WISCONSIN IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Mark DeCarlo, Big Wisconsin Fan 

Mark DeCarlo, host of The Travel Channel's "Taste of America," is a big fan of all things Wisconsin including food and the UW-Badgers hockey team.  DeCarlo and his team were in Wisconsin earlier this year filming a variety of segments to air in January. The January 6th show features chicken booyah and a Door County fish boil. A second show airing on January 16th will highlight morel mushroom hunting for a program that was shot in Green Bay.

"Mark is truly one of the nicest people you'll ever meet," said Communications Director Jerry Huffman. "He enjoys his time in Wisconsin and loves telling stories both about Wisconsin food and the folks in the travel industry."

"Taste of America" airs on The Travel Channel on Tuesday nights at 7:00 and 7:30pm.

Black Holocaust Museum in Black Diaspora Magazine 

A wonderfully poignant feature on the Black Holocaust Museum graced the pages of the December issue of Black Diaspora. Our own Valeria Davis penned the article that came as a result of contacts made by Creative Marketing Resources during last year's New York City media event.

Golf Wisconsin License Plate Makes the News 

WUWM (Milwaukee's NPR affiliate), Manitowoc's Herald Times Reporter, wispolitics.com, The Appleton Post Crescent, The Isthmus and Milwaukee TV stations, WISN and WITI, talked up the latest addition to the roster of specialty license plates that are available to Wisconsin vehicle owners. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds from the sale of the Golf Wisconsin license plate go towards supporting junior golf programs in cooperation with the Wisconsin PGA and the rest will be used by the Department of Tourism to promote the state as a golf destination. If you would like to order your very own Golf Wisconsin license plate, visit the DOT website for more information. 

Deer Widows Gone Wild 

The Department's pitch of spa and shopping girls getaways during deer hunting season received coverage on several Milwaukee morning news programs. Sheree Dallas Branch appeared on WITI-TV, while Boelter+Lincoln's Yanick Dahlhouse interviewed on WISN-TV.

Cheese Bowl I 

Wisconsin's cheese industry received lots of media coverage in recent weeks as the competition between Wisconsin's and California's dairy industry heats up. Articles promoting Wisconsin's quality cheese products appeared in the Associated Press. The Department's Cheese Bowl I concept (currently undergoing planning) also landed on WISC-TV in Madison, WEAU-TV in Eau Claire, Milwaukee's WITI-TV and the Journal Sentinel.

Gem of a JEM 

An article in the New York Times reviewed the Milwaukee Art Museum's Biedermeier exhibit, billed as the first major Biedermeier exhibition in North America and a recipient of a Joint Effort Marketing grant. The Milwaukee Art Museum was mentioned and director David Gordon quoted in a CNN.com article about how globalization and technology are changing the art world. 

Articles from Recent Media Trips 

Golf Punk magazine, a new high profile golf publication, ran a story on Brown Deer and Kohler golf courses in their September issue. The article was a result of a spring media trip coordinated by the Department of Tourism.

A recent media trip for four French journalists netted an article in the fall issue of Geo, a history magazine published in France. The article mentions La Crosse, Prairie du Chien and Trempeleau and details the journey of early French explorers into the once uncharted territory.

Prairie du Chien's quirky "Droppin' of the Carp" event was one of several Wisconsin New Year's Eve events featured in a Shepherd Express article titled, "Where to Pop the Cork." Read it here. 

And the Award Goes to… 

Ruth Goetz, former Tourism Development Specialist, received the 2006 WACVB Trailblazer Award for her role in promoting and advancing Wisconsin's tourism industry. Other recipients receiving awards at the November conference include Bayfield Chamber of Commerce & CVB for the Bayfield Fruit & Flower Orchards Marketing Campaign; Chippewa Valley CVB for Geocaching in the Chippewa Valley Campaign; Fox Cities CVB for the Wisconsin's Shopping Place Branding Campaign; Door County Visitors Bureau for the Explore the Door Video Podcast; and, Wisconsin Harbor Towns Association for Outstanding Partnership Initiative.

Creative Marketing Resources received the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.'s highest award of "National Supplier of the Year" at their conference awards banquet in San Diego this fall. Creative Marketing Resources is the Department's advertising and public relations agency specializing in urban and minority marketing.

Golf Digest named Northern Bay Golf Resort "One of the Best New Courses Nationally" in their January issue. The 18-hole par 72 course was named the fourth best new public course in the nation with green fees over $75.

The Wisconsin Innkeepers Association (WIA) recognized several individuals in the hospitality industry at the Wisconsin Lodging Conference and Trade Show in October. Kirk Drusch, VP and General Manager of the Brookfield Suites Hotel & Convention Center, received the WIA 2006 Innkeeper of the Year Award.

The International Festival & Events Association (IFEA) recently honored the annual Holiday Folk Fair International with two awards in the association's annual awards competition. The event received the Silver Award for Best Educational Program and Bronze Award for Best Children's Programming.

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