THE MARKETOUR

A MARKETING GUIDE FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

June/July 1999

CAPTURING THE MEETING AND CONVENTION MARKET
With meetings and conventions accounting for millions of dollars in spending in Wisconsin, the Department of Tourism has expanded its efforts to reach this key market. Here's a summary of initiatives taken over the past year:

* The Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus developed the Think Wisconsin guide, providing an overview of destinations, facilities and activities statewide. A corresponding Web site (thinkwisconsin.com) also contains this information, making it easily accessible to planners who prefer the convenience of the Web. Organizers can also call a new toll-free number, 1-877-MEET-WIS, for a copy of the guide and more information.

* To corral the support of top businesses statewide, the Department sent a letter from Gov. Tommy G. Thompson to 130 companies, asking lead executives to encourage their staff to hold meetings and conventions in Wisconsin.

* To publicize the new guide, toll-free number and Web site, we sent a news release and an updated meetings and conventions media kit to meeting planner publications nationwide.

* A reception was held last summer for corporate executives and meeting planners in conjunction with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Since Wisconsin was a featured state at the 1998 festival, the event offered a perfect opportunity to network with the many meeting and convention contacts in the D.C. area. Department staff and other industry representatives were there to talk up Wisconsin as a meeting destination.

In executing the publicity tactics, we kept in mind trends in the meetings and conventions market. For example, we know that about 60 percent of meeting planners have access to the Web, according to a Meetings & Conventions magazine report, so we were sure to include Web site addresses in all materials.

Reports by the Travel Industry Association of America indicate that the number of business travelers bringing their children along has increased 230 percent in just 10 years, to 24.4 million, so we created a family attractions piece for the media kit.

In future months, we'll continue our efforts to reach meeting planners. Through the efforts of the WACVB and the Meetings and Conventions Subcommittee of the Governor's Council on Tourism, the Think Wisconsin Web site will become an even better resource, with virtual tours of meeting facilities, a searchable database of information, and the ability for meeting planners to submit requests for proposals online. On the site, tourism industry representatives statewide will have the chance to purchase advertising, links to their businesses' Web sites and space for online brochures.

What can you do on the home front to make your business more appealing to meeting planners? Here are a few tips:

* Understand the challenges facing meeting planners. They are trying to reach an audience that has too little time and too many choices. Do everything you can to help planners overcome obstacles. Make them feel that choosing your business has brought them a high return on their investment.

* Join the local chapters of meeting and convention planning organizations, such as the Wisconsin chapter of Meeting Planners International. Be an active member of the group - network with meeting planners and find out what business they may be able to bring to your area. Gather input on why they work with particular vendors and how you can meet their needs. Gaining the confidence of meeting planners is key to getting their business.

* Make access to information about your business as convenient as possible. Provide comprehensive information about your facility or service online. Also ensure that phone and e-mail inquiries from meeting planners are handled promptly, providing as much detail as possible.

* Build profiles of your customers. Create a mechanism for customers to tell you how often they visit, when, why, where they're based, what business they can bring to your area and how they found you. Getting to know your customers is essential to providing the resources that they need.

* Continually seek evaluations from your customers and make adjustments based on their feedback. A key source of meetings and conventions customers is through referrals from other meeting planners, so make sure that you do as much as possible to meet - even exceed - the expectations of those who work with you.

Working together as an industry, we can attract more of the meetings and conventions market to our state. If you have any questions about the Department's efforts, call Dawn Aspenson at 608/266-3978.

RESEARCH
Special Events Lure Winter Travelers: In the most recent series of interviews conducted with vacationers while they were traveling, we learned that the winter season offers opportunities to attract a variety of visitors.

In the winter of 1998, we talked to northern resort visitors. This February, we went to areas where special events were taking place. Also in February, the Milwaukee CVB conducted similar interviews in the city.

Winter trips were more goal-oriented than in other seasons, one or two days long, spontaneous and activity or event focused. Many travelers were frequent Wisconsin vacationers, yet some were infrequent visitors who take two or fewer trips per year. So marketing special events with a broad appeal can bring tourists to any size community during winter. While it continues to be important to invite regular visitors to come again, even infrequent or new visitors may take a winter vacation in Wisconsin if given a compelling invitation.

For more information or a copy of the Winter 1999 In-Market Study, please call David Scheler at 608/261-8187.

Helpful Resources: The Department has many resources on hand to help you plan your marketing strategies. Here's an update:

* The results of winter, spring and summer surveys conducted in our travel information centers are available.

* The new 1998 Davidson-Peterson Economic Impact annual state and county-by-county reports are complete.

You can receive copies by contacting David Scheler at 608/261-8187. E-mail requests should note the type of word processing software you use to receive compatible copies. Remember to check the industry Web site ( www.travelwisconsin.com ).

July TV Is Bonus for Tourism Industry: There was once a time when most people planned their vacation months in advance. And it was easy to reach those people by running TV commercials in March and April. In the past five years, consumers' planning habits have changed dramatically. So, when is it that consumers plan their vacations? The answer is, all the time.

This year, the TV schedule includes a March through May campaign to reach early planners, as well as those who don't start thinking about a vacation until the mercury hits 65 degrees. New this year is another two-week flight beginning July 5. Free bonus spots were negotiated, valued at $300,000, allowing the Department to test consumer response in the heart of the summer tourism season.

The TV spots will be running in Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee. While some consumers will call the 1-800-432-TRIP number or log on to the state's Web site, it's likely that many will call the industry directly or simply come. This could also be an opportunity to boost mid-week travel, filling rooms and attractions all summer long.

Great Fall Co-op Opportunities: Wisconsin had a wonderful fall season last year. Between the months of September and November, consumer spending was up a whopping 16.8 percent, the largest percentage increase for a season during 1998. Let's keep this tremendous growth going by working together this fall.

Many of you participated in last year's Wisconsin Fall Travel Guide that ran in the Journal & Topics Newspapers, a group of 15 newspapers serving Northwestern Illinois communities. We're happy to announce that the Journal & Topics Newspapers will be doing this section again in August. The Department will run a full-page four-color ad on the back of this guide. With one combined rate, your ad can reach more than 250,000 potential travelers. You also have an opportunity to receive free editorial space and a listing on their Web site.

New this year is the special Wisconsin Destination pullout piece that will run inside the Chicago Tribune's fall travel section on Aug. 29. In addition to the co-op banner, the Department will be running a full-page four-color ad on the back of this section.

Other newspapers have planned to do special fall travel sections. Wisconsin co-op banners will be available in these sections on the following dates:

Rockford Register Star Sunday Travel - Aug. 19
Wisconsin State Journal Sunday Travel - Aug. 29
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sunday Travel - Sept. 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Wednesday Cue - Sept. 15
St. Paul Pioneer Press Sunday Travel - Sept. 12

For more information about these and other co-op advertising opportunities, call Diane Liebe at Laughlin/Constable, 414/270-7109.

Spring Promotion Reels in Customer Information: This spring, the Department launched an online promotion - a scavenger hunt for information about golf and fishing. Contest entrants answered questions about these sports right on Tourism's Web site. Entrants were also asked to provide information about themselves, including their name, address and past vacation experiences in Wisconsin. This was the first time the Department has used its site to gather customer profiles for future marketing initiatives.

One-to-One Marketing: Those contest participants who answered the questions correctly were part of a drawing for either a fishing or golf getaway. While only two winners were chosen, the Department followed up with other entrants by sending a letter thanking them for participating, along with a publication, based on the interests they indicated when entering. Stay tuned: The Department has a full range of plans for further evolving its Web site and expanding Internet marketing.

10-SECOND WRITING CLINIC
You can be "convinced that" or "convinced of" something, but you must be "persuaded" to do something.

Correct usage: "We persuaded the traveler to come again often. The traveler was convinced that coming often was a great idea." In other words, someone else can make a case to persuade you, but you must be convinced of the fact on your own.

Largest Outdoor Board Ever: The Department has just purchased a huge outdoor billboard along Interstate 94 in Kenosha. The board stands over 48 feet high and 141 feet wide. Tourism messages will be featured on the board for a full year. First up in May and June is the Great Circus Parade. The ad pairs a colorful photo of a costumed rider atop an elephant with the headline, "Some of the best seats have already been taken." Look for a new tourism message in July.

Media Lead: A new adventure travel magazine launched in April can be added to your media list. National Geographic Adventure is a bimonthly with a target age range of 25 to 49; lead time is four months. Mail your adventure information to Mark Jannot, executive editor, 711 Fifth Ave., 17th Floor, New York, NY 10022. Fax: 212/610-5546.

PR'S GREATEST HITS
Wisconsin's quirky spots scored big with the Associated Press - the state leads off AP's summer travel feature with the Hamburger Hall of Fame in Seymour and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward (with photo). The piece also included a quote from the Department's Moose Speros. AP packages are distributed to 99 percent of all daily newspapers.

Wisconsin is also popular with television programs - a crew from "Trout Unlimited" visited Black Earth Creek in April.