Convention and Visitors Bureau considers video

GONZALES — The Gonzales Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) met last week to discuss their usual slate of ideas to bring travelers to town and get heads in hotel beds. One proposal bantered around was to spend $2,500 to split the cost to get on the yoloTX television program that airs in select Texas markets.

The program is described as a 30 minute “Texas lifestyle television show highlighting topics of interest to Texans.” An information sheet provided by the producer says it is a year-round show that airs on 17 stations each weekend in 13 markets across the state.

The term “yolo,” for the uninitiated, is slang for “you only live once.”

Tourism Director Clint Hille described the program to the board, with the video costing a total of $5,000. Basically, it would be a pay-to-play scenario, with the CVB partnering with the local rum distillery to split the cost. The show would focus on the distillery and would have highlights of the town included.

Board members asked Hille what else would go into the show. He said that the CVB would have its website included and that the video would be on the yoloTX website after it airs and probably on YouTube as well.

The info sheet provided by the program states that it would be a turnkey production with “video production based on your direction at your location.” People that buy in could then use the clip in any way they see fit, including use for websites, social media channels, in-house presentations, and trade shows. Past segments were available online for viewing at www.yolotx.com.

This would be the second time that the CVB had partnered with a television production company recently to have aired content. The board voted to spend $20,000 in 2015 to fund a 30 minute television show, “Chasing American Legends,” that featured Gonzales for an episode and had airings on a nationwide religious television network.

The board decided to study the proposal more to be discussed at the next CVB meeting.