Convent & Visitors April - JulyDUBUQUE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU
MEMO
To:
Terry Duggan, Mayor
Mike Van Milligen, City Manager
Jan Hess, Administrative Assistant
Dubuque County SupervisOrs
City Council Members
Er.'
Greg Maim, Chair
Sue Czeshinski, Director
Re: Quarterly Report--April through July, 2001
Date: July 20, 2001
The Dubuque Convention & Visitors Bureau has been busy during the second
auarter working on promotional activities to increase business during the summer
and fall months of 2001. Tourism.got offto a slow start due to the economy, rainy
weather, and high gas prices.
The Convention & Visitors Bureau launched a special campaign in cooperation
with the Galena Convention & Visitors Bureau to increase travelers in the
Chicago area to take advantage of shorter trips to Dubuque and Galena areas.
The "Great Gas Giveaway" promotion was a way to attract these visitors. Over
50,000 direct mail pieces were sent to NorthWestern Chicago suburban homes.
This direct mail was supported by an advertising campaign on radio, television,
and newspapers in the Northwest suburbs and the Chicago area. The Bureau
had a budget of $30,000 for the campaign. The campaign will run through August
31,2001.
The Independent Traveler Marketing Committee is reviewing past show
schedules and advertising placements to make a recommendation to the
committee for the new fiscal year. Ad placements ran in Midwest Living, AAA
Home and Away, and the Daily Herald newspapers ~n the Chicago suburbs this
past Spring to promote travel and tourism.
The Convention Marketing Department attended the Affordable Meetings Trade
Show in Chicago during April pEomoting Dubuque as a travel destination. The
America's River project was highlighted at the showcase as well as the Field of
Dreams. A ghost player was in the booth to greet meeting attendees and to have
their picture taken with the ghost player. Over 175 meeting planners visited the
Dubuque booth.
Group Tour Marketing Committee has been working with the Convention
Marketing Committee on a Familiarization Tour. Travel show leads have been
compiled and invitations have been sent to over 750 meeting planners and tour
operators for the FAM Tour in August 2001 and April 2002. The Group Marketing
Department continues to promote America's River to tour operators and bank
planners. Dubuque was featured on the cover with a large article in Banking &
Travel Magaz/ne which is a group tour magazine distributed to over 10,000 bank
club planners nation wide. See attached.
The Travel Wdters Committee continues to work on updating the database and
sending information to travel writers. The Convention & Visitors Bureau had
excellent media coverage this Spring in the Daily Herald newspapers, the
Chicago Tribune, area media covering the "Great Gas Giveaway", and the
"Tourist In Your Own Town" promotion. Sue Czeshinski attended the Travel
Media Showcase in Atlantic City in June. The Showcase generated interest from
national newspapers and magazines for the Dubuque area.
Hospitality Committee was busy this Spdng developing and implementing plans
to promote Dubuque as a travel destination to our own residents. The "Be A
Tourist In Your Own Town" campaign was launched the first week of May with
radio, television, and newspapers spots highlighting the importance of knowing
what's in our own community and taking advantage of the many attractions that
we have here in Dubuque. The campaign was very successful and peaked
peoples interest traveling around our own community. The CVB will upgrade this
program and develop it further dudng 2001/2002 in preparation for America's
R/ver. Customer service training plans are underway to develop a more
comprehensive customer service training for front line and management staff at
area attractions, hotels, restaurants, and services positions.
The CVB staff continues to participate heavily in the America's River project
campaign. Fund raising efforts are continuing and development of a marketing
plan to attract visitors upon the projects completion are underway.