ExploreMinnesota.com Web Statistics for October 2009

Explore Minnesota and Wisconsin Tourism Partner for Fall

In response to Governor Pawlenty and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle’s request that states look for areas to share services, Explore Minnesota Tourism (EMT) and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism have concluded a fall radio partnership.

EMT utilized our partnership with the Minnesota Broadcasters Association, to air a radio flight of two 30-second ads between August 24, 2009 and September 13, 2009 on approximately 75 stations. One ad focused on Mississippi River bluff country and the second ad on the St. Croix River valley. Both encouraged travelers to explore both sides of the rivers.

In October, Wisconsin aired a 60-second ad via the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, approximately 195 stations. The ad used the Mississippi River super flyway bird migration as the hook to explore fall color among the bluffs, charming river towns, antiques, arts and crafts along the Upper Mississippi.

The two agencies will continue dialogue and are open to partnering on future marketing initiatives.

For the Minnesota/Wisconsin radio ads, click here.

Registration Opens for Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference

Registration for the 2010 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference – is open! Conference dates are January 26–27, 2010 at Cragun’s Resort in Brainerd.

The theme this year is “Achieving Success in the ‘New Normal’“- speakers and topics provide tools for responding to current market trends. Watch your mail for the conference brochure or click here for a complete schedule.

Registration rates reflect the shorter schedule that you requested: “Early registration” is $169, and second (and all subsequent) attendee rate is only $149. Online registration is preferred – a link to registration and hotel information is here.

Coop Advertising Opportunity for Resorts

Explore Minnesota Tourism has coordinated a new e-mail marketing program for resorts. Travel Spike, a leading online travel network, will be offering three Minnesota-based e-mail promotional opportunities. Reach over 250,000 opt-in recipients in the metropolitan area interested in your offer. E-mail blasts will be in May, June and August. Cost per insertion is $425, with discounts available for booking by December 31, 2009 and booking in multiple newsletters. Please contact Reid Mitnick at 516-431-4109 or reid@travelspike.com.

2010 Advertising Special on Graphic ads on www.ExploreMinnesota.com

Rates for electronic advertising on www.exploreminnesota.com have been set for 2010. Base cost for all graphic ads will be $300 per month. Explore Minnesota Tourism is offering a special discount for full year graphic ad purchases. The special rate is $3,000 for a full year, instead of $3,600. To qualify you must: (a) send in a contract and payment for a full calendar year, (b) we must receive it no later than December 31, 2009.

Demand on several pages of the site is strong and inventory is limited to no more than 15 advertisers per page.

Costs of the Web Packages A and B, Deals, and Sponsored Search Results will be held at 2009 rates. Advertisers purchasing B Packages after January 1, 2010, will also receive two free months of the Sponsored Search Results.


Copies of the contract can be found by clicking here.

For assistance with your advertising buys contact:

For Northeast and Twin Cities Metro regions, Tim Campbell at tim.campbell@state.mn.us or 888-876-6784

For Central, Northwest and Southern regions, David Bergman at david.bergman@state.mn.us or 888-563-7777

Spring/Summer Minnesota Explorer Community Listing

The deadline for communities and non-profit tourism promotion organizations to purchase a listing in the Spring/Summer 2010 Minnesota Explorer newspaper is November 30, 2010. Cost is $125 for Spring/Summer, and $325 for all 3 editions. E-mails containing the form were sent on November 10, 2009, and copies for those with no e-mail address were United States Postal Service mailed November 12, 2009. If you did not receive your form, please contact Tina Skala at tina.skala@state.mn.us, or 651-757-1848.

Performance and Event Survey for Spring/Summer 2010

Each year, Explore Minnesota Tourism surveys for performance and event information for free listings on exploreminnesota.com and in the Explorer newspaper.

For events around the period of April 1, 2010 through August 31, 2010, submissions should be updated through the extranet, e-mailed on a survey form, or postmarked no later than November 30, 2009. Solicitations for events were e-mailed on November 9, 2009 and items with no e-mail were mailed United States Postal Service on November 12, 2009. If you didn’t receive your notice and have an event to submit, please contact Kimberly Clarke at kimberly.clarke@state.mn.us or 651-757-1842 (800-657-4747) for a survey form or for your extranet login.

Travel Marketing Award Nominations Due November 27, 2009

Nominations for the 2009 Travel Marketing Awards, presented by Explore Minnesota Tourism are due by Friday, November 27, 2009. The awards recognize significant achievement in the promotion of travel and tourism into and throughout the state of Minnesota. The awards will be presented at the 2010 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference, January 26-27, 2010, at Cragun’s Resort and Conference Center near Brainerd.

The competitive awards are presented each year to tourism businesses and organizations for outstanding tourism advertising projects and promotions. Special recognition awards are presented to individuals and entities in recognition of major and lasting contributions to the promotion of the Minnesota travel product and dedication to Minnesota’s travel industry.

Copies of the guidelines are available by clicking here.

For more information contact Dave Bergman at 888-563-7777, 218-681-0997 or david.bergman@state.mn.us.

Minnesota in the News

The Governor’s Deer Opener, held in the Thief River Falls area November 6-7, 2009, reaped some significant coverage for Minnesota hunting.

Get the full details by clicking here.

Tourism Agreement on China-U.S. Cooperation

John Edman participated in the 3rd China-U.S. Tourism Directors Summit in Orlando last month. During the Summit, the Agreement on China-U.S. Strategic Cooperation in Tourism was signed, reaching agreement that tourism communications and cooperation is playing an increasingly important role in promoting bilateral friendly exchanges, expanding new ground for economic and commercial cooperation, as well as promoting the steady development of bilateral relations.

For more information on the Explore Minnesota Tourism China marketing program and opportunities, contact Paul Sherburne at 651-757-1867 or Paul.Sherburne@state.mn.us.

Electronic Marketing Tip

When updating the free portion of your accommodation listing, don’t forget to review the list of features and amenities. Our travel counselors get frequent requests for such items as swimming beach, pets accepted, boat & motor, swimming pool, camping hookups, and non-smoking rooms. The Explore Minnesota database is the information source for our customized travel planning service and for ExploreMinnesota.com. Listings can be updated online at http://extranet.exploreminnesota.com and entering your unique login id and password.

For more information, contact Kimberly Clarke at 651-757-1842 or Kimberly.Clarke@state.mn.us.

Batemans Named Congress of Minnesota Resorts Resorter’s of the Year

Bob and Jennifer Bateman of Two Inlet’s Resort near Park Rapids were presented the Resorter’s of the Year Award by the Congress of Minnesota Resorts (CMR) at the Association’s 2009 Fall Conference at Arrowwood Resort on November 2, 2009. The award is presented to operators that run a successful and progressive resort business, are involved in CMR activities, (seven years on the CMR board with three as president), provide service to the tourism industry at both a state and local level and are involved in community service in other areas.

Owners of their current property for thirteen years and purchasers of another property two years ago, the couple is also active on their chamber marketing committee, local bank board of directors, golf course board of directors and have volunteer duties with 4-H and Sunday school.

2010 Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Web Site Award

Nominations are open until the end of November 2009 for the 2010 Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Web site Award.

The Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Web site Award is a collaborative effort between Planeta.com and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to showcase best practices in Web-based technologies helping indigenous people manage tourism in a biodiversity-friendly way.

Organized with the support of the Heidehof Foundation, the award is presented to indigenous tourism operations for Web sites that promote sustainable practices and educate visitors on cultural protocols and biodiversity conservation.

For more details, visit: http://planeta.wikispaces.com/itbw, or contact Ron Mader at editor@planeta.com.

Created on … November 18, 2009 by Explore
Minnesota Tourism

Regular registration rate is $199 – registrations received without payment or postmarked after January 8, 2010

Multi-attendee rate is $149 – registration for the second and all subsequent registrations from the same organization

Other registrations:
Student rate – $80
Tuesday only – $75
Wednesday only – $100
Awards Dinner Guest – $35

Cancellation Policy: Any cancellations made prior to January 8 will be given a full refund.  Cancellations made January 9 or later or no shows will not receive any refund and must pay the full registration fee. Registrations ARE transferrable.

To register online click here
To print a registration form

Cragun’s Resort Lodging Reservations
Room rate is $79.09 single occupancy, $84.44 double occupancy

To register, print a registration form CragunsRes 
and fax to: 218 825-2727  or mail to:
Cragun’s Resort
11000 Craguns Drive
Brainerd, MN  56401

For more information on accommodation types call 800 272-4867 or go to www.Craguns.com

Welcome to EMT Express, providing bi-weekly news and tips for the people who market Minnesota tourism.

Articles in this edition:

Minnesota Lodging Performance Through 3rd Quarter of 2009

Recent lodging metrics for Minnesota show performance declines through the 3rd quarter of 2009. Two sets of graphs illustrate changes. The first set of graphs shows 2009 versus 2008 year-to-date change for Minnesota, Minnesota areas, the United States and the 7-state West North Central region. Minnesota tracks more closely with the United States than with the 7-state region on nearly every measure, including year-to-date declines in occupancy (-9.8%), room revenue (-14.2%) and revenue per available room (-16.4%). Lodging in the Minneapolis-Paul MSA, including all areas within it, has suffered more than the rest of the state over this time period.

The second set of graphs shows changes in statewide lodging performance on a month-by-month basis through September 2009. Here, we gain the perspective of change over time but lose the perspective of different geographic areas. Monthly occupancy and demand decreases were similar from January through July, before moderating somewhat in August and September. On the other hand, downward pressure has led to a gradual decrease in room rates over the 9-month period. This article and graphs are provided under permission granted by Smith Travel Research, Inc. (i.e., STR) – the source of the data.

Click here for the full article, including both sets of graphs.

Midwest Living Cooperative Advertising Deadline

The Explore Minnesota Tourism (EMT) eight-page cooperative ad insert deadline for the Mar/Apr issue is December 1, 2009. The EMT insert will reach 542,000 readers in seven states; an ad includes readers service and will be featured on DestinationMidwestLiving.com. Only a limited number of ads are available now.  For more information click here.

To reserve space, contact Kim Sommerfeldt, Midwest Living Account Manager at kim.sommerfeldt@meredith.com or 815-363-1417.

JATA – World Travel Fair Leads

New Japanese leads have been posted following the combined Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) Congress and World Travel Fair held in mid-September at Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center.

Paul Sherburne, Asia Marketing Manager for Explore Minnesota Tourism, met with tour operators and travel media during sales calls, at the Discover America Week Media Marketplace and in the Mississippi River Country trade show booth. While travel from Japan is down due to concerns of H1N1, the Japanese remain the #2 overseas travel source to the United States.

To view the leads click here. For further information contact Paul at 651-757-1867, 800-675-3600 or paul.sherburne@state.mn.us.

Registration Open for the Remaining Cultural Heritage Tourism Workshop November 9, 2009

The final Cultural Heritage Tourism Workshop will be at Bug-Bee Hive Resort in Paynesville on Monday, November 9, 2009. Sessions are geared towards helping lodging properties, attractions, events, arts and tourism organizations learn ways to market and promote more effectively together.

Results from the workshops have been remarkable – two new initiatives have been implemented by participants of the workshop in Two Harbors already and a small group at the New Ulm workshop plans to utilize the itinerary created at the final networking session.

To register, click here. For a complete agenda and more information on topics and speakers, click here.

Travel Marketing Awards to be Presented at the 2010 Tourism Conference

Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2009 Tourism Marketing Awards, presented by Explore Minnesota Tourism. The awards will be given at the Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference on January 26, 2010, at Cragun’s Resort near Brainerd.

Competitive awards are presented each year to tourism businesses and organizations for outstanding tourism advertising projects and promotions. Special recognition awards are presented to individuals and organizations in recognition of major and lasting contributions to Minnesota’s travel industry.

Copies of the guidelines are available by clicking here. Nomination forms must be submitted by Friday, November 27, 2009. For more information contact Dave Bergman at 888-563-7777 or david.bergman@state.mn.us.

ACHF Planning Sessions to be Held

The Minnesota Historical Society, the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Minnesota Humanities Center will host listening sessions to obtain public input for a 10-year plan and 25-year framework for the use of funds made available through the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF) on November 17, 2009, in the Twin Cities and November 18, 2009, in Marshall. All sessions will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Members of the public are encouraged to attend. An online survey will also be available at www.ACHFMinnesota.org.

For more information about the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, details about upcoming listening sessions, and the online survey, visit www.ACHFMinnesota.org.

The results of this collaborative planning process will be reported to the legislature by January 15, 2010.

Chris Ruttger Named Resorter of the Year

Chris Ruttger, Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge was named 2009 Resorter of the Year by the Minnesota Resort and Campground Association at their annual conference.

Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge has been in the family since 1898. Chris oversees the resort including two golf courses, convention center, three restaurants and 500 acres. He gives of his time and talents serving on national, state and local committees. He initiated and is actively working with Tourism Center and Explore Minnesota Tourism to explore the future of resorting in Minnesota.

Congratulations Chris on this well deserved recognition!

Created on … November 4, 2009 by Explore
Minnesota Tourism

 Tuesday, January 26, 2010
10:00 a.m.      Group Tour & Packaged Travel Meeting   

11:00 a.m.      MACVB Silent Auction opens                      

 1:00 p.m.       Conference opens
Explore Minnesota Tourism Report – John Edman

Keynote Presentation – Thomas Winninger
“MarketQuake 2020: Growing Your  Recovery Strategy”

2:30 p.m.      Break – Travel Marketplace opens

3:00 p.m.      Breakout Session I

• When You Start With a Blank Sheet of Paper Anything’s Possible
• Getting More Greenbacks by Going Green
• Exciting New Opportunities on exploreminnesota.com
• The New Tour & Packaged Travel Market

  4:00 p.m.         General Session Speaker – David Sheatsley, USTA
                              “Economic Review and Outlook for Travel and Tourism”

  6:00 p.m.      Opening Reception in Travel Marketplace

  7:00 p.m.    Excellence in Tourism Awards Banquet

 Wednesday. January 27, 2010
 7:30 a.m.   Breakfast

 8:30 a.m.        General Session Speaker – Dave Roberts
                             Regional Manager, Intercontinental Hotels Group
            ”A Bold Approach to Business Growth – Re-Branding Holiday Inns”

 9:30 a.m.        Break in the Travel Marketplace

 9:45 a.m.         MACVB Silent Auction closes

 9:45 a.m.         Tourism Topics in the Marketplace
                      Exhibitors/sponsors give 2 -15 minute “mini-seminars”

 10:30 a.m.      Breakout Session II

• Social Media How and Why
• Online Travel Companies: Implications for Minnesota Lodging
• Capturing a Growing Canadian Market

11:45 a.m.      Lunch – Keynote Speaker Belinda Jensen
                            KARE 11 Chief Meteorologist                              

  1:00 p.m.       Breakout Session III

• Tips from a Meeting Planner: Responding to the ‘New Normal’
• Putting Tourism Research to Work for Your Organization
• Choosing the Media That’s Right for You
• Positioning Your Community in the Sports Marketing Arena  

  2:15 p.m.  General Session Speaker – Andrew Eklund
                      “Social Media Exposed!: What It Can and Can’t Do For You” 

                       Wrap up session and prize give-away

  3:30 p.m.      Conference ends

Two sets of graphs are provided to illustrate changes in lodging performance through the 3rd quarter of 2009. In the first set of graphs, 2009 versus 2008 year-to-date change is shown for Minnesota, Minnesota areas, the U.S. and the 7-state West North Central region. Minnesota tracks more closely with the U.S. than with the 7-state region on nearly every measure (i.e., year over year changes in occupancy, supply, demand, revenue, room rates and revenue per available room – RevPAR). Lodging in the Minneapolis-St Paul MSA (i.e., "metro region"), including all areas within it, has suffered more than the rest of the state over this time period. The Minnesota South Area is the only greater Minnesota area with decreases in both occupancy (-12.5%) and demand (-8.8%) that are at levels similar to those found in the metro region (-12.3% occupancy change and -7.4% demand change) through the 3rd quarter. However, unlike the metro region, the Minnesota South Area has not experienced a substantial decrease in room rates, and in fact has a 1.1% room rate increase compared with a decline of 11.1% for the metro region. The three graphs on the right illustrate a clear metro/greater MN divide on lodging financial performance measures.

The Minneapolis area had, by far, the biggest increase in room supply (8.8%) through the 3rd quarter of 2009, followed by the Minnesota South Area (4.2%) and Rochester (3.8%). Along with Minneapolis, Bloomington went through a similar lodging expansion in 2008. However, unlike Bloomington, the Minneapolis expansion continued into 2009. Even though other areas within the metro region suffered similar revenue decreases through the 3rd quarter of 2009, the Minneapolis room supply increase is reflected in the greatest decreases in average room rate (-14.6%) and RevPAR (-27.3%) of any area. These Minneapolis decreases compare with a statewide room rate decrease of 7.3% and RevPAR decrease of 16.4%. It is important to keep in mind that all of these measures are impacted by the RNC during the 2008 time period being compared against. The impact is most notable when looking at monthly changes for September, discussed below, and is minimized when looking at the full 9-month period.

The second set of graphs illustrates changes in statewide lodging performance on a month-by-month basis through September 2009. Here, we gain the perspective of change over time but lose the perspective of different geographic areas of the state. Monthly occupancy and demand decreases were similar from January through July, before moderating somewhat in August and September. On the other hand, downward pressure has led to a gradual decrease in room rates over the 9-month period. August and (especially) September rate decreases reflect the impact of the RNC on higher prices during these months in 2008. We’re getting far enough into the economic downturn that year-over-year comparisons are starting to reflect lower bases from a year ago.

A quick rundown of Minnesota year-to-date (through 3rd quarter) measures for 2009 compared to year-to-date measures for 2008 helps illustrate what a difference a year can make. The 2009 numbers can be found on the "Minnesota" lines of the first set of attached graphs:

Year-to-date (YTD) MN occupancy change: -9.8% for 2009 (compared to 2008) versus -2.5% for 2008 (compared to 2007)

YTD MN supply change: +2.7% for 2009 versus +2.2% for 2008
YTD MN demand change: -7.4% for 2009 versus -0.4% for 2008
YTD MN revenue change: -14.2% for 2009 versus +4.5% for 2008
YTD MN room rate change: -7.3% for 2009 versus +4.9% for 2008
YTD MN RevPAR change: -16.4% for 2009 versus +2.2% for 2008

Click on the accompanying graphs of Minnesota lodging performance to enlarge them.

Smoky the Bear

Welcome to EMT Express, providing bi-weekly news and tips for the people who market Minnesota tourism.

Articles in this edition:

September 2009 Inquiries & Statistics

ExploreMinnesota.com Web Statistics for September 2009

Travel Promotion Act Passes U.S. House

H.R. 1035, the Travel Promotion Act has passed the U.S. House. It has now been sent back over to the Senate for concurrence. The final vote tally in the House was 358-66. Passage of this Act would allow a significant increase in international promotion of the United States.

More information on the Travel Promotion Act can be found at: http://www.tia.org/pressmedia/pressrec.asp?Item=998

Governor Pawlenty Appoints Morrissey to Explore Minnesota Tourism Council

Governor Tim Pawlenty has appointed William Morrissey to the Explore Minnesota Tourism Council. Morrissey, of Eagan, is the president and owner of Morrissey Hospitality Inc., a St. Paul-based hospitality management and consulting company employing over 1000 hospitality professionals in restaurants, hotels, and sports entertainment venues. Morrissey is a representative of restaurants on the Explore Minnesota Tourism Council and will complete a four-year term that expires on January 3, 2011.

Climb on the Discount Bandwagon for Canadians

We’ve had tremendous response for the recent Par Pricing discount program for the Canadian market. Currently over 30 hotels, resorts, B&Bs, retail establishments and attractions are on board. We can always use more, including restaurants and services. It’s a great means to secure additional business from an important market. And with a limited audience: only so many travelers are out there with a Canadian passport, driver’s license or CAA card!

To include your establishment in our program, sign on our Industry Web site here. Current listings are found at www.ExploreMinnesota.com/CanadaParPricing.

SMTA to Hold Meeting and Seminar in Faribault

The Southern Minnesota Tourism Association (SMTA) will hold their November meeting on Thursday, November 12, 2009 in Faribault. The meeting is open to the public with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. Registration fee is $10 and includes lunch. Pat Simmons, Explore Minnesota Tourism’s research manager will present “Economic Impact of Travel and Travel Profiles for southern Minnesota.” To RSVP, call 888-975-6766 by November 6, 2009.

Explore Southern Minnesota Guide Receives Graphic Excellence Award

At the Printing Industries of Wisconsin Graphic Excellence Awards for 2009, the Explore Southern Minnesota Guide earned a Best of Division Award. The Explore Southern Minnesota Guide is an annual publication which is used as fulfillment for southern Minnesota’s marketing efforts, plus it’s distributed at information centers and inserted in targeted upper Midwest newspapers. Publisher for the 2009 issue was Itineraries Midwest Inc. Congratulations southern Minnesota and Itineraries Midwest.

MnDOT Seeks Public Input for Minnesota’s First Statewide Rail Plan

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is hosting a second round of open houses to share and collect information on the development of the Minnesota Comprehensive Statewide Freight and Passenger Rail Plan. The meetings give supporters of high-speed rail along the Mississippi River a chance to make their voices heard. Join us Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead, and on Thursday, October 22, 2009 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Best Western N. Mankato. If you can’t attend the meetings, share your thoughts on high-speed rail in Minnesota by clicking here or e-mailing comments to: StateRailPlan@dot.state.mn.us

Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund

The Minnesota Historical Society, the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Minnesota Humanities Center will host a series of listening sessions to obtain public input for a 10-year plan and 25-year framework for the use of funds made available through the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Input will be used to develop a plan for how proceeds of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund will be spent. The first session will be held at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul on October 21, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. An online survey will also be available.

For more information about the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, times and locations of upcoming public hearings and the online survey, visit www.ACHFMinnesota.org.

Position Available

The Airport Foundation MSP is looking for a full-time Administrative Coordinator. The starting salary is $35,000/year with full benefits. The ideal candidate will have exceptional computer, organizational and planning skills. For information, or to e-mail your resume, contact:

Jana Vaughn
Executive Director
Airport Foundation MSP
MSP International Airport Room D2040
St Paul MN 55111
612-726-5235
e-mail: jana.vaughn@mspmac.org

Created on … October 20, 2009 by Explore
Minnesota Tourism

Welcome to EMT Express, providing bi-weekly news and tips for the people who market Minnesota tourism.

Articles in this edition:

Travel Marketing Award Nominations Sought

Nominations for the 2009 Travel Marketing Awards, presented by Explore Minnesota Tourism are due by Friday, November 27, 2009. The awards recognize significant achievement in the promotion of travel and tourism into and throughout the state of Minnesota. The awards will be presented at the 2010 Minnesota Conference on Tourism, January 26-27, at Cragun’s Resort and Conference Center near Brainerd, Minnesota.

Competitive Awards are presented to tourism businesses and organizations for outstanding tourism advertising projects and promotions. Special Recognition Awards are presented to individuals and entities in recognition of major and lasting contributions to the promotion of the Minnesota travel product and dedication to Minnesota’s travel industry.

Guidelines are available by clicking here.

For more information contact Dave Bergman at 888-563-7777, 218-681-0997 or david.bergman@state.mn.us.

Check Your Listings and Links

Please take a look at your listing on www.exploreminnesota.com to see if it’s all you want it to be. We encourage you to make any changes that you think will make it more informative and enticing to those who visit the Web site.

Please also check and make sure that any link from your site to www.exploreminnesota.com still works; many urls changed after the site was relaunched.

Early Registration Deadline Near for New Ulm Cultural Heritage Workshop

The regional Cultural Heritage Tourism workshops have been rated very highly. Topics at the workshops include online marketing trends, creating partnerships and prioritizing advertising budgets. A popular aspect of the workshop is the networking opportunities as participants are reporting many new and productive connections made with other organizations!

Register today for the New Ulm workshop at Turner Hall on Wednesday, October 14, 2009!

Sign up by Wednesday, October 7, 2009 for $45. The rate will be $59 after that date.

To register click here

For a complete agenda and more information on topics and speakers click here

The final workshop will be in Paynesville at Bug Bee-Hive Resort on November 9, 2009.

A Crash Course in Group Sales

Please join us for our fall Group and Packaged Travel meeting on October 22, 2009, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Avenue So, St Cloud.

Pre-registration of $60 includes a day long educational session called “A Crash Course in Group Sales” for newcomers as well as seasoned industry interested in promoting their destinations, properties and attractions to the group tour market. Our guest presenter, Chris Harrower is the Group Sales Director for Dutch Apple Dinner Theater in Lancaster County, PA as well as the National Group Sales Director for the Prather Entertainment Group. Space is limited. Registration includes speaker, handouts, lunch, breaks, and museum admission. Deadline for registration is Monday, October 12, 2009.

For more information, click here. Questions? Contact Mary Ann Steen: 651-757-1871, 800-657-3600 or maryann.steen@state.mn.us.

Meet in Minnesota

The conference facility page on MeetInMinnesota.com is taking off! We have had a great response from facilities around Minnesota. Mankato just listed over 30 of its conference facilities. List your conference facility by sending the name of the conference facility, name of the community, tourism region, and a Web site link (URL) to peter.dian@state.mn.us. For purposes of listing on this page, a conference facility is defined as: a facility that is designed and built to host conferences, exhibitions, large meetings, seminars, training sessions, etc. This definition includes most conference resorts/hotels. It is free to list your conference facility on MeetinMinnesota.com.

Minnesota in the News

Participants in the Travel Leadership Summit (l-r): Doug Killian, Sam Thompson, John Edman, Senator Klobuchar, Bonnie Carlson, Colleen Tollefson, Julie Larson and Sunny Bhatka. Not pictured: Randy Gutzmann and Steve Russell.

Explore Minnesota Tourism’s media staff works to bring stories and story ideas to the media. Here is some of the most recent, higher-profile coverage. Here is some of the most recent, higher-profile coverage..

MFEA Fall Conference

The Minnesota Festivals and Events Association (MFEA) 2009 Fall Conference will be Thursday, October 22, 2009 at the Best Western Country Inn, in White Bear Lake. The program includes a sponsorship workshop with Beth Pinkney of the St. Paul Winter Carnival, roundtable discussions-Greening your Event, Working with Vendors/Suppliers, Non-sponsored revenues, Social Marketing, and more. For complete program, fees and registration information go to: www.mfea.net/workshops.htm.

Created on … October 7, 2009 by Explore
Minnesota Tourism

For more information: 2010 Travel Marketing Award Guidelines

August 2009 Inquiries

Minnesota Tourism Representatives Go to Washington

As part of the Travel Leadership Summit, nine representatives of Minnesota’s tourism industry met with our congressional delegation and their staff to convey the importance of tourism to Minnesota. Issues of importance included:

• An international campaign to encourage travel to the United States;
• Use of technology to grow the number of tourists visiting the United States;
• Expanding the Temporary Worker Visa Processing/Guest Worker Program;
• Providing access to a legal workforce; passing comprehensive immigration reform;
• Funding transportation infrastructure; and
• Ensuring that online travel company taxes are given needed hearings and analysis.

The Travel Promotion Act (S.1023) which would fund international promotion was passed by the U.S. Senate about a week ago and now action is needed in the House. Senator Amy Klobuchar played a lead role in its Senate passage. The bill establishes a $10 fee for travelers to the U.S. The money will support a new agency to promote tourism.

October 1 Deadline for 2010 Partnership Applications

2010 partnership grant applications must be postmarked by Thursday, October 1, 2009. Organizational Partnership grants up to $10,000 and grants up to $2,500 to Scenic Byway organizations are available. Guidelines with more detail are on the industry website by clicking here. Contact information for Regional Managers is listed in the guidelines if you have additional questions.

For those organizations that submitted a pre-application for the Innovative Marketing Program, the final application for this program must also be postmarked by Thursday, October 1, 2009.

Early Registration Deadline Near for Two Cultural Heritage Tourism Workshops

Following the first Cultural Heritage workshop individual sessions and topics were rated “Very Informative” by 80% of those that completed an evaluation.

Don’t delay – sign up today!

Two Harbors, Grand Superior Lodge October 1, 2009

Saint Paul, Minnesota History Center October 5, 2009

Sign up by Thursday, September 24, 2009 to receive the discounted rate of $45 for the Two Harbors workshop, and by Monday, September 28, 2009 to receive the discounted rate for the workshop in Saint Paul.

To register, click here.

For a complete agenda and more information on topics and speakers, click here.

Workshops are also being offered in New Ulm on October 14, 2009 and Paynesville on November 9, 2009.

New Travel Trade Leads Posted

Leads are now available from the 2009 Student Youth Tour Association (SYTA) Conference in Norfolk, Virginia, August 28-September 1, 2009. Parents and teachers are seeing that travel is essential to a complete education. The hands-on, experiential learning that occurs through travel helps students understand and remember concepts to apply in the classroom. The student tour operators rely on the tourism industry’s expertise to locate performance and educational
venues for the tours. To become a valuable SYTA member check out www.syta.org.

For leads and more information for Minnesota tourism industry professionals, please click here.

2011 Governor’s Fishing Event Proposal Deadline

The deadline to submit proposals for the 2011 Governor’s Fishing Opener event is Thursday, October 1, 2009. Please remember, proposals must be received by this date. This event is held annually and is sponsored by Explore Minnesota Tourism and a host community/tourism organization.

Event Dates: Thursday through Sunday, May 12-15, 2011.

For information on submitting proposals, contact Carol Altepeter at carol.altepeter@state.mn.us or 1-888-629-6466.

For information about the Governor’s Fishing Opener, visit our Web site at www.mngovernorsopener.com

TV Advertising Opportunity – Minnesota Twins 2010 TV on FSN

Explore Minnesota Tourism (EMT) is offering a 2010 Minnesota Twins TV ad package for up to three Minnesota tourism advertisers to buy as the Twins start their inaugural season at Target Field.

Twins TV ad package cost is $20,000 for approximately 15 thirty-second spots to run April-June 2010. Ads will rotate with EMT ads during game broadcasts on Fox Sports North (FSN).

The EMT Twins ad package is open to new FSN Twins advertisers only. Tourism industry TV ads must be supplied by advertiser. A $2,500 commitment is required by November 1, 2009.

For more information, contact Bob Erler bob.erler@state.mn.us
, 651-757-1846, or click here.

Electronic Marketing Tip

Did you know that you can update your listing any time you need to make a change? Listings can be entered or updated directly by tourism businesses and organizations online at: extranet.exploreminnesota.com. The Explore Minnesota database is the information source for the Journey travel planning service and for exploreminnesota.com. For more information, contact Kimberly Clarke at Kimberly.Clarke@state.mn.us.

Extranet business location screen

Minnesota Heartland to Hold 42nd Annual Meeting

Minnesota Heartland Tourism Association will hold its 42nd annual meeting on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at the Lodge on Lake Detroit, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. John Edman, Director of Explore Minnesota Tourism, will provide insight on current tourism trends and a look at the state’s marketing efforts.

The meeting begins at 11:00 a.m. and will include updates on regional marketing and special recognitions. Registration is $25 and includes lunch. Advance registration is necessary. For information, contact the Northwest and Central region office at 888-629-6466 or Sandra.anderson@state.mn.us.

Caledonia Chamber Wins in Community Pride Competition

Caledonia Chamber of Commerce’s “Quilting the Countryside” project was honored as a winner in the Minnesota Community Pride competition at the Minnesota State Fair, September 6, 2009. The project won the Best of Class for Arts and Culture award and a $500 cash prize. The project received one of Explore Minnesota Tourism’s 2009 Innovative Grants. Over 30 communities from across Minnesota, including communities both large and small, were competing for the awards.

Preparing for Flu Season

Businesses in the travel industry will play a key role in protecting the health and safety of their personnel and travelers in the months ahead. The Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Centers for Disease Control have developed a checklist to assist the travel community in making appropriate preparations. The entire checklist may be found at www.flu.gov or by clicking here.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association has released “H1N1 Influenza Management in Hotels,” a guide for lodging properties. The guide can be downloaded from www.ahla.com/flu.

Parks and Trails Legacy Grant Program

Applications are now being accepted for the new Parks and Trails Legacy Grant Program administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). These grants help local governments acquire, develop, restore and maintain parks and trails of regional or statewide significance. Funding for this program comes from the Parks and Trails Fund, created by the Minnesota Legislature from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

The overall program is called the Parks and Trails Legacy Grant Program which consists of the Regional Park Legacy, Regional Trail Legacy and Solar Energy Legacy Grant Programs. More information and applications for these grant programs is available at here. The application deadline is November 13, 2009.

Created on … September 23, 2009 by Explore Minnesota Tourism