An app is an extremely handy way to provide highly accessible, relevant and engaging content to your destination’s visitors, both before and during their stay. Destination marketing organizations all around the world are becoming more creative by the day at using this powerful tool to shine a spotlight on the elements that make their destination memorable.

Take Daytona Beach Area CVB, for example, who recently collaborated with our VisitApps team to go full throttle in the promotion of their 27th annual motorcycle rally, Biketoberfest®. Recognized worldwide for annual events which include Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and the DAYTONA 500, Daytona is home to the International Speedway, which is considered the ‘World Center of Racing.’ Biketoberfest® is the destination's four-day event that attracts over 125,000 motorcycle enthusiasts for bike builds, motorcycle shows, racing, live music and all the sunny weather you could ask for. 

With such a high volume of visitors, Daytona Beach Area CVB wanted to find the best way to put their visitor's guide in the hands of their attendees to drive traffic to local businesses, promote event offerings, and help attendees curate and personalize their experience. The DMO turned to VisitApps to develop an app that would provide up-to-date information about places to stay and things to do.

The Biketoberfest® Rally app served as a great way to enable attendees to be preferential when picking a place to stay, from pet-friendly options to hotels, bed and breakfasts, and campgrounds. The app directed attendees once onsite to the rally’s official welcome and visitors centers to score event-branded gear and maps, and to seek advice in person. Users could also explore the app for scenic ride suggestions, locations for bike shows and recommended experiences nearby sorted by types such as independent businesses, coffee shops, waterfront dining and ale trails. 

Attendees who wanted to branch out from the rally offerings were presented with alternatives like shopping, outdoor activities, nightlife and the top beaches to visit. Users were also encouraged to share their experience on social, check out the DMO's blog content and sign up for the e-newsletter.

The Biketoberfest® Rally app launch was very successful, to say the least. The app garnered over 3.6k first downloads and the engagement didn’t stop there. The app reeled in 176k event counts, which equates to an average of nearly 50 clicks per user. According to user reviews, the app was easy to use and great for planning. Most exciting of all was the diversity of users from across the globe. Biketoberfest® fans who engaged with the app made the trek to Daytona from Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland to name a few. 

Check out the Biketoberfest® Rally app available on Apple and Google Play. To learn more about what an app can do for your DMO, please reach out to our VisitApps team.