Tourism Industry News - Travewisconsin.com

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October 2012

Stephanie Klett
Department Secretary
608.266.2345
sklett@travelwisconsin.com

Arts Board | Council Perspectives | Marketing and Tourism News | Industry Relations | Grant News
Customer Service & Technology | Wisconsin in the News | Travel Green Wisconsin

Secretary Message

Hello Friends,

What a month! First, I have to tell you about the incredible shoot for next year's fall TV spot. It's starring Green Bay Packer Jordy Nelson. Jordy was a terrific sport during the filming. His family also appears in the ad, and they were so great to work with. We couldn't be more thrilled with the results of the shoot. We also got to finally work with Hollywood director Jerry Zucker (David's much younger brother, which he reminded us of often). Totally different styles but both are incredible talents.

Ad Shoot

As Tourism Secretary I'm asked to participate in a wide variety of events, but last week I had the amazing opportunity to be part of the filming of the Travel Channel show "Hotel Impossible." The re-opened Telemark Lodge and Convention Center in Cable will be highlighted in an upcoming episode with host Anthony Melchiorri, who is one of the most sought after hotel "fixers" in the country. Being part of Telemark's "Big Reveal" goes down as a first! The episode airs in January and is a great opportunity for Wisconsin's beautiful Northwoods to receive national exposure on one of the top-rated cable channels!

On a personal note, I was honored to receive two Emmy nominations from the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in the categories of "Outstanding Crafts Achievement for On-Camera Talent – Program Host/Moderator" and "Outstanding Achievement for Magazine Programming – Program/Special Series." Along with the awards recently received in Boston and New York, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism is receiving a lot of national attention. Honors like these bring positive press to tourism in Wisconsin and they are something the entire state can be proud of. It reinforces that our promotional efforts are working.

It goes without saying that we could not have reached this level of success without the partnership of our tourism industry. So here's to all of you and the work you do each and every day!

Like what you see in this month's Travel Wisconsin News? Share it on Facebook and Twitter.

Lola Roeh
Chair
Governor's Council on Tourism

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Council Perspectives

Dear Tourism Partners,

Everything I've heard from the front lines of the tourism industry points to a fantastic fall, following a fantastic summer! We had great fall colors this year and good response to the Department's "Have You Seen" fall campaign. The staff at the Department also reports that the TravelWisconsin.com Fall Color Report has had record visits further supporting the anecdotal reports from the field–it's good news all around!

Earlier this month, the Marketing Committee met with a team from Laughlin-Constable and the Department for a strategic planning meeting and to further refine our brand strategy around fun. It was a very productive session and will help us make sure that the statewide marketing efforts are on brand. The Marketing Committee reconvenes this week to review the Department's winter concepts. Then later this month, I will join Stephanie and Dave for an editorial board meeting to provide the industry perspective on tourism in Wisconsin and recap the success of summer 2012.

Next month, I'll report on this week's Council Meeting in Eagle River. We are anxious to hear Council Committee reports and to receive an update on all the exciting work of the Department over the past few months. The next Council Meeting will be in Madison on January 13, 2013.

I'd like to close by inviting you to call on your Council Members at any time with your thoughts or comments. Your feedback and insights are invaluable and appreciated.

Wishing you all a great fall season,

Lola

NEXT COUNCIL MEETING
Friday, January 13
10:00-2:00 PM
Department of Tourism Offices
Madison



	Dave Fantle Deputy Secretary 608.266.8773 dfantle@travelwisconsin.com	Top of the page Marketing Update The "Other" Zucker Brother Directs Green Bay Packer Jordy Nelson Without disclosing too many details, next fall's ad will parody a classic Hollywood film and show that "there's no place like Wisconsin" when it comes to enjoying the spectacular color palate of fall. As the old saying goes "a photo is worth a thousand words," so here are a few pictures from the filming on location in Green Bay. Enjoy! Culinary Spot Filmed This Month Wisconsin is known for its cuisine from fine dining to food-on-a-stick and everything in between. That's why the Department is developing the first-ever culinary TV spot to air next year. The shoot took place this week in locations around the state and featured a variety of culinary and restaurant experiences. Look for the spot to debut at the Tourism Conference this March. Walk with Walker in Stevens Point The Green Circle Trail and Stevens Point Sculpture Park are the destinations for the next "Walk With Walker" on November 20. This will be Mrs. Walker's 17th walk to showcase the state's treasured hiking trails and walking paths and to promote healthy lifestyles. This past week, walkers were treated to some brilliant fall color at the UW Arboretum in Madison. Interested in hosting a walk in your community? Drop Dawn an email or give her a call. Productive Meeting for International Committee Following the first meeting of the International Committee, work groups were formed to help research and develop the Department's strategy to market travel internationally. The five groups are Partnerships, Education & Development, Emerging Markets, Receptive & Tour Operators, and Marketing. On a national level, Brand USA reports that the countries bringing the most travel dollars to the U.S. are Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, China and Germany. The Brand USA research also shows that Brazilians now spend more per capita than any other visitors to the U.S.



	Dawn Zanoni Special Events and Markets Manager 608.266.3978 dzanoni@travelwisconsin.com	Top of the page Conference & Education Breakfast with David Zucker and Stephanie? Shirley, you're kidding! Sign-up to attend WIGCOT and you will be entered to win a breakfast with David and Stephanie at the conference. The drawing takes place Sunday night at the opening reception and the breakfast is Monday morning at a location to be announced. Online registration for the March 17-19 conference in Madison will open in early December. In other conference news, we are also pleased to welcome MillerCoors as a sponsor at the bronze level. They join KwikTrip and Culver's as new sponsors to our annual event. We appreciate their support! Governor's Small Business Summit, Nov 8 in La Crosse Governor Walker welcomes job creators and partners in economic development at the Governor's Small Business Summit at the La Crosse Center on November 8th. The summit continues the success of last year's inaugural event by bringing together small businesses and state government to further job growth in the Coulee region. Register online by October 25, 2012. The cost is only $50. Wisconsin Fall Tourism Convention, Nov 8-9 in Sheboygan The Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus annual Fall Tourism Convention is just a few weeks away. This year's event is November 8-9 at the Blue Harbor Resort. Enjoy top-notch educational sessions beginning Thursday with our "Creating Customer Loyalty: It Starts With You" keynote presentation by Wisconsin's own John McHugh of Kwik Trip. Breakout sessions include topics on marketing research, social media, sports marketing, online sales and more.



	Lisa Marshall Communications Director 608.267.3773 lmarshall@travelwisconsin.com	Top of the page Wisconsin in the News Fall Publicity Topped $15 million The PR team had a busy fall promoting all the fun things to do in the state. Media interest in fall travel and the Fall Color Report was very high, generating $7.6 million in earned media and 137 clips. The Jerry-Jordy shoot received coverage from the Green Bay media, "Inside the Huddle" and the Milwaukee Business-Journal while a release promoting Peter Greenberg's "Hidden Gems: Native Wisconsin" was picked up nationally. Other publicity included TV interviews in a number of different markets and full-color features on Frog Bay Tribal National Park in the Chicago Tribune and the Journal-Sentinel. To date the Department's earned media coverage is over $52 million. See some of our recent coverage in the Media Room. Register to be a Mitten Collection Point Statewide promotional plans and new creative to support this year's mitten collection are in the works. In the meantime, we would like to register all of the visitor centers, welcome centers, chambers of commerce and businesses that would like to participate in this year's charity drive. Participating organizations can donate mittens (all warm items are welcome!) to the local charity of their choosing. We need you only to provide us with a final tally at the end of the drive. The campaign will be supported with media and social outreach. If you would like to participate, please drop Danielle an email so we can get you on the list. .



	Sarah Klavas Industry Relations & Services Director 608.266.3750 sklavas@travelwisconsin.com	Top of the page Industry Services Industry Accolades Madison – Best City for Men; America's Best College Football town; 10 great places to blaze a (bike) trail of good food Madison has been the subject of a number of recent accolades. It was ranked #2 in Men's Health list of best cities for men. USA Today readers voted Madison as America's best college football town, raving about the delicious food, family feel of the city and traditions like "Jump Around" and UW-Madison's famous 5th quarter. In addition, USA Today talked with David Howard, executive editor of Bicycling magazine, who shared his favorite areas to bike and eat including Madison. Milwaukee – 10 Best Beer Cities in the World USA Today listed Milwaukee as one of the 10 best beer cities in the world. Once home to the "Big Four:" Pabst, Schlitz, Miller and Blatz, Milwaukee now offers a sophisticated craft-beer scene that builds on its rich brewing heritage. Cheers! Leinenkugel Brewing Company – Trip Advisor Top 10 American Brewery Tour Trip Advisor named the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company one of the top 10 American brewery tours. Visitors experience the five generations of the Leinenkugel family history while they're guided through a tour of the bottling factory. Sundara – SpaFinder.com's 30 Hot Spa's in North America Sundara Inn & Spa was named one of "30 Hot Spas in North America" in a SpaFinder.com editorial series titled "Around the World in 80 Spas." The organic-style architecture, connection with the region's natural beauty, and new Tranquility Garden were among the features that won over editors.



	Joellyn Merz Technology & Customer Service Director 608.261.8214 jmerz@travelwisconsin.com	Top of the page Customer Service & Technology Hot Off the Press: Wisconsin Activity Guide With a circulation of 75,000, the refreshed Wisconsin Activity Guide has made its way to all of our standard fulfillment channels. The piece has a fresh creative vision with new icons, photography and typestyle. Introductions for each section have been written from the voice of the visitor as they contemplate Wisconsin, giving the entire guide a new feel. TravelWisconsin.com Breaks Single Day Record of Visits On September 27, just as fall colors were peaking around the state, TravelWisconsin.com set a record for daily visits. Exactly 19,156 visited the website (does not include mobile visits) breaking the previous record of 18,505 visits on Oct 6, 2011. Overall, September visits are up nearly 22% compared to last year. In addition, 3rd Quarter analytics show traffic continues to trend upwards.

Shelly Allness
Program Manger & Liaision
608.261.8767
mallness@travelwisconsin.com

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Travel Green Wisconsin

NEW! Revised TGW Application Includes Online Submission
Travel Green Wisconsin continues to make improvements to the program, with the newest being a revised and updated application. It's faster, flows more smoothly, and is available to complete online, keeping with the program's mission to reduce waste and meet membership requests. In addition, you're now able to get more from innovation points and supporting other programs with similar interests, such as UW's Green Masters program and the DNR's Endangered Resources program.

The new application is posted online now! And don't forget, application renewals for existing members are now available online as well through our industry site.

In an effort to spread the good word on the many improvements to Travel Green Wisconsin, Shelly is hitting the road in an effort to recruit new members. If you are interested in a free presentation feel free to contact her directly at mallness@travelwisconsin.com or 608-261-8767.

Travel Green Wisconsin Featured in Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine
Hot off the newsstand, TGW was highlighted in the October edition of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine with a feature about the program and its inclusiveness, the innovation of certified green businesses and the 'Triple Bottom Line' philosophy of looking at the financial, social and environmental consequences of not taking sustainable steps.

WELCOME NEW TRAVEL GREEN WISCONSIN CERTIFIED BUSINESSES

Milwaukee Brewers Miller Park
The Madison Concourse Hotel & Governor's Club
Bayfield Dock & Marina

Abbie Hill
Grant Coordinator
608.261.6272
ahill@travelwisconsin.com

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Grant News

This month, we would like to highlight a few terrific JEM grant-funded events happening around the state in the coming weeks. See a recap of all of the grants awarded in fiscal 2012 here.

Flyway Film Festival in Pepin, Oct 18-21
Driftless Film Festival in Mineral Point, Nov 1-4
Holiday Light Show at Rotary Gardens in Janesville, Dec 13-30
Hayward Holiday Lights, Nov 16-Jan 1
Milwaukee's Winterfest at the Frontier Airlines Center, Dec 26-31

GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINES
Joint Effort Marketing– November 1
Meetings Mean Business – December 1
Tourism Information Center – January 1
Ready, Set, Go! – January 1
Destination Marketing – April 1



	George Tzougros Executive Director 608.266.0190 artsboard@wisconsin.gov	Top of the page Arts Board Art and Craft Fairs Directory Deadline – Oct. 26 Be included in the 2013 Art and Craft Fairs directory by applying here. The directory serves to share the fantastic art and craft events around the state and a great way to gain additional exposure for your event. Wisconsin Folks: Masters of Tradition We're excited to share a new exhibit at the Dane County Airport entitled Wisconsin Folks: Masters of Tradition featuring the treasured stories, talents and cultural heritages of artists in the Wisconsin Arts Board's Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program. The exhibit runs now until March 31, 2013 at the Dane County Regional Airport's Art Court and showcases the artworks of 26 nationally recognized master artists from Wisconsin, representing a dozen different ethnicities.

Harnessing the power of tourism to build a better Wisconsin. See how on: http://industry.travelwisconsin.com.
	Wisconsin Department of Tourism 201 W Washington Ave Madison, WI 53703 1-608-266-7621	If you would like to unsubscribe from our mailings or sign-up to receive the Travel Wisconsin News, please use this link or visit http://industry.travelwisconsin.com.