BEST MEETING SPACES, LIKE BEST EMPLOYEES, SHOULD INSPIRE CREATIVE THINKING
Give Wisconsin Venues a Try to Boost Creativity and Profitability

MILWAUKEE (May 2010) – With early signs the recession is beginning to loosen its grip, there’s a good chance companies will start carefully reconsidering holding an off-site meeting or two.  In some cases, it might be a strategic planning session, for others maybe an employee training session that was put off last year.  Either way, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism wants to be out in front of the shift with an economic stimulus message of its own to Wisconsin business leaders: Keep your meetings in Wisconsin and we’ll help you find a venue that’s not only a good value but one that inspires creativity.

According to Tourism Secretary Kelli Trumble, this latest invitation to companies headquartered in Wisconsin and those with substantial operations here to stay put when booking a meeting represents the next wave of the Department’s grass-roots campaign called “Meetings Mean Business for Wisconsin,” launched earlier this year with the support of Governor Jim Doyle and the state’s Commerce Department.

“It almost goes without saying that we deliver a good value here in Wisconsin when it comes to meeting facilities,” began Secretary Trumble.  “Now it’s time to take our sales strategy a step further, and talk about all creativity-boosting spaces that only Wisconsin can deliver.  That’s a message that CEOs should be very receptive to right now.”

The “AIG factor” made companies across the country leery of booking meetings at all, even if conventional wisdom said they might be loosing business or slowing their own economic recovery in the process.  But a piece of research recently delivered by global research firm Oxford Economics may make business leaders rethink that strategy.  The study, released by the non-profit U.S. Travel Association, shows that for every dollar invested in business travel, companies realize $12.50 in incremental revenue.

Trumble is billing the “Meetings Mean Business for Wisconsin” program as an economic stimulus idea that's simple, doesn't cost extra and could go a long way in strengthening local economies.  She pointed out that many top-notch large convention and conference facilities in the state that have sprung up over the last five years,  all indicative of a concerted effort on the part of the state’s tourism industry to diversify and even out the dependence on leisure travel.
That investment by urban destinations and northwoods communities alike was paying off, with the meetings and conventions segment the fastest growing category of Wisconsin tourism prior to the recession.  In 2009, that segment fell 14.35%, while leisure travel, by comparison, posted a 6.27% decline.

“If every business in Wisconsin would hold just one more meeting here – 25 people staying just two nights – the state would realize close to $16,000 for each meeting that size, so imagine how quickly the dollars would add up,” Trumble.
For smaller business meetings, Wisconsin has some unexpected venues that are being promoted as creativity-boosting spaces by the Tourism Department, thus adding to the value of keeping meetings close to home.
Trumble suggests as a simple next step for business leaders to speak with the person on their staff responsible for booking meeting sites and seeing where the next company meeting is scheduled.  If not in Wisconsin, she asks they reconsider.  “Your local convention & visitor bureau is your best resource if you want to hold your meeting locally.  If you want to try another location in Wisconsin, access ThinkWisconsin.com to see everything that’s available,” recommended Trumble.
Wisconsin Tourism is one of the three pillars of industry in the state, right alongside agriculture and manufacturing.  Last year, tourism brought in $12.1 billion in traveler expenditures and supported 286,000 jobs around the state.  For more information, log on to www.TravelWisconsin.com.

Unexpected Small Meeting Venues

Along with the large convention spaces, Wisconsin Tourism makes the point that unexpected venues around the state - on both land and water - could serve as off-site board rooms and manageable spaces for strategic planning meetings.  Here’s a quick recap of facilities that, according to the Tourism Department, are creativity-boosting by being quintessential Wisconsin. 

On the Water - Wisconsin’s flagship schooner the S/V Denis Sullivan at Pier Wisconsin in Milwaukee can be booked for leadership and team building packages through Discovery World.  In Wisconsin Dells, groups can board a boat at Dells Boat Tours for transport to Cold Water Canyon, a historic stone pavilion set up for small meetings. Private charters are available on the La Crosse Queen and the Julia Belle Swain, both docked on the Mississippi River in La Crosse.  With a fleet of eight vessels, the Lake Geneva Cruise Line can accommodate up to 200.

Boats, Planes and Trains - The Roof Deck at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum offers a view of Lake Michigan and downtown Manitowoc, with a guided tour of the USS Cobia after the meeting a good add-on.  At the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, a number of spaces are available for rental on the aviation campus, from the museum galleries that can host up to 3,000 people for a shareholder’s meeting to the Fergus Chapel, suited to smaller gatherings. The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay can accommodate groups up to 400 alongside its full-size train cars and artifacts.

Museums - The official icon of Wisconsin’s urban center, the Milwaukee Art Museum provides views of Lake Michigan, a grand hall, auditorium space, a boardroom suite and world-class art.  The rooftop terrace and sculpture garden at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art offer inspiring views, while the museum’s lecture hall and lobby are also for rental. The John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan has a light-filled atrium, plus a theatre and boardroom and outside gardens for small or large functions. Several areas of the Racine Art Museum are available for rent, including the main floor and galleries, and an exterior courtyard offers an open-air setting with a view of Lake Michigan that accommodates up to 40 guests. Rahr-West Art Museum in Manitowoc is a Victorian mansion built in 1891 by Joseph Vilas and home to works by artists Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Salvadore Dali and Joan Miro; it can accommodate groups up to 70.

Bold and customizable, the Harley-Davidson Museum delivers an out-of-the-ordinary meeting experience.  Located in downtown Milwaukee on the Menomonee River, this award-winning design features floor-to-ceiling views, state-of- the- art equipment, free parking and the rich culture of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

Performing Arts Venues - At the ARTSblock in Wausau, spaces range from seating for 1,200 in the Grand Theatre to smaller gathering spaces such as the B.A. & Esther Greenheck Lounge.  The state-of-the-art Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton features a 2,100 seat proscenium-style theater, 4,160 square feet of flexible space, the Founders Room, and more than 10,000 square feet of lobby space.  The 380,000 square foot Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison was designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Cesar Pelli and offers 14 venues for meetings including performance stages, a variety of lobby spaces, halls, terraces and studios.  Three dinner theaters also host meetings: The Armory in Janesville, Broadway Dinner Theatre in Wisconsin Dells, and Fanny Hill Dinner Theatre in Eau Claire.

Historic Proportions - Built in 1897 by German barn builder Ernst Clausing, Old World Wisconsin’s Clausing Barn is one of the few surviving octagonal barns and is available year round for evening functions. At Ten Chimneys, former home of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, the Lunt-Fontanne Program Center is available for retreats and conferences. At Lambeau Field, business organizations can stage a trade show on the Atrium floor followed by a smaller gathering in a press box with views of the landmark field.