(cheerful music) - Hello, and welcome to "Prairie Pulse."

Coming up a little bit later in the show, we'll learn about the art of knife making from Uncle Jed Anderson.

But first, joining me now is the executive director of the North Dakota Tourism, Sara Otte Coleman.

Sara, thanks for joining us today.

- Always great to be here.

- Well, as we get started, tell the folks a little bit about yourself and your background.

- So I've been directing the state's tourism efforts for about 23 years now, and did that same kind of work within the Bismarck-Mandan community for 15 years prior.

So I've been selling North Dakota and all our great stories and great attractions and scenery for going on 40 years.

It's just a super fun job.

It's a change so much with the marketing and the expansions that we've had with the offerings that we have.

So it just never gets old.

- Well, let's start off with the basics.

What is North Dakota Tourism?

- So what we do is really try to inspire visitors to travel to North Dakota.

And we do that by helping increase awareness.

Not that many people know about North Dakota, which you may not be surprised at.

We just did some recent research that showed only about 23% of Americans know anything about North Dakota.

You know, part of that is we haven't, you know, we haven't done an extensive marketing for decades and decades and decades, but the marketing we are doing is super successful.

So we really lean into what's successful, how do we get more awareness, how do we create an image for North Dakota.

Our team works beyond tourism, so we do the business-to-business marketing, we do the state branding, we do the town's attraction marketing with our other partners within Commerce and state government.

So we have a big portfolio, but the goal, the ultimate goal, is, we want people to come to North Dakota, visit, stay longer, spend their money, and go back, and talk about how great we are.

- Yeah, so talk more, expand on it.

What is your role as director of North Dakota Tourism and Marketing entail?

And how many staff do you have?

- Yeah, so we have a team about 15.

And as I mentioned, we'd work throughout Commerce beyond just the tourism marketing, but our team really works in a lot of different areas, specifically paid marketing, earned media.

You know, we work really hard to try and get national media coverage, whether that's specific to some industry sectors for economic development, or whether it's, you know, key placements on national publications, or national, you know, broadcast, or you name it.

We do a lot with digital strategies, of course.

Visitor services is an important piece, You know, we're a big state.

People don't know how to get from here to there.

And so we do the travel guide and all of the website and all the social stuff.

We have a great bot, she does a great job helping answer questions.

And then we also do some content creation, of course, social media, you know, all of the digital assets, whether they're photos or videos, we keep track of those.

We've got designers that kind of help us do that.

We also work with agency partners to do that.

And then just a lot of... Since we have so much going on, we have some project managers that really help make sure all those details come together.

- Yeah, can you give us a brief overview of how last year was, and just in comparison, up, down, about the same?

- Yeah.

Absolutely.

I did miss global marketing and group travel.

- So those are two other- - Okay.

- Areas we work in.

And on the global marketing side, you know, last year was pretty good, domestic.

Domestic travel was pretty strong throughout the United States.

Last year, of course, we saw fewer, still global numbers are down.

And then, of course, we consider Canada kind of a domestic market, but they were down significantly last year too, about 25% in border crossings.

So we did have a little bit of a dip in terms of visitation and spending last year.

Visitation was down about 2.6%, but we're still talking over 25 million, 25.6 million visitors, who spent, you know, $4.3 billion in the state, that's over 9 million a day.

So still a really strong, strong year.

And we're seeing strong indications that this year is gonna be even better.

- Is there a notable difference between in-state and out-of-state tourist numbers?

And how do you keep track of these numbers?

- Yeah, there's so many data sources available now.

You think back to the days when you used to have to do conversion studies, and, you know, physically count people, and whatnot.

Now, we use geolocation data.

That's really helpful in helping us determine where people are coming from, you know, how long they're staying, what's a more valuable visitor, and because it'll even measure the spending.

So we do that.

We also do formal research with using all the federal data sources, that's where we come up with the details on the economic impact and, you know, the fact that they spent over 304, or paid over 304 million in state and local taxes.

So we have a number of data sources.

Of course, we use, you know, analytics on all of our media, analytics on all of our, you know, we can geofence different points of interest, we can look at cross-visitation.

I could spend all day looking at the data.

It's really fun and interesting.

- Yeah, well, what makes North Dakota kind of a go-to destination for traveling?

You know, whether it's for the summer or any other time of the year?

- Well, right now, we're kind of positioned perfectly for the trends, 'cause people want to get away.

They want less hustle and bustle, less traffic.

They don't wanna have to wait in line to get into a national park.

Wellness travel is really, really important now, connecting with family.

So our offerings are really well aligned with that.

The fact that we have, you know, more wildlife refuges than any other state and the largest grasslands, and a lot of room to explore.

But that we can also complement with that with the amenities that we have close by in all of our major cities, is really a good value proposition.

Economy is important right now as well.

So we usually fare pretty well when the economy's tight.

- Yeah, well, something exciting happening this year, in fact, we're gonna talk to you about it.

It is the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library grand opening.

For those who don't know, what is the TRPL?

- The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is one of only, it'll be the 14th in the country.

So it isn't a library full of books, where you can go, but you can learn so much.

This facility, I mean, it's over $400 million facility that blends beautifully into the North Dakota Badlands just outside of Medora.

The design is, in itself, is worth a trip, just to go and see the architecture.

It has a living roof, 400 different types of native grasses and forbs have been planted on this living roof.

It connects two buildings.

It was designed by Snohetta, the same architecture firm that designed the 9/11 Memorial in New York and the Oslo Opera House, amongst many others.

But the attraction itself is going to be so immersive and offer so much for whether you have casual interest in Theodore Roosevelt, or if you're a Theodore Roosevelt, you know, a huge Theodore Roosevelt fan, and you wanna learn more.

I just can't say any, I can't get more excited about what an impact this attraction is going to have to really put North Dakota on the map.

It's a once-in-a-generation attraction.

- Yep.

So why North Dakota?

- You know, North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt said, you know, if it wasn't for his time in North Dakota that he would never been president.

And he came here to heal.

He came here after he lost his mother and his wife on the same day, to just kind of live the rugged lifestyle.

North Dakota transformed him from kind of a sickly young man to a strong and a strong leader, who developed his conservation ethics and his leadership ethics here in North Dakota.

And it's just the perfect place to tell that story.

The library, of course, will tell the stories, immersive storytelling in the galleries throughout his life.

So it isn't, obviously, limited to just his time in North Dakota.

It starts with him as a youth in New York, and works all the way through his time in North Dakota and into the presidency, with just some great artifacts and really interesting interactive displays.

So yeah, it's gonna be one of those attractions.

And once the word gets out, and youth are aware of it, their goal is to be a place that the kids drag their parents to.

- Oh, good.

So how does the location of the library complement sort of the other activities and destinations in that area?

- Yeah, so it's actually, if you haven't been to Medora recently, I would encourage everybody to get out there this summer.

This is the summer to go out.

Medora has really been transformed, in that the road that led up to the Burning Hills Amphitheatre, where you enjoy the Pitchfork Fondue and the musical, has been kind of widened a little bit and changed a little bit, because that's the same access point to get up to the Roosevelt Presidential Library.

It's on that same, they'll share a parking lot.

Of course, it'll be expanded a little bit, but it's in that same beautiful bluff area.

You can see the Roosevelt National Park from there, there is a boardwalk, three quarters of a mile boardwalk, that is connected to it, where you're actually out on the Little Missouri National Grasslands.

You can ride horse, you can bike to the Presidential Library, you can drive a car.

They have new shuttles that are available, trolleys, I should say, that will take people there.

So it's just really a really thoughtful location for the library.

And you can almost not see it, 'cause it just blends into that landscape.

- Yeah, so as North Dakota Tourism, are you collaborating with the Presidential Library grand opening for July 4th?

- We're working really closely with the library, and have been, of course, marketing and selling it globally, and to our group travel markets for a number of years.

We're working, we're supporting them, and as well as the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, who's augmenting the grand opening of the library with a number of really great activations and entertainment, and new things that they don't always have going on in Medora.

Not that they don't have enough entertainment going on normally, but they're even adding more with street vendors and all of that.

So we've been working with them, you know.

The JIC has been employed with the governor's, the governor did, employed that.

So as all state agencies are really working to coordinate it, make sure that everything flows really smoothly, working with them on coordinating some media and just logistics.

So yeah, we're working closely with them.

And super excited to have the grand opening happen on our 250th anniversary of America.

- Absolutely.

So can you give us more of what can people expect during that grand opening event?

- Yeah, so July 4th, the grand opening event happens in the morning.

Tickets for the library are sold out for the fourth, but they're available for the fifth.

So I don't, you know, encourage people to, you know, you could stay further out and work your way in to Medora, and take part in, see some of those activities, and then participate in the library tours on the fifth, sixth, seventh, you know, there are tickets available then after the fourth.

You know, there will be, like I said, the downtown streets will be closed.

They're gonna have all sorts of activities to entertain people when they're not up at the library.

There will also be, as I mentioned, shuttle services available to help get people in.

But it's gonna be one of the places to be.

It was, you know, in terms of America, there were only, I think, 10 or 12 places that were listed as kind of these signature events for America's 250th, and this is one of 'em.

- How does North Dakota Tourism anticipate the library's opening to impact visitor numbers?

- You know, this library, I think, will really help put us on the map.

Between that and the fact that people are really curious about North Dakota, 'cause they don't know how a whole lot about it.

We've gotten some great accolades, you know?

Nat Geo listed us as a top 25 location last year, the North Dakota Badlands.

The National Park was on Lonely Planet's top 26 list.

So this is just gonna augment that.

It's gonna give people a reason to go to North Dakota.

I already have probably a half a dozen colleagues who are coming out this summer from around the country, because this is what it, you know, this was the motivating piece that just kind of made them say, "Yep, now's my time to go to North Dakota."

- Yeah, well, other than that right there, but what role, if any ongoing, will North Dakota Tourism have in bringing visitors to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, of course, and the surrounding area, or does the Presidential Library have their own marketing team?

Yeah.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

Yeah, no, great question, they do, they have their own marketing team, strong, you know, big staff.

They have a large staff up there for activating that great space.

So they'll do, you know, they'll do their own marketing, but we also will market it, obviously, as part of the state.

Of course, this year, with the grand opening, we're leaning more into that, but we're also using Theodore Roosevelt and the interest associated with that and this Presidential Library opening, to really weave stories together from across the state.

So we have a really fun video series coming out called "Teddy Tries," where Theodore Roosevelt is doing all sorts of different things across the state.

We have a Teddy Trails location, content on our website, where you can see, you know, he was in Fargo, he was all over the state.

And so we've weaved these stories together.

I mean, we even have, you know, restaurants that are developing foods that he liked.

And so we're really using it as a reason to kind of elevate the awareness of all of North Dakota.

We're also really leaning into the kind of the Roosevelt Triangle, so Mount Rushmore, and of course, Yellowstone, because we do have so many travelers that go to those locations.

And so we're hooking them up to come up with that.

And then we've got all sorts of itineraries and suggestions to keep 'em here longer and get 'em throughout the state.

- So have you estimated what impact the library will contribute to bringing more out-of-state visitors to North Dakota?

- You know, we don't have exact specific numbers on that.

You know, we're looking at projections, and we expect that those numbers are gonna continue to grow.

I think that one of the big things is that this is gonna be a year-on facility.

So as you look at Billings County specifically, they aren't in the top 10 for visitor income, which everyone would expect they'd be one of our top counties.

But because the season has been more limited, they aren't.

And so this year-round, you know, offering is gonna really help grow all of the visitation, not just for the summer month.

So I think that's where you're gonna see the biggest impact.

- Yeah, so have you estimated any rough financial impact it'll have for North Dakota?

- You know, we haven't.

The library has done some of that.

And I know, I'm sure they're augmenting those numbers, and we'll be watching really closely as it hits, but yeah, they haven't.

One of the other things I should lean in on is, this building will be the most sustainable building in the world when it opens.

So the fact that they will prove, once it opens, that the environment is better, because the building was there than it was before, which is almost unbelievable, but that, in itself, will attract visitors as well.

- Yeah, so how will Marketing North Dakota Tourism adapt with the opening of the library?

- Well, we market the whole state.

So we have over 3,100 businesses that depend on tourism for their livelihood.

And we have itinerary suggestions, routes from throughout the state.

So this is just a way for, with the library opening, it's just a way for us to attract more interest with such a stellar attraction.

It'll become part of our overall sales offerings and marketing.

You know, the library and the national park combined, obviously, are gonna be really significant, since the national park is our number one visitor attraction.

- Are there any unique challenges about marketing for you?

- You know, no.

I think the biggest challenge is to just make sure that we're using this as a platform to elevate the state.

So we aren't, you know, we aren't spending our entire budget on the library, and we want our partners from across the state and communities across the state to know that we just need to use this as a way to propel the rest of the state and the rest of the tourism economy.

- Yeah, does North Dakota, you know, Tourism change how it markets the state yearly, or your campaigns?

I know, you've had Josh in the past, now, Tigirlily.

- Yeah, you know, we weave different elements in all the time.

Our branding has consistent, legendary, evolved to be legendary, but right now, we've been doing a Hello campaign.

And our Hello campaign has been extremely successful.

So we are new creative for a new iteration of the Hello campaign.

And again, that's really about, "Hey, you know, hello, it's time for you to visit North Dakota.

And hello, we're so welcoming, people love it when you come here, and people really appreciate the genuine hospitality they get."

- Yeah, well, I have to ask you, what are some of the staples for destinations that people should make, especially if they've never been to North Dakota before, and- - Never been to North Dakota, well, you absolutely have to hit the Badlands in Medora, the North Unit near Watford City in Williston, that area is a must-see.

I would highly encourage visit to New Town.

The MHA Nation has tremendous cultural resources and really great experiences in a beautiful area of Lake Sakakawea.

I would then, you know, in the eastern part of the state, Devils Lake is important.

The Turtle Mountains are really important.

The Pembina Gorge is another area.

There's just so many areas and clusters that I highly encourage.

The Pembina Gorge State Park just opened yesterday, so brand-new state park.

So people should get up there and see that too.

- You know, what's the best part of your job?

- I think the best part of the job is really helping communities and attractions and people who love North Dakota tell their story.

And seeing how people from outside of North Dakota, and even outside of the US, seeing them really immerse themselves and learn, and come away with a really great, relaxed experience, but also having a different perspective of North Dakota.

- So if people are interested in learning more about North Dakota Tourism, where can they go?

- ndtourism.com is your best place.

We have all sorts of great itineraries to make it really easy for you.

You don't need to go out on AI, you can go onto the website, and there's some great options for summer travel.

- It's an exciting summer, Sara.

Best of luck to you.

- Thank you.

- Thanks for joining us today.

Stay tuned for more.

(cheerful music) In Nome, North Dakota, Jed Anderson is keeping the art of knife making alive, turning raw steel into handcrafted blades with skill, patience, and dedication to traditional craftsmanship.

Each knife is carefully shaped, sharpened, and finished by hand.

Watch the process behind these unique blades.

(dramatic music) (hammer thudding) - My name is Jed Anderson, and I'm a full-time bladesmith.

(fire crackling) (dramatic music) (hammer thudding) We are in my shop in Nome, North Dakota, and we're about an hour from Fargo.

When I was 11 years old, I was at a county fair up in Northern Minnesota, and I saw a blacksmith, and I stood there for an hour and a half watching him, just amazed at what he was doing.

And then in 2016, I was on a seasonal layoff, and curiosity, I had nothing else to do, because it was too early in the year to hop on the Harley and go somewhere.

And I built myself a forge.

And then six months later, I made my first knife, and I was on a full-body high afterwards.

I knew then that that's what I wanted to do.

(dog barking) Been in this garage for about a year now.

It is not a lot of fancy stuff.

The forge that I have, I've got $50 into that, made it out of an old oil drum.

My press, I built that up out of an old wood splitter.

The most fancy piece of gear I have are my bell grinders.

Other than that, I don't have anything fancy, 'cause I like to be able to use my hands to make it.

(dramatic music) I've done swords, daggers, filet knives, chef's knives, hunting knives, basically, anything that's sharp and pointy, I can make.

(hammer thudding) What I try and make are pieces that are gonna be used, that are practical.

All right, heat that area one more time.

Still got a little bit of meat in there.

Functional arches, what my stuff has been described as.

The process, it's kind of basic, you know, doing a mono steel blade out of like a leaf spring, or something like that.

(hammer thudding) You heat the steel, you hammer it out, the shape and thickness, and then you take it over to the belt grinder, clean it up, heat treat it, and then do the handle.

With Damascus pattern-welded steel, it's a little bit more involved, a lot more timely, but it's kind of the same process.

Heat the steel, get it to forge well together, and then you just kind of start manipulating the steel to get the certain patterns that you want.

And being able to manipulate the steel to get certain patterns just comes from practice and experience.

All right, it's centered now, we just gotta get it straightened out.

I am self-taught, a lot of trial and error, a lot of good days, lot of bad days.

So when you're going to make something, and it doesn't work out, there's always a way to salvage it.

Even through failure, you can find some form of success.

One of the first proverbs I learned about bladesmithing is that bladesmiths don't make mistakes.

We only make smaller knives.

This is gonna get a little bit more flexible when we move up to the next grit, but it's getting.

(blade clangs) Oh, what happened?

That's perfect.

That is nice and smooth.

Looks like sugar.

That's a good heat treat.

Just, I was flexing it too much, and before it was ready, and it snaps.

And so what I'm gonna do with this, I'm gonna grind down right in this area, and give about two and a half, three inches for a hidden tang.

And then I'm gonna turn this into a nice little pairing knife.

It's not gonna be the filet knife I wanted, but I can at least make something out of this.

When you figure out what that means, it makes the learning a lot easier.

(dramatic music) With every heat, every site, every round of hammering, and all you do, you can see more and more of what it's gonna be.

(hammer thudding) I love a good story.

Making things from older pieces, that knife already has a story behind it.

You know, for custom orders, I've had people send me pieces of material from, you know, their grandfather's farm, a car that they were rebuilding with their father.

And that adds even more to the knife.

Every knife that I make, I want to have a story behind it.

(dramatic music) I was in the Marine Corps from 2004 to 2009, got out as a corporal.

And this year, it was the 250th birthday of the Marine Corps.

And so that's why I made the Marine Corps and steel sword.

And so the blade is 250 layers Damascus.

(dramatic music) My grandfather was a Pacific War Marine.

He was Guadalcanal, Samoan Islands.

He's one of the reasons why I became a Marine.

80 years later, I was in the same division as him.

And so it was something I've been wanting to do for a long time, and figured this was the year to do it.

Most of the responses I've had with my knives are, "Damn, that's sharp."

And that encourages me to keep on doing what I'm doing, because, you know, people seem to like what I do.

(cheerful music) Being able to make a living doing this, I love it.

I love coming out to the shop and being able to create things.

And the fact that people are willing to pay for what I make, (hammer thudding) it makes me feel awesome.

If you do what you love, you never work a day in your life.

It's cliche, but it's true.

You know, doing this, it's, you know, "Okay, what do I wanna make today?"

And even if I'm feeling a little bit sluggish, and not feeling too motivated or creative, there's other things I can come out and do in the shop, keep myself busy until I get that spark.

I love being able to do what I love, and get in, and be able to live off of it.

I'm not gonna get rich doing it, but as long as I can keep the lights on and food in my belly, I'm gonna keep on doing it.

(cheerful music) - Well, that's all we have for "Prairie Pulse" this week.

And as always, thanks for watching.

(cheerful music) - [Announcer] Funded by the North Dakota Council on the Arts and by the members of Prairie Public.

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