Building Access Appalachia
Sometimes the best ideas come from living them.
After more than two decades working in tourism and destination development, Symmetry Principal Ben Isenberg has helped communities across the country strengthen their economies through thoughtful destination strategy, branding, and storytelling. But after relocating to West Virginia through the Ascend WV program, he saw an opportunity much closer to home.
By immersing himself in the state’s outdoor community through organizations like the Hellbenders NICA youth mountain bike team and the Greenbrier Valley Off-Road Bicycling Association, one thing became clear: Appalachia has incredible outdoor assets, passionate entrepreneurs, and thriving local organizations. What it lacked was a single platform to connect those stories, businesses, and communities.
That realization spanked the creation of Access Appalachia.
Designed as a digital media and marketplace platform, Access Appalachia connects storytellers, outfitters, nonprofits, destinations, businesses, and travelers in one ecosystem, helping strengthen Appalachia’s outdoor economy while making it easier to discover everything the region has to offer.
For Symmetry, this wasn’t simply another website launch. It was an opportunity to put our own expertise to work. From brand development and messaging to website design and development, we built Access Appalachia from the ground up. Our team also developed the content strategy, podcast concept and production, launch campaign, creative assets, editorial calendar, social media framework, and ongoing storytelling strategy that will continue to grow the platform well beyond launch day.
Access Appalachia represents everything we believe effective destination marketing should be. Great storytelling. Strong strategy. Authentic community voices. And digital experiences that create real economic opportunity.
It’s also proof of what happens when branding, web development, content creation, podcasting, creative services, and strategic marketing are built together instead of in silos.
We’re proud to have launched Access Appalachia and even more excited to keep building it alongside the people, businesses, and communities shaping the future of outdoor recreation across the region.
