 
• Need Professional Print Materials? Consider applying for a Tourism Marketing Grant.
• Not sure where to start? We can provide guidance on your marketing materials. 

Sponsorship / Donation Request

If you have a creative sponsorship opportunity for VisitMartinsville to consider, please submit your information electronically so it can be reviewed by our Team. Requests must be received a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the event. 

2024 Sponsorship Request Form.

2023 Sponsorship Awards:

• Spencer Penn Pig Cookin'
• Henry County Fair
• Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival
• Smith River Fest
• Historic Garden Week
• Piedmont Arts 
• Miles in Martinsville 
• Rives on the Road
• Wine by the River  

Professional Development

Ensure that your staff is putting their best foot forward with the following professional development opportunities.

Upcoming Tourism Meetings

Tourism Networking Meeting - TBD

During this meeting, all tourism partners will have the opportunity to briefly discuss their business or organization and tell us about any new things they would like to share. We encourage participants to bring any collateral they would like to share with the group and bring their business cards with them. The VisitMartinsville team will also be sharing updates.  
 

Business Ambassador

Does your front-line staff know where to send visitors to the area? Ensure that they have up-to-date knowledge by allowing our team to inform them of the many attractions and points of interest that Martinsville-Henry County has to offer. Call 276.632.8006 or email Tourism@YesMartinsville.com to book a workshop for your business. 

FAM Tours

Get on the bus and (re)discover what you've been missing in Martinsville - Henry County, Virginia! If you are looking to expand your staff’s knowledge of the many amenities that MHC has to offer to our visitors, you are encouraged to participate. In this fast-paced, half or full-day, Familiarization (FAM) tour, participants will visit a variety of businesses and attractions in the area to learn more about each one.

Participants can better cross-promote our area amenities with the knowledge they will gain as a community ambassador, and it is the perfect way to network. You may be surprised by a thing or two, even if you are a lifelong Martinsville - Henry County resident! Contact us today so you can be in the know.

Call 276.632.8006 or email Tourism@YesMartinsville.com to schedule a tour for your employees. 

Small Business Training Events

Our colleagues in the EDC's Small Business Division offer a variety of training events that will also enhance your business. Visit their site for a complete list of courses.