Potawatomi Expansion
07/09/2008
Potawatomi Bingo Casino unleashed the excitement of their new $240 million expansion on June 19, 2008. Just minutes from downtown Milwaukee, Potawatomi Bingo Casino, one of the Midwest's premier gaming and entertainment facilities, is known as a place for world-class gaming, dining, and entertainment. Not only does the project triple the size of the casino, it includes new and unique venues for the meeting planner. The new Tribal Room adds to the existing Woodland Dreams Conference Center and Northern Lights Theater, offering a trifecta of options in which to hold offsite meetings or receptions.
The soon-to-be-opened Tribal Room is a round room with a stunning view of downtown Milwaukee through floor to ceiling glass windows. The room accommodates up to 100 people and guests will be able to schedule events starting this fall.
Open year round, the Woodland Dreams Conference Center holds up to 100 people for seated events and accommodates up to 300 people for stand up reception. The existing Northern Lights Theater remains one of Milwaukee's premier live performance venues. This intimate room accommodates up to 280 people for a sit-down dinner and up to 300 people for a cocktail reception. Two private dining rooms are available in the Four-Star, Four-Diamond Dream Dance restaurant. The front dining room accommodates up to 50 people and there is also a boardroom style setting that accommodates up to 16 guests with audio/visual capabilities.
Guests will be awed by the action and excitement of additional gaming space. The Casino offers 3,100 slot machines with the addition of 1,500 new interactive slot machines with sounds and graphics. One hundred additional table games add to the impressive collection of existing craps, blackjack, and roulette tables. A larger space and new location for the Poker room and the renovated Bingo Hall offering smoking and non-smoking sections adds to the thrill of the new expansion. The addition of two new restaurants, one Asian-themed, one American fare, complements the existing four-star four-diamond Dream Dance, The Buffet, and The Fire Pit Sports Bar and Grill. A food court and a lounge/bar area are convenient spots for gathering and entertainment.
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 over 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 nearly 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/.
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For more information contact:
David Fantle,
VISIT Milwaukee,
800.231.0903 or 414.287.4253
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or
Jeannine Sherman,
VISIT Milwaukee,
800.231.0903 or 414.287.6230
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
New Attraction has Milwaukee Revving its Engine
06/30/2008
Strap on your helmet and get ready to burn some rubber because Saturday, July 12, 2008, marks the grand opening of the world's first and only Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Nearly 105 years in the making, the Museum will open the doors to its industrial inspired complex and add a whole new dimension to the Harley-Davidson experience. Without a doubt, loyal Harley customers will immediately feel at home in this place that was created with them in mind. But the Museum will also give newcomers a feel for the freedom, camaraderie and pride that Harley-Davidson riders experience every time they hit the open road.
"The Museum will give Milwaukee a one-of-a-kind attraction that you won't find anywhere else in the world," said Doug Neilson, president and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee. "This attraction is expected to attract an estimated 350,000 visitors to the city annually. Harley-Davidson is an iconic brand and the Museum celebrates in storied legacy and bigger place in American manufacturing history."
The complex's architecture incorporates urban design elements to reflect the industrial history of both Harley-Davidson and Milwaukee, the city of its birth. Three buildings will house the Harley-Davidson Museum and Archives, restaurant and café, retail store and ample special event space.
Whether hosting an event for fifteen or fifteen thousand, the Harley-Davidson Museum makes for the perfect off-site venue. The building and landscaped grounds offer a variety of room types and space to accommodate groups large and small and can be customized for any special occasion. Indoor special event space will be able to accommodate meetings in theater-style seating for as large as 1,000 and sit-down
dinners for as many as 750. Six separate breakout rooms will accommodate approximately 40 to 190 in theater-style seating. And outdoor special event space will handle up to 15,000 people with full-service catering.
The Museum has partnered with Levy Restaurants to be their exclusive food provider. Levy Restaurants was chosen because of their reputation for providing the finest quality food and beverage, outstanding service, and an ability to devise menus to fit just about every budget and occasion. The Museum has also compiled a team of exclusive and preferred vendors for such services as audio/visual, lighting, tables, chairs, tents, etc. By going through the exclusive Museum vendors, guests ensure that they're working with a vendor who understands their needs and the capabilities and limitations of the various spaces within the Museum.
Bold, customizable, and just flat-out fun, events and meetings at the Museum will deliver an out-of-the-ordinary experience that attendees will be talking about for years to come. If you want your event to stand out, the Harley-Davidson Museum will give it the kick you're looking for.
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 nearly 700 members, including hotels/motels, restaurants, attractions, services and area businesses. Tourism generated $2.6 billion in spending in Greater Milwaukee in 2006 and supported over 64,000 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/.
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For more information contact:
David Fantle,
VISIT Milwaukee,
800.231.0903 or 414.287.4253
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or
Jeannine Sherman,
VISIT Milwaukee,
800.231.0903 or 414.287.6230
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Friday, May 09, 2008
2007 Tourism Spending in Milwaukee Remains Strong
05/09/2008
Tourism spending in the Greater Milwaukee area in 2007 remained strong and slightly surpassed the results in 2006. Traveler expenditures came to an estimated $2.579 billion for the year (versus $2.578 billion in 2006). The industry also continues to be a major supporter of the economy by supporting 64,854 full-time equivalent jobs (up from the previous year's total of 64,020), $1.474 billion in wages (down slightly from the 1.534 billion in wages the previous year) and contributing $410 million in local and state taxes (down slightly from the previous year's total of $415 million).
These numbers come from The Economic Impact of Expenditures by Travelers on the Greater Milwaukee Area, CalendarYear 2007, an annual tourism economic impact study conducted by Davidson-Peterson, Inc. The study focused on traveler expenditures in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.
The majority of visitor expenditures in the Greater Milwaukee area were divided among shopping, which accounted for approximately one-third ($793 million or 31 percent) of traveler expenses; food ($708 million or 27 percent); and recreational spending ($582 million or 23 percent). The remaining expenditures went to lodging ($305 million or 12 percent) and transportation ($189 million or 7 percent).
Hotel occupancy in Milwaukee County held steady finishing at 63 percent for the year.
"Milwaukee remains a great value destination for the business and leisure traveler," said Doug Neilson, president and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee. "We continue to enjoy a healthy mix between our visitor categories and we have some exciting new additions to our tourism amenities, which should draw significant number of new visitors to Milwaukee."
"Looking ahead, with a similar base of convention business this year and the opening of the Harley-Davidson Museum, the Potawatomi Bingo Casino expansion, the Les Paul exhibit at Discovery World and the Titantic exhibit coming to the Milwaukee Public Museum, we believe that the tourism economy and excitement for the city will continue to grow," added Neilson.
Annual Luncheon Meeting
VISIT Milwaukee will hold its annual meeting luncheon May 14 to coincide with National Tourism Week. Each year, VISIT Milwaukee presents the Lamplighter Award to an outstanding individual or organization whose efforts and continuing contributions to the tourism and hospitality industry have strengthened Milwaukee's image nationally and internationally and contributed to its appeal as a visitor destination.
This year's recipients are The Milwaukee County Parks, a treasure of some 15,000 acres of parks, parkways and beaches and The Bartolotta Restaurant Group, whose restaurants have raised the culinary bar in Milwaukee.
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 over 64,000 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 www.visitmilwaukee.org.
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For more information contact:
David Fantle,
VISIT Milwaukee,
800.231.0903 or 414.287.4253
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or
Jeannine Sherman,
VISIT Milwaukee,
800.231.0903 or 414.287.6230
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Monday, March 17, 2008
Milwaukee Named a Top Value Destination
03/17/2008
Milwaukee offers more bang for your buck, scoring among the top ten "2008 Best Places for Value Vacations," according to Hotwire.com Travel Value Index. The web site's annual Travel Value Index showcases the top 10 U.S. cities where savvy travelers find the best value and entertainment options as they plan their next vacation. Hotwire.com highlights Milwaukee's wide variety of visitor attractions for every price point, including: " some of the best breweries and sports teams, as well as powerhouse performing arts, dynamic exhibitions and a casino."
Hotwire.com ranks cities offering the greatest overall value to visitors across three categories: Discounts on air, rental car, and hotel; Low prices on air, rental car and hotel; and affordable entertainment, overall appeal and choice of accommodations. The Index is based on a statistical model that evaluates 50 U.S. markets for consumer vacation value. Hotwire.com is a leading discount travel site, recognized by J.D. Power and Associates in 2007 for customer satisfaction.
For more information go to www.milwaukee.org and www.hotwire.com/destination/travel-value-index2.jsp.
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 business. Tourism generated $2.4 billion in spending in Greater Milwaukee in 2004 and supported about 61,000 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 www.visitmilwaukee.org.
# # #
For more information contact:
David Fantle,
VISIT Milwaukee,
800.231.0903 or 414.287.4253
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or
Jeannine Sherman,
VISIT Milwaukee,
800.231.0903 or 414.287.6230
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)