For more information contact: Lisa Marshall, 608/267-3773
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TOURISM CONTINUES TO ASSIST ECONOMIC GROWTH
Fiscal year 2004 Joint Effort Marketing Grant awards to generate an estimated $27 million for local economies
MADISON, Wis (August 27, 2004) - Governor Jim Doyle announced
today that the Department of Tourism's Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grant
projects over the past year resulted in an additional $27 million in
traveler spending in local Wisconsin 
communities. The program helps
nonprofit tourism organizations across the state attract visitors through
unique events and promotions.
"The JEM program continues to provide the state with a tremendous return on investment by generating significant tourism spending, creating employment opportunities, and generating tax revenues," Governor Doyle said.
Fifty JEM projects were funded through the grant program during the 2004 fiscal year (July 1, 2003-June 30, 2004). Non-profit organizations received a total of $1.15 million in grants from the Department to promote their special events or destination and marketing campaigns.
The JEM program includes both the Destination Marketing and the Joint Effort Marketing Programs, which covers new, existing, one-time, one-of-a-kind events, and sales promotions. In the 2004 fiscal year, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism received 110 applications for JEM funding.
According to the 2003 Economic Impact of Travelers on Wisconsin study, travel spending in Wisconsin generated 311,117 full-time equivalent jobs and $11.7 billion economic impact for Wisconsin residents.
"We know that this program, and the visitor activity it produces, makes a real difference to the many people who work in Wisconsin's travel and hospitality industry," said Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Jim Holperin.
Appleton's Houdini Days Celebration received almost $30,000 in JEM funding, reported a total economic impact of close to $250,000. The community expects to more than double that number this year to nearly $600,000. "With the financial support of the JEM program, we were able to do so much more with the Houdini Days Celebration. This event has become a household name in the magic community," said Houdini Days representative Jennifer Allyn.
Another huge success is Kenosha's Days of Discovery. Thirty thousand visitors were projected to attend the 2003 event, and the final attendance was actually 60,000. Estimated economic impact for the Days of Discovery is almost $90,000. Website statistics showed visitors from Chicago, Canada, Poland, England, Germany, and Mexico. Four weeks prior to the event, there were over 204,000 visits to the site.
This year, Kenosha Days of Discovery received close to $25,000 for its second annual event. "We attributed much of this success to the JEM grant," said Kenosha Days spokesperson Patricia Lock.
The JEM program granted more than $500,000 to tourism organizations interested in promoting their destination through shoulder season marketing programs involving at least three communities.
"The JEM program is a very competitive one, and interested non profit organizations should allow ample time for the application process," Secretary Holperin said. "Organizations interested in applying for a JEM grant need to show definite economic impact to their community."
The JEM program is available to non-profit organizations for promotion of Wisconsin tourism events and destinations. The state funds up to 75 percent of a project's first year of advertising and marketing costs. The grant also provides support for the second and third year of a new project, but with decreasing amounts of funding each year, so that the project will become self-sustaining. All projects must be consistent with the statewide tourism marketing strategy.
Click here for a map (.pdf format) outlining the 50 JEM projects in FY 2004. For detailed economic impact figures for projects in your area and more information about the JEM Grant program, please contact Lisa Marshall at 608/267-3773 or lmarshall@travelwisconsin.com.
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