Friends of Connect Buncombe Debuts Countywide Trail and Greenway Brand.

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1 For Time Sensitive Release November 5, 2015 Contact: Suzanne Molloy Friends of Connect Buncombe Debuts Countywide Trail and Greenway Brand. In September 2012, Buncombe County adopted a comprehensive Greenways and Trails Master Plan to guide regional greenway development in the County. On Thursday, November 5th, Friends of Connect Buncombe, a local nonprofit, introduced and bestowed a new brand identity to reflect this initiative to create trails and greenways in Buncombe County and its municipalities which can come to represent the entire system while preserving the greenway/trail names of individual municipalities and communities. This new identity can be expanded and shared to serve as a creative vision for a connected system of trails and greenways for public usage to foster and promote tourism, economic development, health, recreation, diverse and safe transportation options, and connect with our community and the cultural heritage and natural beauty of Buncombe County. The branding process included a broad based input effort. Over the summer, geographic and thematic input meetings and research into the history of Buncombe County were initiated. The brand name is an easily recognizable, concrete name and reaches to the nexus of why Asheville and Buncombe came to exist and will allow for a wide array of marketing components that will satisfy a variety of needs and desires of the county. The brand system is flexible and easy brand extension can be employed for many adaptive uses. The new brand logo draws upon the existing Buncombe County government logo by incorporating dark blue mountains and two evergreen trees set in the foreground of a trail. The brand is named in honor of the Buncombe Turnpike which once served as one of the finest and most used roads in Western North Carolina and brought prosperity and innovation to our mountains. Branding colors are all based upon colors found in nature. David Gantt, Chairman of the Buncombe County Commissioners, said, This new brand system powerfully connects our past to our future and we are grateful for the leadership and support of Friends of Connect Buncombe in catalyzing our efforts. Let s all embrace and start using the brand. Friends of Connect Buncombe partnered with other greenway advocacy groups and selected Arnett Muldrow and Associates to carry out the development of this new branding and marketing initiative. The costs were covered by donations from members and sponsors and by in-kind services provided by Arnett & Muldrow and Associates. About Friends of Connect Buncombe Friends of Connect Buncombe is a nonprofit formed for the purpose of advocating and raising funds for the implementation and construction of greenways and trails in Buncombe County. We are a collaborative organization supporting all of Buncombe County. The goal is to construct a system of connected trails for public use to foster and promote tourism, economic development, health, recreation, diverse and safe transportation options, and connect with our community and cultural heritage and beauty of Buncombe County. The Greenways and Trails Master Plan was adopted by the County Commissioners in September, Event Location and Thank You We would like to thank all of our sponsors for helping us put together our November 5 th Debut Countywide Greenway and Trail Celebration. In particular, we appreciate the support of DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville, for hosting the event and thank their staff and chefs for creating such a wonderful event. (See Attachments)

2 We are Buncombe Turnpike Trail Network, Buncombe County, North Carolina. The Buncombe Turnpike Trail Network: Cultivating Our Connections

3 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ S) Why do a brand for the trail network? To create pride in a unified regional county vision for a greenway network in Buncombe County and to create a consistent message to be used such that the network will serve as an economic driver for the community. This brand can also serve as a marketing tool that unifies all of the existing greenway initiatives without compromising their individual identities. How did the name come about? The name came about as a result of a series of geographic and thematic roundtable meetings that involved over 100 stakeholders in Buncombe County. Their input coupled with research on the history of Buncombe County resulted in a name that honors the richly historic role that paths and trails have played in the community while providing a thought provoking name that would invoke further curiosity. Does this substitute for existing trail identities? No. The brand is a compliment and a partnership with other trail networks. The goal is to have a way to link existing greenways and trails to an eventual system that would truly connect the County. How should the new brand be used? The brand should be used for trail heads, maps, brochures, directional signs, product development (t-shirts, beers, etc.), advocacy and capital campaigns, marketing, business development (i.e., Turnpike Café), and partnerships with corporate entities. What will happen next? The design and/or partner badges will be incorporated into existing and new networks. This is the first step in a process of sharing the brand with the partner groups. Friends of Connect Buncombe is pleased to present this identity system as a tool that any advocacy organization focused upon greenway development in Buncombe County can use with the hope that it will come to identity the entire network in the future.

4 Thank You To Our Event Sponsors & Partners! DEBUT GREENWAY & TRAIL CELEBRATION & BRAND REVEAL Thank You To Our Raffle & Silent Auction Donors! 131 Main NC Stage Company BT Burger Joint Asheville Wine Market Greenville Parks & Rec Aloft Oil and Vinegar LAB Anthropologie Jonas Gerard Brixx Pizza P.F. Chang's NC Arboretum Sensibilities Mast General Store Other Sponsors: Green Sage Café Travinia Mellow Mushroom Omni Grove Park Malprops Mel & Terry Scholl Family Lucy & Jared Crown Family Babcock Family Ben and Bonnie Hamrick Jamie Turner-Beverly Hanks and Associates Suzanne Molloy-Keller Williams Professionals Thanks to Equinox for the donation of printing this program!

5 Be P t pike ar Walk Bike Run Commute Stroll Wheel Float Program 5 p.m. Registration Opens 5:30 p.m. WNC Themed Reception with Hors d'oeuvres by Chefs at DoubleTree Bar Open Greenway and Sponsor Tabletops Open Raffle Open 6:15 p.m. Program Begins Recognition of Sponsors Suzanne Molloy, Master of Ceremonies, VP Friends of Connect Buncombe Welcome Brownie Newman, County Commissioner and VP of Business Development for FLS Energy Friends of Connect Buncombe Ann Babcock, President, Friends of Connect Buncombe Corporate Leadership Leah Ashburn, President Highland Brewing and Susanne Hackett, New Belgium Community and Media Relations Specialist pike Brewing For Greenways Hi-Wire Brewing & Ben's Tune Up American Sake Brewery Friends of Connect Buncombe Annual Speaker: Kate Dixon, ED Mountains to Sea Trail Join Us! Friday, November 13th, 5:30 p.m. Hi-Wire 197 Hilliard Avenue, Asheville, NC Thursday, November 18th, 5:30-7 p.m. Comfort Suites: 890 Brevard Rd., Asheville, NC Swamp Rabbit as an Economic Driver Ty Houck, Director of Greenways, Natural and Historic Resources for Greenville County Parks, Recreation and Tourism Brand Reveal Tripp Muldrow, Principal, Arnett Muldrow and Associates Call to Action David Gantt, Chairman, Buncombe County Commissioners and local attorney 7:20 Reception Continues 7:30 p.m. Raffle and Silent Auction Winners Announed 8 p.m. Bar Closes