Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1476179
newspaper publishing, was then a board member of the bureau and manager of communications at Paramount Carowinds amusement park, located along the North Carolina/South Carolina border. Just as professional relationships with people like Montgomery and others have been pivotal throughout Brown's career path, they are crucial in his current role lead- ing Destination Augusta. "A lot of days, I'm in meetings with stakeholders and partners, just trying to make sure we're all headed in the same direction," Brown says. He serves on the board of the Southeast Tourism Society and the policy committee of the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus. He's also on the boards of the Metro Augusta Chamber and the Augusta Sports Council. While he was in Tacoma, he was a board member of Destinations International. "It's very important to have a presence in the community, to be involved, to be a part of the change you want to see, as that saying goes," he says. Of course, the biggest transformation Brown must shep- herd now is the rebound of Destination Augusta from the pandemic's economic blow. "We were, in some cases, not hit as hard as some destinations," Brown says. "In other cases, we were hit a little bit harder. I think we ended up somewhere in the middle. Our revenue loss was immediately around 16 percent. We hunkered down and had to make adjustments in our budgets to try to save our funding and our operations…. We had to eliminate some positions." A major adjustment during the lockdown was turning the organization's main focus toward encouraging area residents to visit outdoor sites like walking trails and patronize restaurants and other local businesses offering curbside service. But even though travel to Augusta from outside the region was essentially on pause, it was important to continue mar- keting, Brown says. Despite the dent that COVID-19 put in its budget, Destination Augusta went ahead with its plan to roll out a new marketing campaign highlighting its diversity of visitor attractions. "Previously our brand was tied heavily to the Masters Golf Tournament," Brown notes. "It's wonderful that Augusta has global recognition for the Masters, but that is an event that is, at most, two weeks." The new campaign gives Augusta the chance to toot its horn about being the birthplace of music legends James Brown and Jessye Norman and the site of the Fort Gordon Army base. The city also hosts popular events like the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival, which showcases the visual, performing and culinary arts. One of highlights of the summer festival is the Global Village, where visitors can sample the cuisines of more than 20 countries. "I get excited about people who come and say, 'Wow, I didn't know this about Augusta!'" Brown says. Brown and his wife, Sandra Lindsay-Brown, who met in college and have one adult son, have visited nearly every continent. Egypt, Greece, Italy, South Africa, China, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand are just a few of the locations the couple can pin on a world map. He still has a trip to Cuba left on his bucket list, while she's especially interested to see Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Back home, Brown enjoys working with his team at Destination Augusta to come up with bold, fresh ideas for promoting the city. Augusta residents are featured promi- nently in the latest ads, with the aim of making locals the city's main tourism ambassadors. "We are letting our local people tell the story of the city they love," Brown says. 34 B M & T ••• July/August 2022 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Augusta downtown skyline Augusta riverwalk at the Savannah river