‘I Am Hot Springs’ video series showcases town’s diversity
The stories behind the unique individuals who inhabit this tourism town are being shared in a personal way in a new video series by Visit Hot Springs.
The convention and visitor’s bureau released the first installment of “I Am Hot Springs” earlier this week featuring an eclectic blend of individuals celebrating what Hot Springs is to them.
The first installment is available on YouTube, at https:// youtu.be/7tZg5yaDTZM.
The video was made in- house by Visit Hot Springs’ Erin Baber and Cora Easterday, according to Bill Solleder, director of marketing. The idea, he said, came from Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs.
Visit Hot Springs already produces a monthly series “Destination: Hot Springs” which Solleder said is primarily targeted outside the Spa City.
“Although these videos will be targeted outside Hot Springs, too, it’s sort of a soft thank you to everyone who makes Hot Springs what it is,” he said of the new series.
“Also, we’re finding a lot of travelers are looking for that authentic experience. They want to become a part of the local scene, and we thought it was cool to just show that local fabric — how young it is, how diverse it is.”
Solleder said he’s not sure what the frequency of these videos will be, but hopes that future videos will focus on various subcultures of Hot Springs hospitality and tourism.
“We might do one on the restaurant industry from dishwashers to owners,” he said. “We might do one on the biking culture and feature the mayor to a kid on training wheels on the Greenway.
“They’re really fun to make and it’s great we can do it all inhouse. I think it should be noted that these are done on nothing more than a portable device which I think really gives that authentic feel, as well.”
As far future video ideas, Solleder said some of the best ideas come from travelers who make discoveries of hidden gems in the community.
“Some of our best ideas c ome from people emailing us or calling us saying they visited and found this or this very interesting, or didn’t realize Hot Springs had this,” he said.