I’m often asked what we do and who we are. Like anyone running a small company or nonprofit, you think about your desk covered with piles of important to-do lists and sticky notes with the day’s most important reminders, all of which track back to the mission. But to get to the big picture, I have to return to the charge our members gave us – promote Freeport as a destination for visitors.

But, that one-line description just doesn’t do our organization justice. Established in 1977 by Freeport business leaders, we have evolved from an organization of member merchants to the premier organization dedicated to marketing Freeport for destination travel and serving the information needs of visitors. FreeportUSA serves the interests of our members by serving the best interests of the Freeport community and our millions of annual visitors.

The FreeportUSA Map & Visitor Guide is the second largest tourism publication in the state, with 350,000 copies distributed each year throughout New England and Canada and with over 600 points of distribution. FreeportUSA answers thousands of information phone calls, fulfills thousands of mail requests for maps and brochures, maintains an informational website with many thousands of annual visits, and keeps both a year-round and seasonal information center in Freeport. We produce a number of annual events, such as the Fall in the Village Art & Music Festival, Freeport Third Fridays, Moonlight Madness, Flavors of Freeport, Girlfriends Getaway and the Sparkle Holiday Celebration for the entertainment of residents and visitors alike. We’re the ones that bring life to the Talking Christmas Tree that so many children love and decorate the streets with holiday lights and wreaths each season.

FreeportUSA is actively involved with a variety of travel and tourism organizations, including the Greater Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau (board member), the Maine Office of Tourism, the Maine Tourism Association (member), the Maine MotorCoach Network (member), CruiseMaine Coalition, the Maine Innkeepers Association (member), as well as other tourism-related groups. We host travel writers and cruise directors to ensure Freeport is front of mind for people looking to come to visit.

We outpace many other member associations in tourism marketing in Maine. Our mobile app is one of the first dedicated to reaching the traveler via a smartphone. Thousands of people have downloaded the app and use it to discover Freeport. Our new website offers a one-stop location for learning all about Freeport as a destination for shopping, dining, activities and lodging. We have a strong social media presence, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest, to further capture web traffic and bring travelers to Freeport.

We use our resources to purchase full-page display advertising in a variety of travel magazines and guides, including Maine Invites You, Down East Magazine, Maine Magazine, Portland Magazine and others. Just this year, we produced a video that beautifully summarizes the essence of Freeport – find it on our website along with a calendar of events and a blog devoted to things to do in Freeport. Also new this year, we are working on a Meeting & Convention Guide to attract more people with longer stays.

FreeportUSA is a part of the community, vitally interested in preserving and promoting its unique appeal, while helping our member businesses make the most of visitors that arrive each year to shop, dine, stay, and play. If you’d like to know more, or want to be a part of what we do, visit our website at www.freeportusa.com or call us at 865-1212.

Janet Dutson is the executive director of Freeport USA.