The city of Bryan has initiated the process to establish a new destination marketing organization called Destination Bryan. Destination Bryan will be established as a 501(c)(6) organization, with the goal of being operational by Aug. 1.
On July 2, the Bryan City Council’s special meeting established the Destination Bryan Board of Directors, appointing Michael Thompson Jr., Fern Jones, and Spencer Clements as the initial members of that board. The city is also pleased to announce John Friebele as the executive director of the organization.
“While I’ve had the opportunity to promote the city of Bryan through Experience Bryan College Station, I’m eager to continue this by leading the establishment of its own dedicated, destination marketing organization,” says Friebele. “The support from everyone in the city for Destination Bryan has been unbelievable, making me even more excited to get started on furthering tourism efforts for the community.”
Friebele currently serves as the vice president of EBCS, where he has worked since 2012 in various roles. He has a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and a Master of Science in Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences – both from Texas A&M University.
“We are excited for John to lead Bryan’s tourism efforts,” says Joey Dunn, city of Bryan deputy city manager. “His tourism industry experience and knowledge of the Bryan community will be an incredible asset as we work to build a world-class destination marketing organization to promote our destinations and hotels.”
Destination Bryan is being established to consolidate efforts to promote all of Bryan’s tourism destinations in a cohesive manner. This includes Historic Downtown Bryan, Travis Bryan Midtown Park and its large-scale sports venues currently under development, Traditions Club and Community, Miramont Country Club, Lake Walk Town Center, the Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus and Health Science Center, the City Course at Phillips Event Center, Messina Hof Winery and Resort, and many others.
The organization will be tasked with telling Bryan’s story as a community that is proud of its heritage, celebrates its diversity, and offers unique experiences to its visitors. It will also be responsible for coordinating with local entities to attract large-scale events and groups that collectively fill Bryan’s hotels, use facilities, and rebuild the local hospitality industry.
“Through Destination Bryan, we’ll be able to promote the essence or identity of the city and package together the assets that make it a great place to experience during a visitor's stay,” says Friebele. “With successful events and attractions already in place, and through the continued development of areas such as Lake Walk, Midtown, and others, now is the time to focus on expanding tourism efforts and create as much impact as possible for the community. … Especially as we begin to turn toward safe economic recovery, tourism will be important in order to provide new dollars coming into the city’s businesses and hotels to stimulate the economy.”
