Convention & Visitors ReportTo: Jeanne Schneider
Fr: Sue Czeshinski
Re: Scheduling date for CVB report at City Council
Dt: October 8, 2002
The Convention and Visitors Bureau would like to request placement on the October 21,
2002, City Council Agenda to give an oral report of Bureau activities during the first
quarter of the fiscal year. The contract for Purchase of Services that the Dubuque Area
Chamber of Commerce has with the City states that we are required to give this report
following the and of each quarter.
If this date does not work, please contact me at 557-9200. I will be sending the Council
members a written report as well.
Thank you for your assistance.
Mayor Terry Duggan
City Council Members
City Manager, Mike Van Milligen
Dubuque County Supervisors
Administrative Assistant, Jan Hess
John Tallent, Chair
Sue Czesbin~ki, Director
Re: Quarterly Report Suly-October 2002
Dt: October 11, 2002
Group Sales/Convention Marketing
Full page four color advertising has been placed in Association Trade Publications: Midwest
Meetings, Association News and Iowa Society of Association Executives Directory. (see attached
copies)
Telemarketing Blitzes are being planned targeting midwest meeting planners that hold meetings
between 500-1,000 delegates, using qual/fied lists from the International Association of Convention
and Visitors Bureaus.
A show schedule is being finalized and will include: Affordable Meetings trade show in Chicago,
Iowa Society of Association Executives show in Des Moines, National Tour Association show in Los
Angeles, and the National Bank Travel show.
The CVB and Platinum Hospitality have been investigating the possibility of using an independent
meeting planner from, David Greene and Associates from Ch/cago to further develop regional
association leads and corporate meeting leads within a 200 mile radius. We hosted the company last
Wednesday for a tour of Dubuque and will receive a proposal this week.
Anne Joy has joined the CVB staff. Anne has moved from Chicago, where she worked in sales and
marketing, to Dubuque and will be the regional sales manager for the CVB.
Over 600 new CVB meeting facility guides featuring America's River have been distributed to
meeting planners from sales calls made by the CVB and Platinum Hospitality as Platinum doesn't
have any materials printed for the hotel and conference center yet.
The new CVB CD-Roms are very popular with meeting planners. They are also being distributed to
meeting planners during sales calls.
A CVB staff person along with the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium will be
attending the National Tour Association convention in Los Angeles in November. They will meet
with over 70 tour operators.
300 MAIN STEEET SUITE 200 P.O. Box 705 DUBUQUE, IA 52004-0705 (563)557-9200 (563)557-x59I
E-MAIL: 1NI:O~TRAVELDUBuQUE.COM WEB SITE: XT~xxrW. TRAVELDUBUQUE.COM
Public Relations
National Public Radio will send reporter, Geri Repass, to Dubuque on Thursday, October 10 to see
the America's River project and take a city tour. She will be arriving on the Delta Queen.
The CVB hosted freelance writer Patricia Bates for a site tour of the America's River project. She is
writing stories for Disney's Family Fun magazine and Successful Meetings magazine. She is a
contact that the CVB staff made at the National Travel Media Showcase last year in Atlantic City,
NJ.
Marketing
The CVB has signed the contract with Sprenger McCullough and Co. as the marketing and
communications agency that will represent the America's River project. They have joined the
Chamber and partnered with local member Get Smart to represent the project. They specialize in
tourism marketing and cooperative programming. They have represented projects such as: the
Truman Presidential Library and Museum and the Liberty Memorial, Kansas City Convention &
Visitors Bureau, and Attraction Association.
The new 2003 Visitors Guide featuring America's River will be firfished Oct 31. The CVB
contracted with the Telegraph Herald to create the new guide. The TH received all the revenue from
increased ad sales for the guide and will provide the guide at no charge to the CVB. The America's
River partners will put a 4-color insert in the guide and print 50,000 extras for fulfillment and
marketing in the Chicago area.
Grand Excursion
The first meeting of the Grand Excursion planning committee was held in September after staff
returned from the regional planning meeting in La Crosse, WI. Committees have been formed and
include: Celebrate Committee, Commemorate Committee, Educate Committee, Fundraising
Committee and Marketing/Public Relations Committee. Those in attendance signed up for the
different committees and they will begin meeting in the next several weeks. The Dubuque
committees will also be working with the Galena planning committee to coordinate efforts so that
there is no duplication of effort during the event.
Directional Signage
Progress is being made on the Directional Signage project. RFP's were sent to local designers to
create a consistent look for all the district and city signs. Committee members will review proposals
and make a recommendation to City Council for selection. The IDOT has contacted the City to
inform the committee that additional color wilt be allowed on the highway signs due to new
regulations that will go into effect in the next fiscal year. This will allow the designs for the highway
signs to be more attractive.