Statewide News

IBOT unveils the Seven Wonders of Illinois

After thousands of votes were cast during the month of March, the wait is finally over.  On April 30, IBOT unveiled the official Seven Wonders of Illinois on www.enjoyillinois.com.  The winning Seven Wonders are:

•	Wrigley Field, Chicago – One of baseball’s oldest and most beloved stadiums is best-known for its charming ivy-covered walls and its die-hard Chicago Cubs fans.
•	Baha'i House of Worship, Wilmette (Chicagoland) – One of only seven Baha'i temples in the world, and the only one in North America, the Baha’i House is an architectural marvel featuring a nine-sided dome surrounded by beautiful fountains and gardens.
•	Starved Rock State Park, Utica (Northern) – Offering visitors a destination rich in history and natural beauty with lush forests, Starved Rock State Park features 18 magnificent canyons, spectacular ancient rock formations and numerous sparkling waterfalls in a breathtaking setting along the Illinois River.
•	Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Monticello (Central) – This National Natural Landmark invites guests to explore a sprawling 1,500-acre estate with picturesque gardens, unique sculptures, winding trails, nature areas and a stunning mansion.
•	Black Hawk State Historic Site, Rock Island (Western) – This historic site pays homage to the Sauk and Mesquakie (Fox) Indian tribes who occupied the area as far back as 12,000 years ago. The site features a tree-lined park with walking paths along the scenic Rock River, as well as picnic facilities with beautiful views.
•	Rend Lake, Benton (Southern) – Rend Lake is the state’s second-largest reservoir, and one of the premier vacation spots in Illinois with marinas, boating, water skiing, camp sites, nature trails, golf, picnicking, swimming, fishing and hunting.
•	Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Alton (Southwest) – This 33-mile stretch of highway where the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers meet to flow to the ocean offers onlookers majestic views, natural wildlife, river attractions, and quaint villages.

Visitors to the Bureau’s Web site can now learn about each of Illinois’ official Seven Wonders through a dedicated microsite with downloadable videos, information on each of the wonders, and bookable 3-Day Getaways featuring both the final wonders and many of the nominees.  
 
The Seven Wonders of Illinois program was launched at the 2007 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Chicago in February, when State Travel Director Jan Kostner invited consumers to nominate their favorite Illinois attractions on the Bureau’s Web site.  The Bureau received more than 3,700 nominations during February, from which 84 destinations were chosen to compete—12 from each of Illinois’ seven regions.  During March, visitors to enjoyillinois.com were invited to vote on their favorite attractions throughout the state.  Each week the field was narrowed down, based on votes until only the final seven remained.
 
The Seven Wonders of Illinois initiative has been extremely successful to date, garnering more than 200 media placements, including national coverage on CBS’ The Early Show and in USA Today.  The Seven Wonders of Illinois also spurred IBOT’s exclusive partnership with Roz Varon of WLS-ABC 7 Chicago, the city’s No. 1 news station, who reported on all phases of the program, including extensive feature coverage of the winning attractions.  Additionally, the Seven Wonders of Illinois program helped IBOT gain a substantial presence in the online conversation arena with dozens of bloggers discussing their favorites to win.
 
For more information on the Seven Wonders of Illinois, visit www.enjoyillinois.com.

New Illinois Travel Guide now available

Illinois travelers have a comprehensive new resource at their disposal as they plan their spring and summer travel.  IBOT recently introduced the new Illinois Travel Guide, the most in-depth guide to statewide travel yet.  The 238-page guide is available now at TICs, CVBs and RTDOs.  Consumers can also order the new guide at www.enjoyillinois.com or by calling the state travel hotline at 1-800-2-CONNECT.
 
In the guide, award-winning Illinois travel writer Margaret Doyle takes readers on a tour of Illinois’ seven distinct regions through colorful feature spreads and user-friendly information on attractions and accommodations across the Land of Lincoln.  For the first time, consumers can also check out the Illinois Travel Guide’s interactive, searchable and printable eBook, a full-length online version of the guide, at www.enjoyillinois.com.

New additions to the guide include:

•	Fun for the Family, encouraging readers to gather the kids and explore exciting water and theme parks, zoos, children’s museums and other family-friendly attractions.
•	Destination Romance, sharing Illinois’ most romantic places, from breathtaking big-city sights to charming hideaways tailored for two.
•	Onscreen Illinois, taking readers “on location” with memorable movie filming sites throughout the state.

Industry partners with questions regarding the new travel guide can contact Brad Strauss at brad.strauss@illinois.gov.

IBOT hits the highways for the 2007 Illinois Road Show

The 2007 Illinois Road Show will tour the state June 11-14 to spread the word about Illinois tourism. Jan Kostner and other IBOT representatives will tour the state to present industry news, including the 2006 visitor and economic impact numbers and upcoming marketing initiatives. Between markets, the Road Show will be exploring attractions along the route as well as visiting many of the official Seven Wonders of Illinois finalists.

Themed Wonders of Illinois, the 2007 Illinois Road Show will emphasize the Bureau's dedication to using new technologies and the changing face of media to drive travel throughout the state. IBOT appreciates the support of the hospitality industry representatives and looks forward to seeing everyone in attendance.

For more information about the 2007 Illinois Road Show, contact Stephanie Aenchbacher at 312-240-2688 or stephanie.aenchbacher@edelman.com.

Illinois travel made easy with improved 3-Day Getaway itineraries

With temperatures on the rise and the flip-flops pulled out of storage, many travelers are looking for experiences this summer that are new, exciting and out of the ordinary. With IBOTs revamped 3-Day Getaway packages and Web site, visitors to enjoyillinois.com will enjoy a larger variety of themed travel packages, a new getaway format with extended listings of attractions and events and an easy-to-use Google Maps feature. With the new mapping technology visitors can map their own 3-Day Getaways to explore, discover, indulge or play throughout Illinois!

The Bureau is giving travelers even more incentive to discover Illinois' amazing attractions this summer. Travelers who log on to enjoyillinois.com and book a 3-Day Getaway will receive a $25 Shell gift card following their trip, while supplies last. In addition, travelers can enter to win Shell gasoline for a year by showing proof of a two-night stay in Illinois and submitting a three-minute or less video that showcases their Magnificent 3-Day Getaway in Illinois. Videos can include a photo montage, skit, song performance, documentary, adventure footage, and more. Four winners will be chosen throughout the summer, and full contest rules are available on www.enjoyillinois.com.

Illinois trade winds blow through Berlin and Anaheim

Once again, Berlin’s ITB trade show March 7-11 proved a successful initiative for Chicago and Illinois as they enhance their strong presence in the German market. ITB attracts more than 10,000 exhibitors from 180 countries and represents the full spectrum of global tourism including tour operators, booking systems and travel destinations, airlines, hotels, and rental cars. Chicago and Illinois continued their successful partnership with United Airlines in a joint booth, March 7-11. Throughout the show IBOT representatives met with 70 journalists, including more than 45 journalists who attended IBOT's media breakfast reception. Several media familiarization trip opportunities resulted from the meetings, as well as new media contacts which will be used to secure future coverage. On the trade side Chicago and Illinois partners met with more than 30 tour operators to discuss ongoing marketing efforts and new product initiatives. 
 
On the heels of a successful ITB trade show, Chicago and Illinois ramped up for TIA’s International Pow Wow in Anaheim, Calif., with key statewide partners. The annual trade show took place April 21-25, serving as the travel industry's premier international marketplace and the largest generator of Visit USA travel.  The Bureau was thrilled to showcase offerings from around the state to the world’s top travel media and tour operators.

Social media: Tips for blogging

Steve Rubel, senior marketing strategist and vice president of Edelman’s Me2Revolution, a division of the company that focuses on emerging forms of media, spoke at the 2007 Governor’s Conference in February and discussed trends and tips for social media outreach.  Now that bloggers and social media outlets are an integral part of marketing outreach, Rubel provided basic definitions to help audience members better understand this vast and growing generation of media.  Key ideas included: