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Hello to all of you. Well, another Columbus Day/Pumpkin Patch weekend is in the books. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. The visitor information staff was able to fill every room that we knew was available so by Saturday afternoon we just apologized and offered directions to where they sell tents and what tent camp grounds might be available. We had at least one young couple take us up on that offer. Please note I did not say we filled every room in Door County, but the ones that we knew about.
We have another big weekend coming this week. If you or someone you know have a vacancy please make sure that you let us know if you want our help in filling them. We always fill member businesses first and then non-member. We always try to fill every room but sometimes room rate and minimum stay requirements do not meet with what the customer is looking for, so we are unable to help, but we try. SO, please let us help you if you have vacancies or last minute cancellations for these busy Fall weekends.
If you haven't already, please mark Wednesday, October 28 on your calendar to attend the DCVB annual meeting and dinner celebration. This year we will be at the Lodge at Leathem Smith and the menu is great! There is an electronic flyer and registration in the membership section of this newsletter.
We are down to the wire for the 2016 Official Visitor Guide. We have a small amount of space still available for advertisers. If you want to get into the official visitor publication with at least 230,000 copies printed and distributed in and out of county as well as the electronic version on line you will need to act immediately. There are two steps to follow, 1. Contact Cathy Lynch at cathy@doorcounty.com and let her know you will be advertising. 2. All materials, contract and artwork as well as payment must be in our offices no later than October 23. That's the absolute deadline.
There appears to be a hearing on a school start bill brewing in Madison for the end of the month that will exempt many high-performing school districts from the uniform September 1 school starting date. The bill exempts school districts with 20 percent of high school students taking at least one Advanced Placement course. That hearing is expected to be on Thursday, October 29th. Travelers spend $300 million dollars more in WI in August than they do in June. I understand that there are two camps on this issue, but we really don't need a short season shortened even more for tourism. The hearing will be at the capital. If you want more information on this hearing, please let me know and I will forward details as they become available, time, room, etc..
One last online push for the Carole Counard Scholarship raffle. Tickets are $50 each, and every penny of the money raised goes to support $1,000 scholarships to local people. Last year we were able to award 4 of these scholarships, but so far this year we do not have enough tickets sold to award even one. Your raffle ticket also gives you the opportunity to win 1 of 3 prizes: the Grand Prize is valued at $3,225.00 and includes: A one year membership in the DCVB, a ½ page ad in the 2016 Official Visitor Guide, one line listing in the official visitor guide, $500 in co-op advertising credits, 5 participants in the DCVB CTA training class, additional photos and text in your inn line page. The 2nd and 3rd place prizes are a one year membership in the DCVB. Please help us support continuing education for Door County residents. You can purchase a ticket at the Welcome Center and they will be for sale at the annual meeting and dinner. State law prohibits sending raffle tickets through the mail.
Best Regards,
 Jack Moneypenny, President/CEO
920-818-1131
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MARKETING & SALES
Michelle Rasmusson, Director
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Winter Advertising Opportunities
- eNewsletter: Nov & Dec ($500/ad)
- Trip Advisor Banner Ad: Oct, Nov, Dec ($600/ad)
- Social Media Posts (FB & Twitter): Oct, Nov, Dec ($50-$250)
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COMMUNICATIONS & PR
Jon Jarosh, Director
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Media
Media assistance has been provided to 12 journalists/media outlets thus far in October by providing images, information, on-air/on-camera interviews and/or support for Door County based articles and stories. A few highlights included WMTV NBC 15 in Madison, Radio Scilly (United Kingdom), WFRV CBS 5 in Green Bay and WXXM 92.1 FM in Madison.
I attended the annual convention of the Society of American Travel Writers earlier this month. It provided a great opportunity for me to network with professional travel writers from around the country and pitch Door County story ideas to them throughout the convention as well as during deskside visits. I have some great leads with journalists who contribute to both regional and national media outlets and look forward to welcoming some of the journalists I met on our press trips next year.
Media Marketing Program Update
Our 8th and final press trip of the year with Geiger & Associates Public Relations kicks off next week and runs from October 19-23. The fall themed trip will take travel journalists all over the county to experience a wide range of activities and events.
Our press trip program with Geiger & Associates has generated more than $14 million worth of media coverage and over 1.1 billion impressions for Door County. View PDFs via Google Drive here of the more than 1,500 articles that have been written. New articles are added each month.
Media Coverage Highlights
Travel journalist Perri Blumberg wrote a story for Self.com that featured 5 tricks from Door County Coffee Company on how to make iced coffee even more delicious. Read the online story, which posted on 9/28/2015, on Self.com here.
Door County spokesperson Jon Jarosh appeared on WTMJ NBC 4 in Milwaukee for an in-studio interview on September 27, 2015 to talk about Door County fall activities and events. Watch the interview with anchor Julia Fello on TMJ4.com here
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Door County spokesperson Jon Jarosh appeared on WMTV NBC 15 in Madison for an in-studio interview on October 4, 2015 to talk about Door County fall activities and events. Watch the interview with meteorologist/anchor Amy Carlson on NBC15.com here.
Door County was highlighted in U.S. FrontLine Magazine, a Japanese language publication, in the October 5, 2015 issue. The magazine's editor, Mirei Sato, visited Door County as part of our cherry press trip in July of 2015. Get your Japanese language translator and check out the online version of the story on USFL.com here.
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MEMBERSHIP
Phil Berndt, Director
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DCVB Annual Meeting & Dinner - ONLINE REGISTRATION - Now Open!
October 28th at The Lodge @ Leathem Smith 5:30pm-8pm.
Join us for a healthy blend of Business, End-of-the-season Fun and a fantastic dinner!
Succession Planning Workshop for Door County Businesses
Tuesday, October 20th, 2015 from 8:00am to Noon at the Baileys Harbor Town Hall. RSVP HERE
DCEDC and the DCVB are pleased to present a free workshop on succession planning for Door County business owners. Topics to be addressed during the half-day seminar include: Introduction to Business Succession Planning, Protecting Your Legacy: Probate Considerations, and a panel discussion on Preparing Your Business For Sale. The agenda also will provide time for questions and answers and networking opportunities. Speakers will include legal experts, accountants, realtors and other experts from Door County and across the state of Wisconsin.
This participatory workshop is designed to help small business owners understand and successfully navigate the process of developing a successful business transition plan. An essential strategic item for all businesses, this plan provides contingencies for a wide variety of situations, including family transitions, retirement, life changes or other causes. Our speakers will address ways that businesses can proactively plan to address some of the most common challenges encountered, and offer strategies that business owners of any age can use to maintain and grow the value of their business and establish an effective plan for the future.
Maybe you think a succession plan isn't necessary because you never intend to retire. But what if you were to die unexpectedly or become ill and can no longer do the job? Who will take over? If you'd like your business to continue beyond your involvement, establishing an appropriate and effective succession plan is a vital part of your business. Join us to learn about succession strategies you can use in your business now and into the future, and to learn about the alternatives you should consider when establishing your plan. Workshop Agenda & Presenter Bios
Click the iCal icon to add a workshop reminder to your calendar!
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CERTIFIED TOURISM AMBASSADOR
Christine Salmon, Coordinator
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CTA of the Month 
Have you submitted a nomination for any of the incredible CTAs in your life? We have so many amazing Certified Tourism Ambassadors in Door County that we want to recognize one every month!
Please use this link http://goo.gl/forms/OlRsGhrWmL to submit a short & sweet nomination form every time you think about someone in Door County who has shown their commitment to tourism in Door County.
CTAs who are eligible for this award are those that are current in their designation. You can view a list by name here and by business here. We look forward to giving out our 1st CTA of the Month Award soon!
Upcoming Classes 
Registration is open for the November & December classes in 2015. Please visit www.CTANetwork.com and click on "Become a CTA". Follow the prompts to select Door County's available classes, which include dates already scheduled in 2016. Remember - when you register for a class, you are only required to attend ONE 4-hour class and pass the test to become Certified as a Tourism Ambassador. For a cost of $25, you are provided with class materials, the in-class training, a certificate of completion, the gold CTA pin, and tons of new information and tools to use on the job.
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Vacancies
Lodging Members - please call the Welcome Center (920) 743-4456 with any cancellations or openings that you have for this upcoming busy weekend. Putting visitors into a room in Door County (instead of turning them away) is a top priority for us, and we appreciate all the help you can give us by sharing your available inventory.
If you haven't done this recently, please check to be sure that your InnLine Vacancy Calendar is up-to-date. The accuracy of that information is what we rely on every day to provide excellent customer service at the Door County Visitor Bureau Welcome Center.
Winter Guides
Winter Guides are available for pick-up or contact Jennifer to request a delivery.
Thank You
We would also like to thank each and every one of our members for reading our requests and following up with fresh supplies of brochures, accepting Door County gift certificates at your business, and stopping in to say hi when you are passing by! Thank you!
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