News from IPCVB June 3, 2013

NEWS FROM IPCVB

June 3, 2013

Dear Tourism Stakeholder,

Voici les nouvelles (Here is the news):

Iberian Ambassador of the Week

We are closing shrimp month with this picture of Monsieur Charles Norton, owner of the Estorge-Norton B&B and his beautiful shrimp painting.

Upcoming Meetings and Events

June 8	Sustainability and Historic Preservation Workshop
June 12-13	Bayou Teche Paddle Trail Meetings
June 13	Greater Iberia Chamber Eggs and Issues: Affordable Care Act
June 19	Greater Iberia Chamber Employee Motivation Seminar
June 19-20	Shadows-on-the-Teche Kids History Workshop
June 24-28	IPAL Youth Workshop
June 25	Iberia Parish Tourist Commission Meeting, 10:30 a.m.
June 25	Greater Iberia Chamber Eggs and Issues: Legislative Update
June 28	LTPA Annual Meeting and Luncheon
June 29	Envision daBerry Film and Culture Kids Workshop
August 26-28	Lt. Governor Tourism Summit

Gracias, merci, thank you!

Gracias to all of you for liking us on Facebook and for spreading the word on our shrimp promotion. Winner will be announced soon.

Merci Rip Van Winkle Gardens, Little River Inn, Clementine, TABASCO®, KONRIKO®, Jungle Gardens, Bayou Teche Museum, Jeanerette Museum and Shadows-on-the-Teche for donating items for our VisitSouth.com weekend getaway sweepstakes.

Thank you Iberia Parish Government, TABASCO® and KONRIKO® for providing ditty bag items for the Black Caucus, Louisiana Police Jury Assoc. seminar.

Gracias TABASCO® and KONRIKO® for providing food products for the LA Fireman's Assoc. Convention.

Merci Maggie Daniels, Iberia Parish Council, and President/meeting planner, for holding the Black Caucus, Louisiana Police Jury Assoc. seminar on May 24-25 in New Iberia.

Thank you Dwayne Thevis, Iberia Parish Fire District 1 and President/meeting planner for bringing the LA State Fireman's Assoc. Convention to New Iberia on Aug. 1-3.

Industry News

Congratulations Landry's Cajun Seafood and Steakhouse of New Iberia and La Quinta Inn & Suites for earning a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence!

Ramada Conference Center is offering a Father's Day brunch. See their ad in our Iberia's Sweet Picks electronic newsletter. Find it in your mail box or on our website.

Will we get more travelers this season? Get the 2013 national summer travel forecast.

The Louisiana Gourd Society will hold its next annual gourd show on April 3-5, 2014 at the Willow Wood Multi Purpose Building in New Iberia.

Do you want to travel to Canada to learn about Acadian ancestry? "Mama" Redell Comeaux Miller, tour coordinator for Acadiana Bayous and Byways, and Mr. Claude Boudreau of Memramcook, Canada, are organizing an Acadian/Cajun Tour for Congrès Mondial Acadien 2014. The trip will include flying into Halifax and following the Acadians' historical trail from their arrival from France to their deportation and return to Acadie. For more information, e-mail mamaredell@yahoo.com

The Louisiana Office of Tourism's budget impacts Iberia Parish! We encourage all tourism stakeholders to follow this link and send a pre-drafted letter to members of the Louisiana House Appropriations Committee asking them to support tourism during the upcoming legislative session. This is a campaign of the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association and the Louisiana Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus.

Marketing & Funding Opportunities

FREE Marketing Opportunity. Send us pictures of the Father's Day gifts available at your business and we will put them in our next consumer newsletter (June 10). Restaurant specials are welcome too. Deadline: June 6 at 5 p.m.

Encourage your customers to review your business on TripAdvisor. Sign up for a free business account with TripAdvisor to manage your reviews. Learn more here.

We received the following letter from the Deepwater Horizon Claims Center regarding Gulf Seafood and Tourism Promotional Funds.

Put Iberia on the map! National Geographic is launching online, locally-built travel guides in BP oil spill states. Click here to learn more about Geotourism. Click here to nominate places, community organizations, local food, etc. Deadline: July 15

You may be eligible for an Economic Opportunity Fund from the LA Cultural Economy Foundation. The goal of the EOF grant program is to provide small seed grants (max of $2,500) to small cultural nonprofits, cultural businesses and individual cultural workers to create a new stream of income that will be self- sustaining over the long term. Learn more here.

Louisiana Main Street Redevelopment Incentive Grants applications for 2013/2014 are now available. Deadline: June 12.

Get exposure with the Cajun Country Coupon Book, which is distributed in certified tourist (see list here) and state welcome centers (see list here). Our visitors love these coupons! Iberia businesses participating in this program include Bayou Teche Museum, Shadows-on-the-Teche, KONRIKO®, TABASCO®, Jungle Gardens, Jeanerette Museum, Cypremort Charters LLC, Legnon's Boucherie, Meche's Donuts, Jane's Seafood, La Quinta, Days Inn, Clementine's and Landry's of Jeanerette. If you are interested, contact Mike McNemar, 337-365-2179, mikemc@savebyclipping.com , www.savebyclipping.com , www.facebook.com/savebyclipping

Iberia in the Media

Writer Lisa LeBlanc-Berry mentioned Clementine's in her article on dancing in Acadiana published in the June-July issue of Acadiana Profile (p.31). She also featured Rip Van Winkle Gardens in her article on wedding destinations (p. 51).

Delcambre held a press tour last Thursday and its Vermilion Bay Sweet Shrimp got coverage on ABC News Baton Rouge. The Delcambre Direct Seafood program and the Seafood and Farmers' Market were featured in the Lafayette Daily Advertiser . The market was also on KATC.

On the Web