Now You Know - January 20, 2004

In this Issue:

- Two Border Travel Centers Slated to Close

- Printing Quotes Lowest Ever

- Have You Heard?

- Hasta La Vista, "Stay"

- Trade Show Time for Us, Too

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Two Border Travel Centers Slated To Close

Citing budget reductions, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) announced informally last week that highway rest areas at Genoa City and Hudson would be closed this year. The two facilities are among 32 rest areas maintained by the DOT and are the only two identified for closure in 2004. However, the Department also intends to close 50 (out of 100 total) seasonal waysides during the year.

Of course, the rest areas at Genoa City and Hudson also serve as Department of Tourism Travel Information Centers, welcoming thousands of visitors to the state each year and directing them to lodging, dining, attractions, events and other tourism destinations in those areas of the state.

Naturally, therefore, the Department of Tourism strongly opposes shuttering these two sites.

In a January 14 meeting, Tourism and Transportation officials met with several legislators to discuss the proposed shut downs. The DOT agreed to delay closing the two sites until at least May 1 while tourism industry representatives study the entire Travel Information Center (WTIC) system in order to develop recommendations regarding future operations and funding.

The Department of Tourism currently operates 10 border Travel Centers. 8 of these are located in DOT rest area buildings. Since the DOT owns the land and buildings…and pays 80% of maintenance costs on average…they have direct control over the fate of the operations.

The entire WTIC system has not received thorough study anytime recently and so these threatened closings provide an ideal opportunity for that. The threat is real, however, so those who want all 10 Travel Centers to remain open (the one in your area may be next!) should contact your legislators, DOT and the Governor.

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Printing Quotes Lowest Ever

As Internet use continues to grow, things have gotten tougher for those in the printing biz. The Department recently opened bids for printing our 2004-'05 Travel Guide and discovered offers to do the work for 7% less than in 2003…the lowest quote ever.

If you've been taking your printing work to the same firm year after year because they're local, you've developed a relationship and they do good work…that's cool. But be aware that bidding your print work this time around could result in some significant savings.

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Have You Heard?

Bob Boelter, founding partner of Boelter & Lincoln, is retiring on February 1 after nearly forty years in the marketing and public relations profession…Allison Klein has been hired as Public Relations Manager at Wisconsin State Fair Park. Klein comes to WSFP from the Milwaukee Brewers…Vanessa Welter has left the Milwaukee CVB for a position as Public Relations Director with the Florida Department of Tourism…Will Christianson has joined the Wisconsin Department of Tourism as Outreach Coordinator. He comes to Tourism from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office…Brad Meier is leaving as Director of the River Falls Chamber of Commerce for a position in Owotanna, Minnesota…Donna Grimstvedt is the new Marketing Coordinator for the Spooner Area Chamber of Commerce.

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Hasta La Vista, "Stay"

For several years the Department has been buying the right to use that golden oldie "Stay" (Just A Little Bit Longer) by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs (14 weeks at #1 back in 1960!) to back up our image advertising campaign.

Recently, a major nationwide hotel chain outbid us by a significant amount (as in several hundred thousand dollars) for the right to use "Stay" after February 1.

Therefore our summer campaign will have to soldier on without the tune. Fortunately, for the long term, the Department planned to drop the "Stay" slogan as a campaign theme by fall anyway.

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Trade Show Time For Us Too

Many of you in the industry are packing up the booths and brochures for this winter's travel trade shows…and so are we. The Department will attend about 18 shows this year including the usual sport, boat and travel shows this month in Rockford and Chicago, IL and Rochester, MN.

Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee and others follow through February and March.

We're thinking about ramping up our participation in sport and travel shows later this year and next, but that will depend in part on whether we can find a few industry partners who might be willing to participate with us. If you'd consider sending representatives of your area for a couple of days for a major sports show, let us know; this could be a great way for you to be represented at high-return consumer shows without the high cost of attending for the duration of entire shows. Naturally, you'd be welcome to distribute your materials at the booth on the days you participate, and all booth fees would be paid!

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Wisconsin Department of Tourism PO Box 8690 Madison, WI 53708-8690 http://agency.travelwisconsin.com