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August 3rd, 2016
DCVB Partner Newsletter
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I hope this newsletter finds all of you doing well and having a good season. We are in the heart of the season and once again we are asking all the inn keepers to please make sure your availability calendars are updated. This year has been exceedingly difficult to help visitors find an available room on the weekends, especially any one night stays for a Saturday. I am not proposing you change anything such as minimum night stays etc., just that you make sure we know if there are availabilities in the county. We would all appreciate your help.
From all indications we had another great cherry season this year to drive visitors into the county. It's hard to believe the colors will start appearing in 6-8 weeks, but we have a whole lot of summer to enjoy before we get too far ahead of ourselves.
We are currently working on some research for next year's strategic plan. The fastest growing age group are the millennials. There are 74.5 million in this age bracket born between 1983 and 2004. A little over 32 million of this group are still between the ages of 12 and 19. In the Midwest, WI, MN, IL, IA, MI and IN there are 8,820,654 millennials between the ages of 20-34, with 3.8 million of those in Wisconsin and Illinois. We are studying the buying habits and how we can effectively reach this segment of consumers moving forward. If your business has not started studying millennials, perhaps now is a good time to take a look at them.
Jack Moneypenny, President/CEO
920-818-1131
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COMMUNICATIONS & PR
Jon Jarosh, Director
Media
Media assistance was provided to 20 journalists/media outlets in July by providing images, information, on-air/on-camera interviews and/or support for Door County based articles and stories. A few highlights included Peter Greenberg Worldwide, Experience Wisconsin magazine, Minnesota Good Age, AAA Home & Away, American Pickers, Sherman's Travel and WKOW ABC 27.
Facebook Live Videos
In collaboration with our marketing department colleagues and social media team, we began posting Facebook Live videos to leverage our strong Facebook following. The first two live videos we posted have received nearly 27,000 views. Facebook Live videos will continue to be posted to our feed and worked into our overall social media strategy. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DoorCountyWisconsin/.
Media Coverage Highlights
The Peter Greenberg Worldwide radio show was broadcast from Door County last week, with the 3-hour show airing on Saturday July 30, 2016 on 350 stations nationwide. Host Peter Greenberg interviewed local folks about history, the arts, fishing, lighthouses, shipwrecks and more during the show. Learn more about the Door County show here and listen to a condensed version of the show online here.
The Joy Cardin Show on Wisconsin Public Radio featured a segment about Door County cherries on Friday morning July 29. Local cherry grower Bob Lautenbach and Door County chef Terri Milligan were guests on the show. Listen or download an archived version of the show on WPR.com here.
Trailer Life Magazine included a full page story about Peninsula State Park in their August 2016 issue. View a clip of the article here.
Door County was the focus of two stories featuring culinary opportunities for visitors at the Savory Spoon Cooking School in the 7/25/2016 issue of the Post Bulletin in Rochester, MN and the 7/31/2016 issue of the Daily Journal in Kankakee, IL.
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MEMBERSHIP 
Phil Berndt, Director
How is your Internet Access? (Please Participate)
The Wisconsin State Broadband Office is pleased to announce a survey that allows residents and businesses the opportunity to voice their need for improved Internet access or service. The goal of the survey is to help state planners and policy makers better understand the need for improved Internet access in our state.
Please call or go online to complete this brief survey.
If you are unable to access the website, please call toll free: 877-360-2973
Keeping Up Appearances
Make sure you are putting your best foot forward with our
Membership Renewal Time
If you have been a member of the DCVB for more than 7 years, chances are good that it's time to renew your membership. You can pay your membership dues in person, by phone, mail or fax! Be sure to include your business name and contact info when mailing or faxing in your payment. If you have misplaced your invoice, let us know.
InnLine Upgrades are $50 ea/yr.: 5-Photo Slideshow and/or Unlimited Text. PHONE 920-743-4456 or 800-527-3529 MAIL DCVB - Yvonne PO Box 406 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235-0406 FAX Fax: (920) 743-7873 QUESTIONS
For Your Convenience
We are now able to accept American Express in addition to Visa, MasterCard and Discover for those of you who prefer to make your payment by credit card.
Another ATM Theft prompts Sheriff's Notice - and Security Tips
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PUBLICATIONS & INNLINE
Cathy Lynch, Manager
2017 Visitor Guide Advertising
The 2017 Visitor Guide contracts went out by mail at the end of last week. Please be sure to read the cover letter enclosed with the contract which outlines what we have planned for this year's guide. The deadline for returning your contract is September 30th. Ad materials are due on October 12th. Download Ad Contract
Questions about the contract should be directed to Cathy Lynch at cathy@doorcounty.com or 920-818-1135.
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WELCOME CENTER
Worth Repeating
We have hit our summer stride and the Welcome Center has been very busy. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, please stop in to say Hi! We love to see your smiling faces and to find out what's new - from YOU! (And, if you happen to have brochures with you, it's a rare chance that we aren't in need of more!)
A big Thank You to all of our Innkeepers who have been working with us to improve the online Vacancy Calendars. If you have an unavailable room that keeps showing up as vacant, let us know. There are a few work-arounds we can tell you about to help prevent this from happening. (like marking an odd room as closed for maintenance on that day.) Even though you might not be bothered by the calls you receive when you are full, most of those callers had to wade through a long list of vacancies that weren't really available and it is frustrating them to the point of changing plans to go elsewhere.
Please give us a call if you have any questions or we can help fill that available room. While most guests are making reservations in advance, we continue to get a lot of calls from potential customers in desperate search of a one-night stay - and that trend will most likely continue straight through the fall.
920-743-4456 800-527-3529
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DOOR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SECURITY NOTICE
Last night, a business was broken into south of Sister Bay and anATM inside was stolen. It was later located in Clark Lake. Last year, an outdoor ATM was taken from Fish Creek and a few years ago, another ATM was taken out of a tavern in Fish Creek.
In light of these occurrences and in cooperation with the Door County Sheriff's office we urge you to take the following steps to protect your business and equipment:
- Install Video Cameras
- Near ATM to dissuade theft.
- Less obvious camera to record security breaches.
- Anchor unit securely into place with anchor bolts.
- Free-standing ATMs that cannot be positioned against a wall should be framed with tamper resistant moulding fitted against unit to prevent the use of a tow strap, chain or rope to extract the ATM.
- Consult security recommendations when locating an ATM on your property. While an ATM needs to be visible and accessible, a location too close to a door or window may invite a forceful extraction of ATM.
- Limit amount of cash left in machine.
These ATMs were targeted because they were accessible and known/presumed to be well stocked and it's easy to get the cash out of them.
Sheriff's Department Contact:
Connie Schuster, Investigative Sergeant
Door County Sheriff's Department
Phone: 920-746-2428
Fax: 920-746-2411
CRIME INFORMATION TIP LINE
To report a crime, or if you have information about a crime, please call the Door County Sheriff's
Crime Information Tip Line phone number at (920) 746-2436. Your call will remain anonymous. Callers may be eligible for a cash reward if the information received leads to an arrest and conviction.
ROBBERY PREVENTION STRATEGIES
As our number of visitors increases, so will the threat of shoplifting and robbery. Fortunately, there is article after article online about tried-and-true steps you can take to minimize your loss and we highly recommend that you educate yourself and your staff on the subject.
While researching additional security tips, I came across an excellent 14-page guide published by the Portland Oregon Police Bureau (03-08) that is full of good advice and practical recommendations for small business owners. Perhaps this would be a good place to start:Guide to Robbery Prevention and Response to Robbery,
WHAT IS WORKING FOR YOU?
If you have any small business security solutions (practices and/or products) that you are having success with, I'd love to have specific details that I could share in upcoming Partner Newsletters - or a guide of our own. Send them to Phil Berndt at: phil@doorcounty.com
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