Central Lakes Trail

Download a printable flyer for the 2011 Bicycle Tourism Summit
Speaker and Sponsor Information

Welcome to the website for the 2011 Bicycle Tourism Summit. Over 150 people attended this exciting event on November 3rd in Mankato. This was the 2nd Summit planned by a group of public and private sector partners interested in increasing bicycle tourism to Minnesota. Partners include:

Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, Explore Minnesota Tourism, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Department of Transportation, National Park Service and Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota.

This one-day conference offered educational and networking opportunities for tourism businesses and organizations, local community officials and government agencies that benefit from bicycle tourism. For more details on the educational sessions, see the agenda below. We have posted a copy of the PowerPoint presentation for the session if we received one.

 An extensive Resource Manual was developed which includes planning and funding resources, contact information for national, regional, and Minnesota bicycling organizations and a list of bicycle tour planners and planning resources. Download a copy of the Resource Manual.

Minnesota State Trail System Highlights

2011 Bicycle Tourism Summit Agenda

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. — Welcome and Opening Keynote: Tim Blumenthal, Executive Director, Bikes Belong

“The World of Biking” – an overview of biking/bicycle tourism on a national/international level. Tim will also talk about how Minnesota stacks up against other states in bicycle tourism and opportunities for Minnesota to demonstrate and convey our position as a premier biking destination.

Keynote Speaker, Tim Blumenthal, sponsored by Quality Bicycle Products and Bikes Belong

10:00 – 10:30 a.m. — Break and Networking Time

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. — Regional group reports on successes – Regional groups that have been meeting since the first summit will report on activities and opportunities

11:45 – 12:45 p.m. — Breakout Sessions

Repeated sessions:

• So You Want to Be a Bicycle Destination – Now What? – Tim Blumenthal, Bikes Belong
  Tim will guide community leaders and businesses in planning, developing, and measuring bicycle tourism initiatives. Come prepared with questions and issues from your own experience to ask Tim and share with others in this session.
• Trail Marketing Toolbox – Ciara Schlichting, Stanec and Steve Markuson, Preferred Results

  Download the Marketing Toolbox

  do you want to attract more bicyclists toyour business or community? This workshop will unpack the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) Marketing Toolbox which provides insights into the needs of various bicycle market segments, identifies potential marketing collaborators, and offers specific tools to help you develop a marketing strategy for your town or business.

• Making a Community Bicycle Friendly – Nick Mason, Dorian Grilley, Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota

  Download the Nick and Dorian’s Presentation

  Using Mankato and Minneapolis as examples of a “Bicycle Friendly Community”, this “How-to” session includes information on economic impact, development, funding and including tourism in development plans.

Session offered in the morning only:

• The A, B, C’s of Bicycle Tourism – Lisa Austin, MnDOT and Twin Cities Bicycle Club
  Not all bicycle vacations are the same. This session will cover bicycle vacations for A (advanced), B (basic), and C (casual) level riders. Lisa is a past Board member of Twin Cities Bicycle Club, and currently works in the Pedestrian/Bicycle section at MnDOT. From planning many trips for the bike club each year, and working on bicycle issues through her current position, Lisa will share what bike clubs and bicyclists of all levels are looking for in a destination.

Session offered in the afternoon only:

• Welcoming Mountain Bikers – Gary Sjoquist, Quality Bicycle products and International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA)
  Gary will facilitate this panel of mountain biking and tourism experts who share what a community or business needs t o provide mountain bikers to be successful in this market. Chris Ruttger, Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge will present a case study of how he and Gary have been working to increase bicycle tourists to this classic resort property.

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. — Lunch and Speaker Presentation – Steve Markuson, Preferred Results

Download Steve Markuson’s Presentation

• Steve has been hired by MnDOT to work with communities along the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) to help them develop marketing strategies for the MRT in their region. using his more recent experiences with the MRT and other examples from his extensive marketing background, he will unpack the essential steps that lead to the development of a dynamic action oplan for your business or community.

Lunch sponsored by Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota and MNTrails Magazine

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. — Breakout Sessions – see description above

3:00 – 3:15 p.m. — Break

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. — Panel of bicycle users – what am I looking for in a biking destination?
Individuals representing many types of bicyclists will share their perspective on what will draw them to your community, business or trail. Examples of users may be:

• A family
• Bike Club leader
• Avid cyclist
• Retired bicyclist
• Mountain biker
• Event participant

4:30 – 5:00 p.m. — Wrap up