On April 17, 2024, Kevin Sexton, Director of Business Development, Public Affairs, and Land, said he appreciated the opportunity to recap the recent trade shows he and other staff have attended. On exhibit at the rear of the Board Room was the new booth he is using at trade shows. “I am proud of being able to take that booth to places like Chicago and St. Louis. It is such a great increase over what we had.” It draws the attention of attendees, including fellow exhibitors, who inquired about where Sexton obtained the display.
Sexton said he has attended four golf shows and one retirement/relocation show since the end of January. The retirement/relocation show was attended in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism in Chicago. The Arkansas Department pays for the show registration for the Village and provides the booth.
In addition to the St. Louis, Kansas City, Missouri, and Dallas golf shows, Sexton participated for the first time in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Sexton and staff promote Discovery Packages and Stay & Play Golf Packages
Sexton said that he, Ponce & Balboa Golf Shop Manager Matt Lewarn, and Business Development and Client Relations Manager Mindy Maxwell have had hundreds of one-on-one conversations about Hot Springs Village Discovery Packages and Stay & Play Golf Packages, which are tools used to encourage visitors to explore Hot Springs Village.
For more information about Discovery Packages or Day Tours, visit here.
Schedule a golf round or a Stay & Play Golf Package here.
Questions asked by show attendees
Sexton said he is usually asked a variety of questions at the golf shows:
- “What kind of lodging is available?”
- “How long is the drive?”
- “What is there to do in the evenings?”
- “Can we play 36 holes a day?”
- “What is the best time to come to Hot Springs Village?”
- “I’ve always heard Hot Springs Village is private and gated. I was under the understanding that I can’t play golf there, right?”
- “What is the difference between golf in Bella Vista and Hot Springs Village?”
At retirement/relocation shows, the questions asked are much different:
- “What are the property taxes in Arkansas?”
- “What income isn’t taxable in Arkansas?”
- “When will you be like Tennessee and eliminate your state income tax?”
- “How safe is Hot Springs Village?
- “What’s the climate like?”
- “Where is the nearest airport?”
- “Do you have snakes in Arkansas?” (Sexton said this is his favorite question.)
Leads are generated at trade shows
Brochures and other promotional materials are passed out at the shows, and many leads are obtained. The retirement/relocation leads are turned over to the real estate partners. The golf show leads are uploaded to Constant Contact, where thank-you emails originate.
People want to relocate to Arkansas because of high taxes and crime-ridden conditions in some other places.
By Cheryl Dowden
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Click here to visit the POA website – Explore the Village.
A Stay and Play package is a way to potentially build up Hot Springs Village residential base on a more permanent basis.
For all the members playing and sharing the same courses as the Stay and Play package, can these packages be identified somehow so they can be thanked for coming to Hot Springs Village? Identified by a colored ribbon or a Stay and Play flag on golf carts to the daily playing member.