2008 Annual Report

‘08 Annual Report
ission Statement
To lead the effort to market Milwaukee as a premier destination for
conventions, trade shows, and leisure travel through the development of
internal organizational excellence and external strategic partners, thereby
creating positive economic impact, and to help each Milwaukee guest
experience our brand promise.
Vision Statement
VISIT Milwaukee leads the community to create a brand culture that locals
embrace and customers experience. VISIT Milwaukee is the best Destination
Marketing Organization in the industry and will be recognized as a major
contributor to the economic success of this region.
VISIT Milwaukee Brand Promise
‘08 Annual Report
2
Entertainment, celebration and fun are the essence of Milwaukee’s rich cultural
experience. This jewel of the Great Lakes is a joy to discover, an easy city with a
warm brand of hospitality that will surprise and delight.
A Year of Growth and Development
2008 has been an exciting year for Milwaukee. We’ve welcomed many additions to our tourism product, held our own in a
competitive economy and formed innovative alliances to better position Milwaukee in key target markets.
New Tourism Product
The long-awaited Harley-Davidson Museum opened to worldwide fanfare in time to welcome attendees for the 105th
Anniversary Celebration. Potawatomi Bingo Casino unveiled its $240 million expansion, adding an additional 500,000 square
feet of entertainment space. The Iron Horse Hotel brought Milwaukee the industry’s first luxury boutique hotel geared toward
both the business traveler and the motorcycle enthusiast.
A spectacular new lighting display revamped the Mitchell Park Domes. Our Lake Michigan location, one of our greatest assets,
took center stage with the restoration and beautification of Bradford Beach. The renovation of the former Amtrak Station
into the Milwaukee Intermodal Station provides a much improved gateway to travelers entering Milwaukee via train or bus.
Travelers flying into Milwaukee will have even more options in the year ahead. In addition to the outstanding level of quality
offered by Midwest Airlines, the expansion of AirTran Airways routes and the addition of Southwest Airlines to General
Mitchell International Airport will improve our accessibility and provide added value.
Meeting the Challenges, Holding our Own
More good news is that tourism spending in the Greater Milwaukee area in 2008 remained strong and surpassed 2007 results
despite the late year onset of the recession. Traveler expenditures came to an estimated $2.7 billion for the year. The industry
supported more than 66,000 full-time equivalent jobs and contributed $426 million in local and state taxes.
VISIT Milwaukee continued to have a significant economic impact on our local tourism industry. Our organization had its
second best year ever, generating operating revenues into the Midwest Airlines Center at an impressive $5.3 million. Although
the county occupancy dipped slightly by 1.2 percent, we outperformed the U.S. occupancy, which declined by 4.2 percent.
And downtown hotel occupancy actually rose by 1.2 percent.
VISIT Milwaukee’s sales team worked diligently to book many significant national conventions for the future, 20 of which will
fill enough rooms to help create a sell-out situation for downtown hotels.
Innovative Partnerships
As we look toward future growth in our local industry, we believe it’s vital to form innovating partnerships to help us reach
important niche markets. As a member of the Milwaukee 7 Water Council, we’re at the forefront of making the Milwaukee
Region a world hub for freshwater research, economic development and education, and in turn attracting water-related
conventions.
Last year VISIT Milwaukee, along with three-city alliance partners, Pittsburgh and Portland, became a contributing sponsor of
the Convene Green Alliance. This organization is a grass roots industry initiative spearheaded by several high-profile associations
that seek to effect positive environmental practices through national, regional and local outreach and education.
Locally we’re involved in the Metro Milwaukee Green Commitment, a five-step process designed to get public and private
employers moving together down the road to sustainability. Both these efforts will help in attracting the growing number of
conventions looking to go “green.”
VISIT Milwaukee is also working to set Milwaukee apart by collaborating with ASQ and UWM to brand ourselves as a
community that has come together to embrace Social Responsibility and share best practices. We partnered with the Cultural
Alliance of Greater Milwaukee to develop marketing programs aimed at drawing visitors interested in arts and culture from
northern Illinois. And for the second year in a row, we assisted in bringing the Fresh Coast Basketball Classic and the historically
black college experience to Milwaukee.
The Year Ahead
As we head into 2009, there are certainly more challenges before us. But we can turn these challenges into opportunities to be
more creative, innovative and resourceful in bringing visitors to our city.
Nobody in our competitive set offers the entertainment, celebration, fun and value of Milwaukee. We have been, we are and we
always will be a value, and that includes our world class attractions, outstanding lakefront location and easy accessibility. Going
forward we will build on that by finding new ways to leverage the many assets that make us one of the best places in the Midwest
in which to live, work, play and visit.
Sincerely,
Doug Neilson and
VISIT Milwaukee President & CEO
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Lynda Kohler
VISIT Milwaukee
Board Chair
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2008 Funding & Expenses
PRIVATE FUNDING:
$1,671,754
PBC: $324,000
PUBLIC FUNDING:
$5,309,239
Membership:
$429,702
Co-op Advertising &
Promotion: $575,158
Other:
$259,562
Spirit of Milwaukee:
$83,332
Glendale:
$337,779
Wauwatosa:
$260,144
State of Wisconsin: $40,525
Wisconsin Center
District: $4,645,791
Milwaukee County:
$25,000
Membership: 10%
Services: 9%
Administration: 8%
Public
Relations: 7%
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Convention sales
& marketing: 66%
TOTAL expenses:
$6,678,851
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Sales
2008 Highlights
In 2008, Milwaukee hosted 169 conventions. These conventions brought
more then 300,000 attendees to the city resulting in more than $120,882,742
in estimated economic impact.
176 conventions equaling 154,465 room nights were booked into 2008 and
beyond. Despite difficult economic conditions, the sales team has set a goal to
deliver 183,000 definite convention room nights for 2009 and beyond.
“TEAM Milwaukee” participated in 15 industry trades shows and conventions, and dozens of sales missions and events producing 460 leads and
614,886 tentative room nights for future years.
As 2008 progressed, the marketplace became increasingly competitive. More
cities created opportunities funds and utilized additional creative strategies
to do whatever it takes to close the business. We began to spread the “value”
message to planners throughout the country as it became clear planners were
looking for alternative cities that could offer first class attractions and amenities without the price tags.
We continue the “Milwaukee value proposition” message into 2009 highlighting the fact that the Greater Milwaukee area has been a value and will continue to be a value into the future.
Significant (minimum
2500 total room nights)
National Conventions
Booked in 2008
lia sophia Annual Conference
June 2011 and 2012
Church of the Living God C.W.F.F.
Annual Assembly September 2013
National Association of College
& University Food Services July
National Guard Association of the United States
NGAUS General Conference August 2011
2009’s Largest (2,500+ room
nights) Conventions
Northwestern Mutual Financial
Network July
Association for Computing Machinery
Emergency Services Midwest Conference &
Exposition March 2010
International Downtown Association
Annual Conference 2009
American Chamber of Commerce Executives
Annual Convention August 2010
Society for Maintenance
& Reliability Professionals
Annual Conference October 2010
Music Teachers National Association
National Conference March 2011
Land Trust Alliance National Land
Conservation Conference October 2011
Bible Study fellowship Central Region
Retreat March 2012
Evangelical Theological Society
Annual Convention November 2011
Wisconsin Association of School Boards
January
Wisconsin Emergency Medical Services
Association January
Metavante Technologies, Inc May
Kalmbach Publishing Company June
lia sophia June
American Agricultural Economics
Association July
Association of Avian Veterinarians
August
Society of Plastics Engineers September
National Indian Education Association
October
Call To Action November
American Orff-Schulwerk Association
November
American Needlepoint Guild, Inc
August/September
International Downtown Association
September
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Convention Services
2008 Highlights
Harley-Davidson’s 105th Anniversary Celebration gave Convention
Services staff and volunteers an outstanding opportunity to shine.
Dozens of volunteers and staff served at seven locations throughout the
metro area, donating more than 500 hours of their time to welcome
riders to Milwaukee!
In total, VISIT Milwaukee volunteers donated 3995 hours to
conventions, travelers, and other work in 2008 for a value of more than
$77,950. The VISIT Milwaukee Volunteer Program celebrated its 10 year
anniversary in 2008 by honoring the 52 volunteers that have been with us
from the start.
Convention Services worked closely with meeting planners in
charge of annual events returning to Milwaukee to ensure continued
satisfaction at these important conventions. Returning events included
Wisconsin Association of School Boards, WEMSA, Wisconsin State
Reading Association, Metavante, Wisconsin Restaurant Association, lia
sophia, and, of course, Northwestern Mutual’s Annual Meeting of the
Association of Network Representatives.
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We also helped welcome large national conventions into Milwaukee including AGBELL,
FBI, Ecological Society of America, American Zoo and Aquarium Association and Tree Care
Industry Association.
Convention Services provided 291 hours of dine-around service to 15 events, giving more
than 1,400 member restaurant referrals and more than 950 member attraction referrals.
We sent out 22 convention alerts to our members to keep local businesses involved in and
knowledgeable about incoming conventions. Our post event survey to meeting planners had
a record high return rate while maintaining better than 4.0 out of 5.0 rating for every VISIT
Milwaukee department.
arketing
2008 Highlights
More than 1.3 million impressions reached key meeting planners and
convention influencers in trade publication advertising and direct mail pieces
promoting Milwaukee as a meeting destination.
More than 2,000,000,000 impressions in advertising, direct mail and
special promotions reached the group and individual leisure markets.
VISIT Milwaukee exceeded 1.5 million in visitor inquiries and its e-mail
database increased by over 3,000, to 36,000 individuals.
The Marketing department created an Official Bikers’ Guide to promote
Milwaukee and the region for the 105th Harley-Davidson Anniversary
Celebration, meeting goal for advertising sales.
Two SHOP Milwaukee Guides were produced in 2008 to promote the
distinctive shopping found in Milwaukee’s unique neighborhoods.
Sponsorship and planning continued in 2008 for the prestigious African
American Travel Conference in 2009 and Bank Travel in 2010.
Marketing representatives served on the local organizing committee for the
Harley-Davidson 105th Anniversary Celebration. The department developed
a comprehensive strategic plan and timeline to promote the opening of the
Museum and 105th Anniversary Celebration.
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The Experience Card, a sleek “credit card” format, continues to be in line
with industry trends and provides a convenient way for convention and leisure
travelers to take advantage of discounts at participating area attractions.
The Marketing department was awarded a Joint Effort Marketing Grant from
the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to market the second year of the Fresh
Coast Basketball Classic.
VISIT Milwaukee’s Web site was completely redesigned in 2008 with new
navigation and features added to enhance the experience of visitors to the site.
More than $27,000 in Enhanced Web Listing revenue was generated,
exceeding the 2008 goal.
Visitmilwaukee.org received more than 1.4 million unique visitor sessions.
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2008 Highlights
Member hotels and resorts reported more than 28,000 group tour room nights, representing more than
$7.9 million in economic impact to the Greater Milwaukee area.
Group tour aggressively pursued the market through attendance at several major industry-related
conferences and events, including the American Bus Association, National Tour Association, Bank Travel,
African American Travel Conference, Travel Alliance Partners and International Motorcoach Group.
Milwaukee was a first-time host of the Heartland Travel Showcase, a signature group tour industry
event. More than 120 tour operators and more than 300 tour suppliers attended.
VISIT Milwaukee hosted the closing luncheon of the African American Travel Conference in
Cleveland in preparation for the 2009 AATC conference in Milwaukee.
Group Tour attended conferences to attract the international FIT and group traveler including ITB in
Germany, Ontario Motorcoach Association in Toronto and the International POW WOW in Las Vegas.
Group Tour hosted several individual and two group familiarization tours. Eight tour operators/
group tour leaders visited in August in conjunction with the Fonz dedication and seven visited in
December during Milwaukee’s Holiday Lights celebration.
Explore Milwaukee’s Best (EMB) meetings continued as a valuable tool for members interested in
learning more about the group tour market. Attendance continues to grow and meetings provide invaluable
networking and cross-promotional opportunities.
VISIT Milwaukee and Group Tour Magazine offered a co-op program resulting in nearly four pages
of advertising for the Greater Milwaukee area. As part of our commitment to AATC, advertising was
placed in the TravelBound publication. We also appeared on the glamer.com and aatconline.com “Travel
Marts,” and included our four-day itinerary “Entertainment, Celebration and Fun” in Leisure Group Travel’s
annual guide. The last six months of 2008 tracked more than 3,500 viewings of the listing and itineraries.
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Public Relations
PR joined tourism professionals from Minnesota and Michigan at the Great Lakes of North America booth
at the ITB - the world’s largest tourism trade show - in Berlin, Germany. Resulting articles brought in $1.9
million in PR ad value.
During National Tourism Week in May, PR partnered with WOKY radio’s “Good Day Milwaukee” show in
on-air segments featuring Usinger’s Sausage, Summerfest, Wisconsin State Fair and the Milwaukee Brewers.
2008 Highlights
PR worked closely with Harley-Davidson to leverage opportunities for media coverage during the July
2008 opening of the Harley-Davidson Museum and the September 105th Anniversary Celebration.
PR brought Milwaukee’s story to regional, national and international markets, earning more than $21
million in public relations ad value, exceeding the goal of $11 million by 95 percent.
“Happy Days” returned to Milwaukee with the unveiling of the Bronze Fonz statue. The day-long
celebration included appearances by the show’s stars, Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, Tom Bosley, Erin Moran,
Don Most and Anson Williams. Stars of the “Happy Days” spin-off, “LaVerne and Shirley,” Penny Marshall
and Cindy Williams, also attended, as did the show’s creator, director/producer Garry Marshall. The event
received significant national coverage of more than $8 million in PR ad value.
PR hosted 43 journalists visiting Milwaukee on assignment.
We assisted on 91 leisure travel stories appearing in a variety of media outlets, including The Los
Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, Midwest Living, The Philadelphia Enquirer, AAA Living, MSNBC.
com, CBS Morning Show, Chicago Sun-Times, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
PR placed 17 articles in publications targeting convention and meeting planners, including Meetings
MidAmerica, USAE, Hispanic Enterprise, Meeting Professional, Meeting News and Midwest Meetings. The
department also hosted a trade familiarization tour resulting in two stories in PCMA Convene.
We attended media marketplaces at the Society of American Travel Writers, Midwest Travel Writers
Association, Travel Industry of America’s Pow Wow, and Public Relations Society of America Travel and
Tourism. Results included a 30-page Milwaukee feature in United Airlines Hemispheres magazine,
equaling more than $2 million in PR ad value.
February 20
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Film Wisconsin tax incentives brought eight feature films, 16 TV shows, three national commercials, two new
Wisconsin-produced video games, new film training programs at five colleges and universities and millions of
dollars of new private investment in film and television production-related infrastructure throughout
the state.
Six membership mixers provided opportunities for nearly 300 members to network with other members and VISIT
Milwaukee staff.
2008 Highlights
In 2008 VISIT Milwaukee membership grew to 627, bringing in $430,852 in dues revenue. Membership
satisfaction showed in rating of 82 percent, an increase of 18 percent from 2007.
Over 80 exhibitors and 500 qualified meeting and event planners attended the Spring Showcase at the Midwest
Airlines Center in March. This networking event featured an annual chef ’s competition, as well as two “mini”
educational sessions for attendees.
“Nobody Does It Better” was the theme at VISIT
Milwaukee’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon at the
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in May. Four
hundred members attended the event. The Milwaukee
County Parks System and Bartolotta Restaurant Group
were both honored with a Lamplighter Award for their
outstanding contribution to the tourism industry.
Standing Ovation Awards went to each corporate
member in recognition of their support of VISIT
Milwaukee.
The VISIT Milwaukee Open in September brought
120 members and guests together at Brown Deer Park
Golf Course, raising more than $7,000 for Destination
Milwaukee, VISIT Milwaukee’s non-profit subsidiary.
Three member orientations were attended by over 50
members.
“Visit Milwaukee has been an indispensable
partner, offering valuable information and
insight that allows us to provide a more
memorable experience for our guests. Their
efforts in marketing the area have enhanced
Milwaukee’s presence on the national stage,
making us a viable and attractive option for
organizations searching for a venue.”
Paul Hawkins, Managing Partner
Capital Grille Milwaukee
Three educational seminars throughout the year attracted nearly 150 members. Working with Travel Writers
provided insights on how best to promote your business to this influential group. Both Marketing to the Group Tour
Planner and Marketing to the Meeting Planner were led by industry experts and influential leaders in each of these
key markets.
VISIT Milwaukee’s CTA program continued to grow by leaps and bounds! This nationwide certification program
serves to increase tourism by educating and inspiring frontline hospitality employees to turn every visitor encounter
into a positive experience.
In 2008, VISIT Milwaukee trained 501 CTAs for a year-end total of 611. Three
mixers throughout the year attracted more than 350 CTAs to celebrate their
achievements and network with other CTAs. Hundreds of CTAs took advantage
of dozens of member offers throughout the year to increase their knowledge of
the area.
VISIT Milwaukee’s monthly newsletter was re-vamped to include a new format
and timely, relevant articles from VISIT Milwaukee staff. Readership has
increased and readers are forwarding this publication to other staff members
within their organization.
DESTINATION MARKETING ACCREDITATION
VISIT Milwaukee achieved its third year of accreditation through the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program,
sponsored by Destination Marketing Association International.
Meetings & Conventions M & C GOLD SERVICE AWARD
This award recognized consistent excellence in serving the meeting industry. Recipients are selected by corporate and
association meeting planners.
Corporate & Incentive Travel – AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Recipients are judged on outstanding service; superior accommodations and meeting facilities; trouble-free functions;
smooth set-ups and arrangements for social functions.
Successful Meetings – PINNACLE AWARD
Winners deliver unparalleled superiority in their levels of service and the quality of their facilities. Innovation, customer
collaboration and top-notch amenities are the hallmarks of those who consistently exceed both meeting planners’ and
attendees’ expectations.
BEST OF WISCONSIN MEETINGS
Wisconsin Meetings and the Nei-Turner Media Group presented this honor at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The
award recognizes overall efforts in destination marketing.
WISCONSIN TRAILBLAZER AWARD
The Wisconsin Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus recognized the Bronze the Fonz public relations campaign
at the Wisconsin Fall Tourism Convention. Trailblazer Awards increase the visibility of Wisconsin’s tourism industry and
destination marketing organizations.
AARON D. CUSHMAN/SATW TRAVEL PUBLIC RELATIONS AWARDS
We received a Gold Award for Best Publicity Campaign by a CVB, “From Worst to First – Bringing Johnny Depp to
Milwaukee”. The award goes to those who have implemented public relations programs and campaigns that have stimulated
tourism, educated consumers and supported the community.
PRSA SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN CHAPTER PARAGON AWARD OF MERIT
Our Brand Champion Video was recognized at the annual Paragon Awards presentation. The Annual Meeting video used
humor to showcase the importance of our Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) Program.
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Jane Anderson
Milwaukee Irish Fest
Michael T. Jones *
MillerCoors
John Archibald
Hilton Milwaukee City Center
Dan Keegan
Milwaukee Art Museum
Tyler Barnes
Milwaukee Brewers
Lynda Kohler *
Ronald McDonald House
Joe Bartolotta
Bartolotta Restaurant Group
Alderman James Krol
City of Wauwatosa
Sue Black *
Milwaukee County Parks System
Gilbert Llanas
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
Alderman
James A. Bohl, Jr.
City of Milwaukee
Aldo Madrigrano
W.O.W. Distributing Co., Inc.
Mayor Jill Didier *
City of Wauwatosa
Demetrios
Dimitropoulos
Mary Dowell *
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Cecilia Gilbert
City of Milwaukee DPW
Christine Harris *
Cultural Alliance
Nancy Hernandez
ABRAZO, Multicultural
Marketing & Communication
Alderman
Willie L. Hines, Jr. *
City of Milwaukee
Dianne Markut
Potawatomi Bingo Casino
Michelle Mason
American Society for Quality
Paul Mathews *
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
Maria Monreal-Cameron
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of WI
Jacque Moore Bowles
Creative Marketing Resources
Rose Murack
Radisson Hotel Milwaukee-West
William Otto *
Marcus Hotels & Resorts
Dr. Joan Prince *
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Pepi Randolph
Potawatomi Business
Development Corporation
Gerald Rappaport *
Hyatt Regency Milwaukee
Stacey Schiesl
Harley-Davidson Museum
Omar Shaikh
Carnevor, Charro, Umami Moto
restaurants
Tim Sheehy
MMAC
Don Smiley
Milwaukee World Festivals, Inc.
Richard Snow
Past President
Karen Spahn
Milwaukee Public Museum
John Steinmiller *
Milwaukee Bucks
Julia Taylor
Greater Milwaukee Committee
Supervisor Peggy West
Milwaukee County
Rick Wiegand
Ambassador Hotel
Chuck Wikenhauser
Milwaukee County Zoo
* denotes Executive Committee
Board of Directors
‘09 Calendar of Events
January
Circle Wisconsin Mid-Winter Get Together, Sheboygan
New Member Orientation
Wisconsin Association of School Boards
Wisconsin Emergency Medical Services Association
February
Bank Travel, Little Rock
Heartland Travel Showcase, Pittsburgh
Membership/CTA Mixer
March
Spring Showcase
Membership Educational Seminar
Midwest Travel Writers Spring Conference, Macon
April
*African American Travel Conference, Milwaukee
Membership/CTA Mixer
New Member Orientation
Splash Bash, New York City
May
International Pow Wow, Miami
Metavante Technologies, Inc.
Public Relations Society of America Travel & Tourism, Kansas City
Spring CTA Familiarization Tour
VISIT Milwaukee Annual Meeting
Volunteer Appreciation Event
August
American Needlepoint Guild, Inc.
Association of Avian Veterinarians
International Motorcoach Group/Strategic Alliance Meeting, Branson
September
American Needlepoint Guild, Inc.
International Downtown Association
*Midwest Travel Writers Association Fall Conference, Milwaukee
Society of Plastics Engineers
VISIT Milwaukee Outing, Brown Deer Park Golf Course
October
Circle Wisconsin Sales Blitz, Ohio
Fall CTA Familiarization Tour
National Indian Education Association
Society of American Travel Writers, Guadalajara
New Member Orientation
Ontario Motorcoach Association Annual Convention, London, Ontario
November
American Orff-Schulwerk Association
Call to Action
Marketing to the Meeting Planner Session
National Tour Association, Reno
December
Membership/CTA Holiday Mixer
June
Circle Wisconsin Familiarization Tour
Kalmbach Publishing Company
lia sophia
Summerfest Press Trip
Travel Alliance Partners, Rapid City
July
American Agricultural Economics Association
National Association of College & University Food Services
New Member Orientation
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
visitmilwaukee.org/members//annualreport08
VISIT Milwaukee markets Greater Milwaukee to tourists, convention and meeting
planners nationally and internationally and is dedicated to ensuring our guests are
warmly welcomed and enjoy an enriching experience in this jewel of the Great
Lakes. VISIT Milwaukee has more than 650 members, including hotels/motels,
restaurants, attractions, services and area businesses.
Tourism generated $2.7 billion in spending in Greater Milwaukee in 2008 and
supported about 66,000 local jobs. Potawatomi Bingo Casino is a strategic partner
with VISIT Milwaukee, providing funding support for conventions and tourism
programs.
648 N. Plankinton Avenue, Ste. 425 /Milwaukee, WI 53203
800-231-0903 / visitmilwaukee.org