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Promote Yourself at the State Fair 

Here's your chance to get in front of thousands of visitors and potential Wisconsin travelers. The Department is setting up shop at the Wisconsin Products Pavilion, Aug 3-13, and industry partners interested in staffing the Tourism booth can also promote their attraction, event or destination.

The booth is located in a high traffic area with great exposure. The hours are 9 am to 10 pm. As with our other trade shows, the Department pays all space fees and booth expenses, you will be responsible only for your admission ticket, parking, meals and any other personal expenses you might incur while at the fair. In exchange, you display and distribute your materials while you staff the booth.

If you are interested, contact David Spiegelberg, Consumer Show Coordinator, at 262-279-6856. Call soon because openings fill up quickly. 

Crisis Communications: A Plan for the Travel Industry 

From terrorist attacks to avian flu, water contamination to a deadly tornado, things can happen that could have a direct, and perhaps devastating, impact on the tourism industry. The Governor's Council on Tourism has been discussing how to best prepare Wisconsin's travel industry for such events and a crisis communication plan is one of the tools needed.

The first step in developing such a plan is to perform a vulnerability study in order to determine what "could" go wrong and what scenarios are likely to happen. A plan will be developed, followed by training sessions for industry partners.

For the vulnerability study phase, the Department is looking for a dozen volunteers to participate in interviews or a round table discussion to research your concerns and what likely events the tourism industry in your area should be prepared for.

Also, we are interested in your feedback on the need for crisis communication training, once a plan is developed. Would you attend? Would you pay to attend? Do you think such sessions might be helpful, or do you have other sources of crisis management training?

If you would like to participate in the study or want to provide your thoughts on training, contact Jerry Huffman at 608-261-8195. 

Coming Soon Near You: Attraction Highway Signs 

Governor Doyle recently signed legislation authorizing blue highway signs for tourism attractions and now the Department of Transportation is drafting administrative rules to govern the program.

Applications for signs will not be accepted until the rules are finalized, and the rules are expected to be similar to those governing signs for gas, food and lodging. Yet, there will likely be some rule language that applies only to attractions. Businesses hoping to get a sign or be added to an existing sign should watch the rule-making process closely.

A public hearing on the proposed rules will likely be held sometime this summer. Contact Kim Chase at 608-261-8764, if you'd like to be notified in advance of the hearing date. 

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