ROI. Quad Cities: Contents. Visitor Center Counts

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1 Quad Cities: Quarterly Publication of the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau July 2009 Reporting Fiscal Year th Quarter April, May, June 2009 ROI The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (QCCVB) announced in May a new community awareness campaign named What s Up Quad Cities!. The campaign, designed specifically for area residents, promotes all the fun things to see and do in the Quad Cities area and directs them to the new What s Up Quad Cities section of the QCCVB s website at Once in this section of the website, residents will find up-to-date information on attractions, special events, and activities taking place in the Quad Cities, along with deals and discounts. There are also quotes and recommendations by local media personalities, and famous Quad Cities residents about things they like about the area. Mississippi Valley Welcome Center Union Station, Davenport Visitor Center Counts 4th Qtr. FY09 TOTAL 4th Qtr. FY08 TOTAL FY09 FY08 FY07 11,083 15,725 53,477 59,032 70, ,953 5,132 5,325 Moline 1,659 1,481 3,827 5,290 5,839 QC Airport 987 1,408 4,363 5,149 3,027 Centennial Bridge, Rock Island Residents can sign-up for a once-amonth QC Festival & Special Event newsletter highlighting what s coming up in the Quad Cities over the next month. The offers easy access to activities and events so families, friends, and those welcoming visitors to the Quad Cities can plan ahead and be more aware of all the fun things happening in the region. A Suggested Travel Itinerary section also helps residents plan themed adventures that they can enjoy with families, friends, or guests. The website also provides an opportunity for residents to upload their favorite Quad Cities photos. Radio, television, cable and newspaper ads promoting What s Up Quad Cities are running through the end of August Not open GRAND TOTAL 14,199 19,425 64,820 74,805 85,106 QCCVB members and media partners attend the May news conference. Contents Collaboration Is Easy and Difficult Busy Time for Sporting Events Stats: Hotel/Motel Information Website Lodging Reservations Visitor Inquiries ISC Tournaments Bringing 64 Teams Need Passport/ID When Travel Stats: Sales Numbers Union Station Grand Opening Quad Cities in the News Stats: Trade Shows Quad Cities Kid s Club Leisure Campaigns Twitter/Facebook Followers QCCVB & the International Market Economy Keeping Lid on Biz Travel Stats: Media Contacts Stories & Ad Value Equivalent Reader Response from Advertising Website Visits Co-op Advertising QCCVB Website Statistics QCCVB Odds and Ends 7

2 What a Busy Time for Events On May 18-22, the Quad Cities hosted the NAIA Men s Golf National Championship at TPC Deere Run with 30 teams for a local economic impact of $177,600. Occupancy Rate Average Daily Rate Hotel Tax Revenues Hotel/Motel Information 4th Qtr.09 FY09 FY08 FY % 52.6% 53.9% 53.8% $71.04 $71.84 $70.16 $65.49 $3,000,000 YTD On May 28-30, the Quad Cities hosted the Walmart Bass Fishing League All-American Event and the Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show at the RiverCenter. 105 of the top weekend anglers competed in this televised competition for a local economic impact of $800,000. On June 1-4, the Quad Cities hosted the John Deere Classic Junior Open at Glynns Creek Golf Course for the American Jr. Golf Association. With 144 golfers, this created a local economic impact of $300,000. $3,000,000 YTD Visitor Inquiries $3,555,700 $3,266,451 Website Lodging Reservations Reservations Room Nights April 7 12 May June th Qtr.FY th Qtr.FY FY09 Total FY08 Total th Qtr.09. 4th Qtr.08 FY09 FY08 FY07 Web, Mail, 1, ,059 2,563 2,730 Advertising 10,280 6,524 21,275 18,470 14,316 Collaboration is Both Easy and Difficult My dictionary defines collaboration as working together. Those two words can be both easy and difficult. As the announcement of the creation of Quad Cities First to replace the Quad City Development Group is being made, I think back 19 years ago when the former Davenport Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Bettendorf Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Illinois Quad City Travel & Visitors Bureau merged to form the new Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau. There were many details to be worked out once the concept of one tourism organization was agreed upon. Who would staff the new bureau? Where would the offices be? Which employee handbook would be used? I am sure many of those same questions will come up as the new Quad Cities First is implemented. The arts and cultural community in the Quad Cities faces some of the same questions. There is overall agreement that collaboration is good, but how do we collaborate? There will be many efforts led by the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau over the next few months to build a collaborative effort for arts and cultural marketing based on the 2004 C.H. Johnson study. In its simplest terms, the study noted that nearly every arts and cultural organization in the Quad Cities is so focused on keeping its individual lights on and doors open that the collective marketing that can benefit all of the groups is lacking. The study suggested creating a Cultural Resource Marketing Center (CRMC) to act as a lending library of sorts for arts and cultural groups who need a book or two, not the entire library. This summer I had an inquiry from one of our major festivals about hiring a part-time office manager and event planner for their organization. My suggestion was that they not hire a part-time staff member but rather work together with another group which also has a part-time staffer and create one full-time position. Imagine a full-time, professionally staffed office to replace a seasonal answering machine. Isn t that giving better customer care and an opportunity to maximize ticket sales? The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau is the result of a community decision to work together nearly 20 years ago. I urge the arts and cultural community to make the same decision to work together and grow together over the next 20 years. -Joe Taylor, QCCVB President/CEO Phone 1,193 1,480 4,357 4,946 6,736 TOTAL 12,473 8,572 27,691 25,979 23,782 2

3 ISC Tourney is 64 Teams The International Softball Congress Men s World Fastball Tournament and Tournament of Champions are coming to the Quad Cities on August 14-22, 2009, with 64 teams to Greenvalley Sports Complex in Moline and Campbell Sports Facility in Rock Island. The last time the Quad Cities hosted the ISC World Tournament was in Thousands of fans enjoyed the tournament in the 1960 s at Douglas Park in Rock Island. The annual ISC World Tournament and Tournament of Champions is a truly unique and multi-dimensional International Men s Fast Pitch game that features athletes who are the best in the world at their sport. The game is fast paced and a great spectator sport. The teams are now qualified and listed online. Tickets are now on sale at 4,000 fans daily from across Canada, and the United States, along with local residents and visitors from within a 100-mile radius of the Quad Cities, will come to watch the world s best players in championship competition. In addition 200,000 world-wide fans will be watching via streaming video on the internet. Attend the opening ceremonies on Saturday, August 15th at 5 pm at the Greenvalley Sports Complex in Moline and honor the 1967 World Champion Harrelson Motors team from the Quad Cities. Or come to the Hall of Fame Breakfast on Sunday, August 16th at 8 am at the Isle Casino Hotel grand ballroom as six more inductees are welcomed into the ISC Hall of Fame. Tickets are on sale at We are still looking for volunteers. Contact Amie Stahler at , x102 or astahler@visitquadcities.com to pick a time slot for that week. There are numerous positions available. Travel Trends Be Ready with Your ID when You Travel Americans who want to cross back over the border after trips to Mexico and Canada must now show passports or specially issued identification cards. In the past, U.S. citizens needed to show only a valid driver's license or birth certificate to cross the border. Under the new policy, they must present a passport, a federal passport card, or an enhanced driver's license issued by some states. The TSA s new Secure Flight program is requiring the name on the airline ticket exactly matches the name on the ID. As of August 15th, they will also be gathering people s gender and date of birth in order to have an accurate flight list. Full implementation is going to happen by December 1st. QCCVB Sales Numbers Meetings, Conventions, Sports, Reunions Booked Meetings, Conventions, Sports, Reunions Leads Inbound Motorcoach & Other Groups Booked Inbound Motorcoach & Other Group Leads 4th Qtr. Total FY09 4th Qtr. Total FY08 FY09 FY08 FY Site Inspections/FAMs Sales Contacts ,090 2,082 3,126 Important Note: These sales numbers reflect business generated by the Quad Cities CVB and are not representative of the entire Quad Cities community. Number of Members Who Accessed Leads Online Event Servicing Actions

4 Union Station Opening Area dignitaries and the tourism hospitality industry officially opened the remodeled Union Station Visitor Center in downtown Davenport on June 24. Quad Cities Kid s Club 75 Joined 4th Quarter 466 Total Members These renovations are part of a $450,000 project that includes both interior and exterior development of Union Station. Interior renovations are complete and exterior renovations will begin in late August. The beautiful new Visitor Center now features state-of-the art display panels, video screens, wireless Internet access, and a gift shop area. Everything was custom-designed and built to compliment the historic interior of Union Station, including large banners draping from the ceilings of the building. The project has been a year in the making and was made possible through funding by the Davenport Levee Improvement Commission, City of Davenport, and the RDA. The architect for the project for both the interior and the planned exterior renovations was John Gere of Scholtz, Gowey, Gere and Marolf Architects & Interior Designers of Rock Island. Twitter/ Facebook 4th Quarter 200 New Twitter Followers 4,000 New Facebook Fans Trade Shows Trade Shows Attended Trade Show Impressions 4th Qtr. FY FY FY ,599 FY ,281 Leisure Campaigns s Sent s Opened Click Thrus April 5, % 24% May 6, % 22.6% June 6, % 21.4% QC in the News Judy Keen from USA Today wrote an article in the July 9th edition about Iowa s new same-sex marriage law and the increase in tourism because of it. In the article, several from the Quad Cities hospitality industry were quoted. This article has also ran in several other newspapers around the country. iowawed_n.htm On July 12th, the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival was featured in the travel section of the Chicago Tribune. It resulted in several calls and ticket sales for people coming to the festival from Chicago. travel/chi-0712-bix-festivaljul12,0, story There was also a nice article on July 2nd about Bix Weekend in the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison. features/story_ On July 5th, the Dallas Morning News newspaper and the St. Louis Post Dispatch ran a syndicated article with 5 top things to do in Iowa, and the Quad Cities made the list. In the June issue of Candy Industry magazine, Lagomarcino s was featured on a two-page spread with pictures about their successful 100 years in the candy-making business. In the June issue of Going on Faith magazine, it featured the Quad Cities in an article about exciting riverfronts. In the June issue of Meetings MidAmerica magazine, the Quad Cities was featured in an article about Iowa with mention of new developments and attractions with meeting space. 4

5 International Flair The QCCVB began its planning and preparation of the International program before 2004, consulting with several tourism and business facilities. Spearheaded by Margo McInnis, the agricultural program has grown by leaps and bounds with both national and international contacts, and international groups coming to the Quad Cities. Margo has attended the S.P.A.C.E. Livestock Show in Rennes, France, for three years and will return this September This show has been excellent for the QCCVB agricultural program. A steady increase in French bookings has happened due to this show. Champaign County CVB and the QCCVB now partner as AG Tours Illinois at the International POW WOW tradeshow. At the May 2009 tradeshow, they met with 18 different countries, who all expressed interest in the AG Tours Illinois program. After meeting with Jan Kostner (Illinois Bureau of Tourism Director) at POW WOW and at her request, AG Tours Illinois will now be working on a Fly/ Drive agricultural experience for Foreign Independent Travelers and leisure families. These tours will be a bit different from professional agricultural tours which are by reservation only. It will be geared towards those farms that have public hours (Country Corner, etc), as well as John Deere Attractions, wineries, and various other attractions. Margo is also working with Yan Li who is from China (but has lived in Q-C for over 20 years). They are working with Quad Cities First to put together Professional Cultural Exchanges between China and the Quad Cities. Margo will also be a part of the China Trip in November, which is through the IA Quad City Chamber, IL Quad City Chamber, and Bettendorf Chamber. Media Contacts Releases Sent Individual Requests Journalist Visits 4th Qtr.FY09 3, th Qtr.FY08 4, FY09 14, FY08 11, FY07 21, Story Coverage Stories Reader Response from Advertising 4th Qtr.FY09 10,280 4th Qtr.FY08 6,524 FY09 21,275 FY08 18,470 FY07 14,316 Ad $ Value 4th Qtr.FY09 89 $102,572 FY $521,425 Industry Information Economy Is Keeping a Lid on Business Travel Airfare wars and room-rate promotions are usually aimed at vacationers, but airlines and hotels are resorting to similar tactics to regain their traditional cash cow -- the business traveler. Corporate travelers, who pay higher airfares when they sit in the front cabins of planes or book close to the date of travel, are flying coach more often - - or not traveling at all during the recession. And their employers are booking fewer banquet halls and blocks of rooms, leaving many hotels pining for the sizable and reliable revenue that business meetings used to generate. Business travelers tend to generate a higher percentage of overall industry revenue than the percentage of total travelers they represent. Of the $641 billion spent by U.S residents in 2007 on domestic travel and tourism, roughly 33 percent came from business travelers, according to the U.S. Travel Association. But the number of domestic business trips accounted for less than 25 percent of that year's 2 billion total domestic trips. Boston-based aviation consultant Mark Kiefer of CRA International said the economy is keeping a lid on business travel this year. Website Visits/Total Page Views 4th Qtr.FY09 84, ,115 4th Qtr.FY08 117,771 FY09 281,223 FY08 414,137 FY07 484,667 Co-op Advertising Participation 4th Qtr.FY09 $7,400 4th Qtr.FY08 $6,000 FY09 $26,000 FY08 $13,350 FY07 $48,705 5

6 Website Statistics Chicago Commuter WLS Radio Journal & Topics Leisure Chicago Commuter WLS Radio, Journal & Topics, Chic. TV Co-op What s Up Launch Leisure Chicago Commuter What s Up Local Spots Chicago TV Co-op WLS Radio Journal & Topics Leisure WEBSITE REPORT: TOP 10 VISITED PAGES 84,778 Visitors 407,115 Pageviews 3,204,990 Hits 72.52% New Visitors 4,650 visits to Online Visitors Guide Average Length of Visit 3.48 Min. 1. Events Calendar 2. For Visitors section 3. Online Visitors Guide 4. Kids Stuff 5. Meet Our Cities 6. River Excursions 7. ISC Tournament webpage 8. Gaming 9. Hotels/Motels 10. Museums 6

7 Quad Cities: ROI Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau August 2008 QCCVB Odds and Ends QCCVB staff and members attended the Illinois Bureau of Tourism Road Show news conference on June 10 at the John Deere Harvester Works Visitor Center in East Moline. Quad Cities CVB Staff Directory Ext. # Joe Taylor, President/CEO Lynn Hunt, V.P. Sales Roxie Lucas, V.P. Finance/Admin Charlotte Morrison, V.P. Mktg./Comm David Breisch, Website/Comm. Mgr Linda Creighton, Accounting Assistant Joan Frank, Event Services Coordinator Dan Gleason, Group Sales Mgr Margo McInnis, Director of Sales Arlyce Musal, Senior Sales Mgr Cheryl Piersall, Moline Office Mgr Amie Stahler, Event Coordinator Jessica Waytenick, Mktg./P.R. Mgr Mississippi Valley Welcome Center Beth Payne, Director of Visitor Services Visitor Centers Mississippi Valley Welcome Center Union Station Visitor Center Centennial Bridge Visitor Center QCI Airport Visitor Center 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 The Road Show reported the 2008 visitor and economic impact numbers, featured the year s marketing campaign highlights, and revealed future marketing initiatives. Tourism is vital to Illinois economy, as it supplies more than 300,000 jobs in the state and contributes over $2.1 billion to state and local tax coffers each year. Illinois tourism industry continues to be a significant tool for statewide economic development, attracting millions of visitors each year and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. Pam Ellis, Vice President of Visitors Services, resigned her position effective July 7, 2009, to accept a new opportunity with a global import/export company in Moline. Pam has served the Mississippi Valley Welcome Center since its opening day in May 1989, recently celebrating the 20 th anniversary of the welcome center and of her employment with QCCVB. She has been VP of Visitors Services for many years. She has been president of the Iowa Welcome Center Association and is a national resource for other welcome center operations. She is largely responsible for many of LeClaire s advances in tourism, including last year s RAGBRAI event. Members, board and staff will miss Pam greatly and wish her well in her new venture. Joan Frank interned at the QCCVB this summer. She worked with both the Visitor Services and the Sales Departments. She has just finished her Bachelors of Science Degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration with an emphasis in Event Coordination from the University of Northern Iowa. She has now joined the QCCVB as the Event Services Coordinator. 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