January 14th, 2010

Door County Visitor Bureau Member Newsletter

Dear Phil,

Happy New Year! Our numbers for 2009 are rolling in and it appears that we will achieve many of the goals set in Fall of 2008. We look forward to inviting those seeking outdoor adventures with snow-related activities as well as reconnecting with one another indoors. The new visitor guide is in and, from preliminary reports, those who have received it are enjoying it.

In December, the DCVB Board of Directors voted to adopt the restructuring plan proposed by the board development committee. The basis of the restructuring follows:

Since the summer of 2009, an area of concentration has been that of Board Development. The recommendations of the Board Development Committee were approved at the December 16, 2009 Board of Directors' meeting. In summary, the approved recommendations are:

• Changes in the Board's structure will take place over time, mostly through attrition.
• The more ideal Board size is 24 members.
• Representatives will be chosen from the following industries: dining, retail, attractions, arts, media, financial, manufacturing, education, economic development, county government, at large and 25% from lodging, also with geographic consideration.
• The Board will meet monthly the Tuesday before the Tourism Zone Commission from 3:30 to 5:30pm.
• There will be three standing committees:

·        Executive: comprised of the officers (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer and immediate Past Chairman) and one at large member; to meet quarterly if necessary in an emergency situation or to convene at Board meetings should a quorum not be present. The Executive Committee conducts the CEO's annual performance review.

·        Finance: comprised of the Treasurer and at least three others; to meet at least 5 times a year to present financial reports and oversee the audit process.

·        Board Development: comprised of the Vice Chairman and two or more board members, the CEO and Director of Administration; to meet monthly to assess board needs, develop a list of board prospects and present the slate. This committee also acts as a personnel committee in the event of internal issues.

We continue to strive for improvement for our members. We can't rest on the laurels of what we have done, but more importantly we need to continue the process of being a strong organization helping build strong member businesses.

Best Regards,

Jack Moneypenny, CEO/President

Door county Visitor Bureau

MARKETING & SALES: Mary Denis, Director of Marketing & Sales
 
Nature of Romance
An invitation to opt-in to an ePostcard regarding the Nature of Romance packages was sent to the DCVB and participating hotel databases.  Those who opt-in will receive communication about the hotel packages that include the special Nature of Romance rate, a meal, an amenity and a $25 Door County Gift Certificate.  You can view these packages at www.DoorCounty.com and click on nature of Romance.
 
Door County Photo Shoot
Our new agency Noise is coordinating a photo shoot this week in Door County.  The images will be used for this year's Nature of Romance ads, Image ads, LGBT ads, group tour ads and next winter's Holidays and Holly Nights ads.  The images portray romance, outdoor fun and the visual arts.
 
Web Stats
Visits to DoorConty.com ended the year of 2009 just slightly higher than 2008 with 2,649,890 million visits.  Unique visits (meaning first time users) were up 7%.
 
Circle Tour Lake Michigan Lighthouse Map
Door County and several of our lodging and attraction members are running a panel ad in the Lake Michigan Lighthouse Map.  This is an extremely popular map promoted through the West Michigan Tourist Association. 

COMMUNICATIONS & PR: Jon Jarosh, Director of Communications & PR

Media
In December, worked with 14 journalists/media outlets to provide images, information and/or support for Door County based articles and stories. Highlights included USA Today, Journal & Topics Newspapers, Post-Tribune newspapers, Midwest Living - Best of the Midwest (2010), Wisconsin Public Radio & Wisconsin Public Television.
 
Travel Journalist Organization Memberships
Membership in two professional travel journalist organizations was attained in the last quarter of 2009, which will provide networking and contact opportunities with professional travel journalists in each organization. After submitting applications to each group, members of the Midwest Travel Writers Association (MTWA) and the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) voted on and approved my membership as a PR professional after their standard comment and approval periods.

ADMINISTRATION: Sally Everhardus, Director of Administration 

Catching Up!
Traditionally a slower month for lobby visits, email requests and phone calls, the Welcome Center staff used their December time to finish organizing their own personal information books (the kind we urge all CTAs to set up for themselves), purge outdated information from the lobby racks and the garage to make way for new materials. The 2010 Official Visitor Guides were first delivered on January 4th - over 3,800 were processed through Sunshine house in the first days after delivery. Guides are being delivered to all in-county distribution venues that are open this time of year. If you have need of a carton of Guides, please call the Welcome Center (743.4456) and ask for Jennifer or email her at jennifer@doorcounty.com.  
 
If you have experienced difficulty getting through via the phone lines, you are not alone. Please be patient! We are in the process of updating the internal data cabling within the building to improve the quality of the phone transmissions and accelerate our electronic downloads and uploads. Our up-to-date equipment outpaces the scramble of routers, switches and wires that seem to go nowhere. You should notice a marked improvement in the coming weeks thanks to Randy Lewen's dogged determination to diagram what's hidden in the walls of the DCVB offices so we can upgrade the infrastructure as necessary.
 
If you wish to sign up for CTA (Certified Tourism Ambassador) classes being offered February through May, go to http://www.ctanetwork.com/schedule/  and click on Door County. Or, you can contact Michelle Bailey at 243.1127 or michelle@doorcounty.com.  Pretty soon, you'll be able to use your credit card to pay online!
 
If you want your business venue or attraction to have higher visibility to CTAs, call Michelle and she can add your venue's freebies and discounts to the site. Ambassadors use these enticements to keep their certifications up to date and to expand their knowledge of Door County. Everyone benefits when Ambassadors are in the know!

December 2009 Statistics

VISITOR GUIDE REQUESTS: 584

WELCOME CENTER CALLS: 299

678 visitors came into the DCVB lobby in December.

We welcomed 44,893 visitors for all of 2009, up 23% from 2008!
 
In December, 13 visitors signed into the lobby's information sheet. The average stay was 3.4 days.

Visitors signed in from WI (6), TX, IL (2), PA, MI, IN, and IA.

MEMBERSHIP: Phil Berndt, Membership Director

Join Us at the Wisconsin Governor's Conference on Tourism (WIGCOT) - March 14 - 16, 2010

The start of another new year - and a new decade - brings a quickened tempo of anticipation for the 2010 Wisconsin Governor's Conference on Tourism. The 2010 conference leads with its theme: Traditions, Trends and Transitions. The future of Wisconsin's tourism industry is all about honoring our past while looking to the future. As we do more with less, we all need to maximize profits while conserving resources, recognize growth opportunities in an otherwise tepid economy, and hold the course on our core values while sailing into the future.  

Learn More About It!   www.WIGCOT.org 
 

It's no coincidence that owners and managers of member businesses who attend this important conference are associated with successful businesses.  If tourism plays an important part in your business, it's your business to attend the annual WIGCOT.  

Register Today and receive an early bird discount! 

December 23rd, 2009

Door County Visitor Bureau Member Newsletter

As we prepare to close another year we look back and reflect on 2009 just a bit. During a very economic turbulent time the County stayed together on a message and mission and from all indications it worked. Looking at tax collections through October comparing communities that were in the zone each year,  we are down 1.3% without October collections being adjusted for late collections. We feel confident that we should end the year flat to last year which is a great feat in these times.

We have strived to make the best decisions possible each and every day to represent you the best way possible. We have always worked on the "we" issues, those being the ones that affect the majority of the membership. We are mindful that a rising tide should indeed raise all boats. I realize that there are some businesses that fared better than others this past year and please know we are doing everything possible to make all segments of our tourism robust.

We had a good first year with the Community Marketing Coordinator linking the office with the communities. We look forward to an even better year next year. At the board of directors meeting in December it was decided to reformat the board based on a recommendation of the board development committee that has been meeting over the last few months. We will transition to a 24 member board with a slightly different make up. We will be cognizant that we need to maintain a minimum of 25% of board being lodging because we are primarily funded through room tax. The board will meet monthly and be the main body that will do the business of the Visitor Bureau. Prior to this, the Executive Committee met monthly reviewed items and brought recommendations to the entire board. During the restructuring over the last two years the executive committee acted as a transition team to make the bureau stronger for you. All of those folks deserve a great standing ovation for their dedication and time. My most sincere thanks to John Lowry and David Eliot for their patience and guidance over the last two years. We believe this new format will create a board that is engaged at all times in all issues and great stewards back to the communities.

My apologies we have not come up with the "coffee with jack" calendar yet, look for that in early 2010.

Susan and I would like to wish each of you a blessed holiday season and thank you for another year of friendship.

Best Regards,

Jack Moneypenny, CEO/President

Door county Visitor Bureau

COMMUNICATIONS & PR: Jon Jarosh, Director of Communications & PR

Media
Thus far in December I've worked with a total of 12 journalists/media outlets to provide images, information and/or support for Door County based articles and stories. For the year, I worked with a total of 230 journalists/media outlets to provide images, information and/or support for Door County based articles and stories.  Some highlights in 2009 included USA Today newspaper, NBC's Today Show, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, AAA Home & Away, AAA Living, Travel + Leisure, the Travel Channel, Midwest Living, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Disney's "Family.com", HGTV, Readers Digest, National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Wisconsin Trails, TV stations Madison, all four Green Bay TV stations, Wisconsin Public Television & Radio, and many, many more.
 
In 2009 I put together 11 individual press trips for travel journalist research visits to the county in addition to welcoming 52 travel journalists on four separate group press tours as part of our media marketing program with Geiger & Associates.  Thank you to all who partnered with us to provide journalists places to stay, things to do and delicious things to eat during our individual and group press trips this year - we couldn't do it without you. We have five group press trips scheduled for 2010 and if you're interested in partnering with us by hosting journalists at your business, please let me know.
 
As a result of our efforts, Door County has received over $2.1 million dollars worth of earned media along with over half a billion (500,000,000+) impressions in 2009.  Needless to say it's been a busy inaugural year for the Communications & PR department!
 
Explore The Door, the video travel show I host/produce for the DCVB, had another successful year. I've produced 21 episodes since the show premiered in late 2006. On-line video views saw an increase again this year and the feedback from the show playing on local access TV continues to be very positive. There are a few changes coming to the show in 2010 so stay tuned!
 
Lastly, as a proud member of the Jacksonport Polar Bear Club I'd be remiss if I didn't invite one and all to join me on Friday January 1st at 12 noon sharp in Jacksonport for our 24th annual plunge into Lake Michigan.  Happy holidays and I hope to see you on the ice!

ADMINISTRATION: Sally Everhardus, Director of Administration 

All of the Welcome Center staff wish you the very happiest of holidays and high hopes for the upcoming New Year!

Visitor Guide Requests

We've scavenged the County for unused 2009 Visitor Guides - we have just a few hundred left for early winter visitors. By December 31, we'll be totally out, leaving room for delivery of the 2010 Guides! Seldom does inventory work so well. Below is the way Visitor Guide requests break out for November. This is the first time that the Western US interest in Door County has been greater than that of our core market segments. 

537 email requests