Visit Indy :: Morgan Snyder in the Momlight
If you’ve lived and “mom-ed” in the Indy area for a while now, you might think you have a pretty good handle on what’s going on around the city, but a quick chat with Morgan Snyder of Visit Indy will leave you realizing otherwise.
Indianapolis has been home for Morgan since she came to Butler University as a freshman from her hometown outside of Louisville in 2003. Morgan’s connection with Visit Indy began thanks to an internship her senior year, which she credits with allowing her to truly discover the city and lead to her decision to push her roots down deeper after graduation. The Communications major started her career doing public relations with the Indiana Office of Tourism and Development, followed by a three year stint as PR and Marketing Manager for the downtown Conrad Indianapolis hotel.Now having worked for Visit Indy for the past nine years, moving up from the role of Communications Manager to her current title of Director of Public Relations and Film, Morgan’s love for Indy has only continued to grow. Morgan describes Visit Indy as “the official sales and marketing arm for the city of Indianapolis.” Housed downtown within the Indiana Convention Center, the 63-person team is tasked with bringing visitors into the Circle City--from convention attendees to tourists--and contributes to a $5.4 billion economic impact which is poured back into the city. Visit Indy is not just about revenue, however; it’s about showcasing what is special about Indianapolis and the people who make our city unique. {For a peek at one of Morgan’s favorite features of the Visit Indy website, check out Indy Like a Local}Morgan’s role today involves daily efforts to connect with national journalists who can help tell the Indy story. She makes connections, pitches ideas for interesting pieces that will highlight Indy, and watches the stories unfold. Here’s a great example: because of Morgan’s efforts, Indianapolis together with the Indiana Dunes National Park was just named among Frommer's Best Places to Go in 2020 alongside some extremely impressive international destinations {the poles, Glastonbury Festival, and Zakouma National Park in Chad just to name a few}. Celebrating Indianapolis’s bicentennial, the grand re-opening of the Madam Walker Legacy Center, and the opening of the Bottleworks District on Mass Ave. all give Morgan {and all Hoosiers} lots of things to be excited about this year in Indy.Last May, Morgan added another piece to her role at Visit Indy: Film Indy. Turns out Indy is quite a “film-friendly destination,” as Morgan puts it, especially for reality TV shows like House Hunters and American Ninja Warrior. This film initiative has the dual benefits of economic opportunity {visitors to Indy need places to eat, sleep and play} and marketing what we have to offer to potential visitors {during primetime TV when many of these shows air}.“It’s easy to promote a city that I truly call home and truly love, and it’s where I want to raise our family,” explains Morgan. It’s no wonder Morgan is passionate about her job and laughs as she struggles to describe how she spends her ‘me’ time. Her time away from work closely mirrors her professional life, consisting of more travel for fun with her family or exploring the local happenings. Morgan, her husband {fellow Butler alum and rockstar dad Loren Snyder}, and their son Coleman {age 1.5} love their home in Herron-Morton Place, spending countless hours at the neighborhood’s park or dedicating a Saturday to biking up the Monon Trail and making pit stops along the way at new or favorite family-friendly spaces.
WE LOVE LOCAL MOMS SHOWCASING INDY:Check out Amber Hankins from Indy Style in the Momlight
On being Mom to Coleman in Indy, Morgan says, “It’s my job to understand all of the good things that are going on in the city, and so it’s been really fun”--her son can come along and allow her to see things through the eyes of a child in a way that also benefits her work at Visit Indy. They invest a lot of time at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and Morgan says that checking out new events like Bark in the Park or the xZOOberance spring festival help keep her finger on the pulse of the city and make her that much more of an authority when she is trying to sell travel writers on Indy’s family-friendliness.
Trust me when I say that Morgan’s excitement about Indy and all that our city has to offer is contagious. She’s got big goals, both to give back to a city that she loves and to find ways to let others in on the best kept secret around {hint: it’s Indianapolis}.
Head on over to check out Visit Indy’s website or keep an eye on Facebook and Instagram so you don’t miss a thing.
