For more information contact:  

Valeria Davis, Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism, 608/266-2147 

Bill Neider, St. Germain Chamber of Commerce, 715-477-2205

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ST. GERMAIN RIB FEST AWARDED $22,350 TOURISM MARKETING GRANT

Joint Effort Marketing program funds to help promote 'Pig in the Pines' barbecue cook-off

ST. GERMAIN, Wis. (July 11, 2007) -- Wisconsin Tourism Secretary Kelli A. Trumble today announced a $22,300 tourism marketing grant to the St. Germain Chamber of Commerce to help promote the third year of the Pig in the Pines Rib Fest August 2-4.

This is the second year St. Germain's event has earned a Department of Tourism's Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grant to help promote an existing event designed to draw more travelers to the region as summer tourism traffic begins to decline. Organizers predict this third year of the Pig in the Pines barbecue cook-off will bring more than $300,000 in traveler spending to the St. Germain region.

The Pig in the Pines Rib Fest is a three-day festival of great music and incredible food fueled by a grilling competition that draws master grill chefs from across the Midwest. Last year, JEM grant funding helped to boost paid attendance to 10,000 participants and drew more than $270,000 to the region. This year, organizers hope to increase participation another 10 percent as well as establish St. Germain's Rib Fest as a Northwoods tradition.

"There is tremendous potential in culinary tourism, and this event is proof positive of that," said state Tourism Secretary Kelli A. Trumble. "Much of our fall marketing will celebrate special culinary finds across the state, and the Rib Fest will be one we'll be proud to promote."

In addition to the cook-off, this year's Rib Fest will have lumberjack events, more live bands during the day on a larger stage, additional children's activities and food vendors to complement the barbecue vendors. Organizers also increased the number of tents to provide a hedge against bad weather because more than 75 percent of participants come from outside St. Germain

"The success of this event is due to the support of the entire region," said St. Germain Chamber Executive Bill Neider. "We have tremendous support from area businesses and expect to have great community involvement from both businesses and residents. Pig in the Pines Rib Fest has become the perfect place for visitors to savor the final days of summer."

The JEM program assists non-profit tourism organizations by providing funds to help advertise events, sales promotions and destination marketing projects. In fiscal 2007, the program awarded $1.47 million to 59 projects. The state funds up to 75 percent of the project's first year of advertising and marketing costs. Additional support may be available for the second and third years of the project. 

JEM proposals are submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism and are reviewed by the Department staff and a JEM Review Committee. For more information on the JEM program, contact Abbie Hill at 608/261-6272, or visit http://agency.travelwisconsin.com. 

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