Episode 159: The One-and-Only Casper, with Brook Kaufman

Brook grew up in Norfolk, NE and moved to Casper in 2015. During her time here she has fallen in love with the people of Casper and the sense of community. Brook is the CEO at Visit Casper and her favorite part about her position is continually forming strategic partnerships with fellow community members and working together to come up with creative solutions for impossible problems. When she’s not at work you can find her out for a run, reading at the beach, or planning her next adventure. Brook is also a big fan and attendee of many of the events that go on throughout downtown, and says her favorites are the 5150 Feast and 5150 Festival, which take place every year in August.

In this episode of Destination on the Left, I am joined by Brook Kaufman, CEO of Visit Casper. Brook shares her story and discusses the role of DMOs in the community. She explains the challenges Visit Casper has faced, and how her team overcame them with creativity.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

• Brook Kaufman’s story and her role as CEO of Visit Casper
• What Brook is doing to set Casper apart from other destinations
• “The One-and-Only” campaign and the inspiration behind it
• How Brook uses creativity to solve impossible problems
• The lessons Brook took away from Visit Casper’s role in preparing the town for an influx of visitors due to the eclipse
• How Brook overcame the challenge of building credibility and authority for her organization
• How Visit Casper collaborates with its competitors

Visit Casper

When Brook Kaufman joined the team at Visit Casper, she was already an accomplished entrepreneur and a strong leader. But, sometimes we stumble upon the greatest opportunities by pure chance. Brook fell into the travel and tourism industry and her career turned into a burning passion. She quickly grew into her role embedded herself in the community, taking a holistic approach to destination marketing and making every move with the big picture in mind. Now, she is tackling some of our industry’s most difficult challenges with creativity, passion, and a collaborative spirit.

The One-and-Only

Brook approaches destination management with greater goals than heads in beds. Everything that comes out of Visit Casper is created with the best interest of its residents and visitors at heart. It is the reason Brook and her team have spent the last four years building credibility and authority, earning them an equal seat at the table in local government. The DMO is playing a much larger role in the community, which is reflected in its work. Campaigns like “The One-and-only” are industry-recognized and best-in-class. Visit Casper’s creative work has stabilized the brand and brought consistency to all channels. Brook is doing everything in her power to help set Casper apart.

You’re Only Less-Than Until You’re Not

Brook says she uses creativity to solve impossible problems and creativity, which is often the best approach in our industry. When you look at her accomplishments like tackling the influx of visitors for the eclipse, it becomes apparent that we all need to have more pride in what we get to do. We are not party planners for second-rate agencies that waste taxpayers’ dollars; we are an integral part of every community. You’re only lesser-than until you’re not, so acknowledge your value! If you are interested in hearing the insights and stories from Brook’s role as CEO of Visit Casper, check out my podcast episode, The One-and-Only Casper, with Brook Kaufman.

• Twitter: @VisitCasper
• Website: www.visitcasper.com

Episode Transcript

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