Visit Allen Encourages Residents & Visitors to #SupportLocal Using Forward-Thinking, Mobile-Ready Technology

ALLEN, Texas, Oct. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allen Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Allen) spearheaded the multi-agency effort of a Shop Local campaign that launched in July of 2020 with the agency of record, Destination Innovate. The core strategy of the campaign included plans for a savings pass, branded the "Eat. Sip. Shop. PlayPass," to offer savings to residents and visitors and stimulate the local economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PlayPass is free to both passholders and to businesses physically located in Allen who choose to participate. Destination Innovate chose technology partner, Bandwango, to provide the technology and platform for the mobile, digital cloud-based pass, enabling Visit Allen to drive visitors to a "real-time" mobile-ready pass for savings from popular restaurants, retail stores, entertainment venues, and local service providers. 

"This is an exciting program for Visit Allen, our locals, visitors, meeting planners and businesses!" - Karen Cromwell, Director, Allen Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We are enjoying a surge in business and consumer participation and are thrilled to have the chance to utilize an innovative technology to interact with them."

Digital savings in the PlayPass include offers such as: buy one, get one deals, increased savings, and free products for locals and visitors who redeem the offers through the mobile app.

The #ShopAllenTX campaign and Visit Allen will continue to promote the PlayPass and new offers as they are added each week to passholders, reminding them through text, in-app notifications, Facebook, and email of what's new and ways they can take advantage of the savings. 

Visit Allen will also be part of the Allen Food + Wine Walk on November 7, 2020 at The Village at Allen; the first opportunity to showcase the PlayPass at a community-wide event since launch. Team members will have the chance to walk through the PlayPass with event goers, encourage shoppers to redeem offers at retailers within The Village at Allen, and build awareness about the savings ahead of the busy holiday shopping season.

"Destination Marketing Organizations like Visit Allen are recognizing the blurred lines in today's marketing environment." - Jennifer Barbee, Partner, Destination Innovate. "As the campaign managers of this program, we are excited to continue to support their forward-thinking efforts as more and more travelers are moving mobile."

Media Inquiries:
Jennifer Barbee, Partner
Destination Innovate
[email protected] 
480-364-3215

SOURCE Visit Allen Texas