the leisure traveler and group tours.

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1 Quad Cities: Quarterly Publication of the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau May 2011 Reporting Fiscal Year rd Quarter January, February, March 2011 ROI The Governor's Awards program for the 2011 Illinois Governor's Conference on Tourism in March 2011 recognized innovative tourism promotional and marketing initiatives from across the state. The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (QCCVB) took top honors in the Best Creative Cooperative Partnership. It was submitted jointly by the QCCVB and Champaign County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CCCVB), for a new program called Illinois Countryside Journeys. the leisure traveler and group tours. A new website was created, and currently offers the sample itinerary in eight languages: English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. The two organizations partnered at the annual U.S. Travel Association s POW WOW trade show in The trade show promotes tourism to the international market to bring visitors to the U.S. for leisure, group travel, and meetings. Illinois Countryside Journeys was also promoted at motorcoach trade shows in Canada, Germany, and across the U.S., and at the Farm Progress Show. The new Illinois Countryside Journeys is an extension of Ag Tours Illinois that was organized in 2008 by the two Convention & Visitors Bureaus for professional agricultural group tours only. This program also won an award at the 2009 Illinois Governor Conference. Contents It promotes agricultural experiences (wineries, reindeer ranch, corn mazes, farmers markets, farm attractions, petting zoos, apple orchards, agricultural museum, etc.) winding through a large section of Illinois to Mississippi Valley Welcome Center Union Station, Davenport Visitor Center Counts 3rd Qtr. FY11 TOTAL Joe Taylor and Angela Ingerson (r) accept their awards from Jan Kostner, IL Office of Tourism Deputy Director. 3rd Qtr. FY10 TOTAL FY10 FY09 FY08 6,399 6,154 42,145 53,477 59,032 1, ,184 2,953 5,132 -Award Season Continues for QCCVB -20th Anniversary of Gaming Stats: Hotel/Motel Information Leisure Campaigns Visitor Inquiries -QCCVB Creates New Mobile Site -Facebook Measurement Metric Stats: Sales Numbers -RAGBRAI Returns to Davenport -Advocacy Newly Important Duty Stats: Trade Shows Quad Cities Kid s Club Twitter/Facebook Followers Website Lodging Reservations Moline ,208 3,827 5,290 QC Airport ,179 4,363 5,149 Centennial Bridge, Rock Island Beacon Harbor, East Moline Not open 36 Open ltd. hrs Not open N/A GRAND TOTAL 8,629 8,478 58,672 65,788 75,758 -Train/Boat Trip Fun for Train Festival -Economic Impact of Meetings Stats: Media Contacts Stories & Ad Value Equivalent Reader Response from Advertising Website Visits Co-op Advertising -QCCVB Website Statistics -QCCVB Odds and Ends 5 6 7

2 Award Season Continues for the QCCVB In April the QCCVB, along with three local Quad Cities businesses, was named a winner of the 2011 Better Business Bureau (BBB) Integrity Award. The BBB Integrity Awards honors those companies who operate at the pinnacle of ethics, honesty and integrity, stated Chris Coleman, President of the BBB. The QCCVB is pleased that we are being recognized for our integrity, which reflects upon not only our organization but is vital in forming the visitors impressions of the greater community we serve," said Joe Taylor, President/CEO. Occupancy Rate Average Daily Rate Hotel Tax Revenues 2011 marked the ninth annual Quad Cities Leaders Under 40 recognition event for the Black Hawk College Foundation. Joan Frank, QCCVB Sales & Servicing Manager, was nominated and received an award this year. It focuses on individuals in our region who are leading the way with professional accomplishments, community involvement and civic service. Hotel/Motel Information 3rd Qtr.11 3rd Qtr.10 FY10 FY09 FY % 44.6% 50.6% 52.6% 53.9% $73.78 $70.30 $71.61 $71.84 $70.16 Not $2,307,767 $3,499,566 $3,580,776 $3,555,700 available Visitor Inquiries 3rd Qtr.11. 3rd Qtr.10 FY10 FY09 FY08 Web, Mail, ,005 2,059 2,563 Advertising 800 1,791 15,851 21,275 18,470 Phone ,137 4,357 4,946 TOTAL 2,252 3,362 21,993 27,691 25,979 Leisure Campaigns s Sent s Opened Click Thrus January 7, % 16.8% February 7, % 15.1% March 7,545 17% 18.7% 3rd Qtr.11 AVG 7, % 16.8% 3rd Qtr.10 AVG 7,186 18% 19% FY10 AVG 7,008 17% 21% FY09 AVG 6, % 23.1% 20th Anniversary of Riverboat Gaming In 1991, the Quad Cities launched a nationwide resurgence of riverboat gambling when the historic Diamond Lady in Bettendorf, IA, unveiled its games of chance, just 30 minutes before the President in Davenport, Iowa. The Quad Cities was the first area in the U.S. to offer riverboat gaming 20 years ago. One year later, in March of 1992, the Rock Island Boatworks featuring the Casino Rock Island began its gaming cruises. In the past 20 years since riverboat gaming began, the casino has remarkably diversified recreation and brought a whole new experience of entertainment to the Quad Cities area, says Nancy Ballenger, Vice President & General Manager, Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf. Joe Taylor, President/CEO of the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (QCCVB), says April 1, 1991, was the busiest day in my life. As Director of Communications for QCCVB, I had to support national, regional and local broadcast and print media. TV trucks were everywhere along the riverfront Vanna White, Howard Keel, and Willard Scott were all here. Every QCCVB staff member went above and beyond the call of duty. Then receptionist Arlyce Musal and two other staff handled 600 calls that day just putting the phone down for it to ring again for a dozen hours that day and for days after. Taylor says With no computers then, every address had to be handwritten and every fulfillment hand addressed. Our toll-free phone bill for the month of April 1991 was 16 feet long. Arlyce had to stand on a ladder just to hold it. We had 200 inquiries in April 1990 and that jumped to 20,000 in April What a wonderfully busy time it was as the face of tourism in the Quad Cities changed forever that day as the nation focused on the river and our communities. The QCCVB partnered with the casinos to host a Journalist FAM centered around the anniversary. -Joe Taylor, QCCVB President/CEO 2

3 QCCVB New Offerings The QCCVB s upcoming mobile website automatically detects a visitor's location and recommends the nearest partner businesses. EMarketer estimates that 31% of mobile Internet users / 34% of smartphone users (nearly 25 million US mobile users) will research travel information on their mobile devices before making a trip this year. Nearly 12 million will use the mobile channel to book their plans. Over a third of folks are using Facebook with their handheld device. (That s over 200 Million people!) Travelport reports more than half of business customers now use mobile technology for researching and booking hotels. 71% think Wi-Fi should be standard in hotel rooms. On Thursday, March 24, the QCCVB and the Quad Cities Sports Commission hosted a March Madness Trivia Night at Modern Woodmen Park. The evening s festivities included a behind-the-scenes, VIP tour of the stadium. Trivia-goers also dressed up in their favorite NCAA sports team colors or logo wear. Many people organized themed tables with friends, family members, and coworkers. QCCVB s March Madness Trivia Night was a huge success in many ways. First, guests were able to see the meeting space, suites, and ballpark operations at Modern Woodmen Park, which is usually closed off to the general public for tours. Emcee Marc Nesseler, Sports & Recreation Editor of the Dispatch/Argus kept triviagoers entertained throughout the evening. Also, we were able to raise over $1, for the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau. Begin planning for the second annual QCCVB Haunted Trivia Night in October of this year. Travel Trends Measuring Facebook Fans with a New Metric Reporting on your Facebook strategy using Fans as a benchmark is like reporting on your website strategy using hits. Sure, it's a big number, but it really does not provide a clear picture of your true results. Instead, take a look at the engagement rate of your fans using two metrics from Facebook Insights: Monthly Active Users and Lifetime Likes. Using the formula find the engagement rate of your fans, and a clearer picture of your Facebook success. Monthly Active Users = Engagement Lifetime Likes Now, the amount Lifetime Likes will shift the final percentage. For example if you have 1,000,000 followers, your engagement rate will be lower simply because of the scale. That said, the engagement rate certainly provides a more accurate metric on the overall success of your Facebook Fan Page. -Troy Thompson, Travel 2.0 Blog QCCVB Sales Numbers 3rd Qtr. Total FY11 3rd Qtr. Total FY10 FY10 FY09 FY08 Meetings, Conventions, Sports, Reunions Booked Meetings, Conventions, Sports, Reunions Leads Inbound Motorcoach & Other Groups Booked Inbound Motorcoach & Other Group Leads Site Inspections/FAMs Sales Contacts 1,368 1,432 4,978 3,090 2,082 Important Note: These sales numbers reflect business generated by the Quad Cities CVB and are not representative of the entire Quad Cities community. Events Serviced

4 RAGBRAI Returns to Area On Saturday, January 29, the community learned that Davenport would be the ending town for the 39th annual RAGBRAI (Register s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) on Saturday, July 30, Over 20,000 riders participate in the week-long ride that is July 24-30, It has been 29 years since RAGBRAI last ended in Davenport so we are thrilled to welcome back the world s biggest, oldest and longest bicycle tour, said Joe Taylor, QCCVB President/CEO. It ended in LeClaire in Volunteers Volunteers are needed to welcome the 20,000 riders plus their family/ friends that will be visiting our community as part of RAGBRAI XXXIX. Volunteers are needed for parking, route monitoring, shuttles, information, concessions, etc. All volunteers receive a free volunteer t-shirt. You can sign up to volunteer at Long-Term Parking Several hundred registered RAGBRAI riders will overnight in Davenport on Friday, July 22 before catching motorcoaches on Saturday that will take them across the state to RAGBRAI s start in Glenwood. The majority of riders will park their vehicles for the week at St. Ambrose University, with overflow parking at the city parking garage on Harrison St. in downtown Davenport. For further information, visit Also find information on Facebook at Davenport Ragbrai 2011 and Advocacy Grows in Importance for Tourism CVB executives say that their primary role has shifted from sales to advocacy in the last few years. One individual even indicated: Three years ago I dedicated 10% of my job to advocacy - today I dedicate 75%. Even partners in the industry need to do more advocating for the travel industry as a whole. The following Actions of Highly Effective Advocates is an excerpt from the toolkit that Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) has put together. 1. Stay informed. Read newspapers and magazines, join social media groups and find blogs that help you stay abreast of issues concerning you or your business. 2. Discuss the issues. Share the information amongst peer groups and friends. Talk with them and listen to their views about these issues. Start a discussion in your social media groups, your workplace, school, social circle, etc. Twitter/ Facebook 3rd Quarter 828 Twitter Followers 14,652 Facebook Fans 1,123 more this Qtr Quad Cities Kid s Club 83 Joined 2nd Quarter 788 Total Members Trade Shows Trade Shows Attended Website Lodging Reservations Reservations Room Nights 3rd Qtr.FY rd Qtr.FY Trade Show Impressions 3rd Qtr. FY FY ,317 FY FY ,599 FY10 Total FY09 Total FY08 Total Get on record. Write letters (or ) to your local officials on the topics that concern you. Voice your opinion by writing to editors of the printed and e-press you read. 4. Vote. Register to vote and keep abreast of local issues affecting you. Many people vote in the presidential election every four years, but issues such as school administration, property taxes and zoning laws are decided in local elections and impact you significantly. 5. Volunteer. One of the best contributions you can make to a political campaign is your time. You can personally answer phones, post yard signs, and disseminate information. 6. Believe. Cynicism is for the hopeless. Belief is for the hopeful. Only through speaking out on the issues you support and encouraging other people to do the same can you really make a difference. - Kristen Clemens, DMAI 4

5 Train Boat Trip Popular The Quad Cities is hosting one of the largest celebrations of railroading in Train Festival 2011 is July at Schwiebert Riverfront Park in downtown Rock Island. On Thursday, July 21, a train will depart Chicago s Union Station for Rock Island and Train Festival Bus transportation to Chicago on Thursday morning is available for an additional charge. Quad City area residents can purchase an excursion package that includes transportation to Chicago Thursday morning, train excursion, riverboat dinner cruise and event admission. On Sunday July 24, Train Festival will repeat a popular excursion from Riverway 2006, a train and riverboat combination excursion known as the Muscatine Flyer. Passengers will be treated to a rail excursion along the Mississippi River one way and the Celebration Belle Riverboat the other. On Monday July 25, an excursion will run from Rock Island to Chicago s Union Station via the BNSF tracks. All excursions are scheduled using vintage railroad cars including dome cars, lounge cars, coaches and observation cars. Chicago and Muscatine excursions will be pulled by diesel locomotives. General admission ticket sales to the festival-portion have begun on the event s website at Industry Information Initial Survey of Meetings Quantifies Economic Value Based on a new survey s analysis, an estimated 1.8 million meetings were held in the U.S. in The March 2011 PCMA Convene Magazine highlighted the results of the first-ever Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy Study conducted for the industry (through the Convention Industry Council) and led by PricewaterhouseCoopers. This study was an important first step in quantifying the economic value and importance of the meetings industry and would not have been possible without the significant time and effort invested by the meeting planners, venues, exhibitors, and DMOs that participated in the in-depth research effort. Media Contacts Releases Sent Individual Requests Journalist Visits 3rd Qtr.FY11 2, rd Qtr.FY10 2, FY10 15, FY09 14, FY08 11, Story Coverage Stories Reader Response from Advertising 3rd Qtr.FY rd Qtr.FY10 1,791 FY10 15,851 FY09 21,275 FY08 18,470 Ad $ Value 3rd Qtr.FY11 76 $106,503 FY $219,627 FY $521,425 Website Visits/Total Page Views 3rd Qtr.FY11 53,251 3rd Qtr.FY10 75,125 FY10 225,687 FY09 281,223 FY08 414, , , ,139 In 2009, an estimated 205 million participants attended meetings in the U.S. More than one-half of meeting participants attended corporate/ business meetings (52 percent), followed by conventions/conferences/ congresses (25 percent) and trade shows (12 percent). Meeting participants incurred expenses associated with attending meetings such as registration, travel, and exhibiting costs. Delegates, exhibitors, and other meeting participants in 2009 spent $145 billion. Top expenditure categories included registration fees and other (46 percent), accommodations (17 percent), and food and beverage (13 percent). Co-op Advertising Participation 3rd Qtr.FY11 $21,300 3rd Qtr.FY10 $350 FY10 $5,350 FY09 $26,000 FY08 $13,350 5

6 Website Statistics Be a Tourist promotion CVB Leisure CVB Leisure ` Our Iowa Ad CVB Leisure The Iowan Ad Small Market Meetings Ad WEBSITE REPORT: 53,251 Visitors 167,209 Pageviews 72.9% New Visitors 3,673 visits to Online Visitors Guide Average Length of Visit 2.55 Min. TOP 10 VISITED PAGES 1. Calendar of Events 2. Be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard 3. Hotel Package Deals 4. Hotels/Motels 5. Gaming 6. Suggested Travel Itineraries 7. Bald Eagle Watching 8. Kid s Club 9. Guided and Self-Guided Tours 10. ISC Tournament 6

7 QCCVB Odds and Ends Quad Cities CVB Staff Directory Ext. # Joe Taylor, President/CEO Mindy Chapman, V.P. Finance/Admin Lynn Hunt, V.P. Sales Margo McInnis, V.P. Visitor Services Charlotte Morrison, V.P. Mktg./Comm David Breisch, Interactive Media & Web Op Mgr107 Joan Frank, Sales & Servicing Mgr Dan Gleason, Group & Int l Sales Mgr Emmanine Lopez-Kubitz, Accounting Assistant Arlyce Musal, Senior Sales Mgr Cheryl Piersall, Merchandise & Retail Director Amie Stahler, Event Coordinator Jessica Waytenick, P.R./Mktg. Mgr Visitor Centers Mississippi Valley Welcome Center Visitor Center at Union Station Centennial Bridge Visitor Center QCI Airport Visitor Center The QCCVB attended the Chicago Golf Show in Rosemont at the end of February with three partners: Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf, Jumer s Casino & Hotel, and TPC Deere Run. These partners created a Quad Cities aisle at the show, and saw increased attendance. The excellent Quad Cities golf and gaming packages promoted at the show are always a big hit. The Quad Cities message was simply, you can t afford to stay home! and many agreed as they reviewed the information. This year 792 names were collected as part of the raffle, and thanks to both casino properties and TPC for providing the packages for our winner! Several area golf courses also supplied rounds of golf that were distributed there to interested parties. The booth partners will be using this list to market directly to those who picked up Quad Cities material. The Chicago market continues to be a great market for leisure tourism in the Quad Cities. Golfers attending the show commented on the affordability of the packages, and the excitement of the John Deere Classic. Please take a look at your offerings for golf for the upcoming season and check out the competition to see what kinds of packages the Quad Cities can implement and sell in The QCCVB will be requesting partners again for the show in February Iowa-bound traffic on the I-74 bridge is now reduced to one lane as construction crews started the $4.9 million curb and rail project. The project is expected to last through September. Office Locations RiverStation Quad Cities Gifts & Souvenirs 1601 River Drive, Suite 110 Moline, IL Mississippi Valley Welcome Center 900 Eagle Ridge Road, off I-80 LeClaire, IA Mission of the Quad Cities CVB The QCCVB is the official tourism destination marketing and management organization for the Quad Cities region. The organization serves the tourism interests of Scott County, IA, and Rock Island, Mercer, Warren, and Henderson Counties in IL, joined by the Mississippi River. The QCCVB increases visitor expenditures and overnight stays through strategic sales, marketing and services to our customers, members, and communities. We promote and package our destination to attract and meet the needs of meetings and conventions, group tours, sporting events and competitions, special interest groups and the leisure traveler. 7