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Welcome New Tourism Partners
The KACVB welcomes new partners to our Tourism Partner family. We thank you for partnering with us in the 2017 Kenosha Area Visitors Guide and for the support of tourism that it represents. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time if you would like a staff member to meet with you and review our services. Our new partners are: Against The Grain Creative Concepts, ArtWorks, Bisou Lingerie, Exceptional Events of Kenosha, Gateway Classic Cars, GFWC Woman's Club of Kenosha, glyndy Jr's, Kenosha Community Foundation, Mason's Eatery & Pub, R'Noggin Brewing Co., Rustic Road Brewing Company, Serendipity on Seventh, Tall Ship Red Witch, The Red Oak Restaurant, Village Supper Club, and Waterfront Warehouse.
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Tourism Partner Appreciation Night
Save the date, as you're invited to our Tourism Partner Appreciation Night on Wednesday, Jan 11. This is our annual post-holiday social event that gives our partners an opportunity to relax and network with each other and our staff. Partner of the Year awards will be presented during the evening. All are welcome to bring new or gently used warm clothing items for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's "The Big Bundle Up" campaign. Watch for your formal invite in your inbox in the weeks ahead; pre-registration is required.
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JEM Grant Awarded
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism has approved Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grant funding for a new event: Tribute Island. The award is for up to $39,500 in paid advertising expenses. The festival will take place on Simmons Island July 22-23, 2017. It promises to be an unforgettable island experience of music and food, with a theme built around the CBS tv show Survivor and a lineup that features more than 25 of the best tribute acts in the country. Carmichael Communications, the City of Kenosha, and the KACVB are partnering together to create the event.
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The Big Bundle Up
The Kenosha Area Convention & Visitors Bureau's two Visitor Information Centers are once again serving as collection sites for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's annual charity drive: The Big Bundle Up. Through Jan 2, we're accepting new or gently used coats, sweaters, hats, mittens and other warm clothing items. The donations are being distributed locally through First Step Services Inc. This is the sixth year of The Big Bundle Up. To date, the program has collected more than 71,800 warm winter items throughout the state to help families in need.
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Tourism Talks Breakfast Recap
The last Tourism Talks Breakfast of the year was held on Nov 8. This session was designed to help KACVB Tourism Partners get to know each other a little better, and to foster better collaboration. More than a dozen partner businesses presented to the group about their organization's goals, upcoming projects, and ideas for collaboration. You can view the presentation slides here (user name: tourism, password: partner). At any time, you may contact our staff for assistance in making connections with fellow Tourism Partners! We thank the Parkway Chateau at Brat Stop for hosting the breakfast.
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Kudos to Trolley Dogs for hosting their annual Dine Out event for those in need on Dec 4. Clients who work with First Step Services Inc., Salvation Army of Kenosha, Shalom Center, or Urban Outreach Center were given tickets to visit Trolley Dogs during the Dine Out event to dine for free. Kudos to Jockey International for donating hundreds of items to The Big Bundle Up, to be distributed to the guests at the Dine Out event. Kudos to Candlewood Suites for putting together Blessing Bags for local homeless shelters. If you would like to donate items or help assemble the bags, call Jessica at (262) 842-5000. Also, Best Western Harborside Inn is now Wyndham Garden - Kenosha Harborside. Last, Don Shepard has retired as Executive Director of the Kenosha History Center, with Chris Allen being named the new leader.
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Five artists and arts organizations have received Awards of Excellence from the City of Kenosha's Commission on the Arts. Awards were based on the criteria of enhancing community awareness of the arts; creating interactions among several organizations; impact on aesthetics and art appreciation, and
enhancing economic development in Kenosha. The 2016 Arts Awards recipients are: Chet Griffith of ArtWorks, Kenosha Symphony Orchestra, Alex Metalsky of Lakeside Players, Marjorie Meyer of Re:Vision Gallery (shown) and the Southport Quilters Guild. Congratulations to all the recipients!
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Seeking Restaurant Donations
The KACVB features an ongoing annual contest, our Picture Your Kenosha Photo Contest. At the end of each year, winners are selected and awarded dining certificates from Tourism Partner restaurants. Partner donors are recognized for their contribution to the contest through a media release and online announcements of the year's winning photos. We are seeking a gift certificate to cover a Dinner for Two from three different restaurants. Please contact Meridith if you would like to donate. Thank you!
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While we can't give away the cover just yet, our 2017 Kenosha Area Visitors Guide is on the press. We will deliver an initial supply of Visitors Guides to our tourism partners, starting before Christmas and into the new year. We encourage you to display and distribute guides to your customers; display racks are provided free of charge. When you need additional copies, just contact us and we'll deliver more.
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Featured Business: Kenosha History Center
There are people who find history to be a thing of the past - stuffy, boring, and old. That is the exact stigma that incoming Executive Director of the Kenosha History Center, Chris Allen, strives to demolish. From exhibits featuring vintage cars manufactured in the Kenosha area years ago to a miniature Statue of Liberty, there is something for everyone to enjoy and learn from in this museum, located at 220 51st Place on Simmons Island. A new exhibit just opened on Dec 3: Cars of the Decades, which features Kenosha-specific automobiles (Jeffery, Nash, AMC) from the 1900's until the 1970's. More>
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Dates 2 Know
12/23-26: Downtown Location Closed for Christmas
12/24: I-94 Location Open 8 a.m.-Noon
12/30-1/2: Downtown Location Closed for New Year's
12/31: I-94 Location Open 8 a.m.-Noon
1/6: First Fridays @ the I-94 Visitor Information Center (Participate!)
1/11: Tourism Partner Appreciation Night
1/16: KACVB Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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KACVB Activity Report
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November 2016 |
YTD |
| Visitors Guide Requests |
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| Phone |
3 |
224 |
E-mail
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85 |
2,719 |
Reader Reply
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271 |
4,977 |
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| I-94 Walk Ins |
1,515 |
29,303 |
| I-94 Phone Inquiries |
42 |
523 |
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| Downtown Walk Ins |
45 |
434 |
| Downtown Phone Inquiries |
29 |
390 |
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| Website Activity |
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Visitor Sessions
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31,405 |
437,893 |
Page Views
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76,200 |
1,139,703 |
Online Guide Page Views
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14,629 |
282,686 |
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Winter months can bring increases in fuel and heating costs. Learn more about what an investment in energy efficient systems can do to save you money and help save our planet. If you are interested in becoming more efficient and reducing your carbon footprint, contact Laura to learn more about the Travel Green Wisconsin certification program.
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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
I-94 & Hwy. 165 Rest Area | 262-857-7164
10519 - 120th Avenue, Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158
April - October, 7 days a week 8am-4pm | November - March, Tues.-Sat. 8am-4pm
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