ICTB Newsletter - Find out about the latest TOURISM HAPPENINGS in Indiana County, PA!
Tourism Tidbits
Annual Newsletter
ICTB Staff
Executive Director
Denise Liggett

Office Manager
Laura Herrington

Tourism Associate
Debbie Isenberg

Group Tour Coordinator
Ashley Canose

Graphic Artist
Jen Buckles

Brochure Distribution
Tony Greenawalt

Officers
President
Gregg Van Horn

Secretary
Valerie Balogh

Treasurer
Jacquelyn Hathaway

Member at Large
Robin Gorman

Board of Directors
Commissioner Mike Baker
Larissa Csanyi 
Linda Maguire
Jim Struzzi
Jordan Gwinn
Andrew Thompson
Jackie Montgomery
Niel Stiteler
Lisa Meadows
Samantha Muir 


Upcoming Events
Find out more  about the fun events and festivals happening in Indiana County!
Showcasing Indiana County
The recently produced 60-second spot with Vinegar Hill “Welcome to Indiana County” aired on various Comcast Cable channels during the month of April. ICTB is very proud of this video which includes footage of Indiana County and is narrated by Mr. Jimmy Stewart. We invite you to watch the commercial here .
ICTB Attends Group Tour Tradeshow

ICTB's Group Tour Coordinator, Ashley Canose, traveled to Buffalo, New York to attend the Heartland Travel Showcase at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, hosted by the Ohio Travel Association, from February 16 - 18. She joined approximately 400 others representing $23 billion in the travel industry. While at the showcase, buyers (tour operators) and sellers (exhibitors) merged together for networking in anticipation of future group travel in the Heartland region. Tour operators met with exhibitors in six-minute appointments and a four-minute meet designed to create new business relationships between operators and destination partners. The showcase provided a wonderful outlet for spreading the great assets Indiana County has to share with potential visitors.
Working Together to Attract Conferences & Conventions
ICTB has been busy working with our Indiana County Center for Economic Operations affiliates, Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex as well as local hotels to be selected as a host destination location for multiple conferences and conventions. Requests for Proposal’s (RFP's) are an excellent way to showcase and educate others of the numerous assets of Indiana County.


  Brochure Distribution for Members
Attention Members: Have a new rack card or brochure you're excited to distribute to the public to help spread the word about your business or organization? If so, don't forget to drop some off (we need 300 pieces for adequate distribution) at our office! We have 40 brochure racks located throughout the county where we can display your rack card or brochure!
Tourism Information Requested Since the Start of 2018

Indiana County Tourist Bureau received more than 3,100 direct requests for tourism information.

Statewide paid distribution of Visitor Guides and member brochures totaled more than 9,000 pieces.

Celebrating 100 Years of Growing Christmas Trees as a Crop in Indiana County

Indiana County is currently celebrating an exciting milestone! The process of growing Christmas trees as a crop began 100 years ago in Indiana County in 1918 when Mr. Silas (Si) C. Streams first planted Norway Spruce trees to be sold during the Christmas season.  Some of these originally planted Norway trees are still growing today, now 50-feet and more in height. In 1918, Si started planting regularly and by 1926, he started selling Christmas Trees at 40 to 50 cents each, one good and three bad per bundle. Gradually, other pioneers started plantations.  

In celebration of "100 Years of Growing Christmas Trees in Indiana County" and i n honor of Mr. Streams, who is recognized as the first in our county to plant Christmas trees as a crop, the Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers' Association provided Norway Spruce tree seedlings to all those in attendance at the Annual Welcome to Indiana Luncheon.

Continuing the 100 year celebration, the Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers’ Association also provided several communities with their very own Norway Spruce tree on Arbor Day, Friday, April 27.

“It was important to us to include as many of our local communities as possible in this celebration,” said Gregg Van Horn, President of the Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers’ Association. “The process of growing Christmas trees as a crop in Indiana County began in 1918. We hope these trees will be a symbol in each community of this 100 year achievement as well as the continuation of the Christmas tree crop growing industry,” Van Horn added.
Pictured From Left: Linda Maguire - Saltsburg; Gregg Van Horn - ICTB/ICCTGA; Niel Stiteler - Smicksburg; Rick Jones - Homer City; Larissa Csanyi - Blairsville; Laura Herrington - ICTB; and Jacquelyn Hathaway - ICTB/Clymer.
Save the Date

Indiana County Day, Christmas in July
at Idlewild & SoakZone will be on
Friday, July 20, 2018.

More information coming soon on how you can purchase discount tickets.
Indiana County Recognized
by TravelPulse

Indiana County was recently highlighted in TravelPulse by writer Lisa Iannucci’s article titled “ It’s a Wonderful Life in This Small Pennsylvania Town ”. Inspired by our vibrant community, Iannucci's article details recommendations for local dining, shopping, and outdoor recreation as well as one of a kind attractions such as the Jimmy Stewart Museum and the Smicksburg Amish community. Furthermore, she describes the abundance of opportunities provided by IUP, including film screenings, concerts, sporting events and seminars. Launched in 2002, TravelPulse is a leading resource in the travel industry that delivers the latest news and destination information to a worldwide audience. Read the complete story ..

Westsylvania Jazz and Blues Festival Featured in Rec News
Indiana County Tourist Bureau is proud to partner with  Recreation News to promote the upcoming  Westsylvania Jazz and Blues Festival. Check out this recent feature story that highlights the festival.


Experience IUP Day

During the months of February, March and April, ICTB was privileged to take part in all the Experience IUP events. Welcoming students and families as new members to our community and distributing information on all there is to do and see here is very rewarding. 

Ian McIsaac, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions , Indiana University of Pennsylvania explains for us why Experience IUP takes place:

“This special day is designed exclusively for students who have earned admission to IUP. Students have the opportunity to interact with current students and learn more about what they can achieve at IUP. The day is filled with information sessions regarding academics, campus life and student activities. Students begin to feel college bound as they get their student ID, sit in on classes, and enjoy lunch with their peers overlooking the collegiate basketball court.

Since the students are already admitted, the program focuses on more in-depth information for the next steps of the enrollment process at IUP. Students get the chance to sit in on a class, show an art portfolio, or audition for musically related majors while they are here.

Students will enjoy a peer to peer lunch on the concourse of the Ed Fry Arena before meeting with the academic department of his/her intended major. Parents will spend the early afternoon enjoying a complimentary lunch in one of IUP's dining halls and attending sessions that have been designed specifically for parents.

Students begin to meet lifelong friends, as more than three quarters of the students that attend Experience IUP will enroll at the university. 

Student organizations also have an opportunity to recruit new students before they even begin classes. This really makes the student feel like part of the IUP family, even before they walk across that stage at High School Commencement.”


The Start of 2018 Welcomes New Members

We're pleased to share that we had numerous new members join ICTB in continuing our promotion of Indiana County and their business/organization since the start of 2018. We welcome each of you: