10:00am – 7:00pm: Registration, Grand Ballroom Foyer
12:00 noon – 5:00pm: Press Office, Geneva Bay Boardroom
12:00 noon – 6:00pm: Industry Meeting Room, Board Rooms
(Check Registration Office and Reader Boards for assignments)
We realize that a number of industry-related associations and groups like to plan an organizational meeting during the conference. To accommodate your needs, we have set aside this time for you to plan your meeting. Please e-mail dzanoni@travelwisconsin.com to reserve your time and meeting place.
12:00 noon – 7:00pm: Tourism Resource Center, Linwood Ballroom
1:00pm – 5:00pm: Wisconsin Welcome Center Presentations, Williams Bay Boardroom
The Wisconsin Welcome Centers are a great place for destinations to market their region. The more we know about your destination, the better we can market you and ensure that your information is placed in the hands of travelers. If you are interested in scheduling your destination for one of these time blocks, please check the box and we will follow-up with you regarding a time.
1:30pm – 4:30pm: Governor’s Council on Tourism - Open Meeting, Maple Lawn Ballroom
Wisconsin Tourism Federation Legislative Forum
The issues and concerns of Wisconsin’s tourism industry are of the utmost importance to those that represent you. During its annual meeting at the conference, the Governor’s Council on Tourism will answer your questions and speak to the matters that are significant to you. In addition, the Wisconsin Tourism Federation will address any recent legislative news.
4:45pm – 5:45pm: First Time Attendee Forum/Reception, Grand Ballroom
First-time attendees and students are invited to join tourism staff and Council members at a forum and reception in your honor. The information that you gather here will help you make the most of your first tourism conference. Following our brief forum take the time to socialize and introduce yourself to other conference attendees.
4:30pm – 6:00pm: Happy Hour, Evolve
For those of you looking for a place to chill out and take the edge off, stop in Evolve for a thirst-quencher before the evening’s festivities begin!
6:00pm – 10:00pm: Opening Reception, throughout Grand Geneva
Join us for some warm southern Wisconsin hospitality as we take this time to relax, regenerate and rekindle relationships. The cuisine promises to please the palate, the drink to quench your thirst and the camaraderie to revive the spirit.
Monday, March 3
7:30am – 8:15am: Breakfast, The Forum
6:30am – 5:30pm: Registration, Grand Ballroom Foyer
8:15am – 8:45am: Showcase Sneak Peak, The Forum
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. No, this will not be a session on the mathematics of marketing. What it will be is a discussion of the power of integration when applied to marketing. Deputy Secretary Mark Richardson will be showcasing some of the best examples of integrated marketing projects put forth by the Department in the past year. And he’s been given permission to provide a sneak peek of this summer’s “Great Moments” campaign.
9:00am – 4:00pm: Press Office, Geneva Bay Boardroom
8:45am – 10:00am Keynote speaker – Stan Slap, The Forum
Bury My Heart in Conference Room B
10:00am – 10:30am: Break
10:30am – 11:30am: Wisconsin Brand New, The Forum
It’s been a “roll-up-your-sleeves, bring-business-to-government, focus-on-the-marketing mandate” kind of first year for Secretary Kelli Trumble. She has a vision for tourism that’s as bright as any beacon, and it stands strong on four pillars: strategic planning, integration, communication, and branding. This presentation is an important one because it lays the groundwork for the new brand platform that will be delivered during the Governor’s Dinner.
11:45am – 1:00pm: Lunch Presenter – Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton, The Forum
Opportunities for Innovative Leadership in the New Economy
Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton talks about the state’s role in developing a knowledge-based creative economy in order to compete in today’s global marketplace. Regional economic development depends on more than traditional infrastructure – roads, bridges, dams and air traffic control – but must include a healthy arts and culture industry.
1:30pm – 4:30pm: Leadership Team Challenge, Fitness Center & Spa
Looking to implement change in your organization? Looking to challenge your team both mentally and physically? This goal-orientated program has been designed for teams to improve their compatibility, set goals, overcome unique challenges and enhance communication. Register your group as a team of up to ten people, or register as an individual and join with others for the ultimate in challenges. Come prepared with your athletic clothes - physical challenges could be extreme, but everyone will be able to participate regardless of their ability. For this program teamwork is a must and score will be kept - the winning team will be announced at the Governor’s Dinner.
1:30pm – 2:45pm: General Session – Stan Slap, Grand Ballroom
Wide World of Management Excuses
This program explores the excuses used to explain poor business performance – and explains why none of them actually makes sense. Learn how to defeat chronic problems, debunk the myths that surround the classic management excuses, including world events, the economy, competition, size, price, weather, advertising and employees.
2:45pm – 3:00pm: Break
3:00pm – 4:15pm: 2 Concurrent Breakout Sessions...
Economic Impact: Making Dollars and Sense of Events, Maple Lawn Ballroom
Building Partners Through Community Collaboration, Evergreen Ballroom
This presentation will provide your community based/ nonprofit organization with a platform to launch innovative collaborative relationships with local businesses that benefit your clients and the community at-large.
4:30pm – 7:00pm: Marketplace/Taste of Wisconsin, Forum
Visit more than 80 booths jammed-packed with ideas and opportunities to make your business more successful.
9:00pm – 12 midnight: Evening Entertainment, Evolve
Tuesday, March 4
6:30am – 7:00pm: Registration, Grand Ballroom Foyer
8:00am – 8:45am: Breakfast, The Forum
9:00am – 2:00pm: Press Office, Geneva Bay Boardroom
9:00am – 10:15am: Keynote Speaker - Karen Post, The Forum
Brain Tattoo for Big Brand Results
10:15am – 10:30am: Break
10:30am – 11:30am: General Session Speaker - Bill Palladino, The Forum
Leading Bold Change
11:45am – 1:00pm: Lunch - Hosted by La Crosse, The Forum
1:00pm – 5:00pm: Executive Leadership Program by Bill Palladino, Evergreen Ballroom
Leading Bold Change
Based on the best-selling book Our Iceberg is Melting by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeger.
Building directly upon the basic concepts of John Kotter’s eight change-steps, this session immerses participants in the parable designed to translate the rich ideas from Kotter’s Leading Change book into an easily understood and transferable story for anyone. Using the characters and plot of Our Iceberg is Melting, it helps set the core concepts of change management and the eight change-steps in the minds of participants. The session emphasizes “creating leaders at all levels” of an organization as a fundamental step in succeeding in any change initiative. Participants are encouraged to come to the workshop with a specific change in mind. Two strong deliverables include a personal change scorecard and action-planning guide. The end of the session involves participants drafting their own action plan so that executing a change initiative is supported by a well defined, proven structure.
1:15pm – 2:30pm: 2 Concurrent Breakout Sessions...
The Brand Inside: Attracting and Keeping the Right Talent, Grand Ballroom AB
This program shows you how to attract and keep the right talent with a strong inside brand. Content focuses on building the internal or employer brand. In today’s competitive market, having a desirable corporate brand is the key to staff recruitment, retention and organizational success.
Trends in Festival & Events, Maple Lawn Ballroom
2:30pm – 2:45pm: Break
2:45pm – 4:00pm: Roundtable Discussions
• Native American Tourism, Loramoor A
• International Marketing, Galewood D
• Sports Marketing, Galewood AB
• Wisconsin Welcome Centers, Galewood C
• Public Relations, Grand Ballroom C
• Sales Best Practices, Loramoor B
• Travel Green Wisconsin, Loramoor C
6:00pm – 7:00pm: Pre-Reception, Forum Foyer
7:00pm – 9:00pm: Governor’s Dinner, The Forum
This year, our Governor, the leading advocate of branding Wisconsin Tourism, will stand with Secretary Trumble as the two unveil our new brand platform. This is one of the most important pieces of work the Department of Tourism has ever done. How apropos that you’ll hear this in the company of colleagues and good friends with delicious cuisine to fortify you for the marketing work ahead.
9:00pm – 12:30am: Post Reception Party, Evolve
Click here to register online.
If you have any conference-related questions, please send them to Dawn Zanoni, Special Events Manager at dzanoni@travelwisconsin.com or, call Dawn directly at 608/266-3978.