Become a Great River Road Champion
 We are also continuing to roll out our Great River Road Champion membership program, which encourages fans to support future MRPC marketing efforts by becoming an annual or lifetime “Champion” of our All-American Road.
Annual members ($100) receive an exclusive Great River Road window cling, and lifetime members ($500) receive a reusable Great River Road tote bag. Members will also receive newsletters and special invitations to events.
Annual and lifetime memberships can also be given as a gift.
Learn more about the Great River Road Champion membership program here.
Spring Webinar Series
Join us on Zoom from 11am to noon CT every Tuesday in April for our spring webinar series, where we’ll be discussing topics of interest related to the Great River Road and the work of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission.
Each session will last approximately one hour and include an opportunity for Q&A.
- April 4 - Sense of Place and Getting the Most From Being on the Great River Road
- April 11 - Social Media Marketing and Great River Road Summer Event Promotion
- April 18 - Pollinators and the Great River Road
- April 25 - TBD
For more information, visit the mrpcmembers.com website.
Save the Date – MRPC National Meeting, September 20-22, 2023
The next in-person MRPC National Meeting is planned for Wednesday, September 20, through Friday, September 22, in Alton, Illinois. Stay tuned to more information here.
NCEL Launches Bill Tracking and Session Preview
The National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL) has launched its 2023 interactive Bill Tracking map to help you stay updated on the latest state policy developments from around the country. The map will be updated on a weekly basis.
Upcoming Grant Opportunities
$20 million for National Scenic Byways Program OK’d by Congress
Congress included $20 million in funding for the National Scenic Byways Program in the final text of its FY23 appropriations bill, which was passed by Congress on December 23, 2022, and is expected to be signed into law by the President.
Louisiana Rural Tourism & Byways Conference - May 3-5, 2023
Registration is now open for the Louisiana rural Tourism & Byways Conference, which will be held on May 3-5 at the West Baton Rouge Conference Center in Port Allen, Louisiana.
The event will feature sessions from tourism experts and discuss the latest developments in the industry, including the expectations of domestic and international visitors. Conference attendees are also invited to the Lieutenant Governor’s State of Tourism address and will participate in a tourism needs assessment, as well as enjoying the Louisiana Legislative Seafood Reception at the Capital Park Museum.
Please contact the West Baton Rouge Convention & Visitors Bureau for more information.
Save the Date - Byway Learning Event, November 13-15
A three-day byway learning event will take place in Buchanan, Tennessee, on Monday, November 13, through Wednesday, November 15. Representatives from Kentucky State Byways and other organizations plan to attend. Stay tuned for more details.
2022 Marketing Activity Overview
Marketing Overview from 2022
- Nearly 600,000 website page views
- Viewers averaged 1 minute and 40 seconds on the website
- Wrote, designed and sent 12 monthly enewsletters to an opt-in subscriber list that totaled 47,858 by end of of 2022
- Enewsletter averaged greater than 40 percent open rate (more than double industry average)
- Posted to Facebook 158 times and gained 14,265 Facebook fans
- 79,613 total Facebook fans by end of 2022
- Responded to 12,087 individual requests for a map/ information (through website, email, phone calls and mail)
- Gained 1,205 new Instagram followers in 2022 and posted 50 times
- Reached 36,618 total app downloads
- Received nearly 11,000 entries to the Drive the Great River Road Sweepstakes
Committee Updates
All four technical committees held meetings in Q1 2023. Use the member website to review minutes.
- Transportation: We’re collecting location information on Electric Vehicle Friendly charging stations so we can add links to our website and marketing. The most comprehensive location we have found so far is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy. By fall, we hope to have a playbook for pollinator policies and procedures. TN has offered to develop and model theirs at our fall meeting. We are continuing to research the Mississippi River Trail as a 10-State U.S. Bike Route.
- Marketing: We’re looking for ways to develop new content, gather new photos and stay updated on what’s happening along the Great River Road. We’re also developing a summer events promotion. If you have GRR photos or webcam links, please share with Susanne.
- Culture & Heritage: Reminders for all states to complete their annual Interpretive Center checklists. Find links to online and printable forms here. We are working toward the development of a model Interpretive Center application. Reminder that new Interpretive Center nominations are due September 1. Let the committee know if you are working on an application for this year.
- Environment, Recreation & Agriculture: We're looking to promote National Pollinator Week on June 19-25, 2023. Click here to read the Proclamation from the MRPC Board. For more information on pollinator resources check the links in the meeting notes. Look for more information on Pollinator Week coming soon! Any ICs interested in starting a pollinator garden can feel free to contact us for resources to help with the process.
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We are launching a series of new cooperative marketing opportunities that will allow destination marketing organizations, businesses, and other travel partners to buy into content across the Great River Road’s online and social channels and gain valuable exposure through our website, e-newsletter and social media platforms.
