‘OPEN FOR FUN IN 2021’
Put-in-bay ready to rebound from year of the coronavirus pandemic “We have all lived
PUT-IN-BAY – Businesses of all kinds are prepping for the seasonal surge of visitors to this summer island hotspot with a unified voice and singular message in mind. “We’re open for fun in 2021,” said Wendy Chambers, executive director of the Put-in-bay Chamber of Commerce and official tourism bureau. Following the unprecedented circumstances of the global COVID-19 pandemic, island business are looking to rebound from a very up and down tourist season in 2020.
“We have all lived through 2020 and we’re ready to put that behind us,” said Eric Booker, coowner of The Boardwalk restaurant, a longtime
Put-in-bay foodie staple renowned for its lobster bisque. “I’m extremely excited for the 2021 season.”
This year, a team comprised of business owners, village officials and marketing professionals is hoping to revitalize Put-in-bay’s brand — “rekindling” its identity as “an everyday island getaway,” according to Brad Ohlemacher, chairman of the Safe Island Task Force and owner of the
Bird’s Nest Resort.
The task force was developed to address safety concerns related to the high-volume weekends on the island during the summer season, when the village of 600 full-time residents attracts 750,000 visitors in a typical year.
Ohlemacher said one of the realizations that the task force came to was a need to define Put-in-bay’s brand.
“Weekends take care of themselves,” Ohlemacher said. “What we do need to do is promote all of the wonderful things that this island has to offer people on Sunday through Thursday.”
They created a strategic marketing committee to address that need and this season will begin rolling out that campaign promoting the message that there are so many more things to do on the island than just go to bars.
With the help of Flourish, an independent marketing agency based in Cleveland, the team also developed a new logo for Put-in-bay that it hopes to encompass with that message.
According to Doug Merritt, of Flourish, the initial ask of the team was to develop a “one island” brand, emphasizing that Put-in-bay is a “safe, friendly, family” place to visit. It was the first time individual businesses pooled their money to market the island as a whole.
“Hopefully, you’re going to start seeing that everywhere and that’s going to make you think of Put-in-bay,” Ohlemacher said. “One island, one voice.” jstinchcom@gannett.com
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through 2020 and we’re ready to put that behind us. I’m extremely excited for the 2021 season.”
Eric Booker Co-owner of
The Boardwalk restaurant
This year, island business owners are hoping to “rekindle” Put-in-bay’s identity as a “safe, friendly, family” place to visit.