The Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau announced a rebrand Wednesday in order to better align itself with its vision for the county.
The Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau will now be known as Explore Utah Valley. According to Charlene Christensen, director of services and marketing, the name and branding change better reflects the valley’s melding of a unique urban vibe surrounded by natural beauty.
“Utah Valley uniquely combines urban adventures and beautiful mountain escapes,” said Joel Racker, president and CEO of Explore Utah Valley, in a press release. “Utah Valley offers family-friendly, award-winning entertainment and dining options and is a short drive to world-class mountain playgrounds as well. ExploreUtahValley.com brings the best of Utah Valley together to help you plan all of your activities.”
Christensen echoed that sentiment, saying by phone that the name change also invites people — from families to singles old and young, skilled and unskilled — to get out and explore all the county has to offer, both urban and natural.
According to Explore Utah Valley information, Utah Valley’s travel economy generated more than $500 million in taxable sales in 2017, resulting in $17.2 million city and county tourism taxes. The team behind Explore Utah Valley markets the county to all types of visitors — local moms trying to keep children active during the summer months, spouses looking for date night ideas, families from nearby states looking for a great weekend escape, or groups of young single friends hoping to discover the latest up-and-coming band.
“Our vision is to let people know about all the great and wonderful things in our valley,” Christensen said. “You can easily head into the canyon for a day hikes and then come back to your hotel in the city.”
Christensen said Explore Utah Valley is separate from the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, though it does assist in marketing the center to businesses, sport leagues and other potential large groups.
Interested residents and nonresidents alike can explore Utah Valley virtually through the website http://exploreutahvalley.com, which takes over the old utahvalley.com site. Christensen is looking forward to a complete website change in the future as well.
