Destination Bryan Executive Director named

The City of Bryan has initiated the process to establish a new destination marketing organization called Destination Bryan.

Destination Bryan will be established separate from the city, as a 501(c)(6) organization, with the goal of being operational by Aug. 1, 2020. At their July 2 Special Meeting, the Bryan City Council established the Destination Bryan Board of Directors and appointed Michael Thompson Jr., Fern Jones and Spencer Clements as the initial members of that board.

The city is also pleased to announce John Friebele as the Executive Director of the organization.

“While I’ve had the opportunity to promote the City of Bryan through EBCS, I’m eager to continue this by leading the establishment of its own, dedicated, destination marketing organization. The support from everyone in the city for Destination Bryan has been unbelievable, making me even more excited to get started on furthering tourism efforts for the community,” Friebele said.

Friebele currently serves as the Vice President of Experience Bryan College Station, where he has worked since 2012 in various roles. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management and a Master of Science degree in Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences – both from Texas A&M University.

“We are excited for John to lead Bryan’s tourism efforts,” said City of Bryan Deputy City Manager Joey Dunn. “His tourism industry experience and knowledge of the Bryan community will be an incredible asset as we work to build a world class DMO to promote our destinations and hotels.”

Destination Bryan is being established to consolidate efforts to promote all of Bryan’s tourism destinations – now and in the future – in a cohesive manner. This includes Historic Downtown Bryan, Travis Bryan Midtown Park and its large-scale sports venues currently under development, Traditions Club and Community, Miramont Country Club, Lake Walk Town Center, the Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus and Health Science Center, the City Course at Phillips Event Center and Messina Hof Winery and Resort, among many others.

The organization will be tasked with telling Bryan’s story as a community that is proud of its heritage, celebrates its diversity and offers unique experiences to its visitors. It will also be responsible for coordinating with local entities to attract large-scale events and groups that collectively fill Bryan’s hotels, use facilities and rebuild the local hospitality industry.

“Through Destination Bryan, we’ll be able to promote the essence or identity of the city and package together the assets that make it a great place to experience during a visitors stay. With successful events and attractions already in place, and through the continued development of areas such as Lake Walk, Midtown, and others, now is the time to focus on expanding tourism efforts and create as much impact as possible for the community,” Friebele said. “Especially as we begin to turn toward safe economic recovery, tourism will be important in order to provide new dollars coming into the city’s businesses and hotels to stimulate the economy.”

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