Meet Pk Mcpherson | Executive Director of Pikes Peak Region Attractions

We had the good fortune of connecting with Pk Mcpherson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi PK, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Joy. Pikes Peak Region Attractions has been around for over 50 years, relatively unchanged in all that time – until we embraced how much fun we have at work. And we think it shows. Creating content for our social media channels comes through in the post if we think it’s funny and we have a great time making it. We stopped trying to be like other destination marketing organizations and started sharing things we love about a place we love, and our social media caught fire. Sometimes one of us wears a Bigfoot costume, sometimes we mic up saucy toddlers to tell the story, sometimes we don’t say a word and just let the awe of the sun setting behind Pikes Peak or snow falling in Garden of the Gods say all the words we cannot find. At Pikes Peak Region Attractions, there are no bad ideas, and everything is on the table as we work to reinvent travel marketing.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Pikes Peak Region Attractions was started as a collaboration amongst competitors back in the 60s by six local attraction owners. They knew that if they could show how much there is to do in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region, people would be more likely to choose us for their vacations. Today, four of those six are still around, and each is run by a third generation from our founders. We now have 28 attractions in the Pikes Peak Region that covers Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Cañon City, Cascade and Cripple Creek Colorado. We have all of the big, internationally recognized attractions like the Pikes Peak Highway, Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Royal Gorge Bridge and Park – along with a number of amazing smaller attractions like the May Natural History Museum (that has the largest private collection of insects in the world!) and Academy Riding Stables that offers horseback rides through the famous Garden of the Gods. We use the big guys to help bring awareness to the little guys, and everyone grows because of it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start with Breakfast at Adam’s Mountain Cafe for Huevos Rancheros, Orange Almond French Toast, and their cinnamon orange tea. Then hit the Garden of the Gods Trading Post for coffees and a little shopping, followed by a ride through the garden with Academy Riding Stables. We’d grab lunch at Front Range BBQ and then enjoy the shops in Old Colorado City, followed by dinner at Paraviccini’s Italian Restaurant and some live music at Mother Muff’s. The next day we’d hit the Omelette Parlor and then head up to Cripple Creek to enjoy all their museums and a rid on the Cripple Creek Narrow Gauge Train. We’d check out the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine and descend 1,000 feet into the ground, where our great tour guides would show us the history of mining technology. On day 3, we’d grab breakfast burritos at Monica’s as we drive down to Cañon City for river rafting at Echo Canyon River Expeditions, followed by lunch on the patio at 8 Mile Bar and Grill and then an afternoon at Royal Gorge Bridge and Park where we’d join a via Ferratta expedition that took us across the canyon walls. We’d stay the night at Royal Gorge Cabins, enjoying some dark skies before heading back to Colorado Springs the next morning. On day four, we’d head up to the landmark so famous that our entire region is named after it, Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain. I prefer to drive along the highway, stop along the way, and take in some fishing, but my best friend loves trains, so we book a ride on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. After our trip to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak, we’ll stop in Manitou Springs for a Victorian High Tea at Miramont Castle, then go shopping in Manitou Springs and play some skee-ball at the Manitou Penny Arcade. We’ll end the night at Iron Springs Chateau Melodrama where we’ll boo the villains and cheer the heroes and laugh till our sides ache. On day five, we’ll enjoy a cave tour at Cave of the Winds, and then, if we’re both brave enough, we’ll take a ride on the Terror-Dactyl that will drop us into Williams Canyon at 100 miles an hour. This will be followed by a tour through Manitou Cliff Dwellings and lunch in Manitou Springs at the Loop with the world’s largest margaritas. That night, we’ll enjoy dinner and the second oldest Western band at the Flying W Ranch. On day six, we’ll hit all my favorite museums, starting in the past at the Ghost Town Museum, then the May Natural History Museum, Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, and Western Museum of Mining and Industry, then finish at the Space Foundation Discovery Center with dreams of our future. On day seven, we’ll rent bikes through PikeRide and tour the local breweries, starting at the Old Colorado City brewery that also serves breakfast and ending the day with my all-time favorite, Cerberus.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My team! I have a small group of dedicated marketing professionals who have turned our industry on its ear! We started 2023 with 1,200 subscribers on our YouTube Channel. I set a goal for the year of 3,000, which seemed like a healthy stretch at the time. They hit 3,000 in June, so I set it to 6,000. They hit that goal in July. They wanted to set it to 9,000, which was the next obvious goal in the pattern, but I challenged them to shoot for 12,000 and to try to hit it by September 1st. They thought I was nuts. They were uncomfortable with it but agreed to go for it. We had been collaborating with influencers and spent a lot of time looking to see what other people were doing. I told them, “Look, you are making incredible content. Stop looking at what other people are doing and BE the influencer. Be the thought leader and make what you think is good and funny.” On August 11th, they posted a 14-second video that went viral. By September 1st, we had more than 147,000 subscribers and had gotten our first YouTube Play Button. That moment of success changed our lives and how we run our organization. They have leaned in, challenging themselves to make more difficult and creative content. The storylines have gotten more complex, and the joy has increased. Today, we have 6.9M subscribers on YouTube, and our web traffic was up 90% for 2024.

Website: https://pikes-peak.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visitpikespeak/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pkknick/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/visitpikespeak

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@visitpikespeak

Image Credits
Pikes Peak Region Attractions