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Convention and Visitors Bureau Quarterly Report October 2012r z2c� Cr: 'k 44 W 11/44.5 ;;;; 512. jareatz a. �a� CZ' «` _; M Jai_ __ —�- river town reinvented Dubuque Convention & Visitors Bureau Quarterly Report October 15, 201 2 riper town reinvented' Welcome Center & Hospitality VISITOR GUIDE REQUESTS JUNE Top State Requests # °A Iowa 232 26.396 Illinois 158 14.4 °A Wisconsin 111 10.1 °A Minnesota 62 5.796 Missouri 60 5.596 Nebraska 34 3.1°6 Michigan 29 26°6 South Dakota 28 26°6 Kansas 22 2096 Indiana 20 1.896 Requests came in from 38 different states and 1 from Puerto Rico. HOW THEY WERE RECEIVED n Magazine Leads 393 Reunions 159 Online 143 State Coop 126 Phone Calls 37 Eastern Iowa Tourism Association 15 Mail There were a total of 881 Visitor Guide requests in June 2012. 1 Total Mailed Year through June 5,635 Total Distributed Year to Date 64,350 02 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper tozvnl reinvented' Welcome Center & Hospitality VISITOR GUIDE REQUESTS JULY Top State Requests # 46 Iowa 127 20.7°4 Illinois 120 10.996 Wisconsin 99 9.096 Minnesota 52 4.7°,6 Missouri 33 3.096 Requests came in from 38 different states and Canada, Puerto Rico and England. HOW THEY WERE RECEIVED n Magazine Leads Online Phone Calls 342 208 50 Eastern Iowa TourismAssociation 9 Mail There were a total of 615 Visitor Guide requests in July 2012. 1 Total Mailed Year through July 6,250 Total Distributed Year to Date 70,280 03 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT f &112 river town reinvented' Welcome Center & Hospitality VISITOR GUIDE REQUESTS AUG Top State Requests Iowa Illinois Wisconsin Minnesota Missouri Requests came in from 31 different states. HOW THEY WERE RECEIVED 64 22.3% 57 5.246 50 4.646 25 2346 11 1.046 IMIMMMMEItM Magazine Leads Online 133 Phone Calls 38 Eastern Iowa Tou rim Association 3 2 There were a total of 2S0 Visitor Guide requests in August 2012. Total Mailed Year through August 6,530 Total Distributed Year to Date 7g,640 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Welcome Center &: Hospitality VISITOR GUIDE REQUESTS SEPT Top State Requests # 46 Iowa Illinois Wisconsin Minnesota Ohio 33 25.046 35 21.4 °4 25 17.946 11 7.946 6 4.33°,6 Requests came in from 20 different states and Peru and Italy. HOW THEY WERE RECEIVED Magazine Leads Online Phone Calls Eastern Iowa TourismAssociation Mail 20 89 20 5 2 There were a total of 140 Visitor Guide requests in September 2012. Total Mailed Year through September 6,670 Total Distributed Year to Date 85,240 05 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Welcome Center & Hospitality VISITOR GUIDE MAILED COMPARISON Month 2012 2011 2010 A January February March April May June July August Totals 155 214 157 1931 1097 881 615 280 6,530 123 212 298 1832 3697 1245 527 236 8,079 ARAGBRAI came through Du buque this year 115 146 621 2441 2468 1469 516 811 3,587 ONLINE VISITOR GUIDE PAGE VISITS Time Frame Pageviews Unique Unique ° Pageviews Pageviews 6 Jan. 1, 2012-Oct. 1, 2012: 11,521 Jan. 1, 2011 -Sept. 30, 2011: 5,628 Difference +5,893 8,067 3,327 +4,470 70.046 59.1°,6 +10.946 Our web analytics indicate a significant growth in our web usege. From January - October, our site visitors have grown 39.5046 over the previous year. The vi sitors to the Visitors Guide pege have grown 104.7°,6 over th e past year. This substantial increase in on line visits to our guide provides a direct correlation to the decrease in visitor guide requ ests via traditional methods. 06 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT Welcome Center &Hospitality - 07 OCCUPANCY The numbers used to calculate occupancy for this year are all actuals from the lodging properties. July, August and September had 100% participation. *R4GBR41 came through at the end of July -New property added this year ^includes Full and Select Service Note: 2011 and 2012 are actual numbers, previous years were a combination of actuals and estimates JUNE 2012 2011 2010 Overall City Occupancy^ Full Service Select Service Bed & Breakfasts 75.8% 78.7% 72.8% 31.2% 71.5% 73.4% 69.5% 29.4% 71.0% 76.6% 65.3% NA Smith Travel Research reports that occupancy in Iowa's Top 10 County Hotel Markets was 74.6% for June. Our overall city occupancy for Dubuque was 75.8% which puts us just over 1% ahead. The Top 10 counties are: Polk, Scott, Linn, Pottawat- tamie, Black Hawk, Johnson, Story, Woodbury, Dallas and Dubuque. AUGUST 2012 2011 2010 Overall City Occupancy^ Full Service Select Service Bed & Breakfasts 71.1% 75.9% 72.8% 35.1% 70.9% 72.9% 69.5% 25.0% 65.4% 70.6% 61.2% NA Smith Travel Research reports August occupancy to be at 71.8% for the Top 10 County Hotel Markets. Ours was just slightly lower but very close to the other 9 counties in the report. YEAR TO DATE JULY 2012 2011 2010* Overall City Occupancy^ Full Service Select Service Bed & Breakfasts 72.7% 78.6% 67.4% 34.9% 71.4% 73.4% 69.5% 29.4% NA 71.3% 76.6% 65.3% Smith Travel Research reports that occupancy in Iowa's Top 10 County Hotel Markets was 68.4% for July. Our overall city occupancy for Dubuque was 72.7% for July which puts us more than 4 %ahead. SEPTEMBER 2012 2011 2010 Overall City Occupancy^ Full Service Select Service Bed & Breakfasts 67.1% 70.7% 63.5% 34.2% 71.7% 73.8% 69.7% 37.5% 66.4% 69.0% 63.0% 30.9% Smith Travel Research reports for September were not available at the time of compiling this report. 2012 2011 2010* 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 Overall City Occupancy^ Full Service Select Service Bed & Breakfasts 60.5% 65.3% 55.7% 24.8% 60.3% 63.7% 56.9% 27.1% river town reinvented 58.4% 61.5% 55.3% NA 56.5% 64.4% 48.6% NA 57.8% 65.0% 50.6% NA 57.0% 63.0% 50.9% NA 57.4% 60.1% 54.7% NA 59.7% 62.1% 57.2% NA 53.6% 57.0% 50.1% NA 51.7% 52.6% 50.8% NA DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Sports & Events DUATHLON The 3rd annual Duathlon took place on July 14, 2012 and consisted of a 1.2 mile run, 15 mile bike ride, and 3 mile run. The event was located in the McGraw-Hill distribution center parking lot on Chavenelle Road, where the race began and ended. We attracted 108 competitors to thisyear's event Of the 108 competitors: 81 were from Iowa, l2from Wisconsin, 10 from Illinois,3from Minnesota, 1 from Missouri, and 1 from Arizona. Of the 81 participants from Iowa, 31 were from outside the Dubuque/Asbury area. In addition to our 108 competitors, we attracted around 150 spectators that camped on the site with lawn chairs and blankets and cheered on theirfamily/friends. 2013 will come with afew changes, as we plan to add ateam option for nect year's event. Teams of two will have the ability to split up the run and bike sections of the race From thefeedbackwe received from this year's participants, theteam option is something that competitors wanted to see fornectyear's event MANTASTIC G UYATH LON The 2nd annual Mantastc Guyathlon took place on August 35, 2012 and consisted of a 2 person team competing in golf, bowling, bean bags, and a softball hitting contest. Golfing took place at The Meadows Golf Club, bowling at Creslanes, softball hitting contest at McAleece Park, and bean begs at Courtside. In 2011, 24 teams competed for the overall title with a majority of our competitors residing from the Dubuque and tri -state areas. Thisyear,we attracted 34 teams. Of the 68 competitors: 5 were from Wisconsin,5 were from Illinois, and 17 other competitors were from outside the Dubuque/ Asbury area. In addition to our 68 competitors, we attracted around 33 spectators to our bowling, softball homerun hitting contest, and bean bag events. Similar to the Duathlon, the 2013 Mantastic Guyathlon will come with a few changes, as we plan to offer three competing divisions. Each division will have specifictalent targets, ege targets, and payout amounts will differ depending on which division you compete in. This should provide a competitive event top to bottom, and should help to attract older competitors wh o feel they lack certain abilities compared to the younger competition. 08 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented" Sports k Events RUN FORA VET 5K The Run for Vet 5K consists of a al -mile mn/walk around The Port of Dubuque on October 13,2012. The 5k race will begin and end in the McGraw -Hill Parking lot. The Kids race will consist of a 1K run /walk for children 12 years old and younger Kids must register to participate. The Run For A Vet 5K will be USATF sanctioned and have chip timing for all paid runners. Walkers are encouraged to participate but will not be officiallytfined or given a race packet. The event will be sponsored by The Diamond Jo with all proceeds benefitting the VA hospital in Iowa City and the Veterans Freedom Center in Dubuque. The Run For Vet 5K will be in conjunction with the Vietnam Moving Wall Memorial, which will be in the Port of the Dubuque on October 11 through October15. We hope that families will use thi s weekend as an opportunity to support our Vets and get some exercise in the process. DOCK DOGS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DockDogs will be hosting the World Championships at Five Flags Center in Dubuque on November 15-18, 2012. In addition to hosting the 2012 World Championships, Dubuque will be home tothe 2013 and 2014 DockDogs World Championships as well. DockDogs anticipates 304400 competitors to sign up for this year's event, and with the popular draw of competitors /spectators to America's River Festival, we anttcipate a very good weekend for th a Worl d Championships. Thursday — Practice Rounds Friday — Qualifying Rounds Saturday — Qualifying Rounds & Main Event Sunday — Qualifying Rounds &Main Event 09 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT river town relnvarited' Sports & Events FLAG FOOTBALL TheSports Commission and 7G distributfngwill be sponsoring a 4 on 4 non - contact, 16 team fleg football tournament December 8 & 9, 2012. The tournament will consist of a 2 gameguaranteefor all teams and will be hosted by Courtside Bar & Grill. Teams will have the ability to form a 10 player squad with all members of the team required to be 21 and over. Play will begin Saturday morning and end with the money games Sunday afternoon. We will be paying out to thetop4 teams and anticipate our payouts to be a big draw. 1st Place: $750, 2nd Place: $450, 3rd Place: $270, and 4th Place: $130. Entry fee for the event will be $130 LOOKING AHEAD TO 2013 January 5, 2013: Garage Games @ The University of Dubuque (Not secured yet) January 25- 27,2013: Iowa Winter Games February 23, 2013: Harley Fan Fest "Hogs Gone Wild" April 6, 2013: What Women Want April 26-28, 2013: Gus Macker May 3, 2013: Torque Fest May a &4,2013: Iowa State Rugby Tournament (Not secured yet) 10 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Sports & Events AMERICAS RIVER FESTIVAL America's River Festival, hdd June 8 -10, 2012, had a very successful year astheweatherwas absolutely perfect. Friday night kicked off the three day weekend with an main stage line up of The Marshall Tucker Band and Justin Moore. Something new that was tested out was selling a VIP area to the Public. This we-it over ectremelywell as we had approximately 250 paid VIP ticket holders. Festival attendees also enjoyed music from regional bands, watching DockDogs competitors and tasting foods from multiple vendors. Saturday set records and prompted new challenges which are being addressed for 2013. During the day, DockDogs, children's activities, and local bands were available for the public to enjoy. StarshipStarring Mickey Thomas made their 2nd straight appearance at America's River Festival and got the crowd going just as much as the first time. Following then, REO Speedwagon took the stage Saturday night's concert had the largest crowd of more than 7,503 attendees. In addition to DockDogs, food vendors, and children's activities, Sunday featured area middle school and high school students in Dubuque Idol as well as appearances by Elmo and Cookie Monster. By the end of America's River Festival, approximately 15,000 people enjoyed some part of the three days — if not all of it. Plans for nect year's festival have already been started and the dates are set for June 14-16,201a We want to get ahead of the game so we can build on the momentum from this last year. New ideas and activities are being looked at to help bring even more people down to enjoy America's River Festival. 11 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT river town relrlvarrted' Sales FAM I LIAR I7..TION (FAM) TOURS The CVB hosted two FAM Tours, June 2S-26, 2012 and August 27 -28, 2012. Each tour was very well received by the planners who attended. We had planners from Iowa, Illinois andWisconsin on each of the trips. Survey Results (Not all surveys were returned): How was your overall visit and experience in Dubuque? (5 being excellent/ 1 being poor) 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 What were some of the highlights of your visit? 1. Meeting the excellent man egement team for Dubuque and the outstanding facilities; Woodfire Grille, Best Western Plus Dubuque, Julien Dubuque, Five Flegs Center, Grand River Center & Mississippi Views, Tony Romas, Grand Harbor Resort & lots more. 2. The facilities tour was excellent. The dinner at Woodfire Grille was memorable. The gas card was a very n ice tou ch, we appreciated it! 3. It was great to see all that Dubuque has to offer. I had no idea! I was particularly impressed with the Convention Center as well as the stunning meeting rooms at the Julien. 4. The National Mississippi River Museum —World Class Convection Center — Leaming the History of Dubuque — Experiencing the restoration of the Hotel Julien — Excellent Cuisine at L.May Eatery 5. I really enjoyed the Aquarium and the Elevator. Enjoyed the energy, company andfare at dinner on Monday Night. What if anything would you have changed or added to your visit? 1. More time for Cable Car Square 2. Extending the tri p 1 day would have been nice, but we were vey happy with the way things went. We did not feel pushed in the tour, so it was excel lent. 3. I seemed like the Star Brewery had options for my welts, would have liked to have seen that. 4. A Boat Trip on the Mississippi (Glad we got to experience this after the FAM) 5. Perhaps more time at the aquarium, although you did give us passes fora latertfine. 12 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT river town relnvartted' Sales FAM I LIAR IZAT ION (FAM) TOURS How accommodating was your hotel? Comments to share? (5 being excellent / 1 being poor) 1. 5. They went out of their way in friendliness and service 2. 5 3. 5 4. 5 5. 5. No complaints! Is there anything the Dubuque Convention &Visitors Bureau could have clone differentlyto make your visit mereacconmodating? 1. Can't think of anything 2. It was outstanding and a pleasure 3. Nothing— You were Great Julie! 4. Not that I can think of. Will you plan to do events in Dubuque in the future? 1. I vnll try! 2. Yes, we hope to! 3 Yes. 4. Yes 5. Yes. I will always suggest to my clients! Did you explore Dubuque on your avn before aafterthe FAM? If so what did you take in? 1. Nope 2. Yes, we walked around the downtown for several hours. An enjoyable, walkable city. 3. No 4. Yes, the Boat Trip (on Spirit of Dubuque) 5. My wife and I did visit last year and stayed (at another property). Time was short then but we did visit Eegle Point Park. Any additional comments you would like to add? 1. Very professionals and well organized. Others could learn from you. 2. The food was FANTAS11C at all 3 meals. Kudos to the partner restaurants! 3. Julie, you were really a terrific host! 4. I love Dubuque! Thanks Julie! 13 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Sales IOWA CUBS GAM E The CVB staff, along with staff from the Grand River Center, Hotel Julien Dubuque, Holiday Inn Dubuque / Galena and Best Western Plus, hosted another evening at the Iowa Cubs Game in June. We brought 13 meeting planners from the Central Iowa Market to the game to learn more about our community and also everything that we could offer tothem for a conference or meeting in our community. This was our fourth year hostfngthis event. We have seen much success from this event! Four years ago we were able to lure in the Iowa Association of Business & Industry staff to learn about our community and to help secure th at event, along with the help of Sarah McDonald H askin. Two years ego we were able to meet the team at the Iowa Grocery Industry Association and we were able to bring them to Dubuque in July of 2012, th a first time th ey had ever left Okoboji in 33 years. After this year's event we just found out that we were able to secure the Petroleum Marketers and ConvenieiceStores of Iowa Conference which will take place in Dubuque in August of 2013. We look forward to continuing this event next year. T RAD ES H OWS As fall begins, so does our travel season of promoting Dubuque throughout the Country. Connect Marketplace This wasthefourth year that we attended this national show. At the event, Julie met with 23 meeting planners who were interested in learning more about what Dubuque has to offer. Several of the planners were fami liar with Dubuque and there is already potential for booking future meetings. The event took place August 16-18, 2012. Iowa Meetings Marketplace This was the second year for the Iowa Meetings Marketplace. It is a collaboration between the State of Iowa Tou ri sm Office and Midwest Speakers Bureau. There were 70 planners in attendance and many people stopped at our booth to learn more about Dubuque. The Hotel Julien Dubuque and Grand River Center were also in attendance at the show. 14 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Sales TRADESHOWS Travel Iowa Marketplace This was the 14th year for this group tour show which was held in Davenport, IA. 60 planners attended the show and visited with vendors to learn more about how they could bring their groups into their communities. The CVB, Diamond Jo Casino, Hotel Julien Dubuque and the Holiday Inn Dubuque/ Galena were also in attendance. GROUP TOURS The motorcoach business in Dubuque has been going fairly wdl so far this year. Two groups that we were excited to have in the community were: Journey Tours from Pullman, Washington They spent seven nights in Dubuque at the Hotel Julien Dubuque. During the day the CVB arranged for tours of our community and others in the surrounding area. The economic impact from this group was $$45,937.50. This was a group that came as a direct result of hosting Heritage Clubs International Peer Group in March of 2011. Morrill &Janes Bank from Hiawatha, Kansas The CVB worked with this group to secure an Iowa tour and one night in Dubuque. Thisgroupwas a direct result of hosting Heritege Clubs International Peer Group in March of 2011 and had an economic impact of $10,062. American Queen The American Queen has returned to Dubuque for the fall, making 8 ports of call stops. We are a very lucky community as far as our location because most communities only receive4 stops. The CVB has been facilitating all shore tours along with tours to Dyersville/ Balltown. Over 300 people have been on each of the boats thus far. Upcoming stops include October 8, October 16, October 25, November 2 and November 8. Phone Sales Bib The CVB along with several attractions / hotds in Dubuque participated in a phone blitz to group tour planners / bank club operators to see what interest they may have in coming to Dubuque in the near future. 150 phone calls were made and interest was generated from 42 of those calls. 15 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Sales CONFERENCES Name Date People Location Ecomonic Conference Impact Type Lutheran Women's Missionary League June8 -10 300 Grand River Cents $262,500 Regional Four State Dairy June12- 203 Grand $175,000 Regional 14 River Cents School Nutri- June 13 lion Assoda- 21 Lion of Iowa 300 Grand $262,503 State River Cents' Iowa Grocery July 311 Industry Association 350 Grand River Centa $336,250 State FIRST TIME HERE Iowa DARE July 29-31 120 Holiday $106,000 State Association Inn Dubuque / Galena Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service August 6-8 120 Grand $105,000 State River Cents Iowa Hospital Association August 7 -10 150 Hotel $131,250 State Julien Dubuque Iowa Deaf Senior Citizens Septem- 75 be-12-13 Best $65,66 State Western Plus Gideon International Septem- 203 be-14 -17 Holiday $175,000 State Inn Dubuque / Galena Mid States Organized Crime Septem- 60 be-18 -20 Grand $218,783 Regional River Center Rural Community College Alliance S eptem- be- 24 -26 175 Grand $153,16 National River Center 16 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Marketing WEBSITE JUNE 30 - OCTOBER 9 2011 2012 Difference Visits 33,144 34,752 +1,608 Unique Visitors Pageviews Pagessit 22,218 26,511 +2,293 225,870 283,896 +55,026 6.81 8.08 +1.27 Average Time on Site 00 :11:42 00:08:46 - 00:02:56 46 New Visits 72.3646 69.2246 +3.1446 Bounce Rate 27.0336 26.0336 - 1.0046 New Layout There have been 5 new buttons added to theTravelDubuque.com home pege. The new buttons include links to the Dubuque Chamber Website, a new CVB staff page, links to our social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter, and Blog. The social media buttons have also been included in the sites child pages. New On -going news section on home page Anew section has been added to the TravelDubu que. com home page bdow the Spotlight section. This new area is used to featurethe latest news and events in the area. Survey on TravelDubuque.com A survey has been developed & is currently running that has the following features: • Geo-targetedfor IP addresses that are 33 miles outside of Dubuque. • Each uniquevisitoris prompted to take the survey; each quarter we will select one of the survey participants to win a trip to Dubuque. • The survey will be timed. • Survey data will be collectedfrom completed and abandoned surveys. Providing contact information including an email address is completely optional. New Special EventsSection • Signature events like America's River Festival, What Women Want, Duathlon, Mantastic Guyathlon, Run for a Vet 5K, and Border Battle are listed in the drop down menu under Events. • A scrolling banner of events is featu red on the home page with events like America's River Festival, What Women Want, Duathlon, Mantastic Guyathlon, Run for a Vet 5K, and Border Battle. • Other community events are featured in the right hand column of the home page. 17 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Marketing SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook An online ad campaign ran from 9/4 — 9/18 with the goal of increasing our Facebook Page Likes. The ad campaign has increased the page likes by 169; the ad showed stories about people liking the Dubuque CVB Page to their friends in the nens feed and in the right hand column of Facebook. Pinterest A Pinterest account has been created & boards are under development. These boardswill highlight unique and affordable itineraries, categories of Dubuque attractions and more. EVENTS Duathlon Marketing • E- Blasts,TH Spadea, Dubuque 365, Inserts into the Galena Triathlon Mantasti c Guyathlon Marketing • Newspaper Drop: Cedar Rapids Gazette, Iowa City Press Citizen, Waterloo Courier, Madison Wisconsin State Journal, Rockford Register Star • Print: Dubuque 366, Bi zTimes, J ulien's Journal, Rockford Star, Cedar Rapids Gazette, Madison Wisconsin State Journal, TH Spadea • Online: KWWL,Social Media • Radio: Dubuque, Madison, Rockford, Davenport, Cedar Rapids • Television: KWWL • Other: Bar Coasters & Standees at the Kennedy Mall with brochures Run fora Vet 5K Marketing • Print: Dubuque 365, TH Sticky Note, posters • Online: TH Online,Social Media • Radio: Dubuque • Other: Billboards * Voices of the Warehouse District Marketing • Print: Dubuque 365, Julien'siournal (August, September issue), posters • Online: Social Media • Other: Billboards * Julien Dubuque International Film Festival • Voice's Tab • Postcard for 'Get down in the District' Event QINDICATES CITY COUNCIL IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES 18 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT river town reinvented.' Marketing MARKETING Small Market Meetings 1 July 2012 • 'Y Page Ad • Circulation of 11,000 • Distributed to Meeting Planners across US • Includes editorial on Dubuque USA Weekend, Summer Getaways 1 May 2012 • Circulation of 1,200,000 • Distributed to Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota • First time we have run an ad in this publication Julien'sJournal 1 June & July 2012 • 2 Full Page Ads Brava 1 June 2012 • Circulation: 18,000 • BRAVA reaches active, influential women of all ages. The average age of the BRAVA reader is 43. • Full Page Ad Cubs 2012 Yearbook • Circulation: 700,000 • Wrigley Field • Full Page Iowa Group Travel Site • 76,000 Impressions • Iowa's Group Travel lead source. • 296px by 96px Online Ad & Online Listing Midwest Destination Guide 1 Spring /Summer 2012 • Official Visitors Guide of the Midwest Tourism Association • Covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. • Full page ad & editorial Going on Faith 1 June /July 2012 • Editorial featuring the National Mississippi River Museum • Going On Faith isthe official publication of the Going On Faith Conference. It is mailed six times a year to more than 6,500 qualified travel directors for churches, synagogues and other religious groups and to tour operators who serve this market. These religious travel programs serve both youth and adult groups 19 DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Marketing MARKETING Leisure Group Travel j June 2012 • Feature article • Circulation: 20,000 Groups • Distributed to group travel buyers TRAVEL IOWA CO -OP 2013 Coop Advertising Contract Signed The Group Travel Leader !April 2912 • Circulation: 20,D00 • The GroupTravel Leader is mailed on a controlled circulation basis to morethan 20,0:0 qualified readers. Best of the Midwest Travel • Circulation: 979,488 • Destination Listing & Print ad SPECIAL MARKETING Radio Partnership • July /August — Dane County /Madison Market • Vision Iowa Out of State Marketing Grant in conjunction with the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium PR Association News 1 July 2012 • Featured article • Circulation:42,DO0 • Distributed to association ececutives and meeting planners MeetingsFocus Mid-America 1 August 2012 • Features on Hotel Julien Dubuque, Grand Harbor Resort &Waterpark and Grand River Center • Circulation: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota,South Dakota and Wisconsin • Distributed to meeting planners Northwest Quarterly j Summer 2012 • Featured article • Circulation: Northern Illinois &Wisconsin 20 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Marketing PR Press Releases submitted to Media • Cabela's King KatToumameitTrail on The Mississippi River At The City Of Dubuque, Iowa • Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa is Open for Business • Iowa Grocery Industry Assadatlon Conference Makes its Move to Dubuque • Torqudest announces move to Dubuque • Iowa Grocer's Association in Dubuque • Enjoy America's RiverAtSummer Of Paddling 2012 Event! • Iowa Museums Celebrate Governor's Proclamation with Iowa Museum Week! • Yet Another World Record Falls As DockDogs Warms Up For The 2012 World Championships • Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge: Live Feed From Pelican Island TRAVEL MEDIA SHOWCASE The Dubuque CVB (Becca Krapfl) attended the Travel Media Showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from August 21— 24,2012. 33 interviens with travel writers from across the country were scheduled. Several writers ecpressed interest in visiting Dubuque over the next year. TRAVEL WRITERS The Dubuque CVB hosted 2 travel writers over the past month. Sher Asperse f rom Home &Away Magazin a visited Dubuque on August 31— September 2. She is writing an article that will be released in late winter/ early spring. The second travel writer was Julie Henning from Roadtrips for Families, an online blog; she visitedS eptember 7- 8. She has written on article on the National Mississippi River Museum & plans to write additional articles about her visit. TRI -STATE TOURISM A website & blog is under construction for Tri -State Tourism. (twill in dude photogalleri es, a blog as well as the current content to promote Tri -State Tourism. 21 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT riper town reinvented' Marketing FOCUS GROUP A series of three focus groups were held on August 11, 2012. Each focus group lasted 1 hour beginning at 10 am. The CVB worked with the City of Dubuque to develop the focus group questions. Participants arrived on Friday and departed on Sunday with lodging and a gift card to use at their discretion. A complimentary boat cruise was offered on Saturday for the participants & their guests. Overall, the focus groups provided feedback that will be beneficial for future marketing for the CVB. For more information and full demographics see attached document. *See the full Focus Group Report attached. 22 DUBUQUE CONVENTION& VISITORS BUREAU REPORT river town reinvented .Focus Group Report 2012 Overview The marketing goal of the Dubuque Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is to create & implement a marketing plan that will contfnueto raise awarenosthat Dubuque is aviable, unique destination to draw business year- roundto increase 'heads in beds'. In order to attract visitors to our area we need to know who our visitor is so that we can customize our marketing plan fora direct impact. To create this targeted marketing plan the CVB has researched our vi sitars through a first ever, comprehensive, year -long study including a survey, focus groups and marketing plan development. The fi rst step in this research was a 13 question survey deedoped using the Dubuque CVB Welcome Center survey (derived from the Iowa Tourism Office Annual Survey) and compiled with questionsgearedtowards learning about visitors to Dubuque. In February 2012,the survey was sent out to a database of 6,910 emails. These addresses were garnered through visitor guide requests from wwwtraveldubuque.com, our Welcome Center and leads from the Travel Iowa Co -op ad placement. Each survey participant had the opportunity to opt -in fora partially compen sated trip to Dubuque, if they were interested in participating in a focus group. Th ese focu s groups were designed to continue to identity the demographic of Dubuque visitors and various aspects of their vacation planning and wed ences. The focus groupswerefadlitated by the Convention &Visitors Bureau; the questions for the fowsgroups were compiled in collaboration with the City of Dubuque. Upon completion of the focus groups, the data from the survey and focus group's feedback was analyzed to create a targeted marketing approach for the 2012/2013 fiscal year. The results will provide direction in achieving a strategic marketing approach forthe CVB. The following report provides the overall process of the 2012 focus groups. 02 riper town reinvented' DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU I FOCUS GROUP REPORT • 111' Table of Contents SURVEY RESULTS FOCUS GROUP Demographics Goal & Question Development Outcomes According to Goal Investment MOVING FORWARD THANK YOU APPENDICES Full Survey Results Survey Comments Focus Group Notes 4 5 9 11 12 03 riper town reInverited' DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU I FOCUS GROUP REPORT SURVEY: OVERVIEW The survey was sent via email to a total of 6,910 email contacts. This contact list was generated from visitor guide requests that were received online, in the We come Center, and through the Travel Iowa Co-op ad placement. The survey was comprised of 13 questions; these questions were de/eloped using the Dubuque CVB Welcome Center Visitor Survey (derived from the Iowa Tourism Office Annual Survey). Each survey participant had the opportunity to be selectedfor involveneit in a focus group held in Dubuque. Over 60°6 of the survey participants provided information to be part of thefocusgroup. Forthefull survey report including a break down of all participants please see Appendix 1 at the end of this report on page 12. SURVEY RESULTS Date Sent 2/1 /2012 Audience Visitor Guide requestors Total Audience Reach 6,910 Survey Open 1720 33.2°,6 • nd ustry Standard Open Rote 17.496 Survey Click-through 981 57.0% industry Standard akk- througl, Rote 11246 Survey Responses 649 9.3995 industry Standard Response Rote 1046 Focus Group Entries 436 67.18°,6 Industry Standards provided through Constant Contact (survey provi der) 'Open late: Percentage of recipients to whom you sent an email that actually opened it •Click - through rate: Percentage of people who opened the email and cliched at least one lino; in the email Survey Paricipant Quote "I had the most awesome tfine [in Dubuque]. We drove over the bridge to Wisconsin and back and strolled along the Mississippi River. We walked downtown and enjoyed seeing all the old buildings having been restored. Overall it was just a relaxing and inspring week." Survey Paricipant Quote 1 LOVE to visit Dubuque. My family and I visit often to shop or just to hang out and watch the lodcs at Eagle Point park." 04 riper town reinvented' DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU I FOCUS GROUP REPORT 14 'ar _Ft'..,.r a ■.t it ..r,i �;:..._ I 01111.0!0,6 mg c ~z river town reIrrvarited! Focus Group DEMOGRAPHICS The participants of the focus groups were selected from four target market areas: Madison, WI; Chicego, IL; Des Moines, IA; Cedar Rapids, IA. Each focus group member was called to participate and to confirm their interest in July 2012. Once the focus group member confirmed their participation, they indicated if their spouse, partner, or significant other would be joining the focus group. Every member of the focus group brought an additional person to participate in thefocus group. Following phone confirmation, email corresponencewas utilized to finalizetravel arrangeneits. Once all of thefocus group members were confirmed, "Save The Date" postcards were mailed in IateJulyand a personalized itinerary of their trip was sent in August. GROUP 1 Participant IA Participant 1B # Attending 2 2 Location Madison, WI Des Moines, IA Age Income Ethnicity 40-49 $33 -93K White, not of Hispanic origin GROUP 2 3D-39 $7030K White, not of Hispanic origin Participant 2A Participant 2B Participant 2C # Attending 2 2 2 Location Chicago, IL Madison, WI Cedar Rapids, IA Age Income Ethnicity 60+ 33-39 100+< $7030K White, not of White, not of Hispanic origin Hispanic origin ( KVUH 40-49 $40-50K Hispanic Participant 3A Participant 3B Participant 3C # Attending 2 2 2 Location Chicago, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Des Moines, IA Age Income 60+ $33-40K Ethnidty Hispanic 3D-39 $93-100K White, not of Hispanic origin 50-59 $93-100K White, not of Hispanic origin 05 DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU I FOCUS GROUP REPORT 1 Focus Group GOAL & QUESTION DEVELOPMENT The goal of the focus groups was to find out the demographic of a visitor to Dubuque by focusing on the following aspects of their trip: Who is coming? Why are they coming? What are they doing on their trip? How was their overall experience? Would they come back? What would encourage them to come back? What can the community do to improve their visit? In order to reach our focusgroup goal, a list of detailed questionswas generated. This question list was created in collaboration with the City of Dubuque, CindySteinhauserand Randy Gehl. INVESTMENT & INCENTIVE Each member of thefocus group was offered incentives to participate. These incentives included a two night weekend trip to Dubuque with complimentary lodging, tfdcetsto local attractions, a river boat ride, and two gift cards totalling $150. The fi rst gift card was $50, whi ch each member received with their personalized itinerary prior to arriving in Dubuque. The second was valued at $100 and wa s provided u po n completon of the focus group. These gift cards were provided ito offset costs incurred by participants for transportation and meal expenditures. Item Expense Gift Cards Hotel Rooms Breakfast Costs River Boat (Dinner & Drinks Included) National Mississippi River Museum &Aquarium Tickets Miscellaneous Expenditures $1200.00 $900.00 $200.00 $1E00.co $0.00 $100.00 Total $4,000.00 06 riper town reinvented' DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU I FOCUS GROUP REPORT Focus Group OUTCOMES ACCORDING TO GOAL The outcomes of both the survey and the focus groups were used to answer the questions set forth by the goal of the fow s groups. Through the combination of the responses of 649 surveys and 16 focus group members,the CVB was able to clearly identffythe outcomes of our goal. GOAL: Thegoal of thefocusgroups were to find out the demographic of a visitor to Dubuque by focusing on the following aspects of their trip. Who is coming? The majority of Dubu que vi sitars are between the eges of 33— 66. Upon leaming about Dubuque as a desttnatton,via marketing Efforts and word of mouth, visitors conduct further research using media such as the web, social media, brochures, Etc., to make their final desicion to visit Dubuque. Why are they coming? The Dubuque visitor is looking fora unique and affordable 1- 2 day getaway to relax and unwind. What are they doing on their trip? The Dubuque visitor is interested in everything Dubuque has to offer. Their top areas of interest include historic attractions, shopping and scenic byways. Thefamily basal traveler is interested in restaurants & attractions that are budget & family friendly. They are interested in educational and outdoor activitio for their family. The adult traveler is interested in gaming, restaurants, and unique shopping they are less concerned about their budget. The adult traveler's interests are based on each individual and they will travel year round. Survey Paricipant Quote: "Our days and evenings were filled to the brim with wonderful things to see and do. We love the area and would love to visit again! Fun! Fun! Fun!" How was their overall Experience? The average visitor has agreat experience ranging from service at lodging, restaurants and attractions. They feel that Dubuque is friendly, affordable and clean. They feel Dubuque is a safe community that is easy to navigate specifically when using the way-finding system. Survey Paricipant Quote "We discovered so much history and some great architecture as well. There's more to Dubuquethan many visitors expect." 07 riper town reinvented' DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU I FOCUS GROUP REPORT Focus Group OUTCOMES ACCORDING TO GOAL Wouldthey come back? The average visitor would come back to Dubuque and would highly recommend it to their colleegues,friends & family. Survey Paricipant Quote "We came here for our 20 year anniversary- loved it and want to come back - we havetold many friends and family about our wonderful trip." What would encourage them to come back? What can the community do to improve their visit? The Dubuque visitor is interested in additional trips to Dubuque. Dubuque is an affordable destination that provides the perfect 1- 2 day getaway to relax and unwind which is wh at our visitor is looking for. The CVB would liketo contfnueto expandthe audience attracted to the community by providing more attractf on s for various demographics such as the 10 -18 year old and the 19- 30year old. Recommendatfonsforthese agegroups included additional children musuems, zoos and most importantly padceg6 that will makethe travel experience even more affordable. Our marketing has created a strong brand and hasgenerated buzz about Dubuque and the surrounding communities. It entices people to visit an d then share thei r ecpe ien co with colt egues, f ri ends and family. Our branding has been the catalyst for the word of mouth that brings visitors to our community. Survey Partcipant Quote "I had the most awesometfine. We went to try all the casinos andwe tried different restaurants and were well satisfied. We drove over the bridge to Wisconsin and back and strolled along the Mississippi river. Overall it was just a relaxing and in spring week." 08 river town reinvented" DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU I FOCUS GROUP REPORT a um j J river town reinvented' 09 Moving Forward The results that have been compiled from the survey and focus groups have provided the CVB an informed direction and guidance in developing a strong, targeted marketing plan. The information has also gamered insight on our visitor that allows us to better know whothey are and how to directly market to them to bring them to Dubuque. OUR TARGET MARKET Based on the research, Dubuque currently draws two different types of lei sure travelers. The first type of leisure traveler is 33- 45 years of age, has a family, is bucgEt conscience and is looking for deals. This traveler is looking for a quick, 1- 2 day, destination in theSpring /Summa /Fall time frame. The second type of Ieisuretraveler is 46- 65 years of age, is not budget conscience (appreciates a deal but does not require them). Thistraveler will travel year round. Both groups come to Dubuquefora 1- 2 day trip; our visitor does not view Dubuque as a week long destination. NOTE: 21 - 30 Demographic Majority of the survey distribution was based on Visitor Guide requests, via traditional methods of marketing, which only captured4.9% of the 21 - 30 age demographic in survey participants. Based on a research study, "GenerationsX (ages 29-42) and Y (ages 18- 28)...are both more likely to read blogs, watch Interne videos and spend more th an 9 hours online a week for personal purposes than other generations." Our web analytics indicate a significant growth in our web usage. From January - October, our site visitors have grown 39.50% over the previous year. The visitors to the Visitors Guide page have grown 104.7% over the past year. In order to capturethe 21- 33 demographic via media they are likely to u se, we have implemented an online survey. A visitor to our site that is bEyond a 33 mile radius of Dubuque will be prompted to take a survey and will have the opportunity to win a freetri pto Dubuque for their participation. This survey will contnueto helpthe CVB gather more information on our visitor. •Research conducted by N{S Recruitment Communications DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU I FOCUS GROUP REPORT e tn, UTI Moving Forward OUR MARKETING PLAN Over the nectyear,the CVB will use this information to guide our marketing initiatives as wdI as continue our branding efforts. Our goal is to increase awareness that Dubuque is an affordable, unique destination and to draw bu sin essyear-round to increase 'heads-in-beds". Our efforts for the leisure traveler will be focused in the following locations: Madison /Dane County, WI, Des Moines (metro area), IA, North Chicago (utlizing Galena), IL. Our efforts will be directed to the two demographics (see demographics on page 9) that we have targeted through a variety of media including but not limited to television, print material, online advertisements, social media, customized e.blasts and more. FUTURE RESEARCH INITIATIVES The CVB wiII contfnueto research and gather information on our visitor. This will help the staff evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, identify any changes in our visitor and guide f utu re initiatives. Surveys distributed via e.blasts will be releasal yearly, the online survey will be on -going and the focus group will be held bi- annually. This will allowthe CVB to continually gather necessary information to make informed decisions. 10 riper town reinvented' DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU I FOCUS GROUP REPORT Thank You The Dubuque Convention & Visitors Bureau would liketo extend a thank you to all !acting, restaurants and attractions that participated in the 2012 focus groups as well as the City of Dubuque. We hopeto continue to devel op the research initiative of our marketing plan in the Tutu re & look forwardtoworking with our partners in this Mort. PARTICIPATING HOTELS Baymont Inn Best Western Plus Dubuque Hotel & Conferen ce Center Comfort Inn Country Inn &Suites Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark Hampton Inn Hilton Garden Inn Hotel Julien Dubuque PARTICIPATING ATTRACTIONS National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium American Lady Focus Group Paricipant Quote "WOW...what a wonderful wethen d we had in Dubuque! We want tothankyou so much for induding us in your invitationsforthefocus group. You sograciously andgeierously hosted us and overwhelmed us with thegood will of the city. We had such a fun weekend and there are so many thingstothankyou for. It is a weekend we will talk about and cherish for a long time." 1 1 riper town reinvented' DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU I FOCUS GROUP REPORT Appendix 1: Survey Results 12 1. What is your gender? 5. What is your household's annual income? Number of Response(s) Response Ratio Number of Response(s) Response Ratio Female 424 65.3% Less than $19,999 16 2.4% Male 224 34.5% $20,000 - $29,999 43 6.6% No Responses 1 <1% $30,000 - $39,999 47 7.2% Total 649 100% $40,000 - $49,999 69 10.6% $50,000 - $59,999 99 15.2% $60,000 - $69,999 63 9.7% 2. What is your age? $70,000 - $79,999 85 13.0% Number of Response(s) Response Ratio $80,000 - $89,999 55 8.4% 20 - 29 32 4.9% $90,000 - $99,999 58 8.9% 30 - 39 104 16.0% Greater than $100,000 111 17.1% 40 - 49 145 22.3% No Responses 3 <1% 50 - 59 211 32.5% Tota I 649 100% 60+ 156 24.0% No Responses 1 <1% Total 649 100% 6. What best described your travel party? (please check one) Number of Response(s) Response Ratio Family (with children 3. What is your ethnicity? under 18) 186 28.7% Number of Response(s) Response Ratio Adults (no children American Indian under 18) 457 70.6% or Alaskan Native 6 <1% Business Traveler(s) 5 <1% Asian or Pacific Islander 7 1.0% Group Tour 4 <1% Black, not of hispanic Total 647 100% origin 9 1.3% Hispanic 12 1.8% White, not of 7. When did you take a trip to Dubuque, IA? (please check all that Hispanic Origin 614 94.6% apply) If you have not visited Dubuque, IA, please end the survey. No Responses 1 <1% Number of Response(s) Response Ratio Total 649 100% 2008 169 26.2% 2009 168 26.1% 2010 257 39.9% 4. I n what state do you reside? (Please enter two letter abbreviation for 2011 324 50.3% your state) Have yet to visit See Comments futher down. Dubuque 51 7.9% Tota I 643 100% river town reinvented DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU / FOCUS GROUP REPORT Appendix 1: Survey Results 8. How many trips to Dubuque, IA did you take between 2008 & 2011? (please check one) Number of Response(s) Response Ratio 1 273 42.0% 2 110 16.9% 3 84 12.9% 4 49 7.5% 5 32 4.9% 6 or more 68 10.4% No Responses 33 5.0% Total 649 100% 9. How many nights did you spend in Dubuque, IA on your most recent trip? (please check one) Number of Response(s) Response Ratio Day trip, no overnight 166 one night 153 two nights 179 three nights 75 four nights 15 five nights 8 6 or more nights 22 No Responses 31 Tota I 649 25.5% 23.5% 27.5% 11.5% 2.3% 1.2% 3.3% 4.7% 100% 10. About how much did your travel party spend on your last trip to Dubuque, IA? (please include transportation, lodging, food, shopping and entertainment) See Comments futher down. river town reinvented 13 11. What were your areas of interest while in Dubuque, IA? (please check all that apply) Gaming Wineries /Breweries Agricultural Attractions Visit friends /family Historical Attractions Museums Scenic byways Participatory sports Spectator sports Shopping Festivals/Events National /State parks Culinary Outdoor Land Recreation (trails / hiking / biking) 139 Outdoor Water Recreation (boating/ swimming) 56 Outdoor (wildlife / hunting / fishing) 41 Outdoor Winter Recreation (cross- country skiing, skiing, snow - shoeing) 14 Antiquing /Picking 121 Water Parks 62 Other 53 Tota I 618 Number of Response(s) 240 268 51 132 361 312 300 11 30 303 149 159 123 Response Ratio 38.8% 43.3% 8.2% 21.3% 58.4% 50.4% 48.5% 1.7% 4.8% 49.0% 24.1% 25.7% 19.9% 22.4% 9.0% 6.6% 2.2% 19.5% 10.0% 8.5% 100% DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU / FOCUS GROUP REPORT Appendix 1: Survey Results 12. Where did you hear about Dubuque, Iowa? (please check all that apply) Number of Response(s) Response Ratio Television ad 25 4.0% Magazine ad 65 10.5% Web banner ad 10 1.6% Social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blog, etc.) 16 2.5% Newspaper or magazine article 87 14.0% Search engine 102 16.5% Word of mouth /family & friend 341 55.1% Other 141 22.8% Total 618 100% Appendix 2: Survey Gomments http: / /www.traveldubuque .com /Summary_Follow Up Survey- Dubuque Visitors_comments.xls Appendix 3: Focus Group Notes GROUP 1: http: / /www.traveldubuque. com / focusgroup / Focus°°% 20Group°%20Questions_group1.pdf GROUP 2: http: / /www.traveldubuque. com / focusgroup / Focus°° %20Group %20Questions_group2.pdf GROUP 3: http: / /www.traveldubuque.com /focusgroup/ Focus %20Group %20Questions_group3.pdf river town reinvented 14 DUBUQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU / FOCUS GROUP REPORT