Wall Street Journal Confirms: Meeting in Milwaukee Won’t Make Any Headlines
We know we're in a recession. We're reminded of it pretty much 24/7. However, don't cancel your meeting or convention because of the current economic woes or out of concern that your event might become the lead story on the evening news. The bottom line: meeting in Milwaukee is good for the bottom line! You can get down to business in Milwaukee and still enjoy the many amenities visitors expect in a first-class destination - a safe, walkable downtown, friendly people, first-class hotels, fine restaurants and a vibrant arts and cultural scene.
These attributes were underscored in a July 22 Wall Street Journal article. According to the story, "employees at some big (government) agencies, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are being encouraged to host meetings in more buttoned-down places such as St. Louis, Milwaukee or Denver." Attributes for an acceptable meeting destination, according to the WSJ, include: "a travel hub, low in cost; and ‘a non-resort location.' "
In fact, more and more government meetings are booking Milwaukee for exactly those three reasons, according to Brent Foerster, vice president of sales and marketing for VISIT Milwaukee. Between Jan. 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008 (18-month period), 21,645 hotel room nights were booked for government-related meetings. More recently, from July 1, 2008 through July 23, 2009 (about 13 months), 28,163 government hotel room nights were booked.
"We may take a little issue with the term ‘buttoned down,' " said Foerster, "because convening in Milwaukee is not only productive, it's fun and first-time visitors will become instant fans of our warm and authentic brand of hospitality. But the facts remain that in-person business meetings are important lifelines to share value information and Milwaukee is a great value destination."
While many cities (including a certain gambling mecca) were more than happy to charge $200-$500 per night for a hotel room pre-recession, we now see these cities slashing rates and promoting their destinations as affordable. Milwaukee was, is and always will be a value destination where visitors can convene productively. In fact, Runzheimer International, the national consulting firm specializing in transportation, travel and living costs, ranked Milwaukee the most affordable city for food and lodging when compared to its competitive set of cities it competes with for visitors. Milwaukee ranked 60th least expensive major city out of 69 cities on the Runzheimer Meal and Lodging index report. Hotwire, the travel website, ranked Milwaukee in its top 10 "2008 Best Places for Value Vacations." And we also have golf, gaming and beaches!
VISIT Milwaukee markets Greater Milwaukee to tourists, convention and meeting planners nationally and internationally and is dedicated to ensuring our guests are warmly welcomed and enjoy an enriching experience in this jewel of the Great Lakes. VISIT Milwaukee has more than 700 members, including hotels/motels, restaurants, attractions, services and area businesses. Tourism generated $2.6 billion in spending in Greater Milwaukee in 2007 and supported 65,000 local jobs. The Spirit of Milwaukee and Potawatomi Bingo Casino are strategic partners with VISIT Milwaukee, providing funding support for conventions and tourism programs. For more information call 1-800-554-1448 or visit http://www.visitmilwaukee.org/.
Media contact: David Fantle, 414-287-4253, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)