Picture Your Kenosha
Impact
February 2017
Robin_s Nest Cakery
Tourism Partner Appreciation Night
A record number of people attended our annual Kenosha Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Tourism Partner Appreciation Night on Jan 11. Thank you to all who attended, as well as the Kenosha Public Museum staff for hosting, Twisted Cuisine for catering, Robin's Nest Cakery for the dessert spread, A Summer's Garden Florist for the centerpieces, and Larry Thomas (from Kenosha Fusion and frequently seen at Kenosha HarborMarket) for the musical entertainment.
Best Western Executive Inn
Hotel Partner of the Year
At the Partner Appreciation Night, Best Western Executive Inn was named the Hotel Partner of the Year. Representing the hotel was the General Manager, Mary Comstock. Recent renovations - including of the lobby, breakfast room, guest rooms and more - were noted by Dennis DuChene, KACVB President. Also highlighted were the hotel's involvement in hotel partner meetings, Tourism Talks, and other partner opportunities.

Kenosha HarborMarket
Partner of the Year
Kenosha HarborMarket was named the Partner of the Year at the Partner Appreciation Night. Representing the market was Kenosha Common Markets President, Ray Forgianni, and several members of the board of directors. The market is celebrating 15 years as an attraction in the Kenosha Area. It's been instrumental in  business startups - like Sandy's Popper, Robin's Nest Cakery, and Elsie Mae's Bakery & Cannery. The market's involved in Tourism Talks and other partner opportunities; is active with other events and partners,  including the successful inaugural Kenosha HarborHoliday this past December; and supports the community  through non-profit opportunities like providing the shared Information Booth at the outdoor market. The market also created the SNAP/EBT matching funds program for patrons.

Dennis DuChene
20 Years at the CVB
Congratulations to KACVB President, Dennis Duchene. KACVB board members and team members recognized his 20 th anniversary with the KACVB at the Partner Appreciation Night. Dennis has served as President of the KACVB since 2007, having previously served in other roles at the Bureau - including overseeing the organization's sports marketing and group marketing programs. He was the first person in the Kenosha Area to receive a Joint Effort Marketing Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Since then, the KACVB and its tourism partners have received over a million dollars in grant funding to develop events and promote the Kenosha as a great place to live, work and play. Over the years he has served on many Wisconsin Department of Tourism committees, as well as on the boards of local organizations and event planning committees. Thank you Dennis, for your years of service to the Bureau and the community at large. Here's to 20 more!

Restaurant Week
Restaurant Week JEM Grant
Also at the Partner Appreciation Night, the KACVB received an $8,250 Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) Grant from David Spiegelberg, on behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, for the third annual Downtown Kenosha Restaurant Week. The nine-day event will take place Feb. 18-26 and showcase Kenosha's many locally-owned restaurants and specialty food shops. Participating restaurants will offer diners the opportunity to choose from exclusive three-course menus at three price points of $10 for breakfast and lunch and $20 or $30 for dinner. The KACVB anticipates the event will attract 6,700 diners over the nine-day period. The event is expected to provide an economic impact of $184,000 through overnight and day traveler expenditures. Grant funds will go toward Internet and print advertising, as well as public relations efforts.

Next Tourism Talks: February 7
Thanks to helpful feedback from our Tourism Partners, our 2017 Tourism Talks meetings will take on more of a networking format. We will still have four meetings throughout the year, but will hold two morning meetings and two evening meetings to accommodate the many different schedules that our business partners have. The next event will be a breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb 7 at Mike's Donuts & Chicken / Mike's SportsBook, 707 56th Street. We will spend part of the morning in a roundtable discussion about the best ways for Tourism Partners to collaborate with hotels for hotel packages, the types of package opportunities that travelers are interested in, and how partners and hotels can share the cost of creating packages. Following the roundtable discussion, three to five partners (who have already signed up) will showcase their business in a Partner Spotlight session.  Register by Feb 3 to join us for a morning of networking and collaboration. Mark your calendar now for the remaining 2017 Tourism Talks dates: May 8 (a special evening program for National Travel & Tourism Week), June 5 (evening), Sept 12 (breakfast), and Nov 6 (evening). 
CVB
KACVB Team On The Road
The KACVB's Eva Hoey represented the Kenosha Area at the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show, Jan 21-22. She's also promoting Kenosha's group travel market at many travel shows. The ABA (American Bus Association) Show was held Jan 14-17 in Cleveland, Ohio. As a result, at least one group has already booked a visit here. Select Bank Travel will be held this month in Ontario, California. Eva will be meeting with representatives from "bank" travel clubs. Heritage Peer Bank Travel will be in Essex, Vermont in March. Eva will be representing the Circle Wisconsin organization, which gives her an opportunity to also promote the Kenosha Area. This show generally attracts Midwest states that offer bank travel to their best customers. Midwest Marketplace, hosted by Circle Wisconsin, will be held in April in Green Bay.  She'll be meeting with qualified group tour planners, generally located in states that touch Wisconsin. A few are from a bit further out.
 
Also, as part of the Sports Wisconsin group, Kris Jensen was recently in Indianapolis for a sales mission. He met with numerous event organizers, to bring more sports events to the Kenosha Area.
The Big Bundle Up
Big Bundle Up Results
A record-breaking 31,697 winter clothing items, including hats, mittens, scarves, coats and snow pants, were donated to charities throughout Wisconsin as part of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's sixth annual "Big Bundle Up" campaign. The campaign has totaled more than 103,400 donated items since 2011. Thanks to a very generous Kenosha community, the KACVB collected 2,533 items, which were distributed locally through First Step Services. 
The Coffee Pot
Featured Business: The Coffee Pot
In 2004, long-time friends Janis Barnhill and Julie Zorn became owners of The Coffee Pot, at 4914 Seventh Avenue in Downtown Kenosha. Twelve years later, the pair expanded the business by purchasing the building next door and adding a new dining room. This new space is called The Kenosha Room. Next, the friends are opening an inn. The diner originally opened in the early 1930's, and has been known by various names over the years. The neon sign above the window was commissioned in the 1930's for the location. The Coffee Pot is open for breakfast and lunch, offering classic diner fare with a creative twist of fresh and seasonal inspirations. More>
Dates 2 Know
2/3: First Fridays @ the I-94 Visitor Information Center (Participate!)
2/3: Registration Deadline for Tourism Talks (Laura)
2/7: Tourism Talks Breakfast
3/3: First Fridays @ the I-94 Visitor Information Center (Participate!)
KACVB Activity Report


January 2017 YTD
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Kenosha Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
 
Visitor Information Centers:
Downtown Kenosha | 262-654-7307 | 800-654-7309
812 - 56th Street, Kenosha, WI 53140 | Mon.-Fri. 8am-4:30pm
 
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