Statewide News

Get in the game at the 2006 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism

IBOT and Visit Illinois are in the final stages of preparation for the 2006 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism, and it’s time for industry MVPs to start warming up for The Main Event!

Each year Illinois tourism professionals come together for the industry’s premier event for invaluable educational sessions covering the latest trends and issues and first-rate networking opportunities. And this year attendees are in for a definite home run!

Nationally renowned experts and business leaders will share their wisdom and offer compelling ideas all geared towards the Illinois industry. NBC technology expert and Oprah’s Internet go-to guy, Omar Wasow, will identify ways to market and revamp Web sites to reach travelers more effectively. Famed Illinois restaurateur and president of Harry Caray’s Restaurant, Grant DePorter, will share tips from the restaurant trade and provide real life business experiences to learn from. Keith Powell, an inspiring business and life coach, will help unleash everyone’s creative energy and inspire new ways to infuse originality into projects or business plans.

The dynamic educational roster can’t be beat with industry experts speaking on topics such as diversity marketing, strategic media messaging, ground-breaking buzz marketing trends and customer service magic. President of the Indiana Motor Speedway, Joie Chitwood, will drive home the potential economic impact of successful sports marketing, and Joe Veneto of Opportunities Unlimited and Brad Weber of Gray Line Worldwide will help attendees discover the key experiences that make some travel products so desirable.

At the conference highlight—the annual State of the State Address—Jack Lavin, director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and Jan Kostner, deputy director of the Bureau of Tourism, will highlight the state’s impressive tourism accomplishments. They’ll speak to the importance of tourism in Illinois as a tool for economic development and discuss the industry’s commitment to victory in winning the tourism game.

Additionally, the annual silent auction—which benefits Illinois tourism students—will be filled with not-to-be-missed items including a $12,000 advertisement in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; sports memorabilia autographed by former Chicago Bear Tom Waddle; a four-day family fun package in Springfield, complete with passes to explore a water park, race go-karts, tackle a miniature golf course and see the latest blockbuster movie; and three days of unlimited golf at the Eagle Creek Resort in Findlay with all the trimmings including a two-night hotel stay with dinner for two, unlimited ball buckets at the driving range and cart rental.

Though it might be hard to top the opening night icebreaker reception or “Pep Rally” at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, sports fans are sure to have a blast at the “Illinois: Home Court Advantage” second night social. This exciting evening event will feature a variety of games including Pop-a-Shot and Golden Tee®, bountiful food including everyone’s favorite stadium fare, as well as fun music and dancing. Attendees are then invited to toast the evening’s victory at a festive after-hours social sponsored by the Western Illinois Tourism Development Office and the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association.

Illinois tourism partners should take advantage of this opportunity to be on top of their game by registering today! A complete lineup of speakers, sessions and registration information is available at www.iltourismconference.org or by calling 888-658-0749.

Illinois tourism celebrates Black History Month at new museum

Travelers have the perfect opportunity to add a meaningful educational component to their next trip by visiting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in February during Black History Month.

The museum pays tribute to the author of the Emancipation Proclamation and revisits the harsh reality of slavery in America while celebrating African-American freedom fighters. Museum visitors travel through a series of “journeys,” where several facets of Lincoln’s life and political career are highlighted. “The Slave Auction” journey is a compelling depiction of a family divided as its members are auctioned off to slave owners. The museum immerses guests in the experience, recreating the painful realities of slavery during America’s most divisive period.

Another journey brings visitors to lifelike figures of Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth waiting for the opportunity to speak with the president outside a replica of the White House. Once inside, visitors will see Mrs. Lincoln being fitted for a dress by Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave who became her dressmaker and closest confidant during the war years.

The museum is an ideal travel option for the growing number of Americans who enjoy cultural travel. According to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), an estimated 75 percent of travelers—109.8 million Americans—participate in some sort of cultural activity as part of their vacation experience. TIA also notes that cultural events and activities are a primary element of most African-American travel itineraries.

Beaman, Inc., IBOT’s African-American marketing agency of record, is actively pursuing media attention for the museum throughout Black History Month. For more information or to order the “See What’s Up in Illinois” African-American travel guide, visit www.soulfulillinois.com.

A tasty program this spring

IBOT continues to actively promote unique Illinois destinations to an international audience. This spring, proactive media relations campaigns centered on Chicago and Illinois’ world-class dining offerings will take place in both the UK and Germany.

To kick off the campaign, key media in each market will receive creative mailers highlighting culinary destinations throughout the state. Resembling a dining menu, each mailer will tease media by touting restaurants of interest—from celebrity chef-owned establishments to ethnic neighborhood dining.

The cornerstone of the spring dining promotion will be UK and German group media fam trips to be held in late spring. IBOT and the Chicago Office of Tourism will manage an itinerary incorporating Chicago and Illinois’ rich culinary culture and offer media dining experiences that appeal to every taste.

To lend additional support to the mailer and fam trips, IBOT continues to have discussions with other culinary-focused media outlets in the UK and Germany and foster positive relationships with restaurateurs throughout Illinois.

Bon Appétit!

Right on par in Illinois

As spring approaches, many Illinois golf courses and resorts are getting ready for an influx of visitors. In the past year, one in eight U.S. travelers (17.3 million) played golf while on a trip of 100 miles or more from home. With 675 golf courses across the state, Illinois is a first-class vacation spot for golf enthusiasts.

Notable courses include Chicago’s Harborside International Golf Course, which covers more than 450 acres of manicured greens and offers stunning views of the Chicago skyline, and Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa, home to four courses that help make a weekend getaway in Galena truly extraordinary. Golfers will also enjoy Bloomington’s Prairie Vista Golf Course, which earned Golf Digest’s "Places to Play" four-star rating, and WeaverRidge Golf Course in Peoria, where a famed Sunday brunch complements a day on the green. Stone Creek Golf Club and Resort in Makanda hosts 11 rustic cabins, allowing golfers to enjoy the breathtaking scenery for more than one afternoon, and the demanding Annbriar Golf Course in Waterloo challenges players to bring their top game.

Illinois is also host to major tournaments in 2006, including the PGA Championship in Medinah and the John Deere Classic in the Quad Cities, both of which are sure to draw visitors near and far.

Golf travelers averaged 2.6 trips last year and with Illinois’ countless options and top-rated courses, that number is sure to increase in the Land of Lincoln. This season should be a hole in one!

Explore the lives of Lincoln, Grant and Reagan this President’s Day

President’s Day, Feb. 20, is an ideal time to learn more about three of Illinois’ most prominent native sons—Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Ronald Reagan. Travelers can discover the legacies of these great men through a wealth of historic sites across Illinois that provide insight into the life and times of each.

Abraham Lincoln
While the 16th president of the United States was born in Hodgenville, Ky., he spent the majority of his life in Illinois, establishing his family and honing his legal career. Today, Central Illinois preserves many historic landmarks where Lincoln once worked and lived, including The Lincoln Home National Historic Site, where the centerpiece is Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln’s Springfield home. The area includes a visitor center and several other restored houses featuring exhibits that explore Lincoln’s life as a husband, father, politician and president-elect. The newest addition to the Lincoln landscape is the highly acclaimed Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which takes visitors on an immersive journey through Lincoln’s life.

The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, a consortium of 12 communities and more than 25 historic sites with a common Lincoln history, offers detailed information and itinerary suggestions.

For more information about the coalition, visit www.lookingforlincoln.com. For more information about the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, visit www.alplm.org.

Ulysses S. Grant
Described by military historian J. F. C. Fuller as “the greatest general of his age and one of the greatest strategists of any age,” Galena’s own Ulysses S. Grant was a famed national military hero and the 18th president of the United States. Grant resided in Galena a total of more than five years throughout his life, and today Galena preserves many celebrated Grant landmarks. At the U.S. Grant Home Historic Site, visitors can explore Grant’s 1860s brick home presented to him by townspeople when he returned as a victorious Civil War general. Evening tours are offered on special weekends each June and September to showcase the Ulysses S. Grant Home by lamplight. Picnicking facilities are available at the U.S. Grant Home Park located across the street from the site. Travelers should also be sure to visit the Elihu B. Washburne House where Grant learned he would be president via telegraph.

For more information, visit www.state.il.us/HPA/hs/Galena.htm.

Ronald Reagan
Born in Tampico, Ronald Reagan spent his boyhood in Illinois and attended Eureka College before becoming the governor of California and eventually the 40th president of the United States. Illinois’ Ronald Reagan Trail, which connects 11 Illinois communities that played a role in Reagan’s life, includes such historic landmarks as Reagan’s birthplace and his boyhood home. The Reagan family’s apartment above a bakery on Tampico’s main street is decorated as it had been when the Reagans lived there in the early 1900s. Reagan memorabilia from the president’s childhood, acting career and terms in office can be viewed at the visitor center below the apartment. To honor Reagan, Gov. Blagojevich recently renamed the portion of I-88 between Sterling and the Quad Cities “The Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway.”

For more information, visit www.ronaldreagantrail.net.

Treat your valentine with a romantic getaway to an Illinois winery

This Valentine’s Day, visitors are invited to celebrate with a romantic getaway to Illinois wine country. Travelers can take a scenic drive to a winery and enjoy cozy atmospheres, beautiful views of rolling vineyards, gourmet foods and award-winning varietals. Many wineries throughout the state are hosting unique Valentine’s Day events, and several Illinois wineries also feature bed and breakfast suites for an entire weekend of relaxation and romance.

Sweet-toothed sweethearts won’t want to miss August Hill Winery’s Wine & Chocolate Lovers Celebration in Utica, where they can meet the owners of Lansing-based Gayety’s Candy Company, famous for their hand-dipped chocolates. Couples looking to escape the winter weather can get cozy at Massbach Ridge Winery’s Cabin Fever Open House in Elizabeth, and valentines can wine and dine at Lasata Winery’s Sweetheart Weekend dinner in Lawrenceville. Wine enthusiasts and first-time tasters are also invited to join Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery in Chicago for a special winemaking seminar and dinner.

The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing the viticulture and enology interests of Illinois, is conducting media relations to promote the wineries’ romantic Valentine’s Day events throughout the state. For more information, visit www.illinoiswine.com.