What is a Convention
& Visitors Bureau?
As I sit back and read the compilation of articles that has
been written about the Kankakee County CVB, I can’t do anything but smile. I know that we are on target when it comes to
marketing Kankakee County to visitors and the Chicago Bears fans. If you don’t see all our efforts locally,
then you must know that we are carrying out our mission as a destination
marketing organization. Let’s set the
language straight. We are not here to
promote the Chicago Bears but we are here to promote Kankakee County to the
Chicago Bears Fans 50 miles outside of our county. The Chicago Bears is a brand and wherever
they are present, their fans will follow.
Marketing experts call it “The Brand
Mindset.” This means that once an organization is branded, then it is able
to acquire a loyal following (such as the case for…).
Kankakee County has three organizations that are charged to
brand our county for people desiring to live, work, invest and visit Kankakee
County. The Kankakee County Convention & Visitors
Bureau, the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County and the Kankakee County Chamber
of commerce are three organizations that contribute to the economic health of
our community. These three organizations
contribute to the economic health of our community, and they all have three
very different mission statements.
Kankakee County
Convention & Visitors Bureau
Mission Statement:
The Kankakee County Convention and Visitors Bureau create vibrant growth for
the local economy by promoting Kankakee County as an overnight destination,
increasing visitor awareness and developing a united tourism industry.
Funding: 501c6
we are funded by a 4% visitor bed tax (Each
time a visitor stays in one of our hotels the CVB receives a 4 % tax that is
used to market and attract more outside visitors to the county) and an
Illinois state matching grant. Our
fiscal year starts July 2012 and ends June 2013
Program of work:
create visitor business for the communities served by promoting its
attractions, restaurants and tourism related features to visitors living 50
miles outside our county boarders. This
includes producing publications, promotional materials that are marketed and
distributed throughout the mid-west region.
Our goal is to attract visitors who will stay overnight, eat at our
restaurants and enjoy all the things to do and see while visiting our area.
Economic Alliance
of Kankakee County:
Mission: The
Economic Alliance of Kankakee County is a public/private partnership tasked
solely with retaining industry in and recruiting industry to Kankakee County,
Illinois.
Program of work:
Create job opportunities, retain and recruit new businesses, transportation, 2020
Vision Branding, Enterprise U, River-Round table.
Kankakee County
Chamber of Commerce:
Mission: The
Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce facilitates the growth of our business
community through collaboration, advocacy, and economic development.
Program of work:
· Developing marketing strategies, advertising and activities which
promote area businesses, referring potential clients to investors, marketing
the area to encourage and attract new business leaders, partnering with the
city, county, and schools to identify and address problems and find solutions.
The Kankakee County Convention & Visitors is funded
by a 4% visitor tax and a grant awarded by the state of Illinois. In order to continue receiving state funding,
we have to comply with state regulations and be fiscally responsible. We are
solely a destination marketing organization and all our activities should
encourage visitors to stay overnight and experience all that Kankakee County
has to offer. To request for one of our
publications or sign up for our electronic newsletter, please visit our website
at www.visitkankakeecounty.com.
How has the Kankakee County CVB marketing efforts
impacted tourism for Kankakee County?
The state of Illinois issued these numbers for 2011.
Numbers for Kankakee County’s domestic travel are up from 2010.
The following numbers were reported by the Illinois Bureau of
Tourism. Expenditures indicate how much visitors spent in 2010 and 2011. Visitors spending
increased by 6.3% in 2011 compared to a 0.42% in 2010. State
tax receipts increased by 13.5%
compared to the previous 0.48% and Local tax receipts increased by 3.2%
compared to 0.47%. Due to the use of volunteers, who operate
many of our historical and cultural tourism activities, Payroll and Employment
remains in the negative.
2010 2011
Expenditures 0.42%
6.3%
Payroll 0.31% -0.1%
Employment 0.36% -1.9%
State Tax Receipts 0.48%
13.5%
Local Tax Receipts 0.47%
3.2%
Because we spend a large portion of our marketing dollars
promoting Kankakee County to outside visitors, you won’t see all the results of
our advertising and marketing locally.
Kankakee County CVB strives to support our local community by marketing
our local attractions and features to visitors who spend dollars while
experiencing Kankakee County.
“Hotels are not
the only businesses that benefit from a vibrant tourism industry”.
Bill
Geist, President
Zeitgeist
Consulting
How does the Kankakee County CVB market the county to
outside visitors?
·
We produce 30 to 40,000 official visitors’ guides
that are distributed throughout the mid-west, targeting Illinois and Indiana Travel
Information Centers. We fulfill requests
from visitors either via email, phone, website or walk-ins. We also supply visitors with about the area.
·
We produce promotional inserts promoting major
attractions and features such as, (Chicago
Bears Training Camp, Festivals, Museums and leisure activities) to include
in newspapers distributing their publications throughout the Midwest and
northern region of Illinois. (Chicago Southtown Star, Chicago Sun-times,
Chicago Defender).
·
We advertise and promote our meeting and
sporting venues to potential event planners to include our local Hotels, Park
Districts, Hidden Cove and other meeting and event facilities in industry
publications such as, (Sports Event
Magazine, Sports Destination Magazine, Midwest Meetings and Illinois Meetings
& Events).
·
We partnership with the Illinois Bureau of
Tourism to advertise and market regionally in publications such as (Chicago & Beyond and we post
Kankakee County attractions and events on our states’ Enjoy Illinois
website).
·
Our organization travels to conferences and
trade shows to sell Kankakee County as a meetings and event destination. We encourage local associations to bring
their state and regional meetings home to Kankakee County. This brings visitors to our area to shop,
dine and stay.
·
We are mentioned, listed and sometimes featured
in Illinois’ national and international campaigns reaching out to International
travelers visiting the Midwest region.
·
We have cutting edge software and technology
that can measure the success of your organization’s attraction, tourism related
business or event. Your organization
supplies the numbers and we add the formula.
We work hard at measuring the success of our organization and we want to
assist organizations in measuring theirs.
What can the CVB
do for its local residents?
·
If you are planning a meeting i.e. (religious or corporate, regional or
district), family reunion, class reunion, or bringing home a regional
sports tournament, we can provide free visitor information welcoming your guest
to Kankakee County. This service is
provided for visitors staying overnight.
·
Provide information on restaurants, lodging,
events, attractions and other activities
·
Receive competitive hotel rates by contacting
the CVB for free hotel booking assistance and venue site selection.
·
We can assist in coordinating group tour
activities.
·
Assistance with developing and attracting
special events to Kankakee County.
So if you are not aware of what we do for our community,
it’s simply because we are in the business of attracting visitors who travel
from outside to experience what’s on the inside of Kankakee County. If you are traveling north/south bound I-57 Illinois
or east/west bound I-65 Indiana, stop at one of our Travel Information Centers and ask for
tourist information about Kankakee County.
Local residents can pick up visitor information at our PNC Bank location, downtown Kankakee.
We are located on the ground floor.
We are presently working with our Community River
Round table, promoting the Kankakee River and developing an Interstate 57
signage program. We support the French
Heritage Museum, Regatta, Acting Out, Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra,
Merchant Street Musicfest, Agri-tourism, Momence Main Street, Wright in
Kankakee, Herscher Labor Day Celebration, Bennett Curtis House, Community Arts
Council, Park Districts, and other tourism related businesses and events. We support our local arts and cultural
community by joining their membership programs and assisting with developing
promotional and marketing material. We
are working with alternative meeting venues to attract government, corporate
and association meetings to our area.
How can the CVB
partner with the community to create a united tourism industry?
In order for us to create a united industry, our
community needs volunteers. We need community
residents, who can share in telling our story to visitors traveling throughout
Kankakee County. Volunteers are also
needed to assist with extending our front line marketing efforts. Tour guides are needed to assist with tours
of the Frank Lloyd Wright house, the Kankakee County Museum, the French
Canadian Museum, the Barn Quilt Tours, and other attractions. Volunteers are needed to help plan, promote,
set-up and collect data, for Special Events.
Our local art, historical and cultural organizations such as the
Community Arts Council of Kankakee County, Momence Main Street, WKCC public
radio, among others need volunteers to help carry out their missions.
The CVB, private, corporate, non-profits, not-for Profits
and other local businesses should continue supporting tourism by sponsoring
local attractions and special events. Private
and corporate partners should consider investing in long-term plans to create
tourism infrastructure. Creating a home
for the visual and performing arts, public art, expanding other existing
museums and attractions, will increase awareness and attract more visitors to
Kankakee County. The CVB is here to
market the best we have in Kankakee County.
Partnerships are important. If we want to promote the best we have in
Kankakee County, then we all have to invest in our community. Investing in a community doesn’t just lie on
the shoulders of the three organizations previously mentioned, but it involves
residents telling our story to visitors, business associates and friends. We at the Kankakee County Convention &
Visitors are here to increase awareness, attract visitors and create a united
tourism industry.
