| Statewide News
2005 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism
Visit Illinois and IBOT are pleased to raise the curtain on the 2005 Governor’s Conference, themed “Setting the Stage,” at the Chicago Hilton March 29-31, 2005. This annual conference is the place to learn tourism best practices, enhance your marketing knowledge and awareness of industry trends, and hear from renowned national speakers – all while having fun and making valuable contacts. We hope our partners from across the state are ready for a show-stopping good time!
Watch your mail for early bird registration information and take advantage of the outstanding early bird rates. If you are interested in becoming a conference sponsorand/or participating in the trade show, please contact Patrick Snyder of Visit Illinois at 312/658-0749 or psnyder@visitillinois.net. If you would like to make a donation to the silent auction, please contact Marge Heissinger at 217/525-7980 or citdo@visitcentralillinois.com, or Roger Carmack at 309/837-7460 or rcarmack@macomb.com.
Miles of magnificent holiday events and festivals
Illinois is home to a winter wonderland of traditional holiday events and festivals this month. Highlights around the state include: Marshall Field’s annual holiday window display with this year’s theme tracing the classic story of “Snow White”; the perfect setting for shopping at the Countryside Christmas in historic Long Grove; the Taste of Christmas with tours at local bed and breakfasts in Galena; Prairie Christmas at the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site in Lerna; the nostalgic “Winter Wonderettes” in Peoria; New Year’s Eve at First Night Greater Centralia; and Christmas Wonderland lights tour at Rock Springs Park in Alton.
IBOT offers additional information on winter festivals, events and attractions through its travel counselors at 1-800-2CONNECT or at the Bureau’s Web site, www.enjoyillinois.com.
Fall e-newsletter showcases Illinois is ripe for the picking
As the rich fall colors started to turn throughout the state, IBOT’s fall e-newsletter arrived in the e-mail inboxes of nearly 80,000 potential travelers. The fall “picks of the season” included the Magnificent 3-Day Getaways, Fall-O-Ween (SM) festivals, antiquing and the new Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years exhibit at Chicago’s Field Museum. The fall edition also provided a list of events throughout the state and a link to www.enjoyillinois.com to order Illinois’ fall travel kit.
The winter e-newsletter will keep visitors busy with ideas for bald eagle watching, romantic restaurants and spas, and will feature a spotlight on Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch in Rantoul. The winter edition will be distributed mid-December. If you would like to be added to the e-newsletter distribution list, please contact Brad Strauss at bstrauss@ildceo.net.
A room of your own
Three buildings in Chicago’s historic Printing House Row district are being transformed into the city’s newest boutique hotel. Named the Blake, for a British firm that developed fonts for the printing industry, the new hotel will be operated by Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, a San Francisco company known for upscale pet-friendly properties in urban downtowns. But unlike other Kimpton-managed hotels, the Blake will be a condominium hotel, which means that most of its 163 rooms and suites will be owned by individuals who will get a portion of the rental proceeds.
Source: Crain’s Chicago
Illinois showcased at WTM
Last month, Illinois hosted a booth at the 2004 World Travel Market (WTM) in London, one of the world’s premier travel trade shows. Deputy Director Jan Kostner represented IBOT, and along with the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, hosted a media reception that conveyed state tourism messages to nearly two dozen members of the British news media such as Essentially America, The Independent and Boy’s Toys. The gathering mainly focused on the highly anticipated spring opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. The library opened in October 2004.
The team, which also included Alison Hough, international marketing manager for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, met with more than 20 top tour operators and various airline and hotel executives during the fair. More than 44,000 industry professionals from over 190 countries attended the show.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Commerce launched its U.S. Tourism Promotion Campaign pilot program targeting the UK. Illinois is a partner in the campaign, which is themed around the film and entertainment industry in the U.S. The Web site, www.seeamerica.org.co.uk, garnered much attention among conference attendees.
Bringing the world to Illinois
Top international media continue to flock to Illinois as its status as a premier destination continues to draw attention. In November, the IBOT team, Chicago Office of Tourism and The Peninsula Chicago hosted a group of four German media and helped them to discover the allure of the Magnificent Mile, Chicago’s rich German heritage, and the diverse attractions of Chicagoland. In addition, they were invited to indulge at The Berghoff Restaurant, Giordano’s Pizzeria and The Peninsula Hotel’s Avenues restaurant. As a result of the trip, Chicago is expected to get coverage in multiple, high-circulation daily newspapers across Germany.
Journalists from the UK also recognize Chicago as a top leisure destination. Lucy Miller from Daily Express, a leading London newspaper with a daily circulation of more than 1 million, visited November 14-17. Miller stayed at the world-famous Drake Hotel and was able to experience some of Chicago’s distinctive attractions, including The Magnificent Mile and Millennium Park. Miller’s architecture-focused story is scheduled to appear in the Travel section before the end of the year.
Chicago goes live in the UK
IBOT recently launched Go Press (www.gochicago.com/press) for the UK market, a convenient media resource for international media.
The new Web site, written specifically for the UK audience, provides current and archived press releases about Chicago and Illinois that offer a sneak peek into the Land of Lincoln. The press center also includes information for public relations contacts in London and Chicago so that media can receive direct assistance as necessary. A press center will soon be provided for German media as well. |
