about what it would be like to live there from what jobs are available, what homes are available, what the schools are like, childcare, everything is there.” The IDDC actively partners with local communities through cost-sharing arrangements.“We do a co-op with them where they may put in $50,000, we put in $50,000. We do all the work for them to do a mini campaign,” Bedel notes. These collaborations produce social media content and videos tailored to each community’s specific needs. A particularly innovative approach involves customizable video templates. “We do something called donut videos,” Bedel says.“There’s 11 different regions that we’ve done a separate donut video. The beginning talks about what you can do in that general region, as does the end. And in the middle, a corporation or a municipality can tell their own story.” This modular design allows businesses to incorporate testimonials or other personalized content. NAVIGATING TOURISM THROUGH THE PANDEMIC The IDDC faced an extraordinary challenge just months after its creation when COVID-19 brought global travel to a standstill.“It’s interesting because obviously our job is to get people here when everybody’s saying, ‘no, don’t come,’” Bedel recalls. The organization quickly shifted focus to supporting local businesses and ensuring safety protocols were in place for when travel resumed. 117 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 03 INDIANA DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (IDDC)
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