More E-Stuff

The Department is currently exploring a few new online marketing initiatives, some of which are aimed at using the popularity of travelwisconsin.com to provide cost-effective advertising opportunities for Wisconsin travel and hospitality businesses large and small.

To help us determine potential interest in these programs, we’re asking you to take 5 – 10 minutes of your time to complete a brief online survey. Your responses are essential to our planning efforts, and will shape our policies as we move forward, so please click here: Survey

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Just Make ‘Em An Offer They Can’t Refuse

A couple of months back we wrote about possibly modifying the sales promotion category of our Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grant program.

Following lots of sensible advice, the re-tooling has been accomplished so that lodging properties may not have to discount rooms by 25% or 35% just so their communities can qualify for a sales promotion JEM grant.

The prevailing theory had been that the one best way a community could draw out-of-towners into their area for a successful sales promotion is for hotels and motels to offer significant discounts on room rates. New thinking on the topic, however, has persuaded the Department to consider that other kinds of incentives might be equally effective in attracting travelers.

Lodging properties and price discounts will still be a part of the mix, but from now on deep room rate discounts won’t necessarily be required and communities are encouraged to think about motivating potential visitors with things like multi-property packages that make travel easier, or pre-planned itineraries that take care of details, or creative “one of a kind” deals that are imaginative and unique.

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Wisconsin Welcome On The Road

The Wisconsin Welcome program’s Linda Wilke will be out and about the state over the next couple of months training trainers so that we have a full complement of individuals statewide ready to offer the “Welcome” program to front line tourism workers starting in mid-March.

We’ve still got openings for most classes, so call 608-266-2345 today to sign up. The course only takes a half day and the cost is only $50…so please consider this important professional development opportunity now!

Workshops will be held in:

*Green Bay, Monday, January 24, Tundra Lodge Resort and Waterpark.
*Tomah, Monday, January 31, Cranberry Country Lodge.
*Rhinelander, Tuesday, February 1, Location To Be Determined.
*Madison, Sunday, March 6, Monona Terrace Convention Center (in conjunction with the WI Governor’s Conference on Tourism).

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Free Laptop! Loose Weight Super Fast! Stop Smoking By Noon!

Hey, we don’t need to get your attention with those obviously exaggerated come-ons. We’ve got a better deal. Save $30 now by signing up early for the 2005 Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

The Conference is set for Sunday through Tuesday, March 6 – 8 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison. You’ve got to register by January 28 though, to save the 30 bucks. After that the rate goes from an unbelievably low $165 to an outright bargain at $195. Register online at wigcot.org.

p.s. We still have a few Conference sponsorship and advertising opportunities available. If you or a business in your community might be interested in reaching nearly 1,000 of Wisconsin’s tourism movers and shakers, call Dawn at 608-266-3978.

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January…We’ll Start the Year Out Fine

Hey, have you seen our multi-cultural calendar? What a terrific promotional item for Wisconsin’s places and attractions. Unfortunately, we had only 15,000 printed and now they’re gone. We’re thinking of printing more, but won’t unless there’s a demand for it.

Could you take a moment to look at the calendar and consider whether you could use a few hundred (or, whatever) for distribution to your own list of multi-cultural contacts?

Also on the multi-cultural front, our communications bureau has started to work with a Latino public relations firm and would like to know if your organization offers any multi-lingual services. Do you print any of your publications or news releases in Spanish? Are any parts of your website multi-lingual? Do you offer any other traveler services (fulfillment, weather reports, directions, general information, etc.) in other languages? If so, we’d like to know that so we’re dealing from a full deck. Thanks!

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Free Money

Here’s notice of the annual distribution of arts grants from the National Endowment For the Arts, Grants and Partnerships. These grants can range from $5,000 to $150,000 and are available to local units of government, school districts, special districts, nonprofits, tribes and other similar entities. Grant deadlines for 2005 are March 15 and August 15.

We’re sure there’s lots of competition for these awards but, hey, if you’ve got a creative and worthy project this might be your year. Click here for the full application.

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Paul Merline is leaving the Wisconsin Restaurant Association for a position with the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans. Barb Brower, formerly General Manager of the Arrowhead Best Western in Black River Falls is the new Director of the Chamber of Commerce in that community. Former BRF Chamber Director Carol Williamson is pursuing a new career in education in the Hayward area.

Glenn Brill, formerly Director of the Fond du Lac Area CVB, is now Executive Director of the new Anderson County CVB in northwestern South Carolina. Lonnie Selje has left her position at the Wisconsin Rapids Area CVB. Michelle Hoch has left her post as Marketing Director at the La Crosse CVB to be the Office Manager for Shared Health Services in that community.

Two new tourism babies. Kim Chase, our Budget and Policy Analyst, has given birth to daughter Emma who joins brother Owen at home. Lisa Marshall in our Communications and Public Relations shop has given birth to daughter Natalie who joins sister Madeline in the Marshall home.

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