We are very proud to name Brett Stawar, executive director of the Alton Regional Convention and Tourism Bureau, as our first ITN “Success Story.” For this new feature, we will look at tourism industry leaders whose success can be used as examples of how to develop fresh ideas to promote Illinois.

Brett is an Alton native and has a long history of more than 15 years working in the area. In October 2004, he joined Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau as the president/CEO. The Alton CVB represents northwestern Madison, Jersey and Calhoun counties. The region is filled with hundreds of popular tourism attractions, including the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site and Interpretive Center, the National Great Rivers Museum, the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, various Civil War and Underground Railroad historic sites, Raging Rivers Water Park, eight golf courses, nearly 20 quaint B&Bs and much more.

Stawar is most proud of his work in strengthening relationships with cities that are shifting toward tourism as a means of economic development. According to Stawar, “After my first year of work, we started a tourism summit that recapped the significant contributions the CVB made to the region. Right after that meeting, a non-believer in tourism and our CVB approached me and said that he now understands what it is we are doing to improve our local communities. What a testimony to the work that each of us does at the bureau.”

That work has truly paid off in one way that is essential to area tourism – eagle watching. The Alton CVB initiated an eagle-planning partners group to expand programming for 2006, and the CVB played a pivotal role in providing visitors with more than 50 eagle-watching event opportunities around Alton. Thanks to this and to aggressive media campaigns in the St. Louis, Southern Illinois, Indiana and Springfield markets, Alton enjoyed a nearly 100 percent increase in 2005 eagle-watching participants (setting a new record), followed up by a 42 percent increase in 2006 (setting another record). The estimated economic impact from eagle-watching tourism in 2006 is approximately $882,000.

In addition to his work for the Alton CVB, Brett serves as chairman of the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway Committee and vice president of The Children’s Museum in Edwardsville. He has a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and a master’s from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Brett and his wife Sheri enjoy spending time with their 5-year-old son Blake (who began his first day of kindergarten in August!) and traveling, of course!