During the May 14, 2026 Economic Development Committee meeting, members and staff discussed the need to better position Leland as a regional destination and to strengthen the Town’s brand. Board members specifically raised ideas such as creating a major signature event (e.g., a 5K race with associated Town activities), building a clearer identity for Leland as a home base for nearby attractions, and coordinating more closely with neighboring jurisdictions on regional branding. Staff, through Economic and Community Development Director Barnes Sutton, stated that many of these concepts are already being actively tested and that a big focus is leveraging community-based activities into economic growth and improving how the Town markets itself. This indicates early-stage planning for expanded tourism promotion, event programming, and marketing services, but no specific vendors or procurements have been selected yet. For vendors, this is a signal that Leland is rethinking its tourism and community event strategy and may soon need outside support for branding, marketing campaigns, event planning, visitor analytics, and sponsorship development. A practical next conversation would focus on how to help the Town define a cohesive destination brand, design and operate a flagship annual event, and deploy digital tools to measure visitation and economic impact from these efforts.

Discussion referenced leveraging existing events like Leland in Lights, summer concert series, and t...