CELEBRATING THE POWER OF TOURISM
A Year of New Beginnings There’s always a sense of excitement when you start something new. You feel the sense of accomplishment that goes along with meeting your goal. In 2018, just as the Fox Cities Exhibition Center entered its first year of operation and began to drive tourism, we experienced another new beginning: Construction began on the Community First Champion Center Fox Cities. The 164,000 square foot facility will be the premier indoor sports tourism complex in the Mid-west. It will feature a year-round ice rink, a field-house with courts for volleyball and basketball, and a seasonal arena that can be converted to an ice rink or additional courts. These facilities are once in a generation projects for the Fox Cities that will drive tourism for many years to come. These two significant tourism assets will surely change the game for the Fox Cities and the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau. A number of new hotel projects were also announced, and some completed, in 2018. New development spurred by the potential of these new tourism-generating facilities. By the end of 2019, it is expected the hotel room inventory in the Fox Cities will grow nearly 10%, with more rooms planned for 2020. While the large projects present incredible opportunities to strengthen the economy of the Fox Cities through tourism, we remain committed to implementing sales, marketing and service initiatives focused on growing visitation in all areas and to all partners. Our Board and staff came together for a strategic planning session in the Fall of 2018 and grappled with a new beginning of our own: what is the “next big thing” for tourism and the CVB? Simply put,
it’s ensuring the success of these new facilities. It’s focusing on our core mission of growing the local economy through tourism. It’s ensuring we up our game in tourism marketing and sales to project an image worthy of these investments. It means a new logo, new website, new graphics and a new brand direction. Plenty of new beginnings. The CVB’s Tourism Development Grant program also supported a number of new beginnings in 2018. A total of $444,142 in grant dollars were paid out, with another $330,000 committed to projects. Our grants fueled a new Nature Center at Bubolz Nature Preserve, two new trestle bridges in Neenah and Menasha - helping to complete the Loop the Lake, a new exhibit at the History Museum at the Castle, new signage at the Building for Kids Children’s Museum and several new visitor information kiosks. We would like to thank the CVB’s Board of Directors, committees and staff, along with our municipal, hotel and other tourism business partners for the role they played in our successes this year. We gratefully accept your financial and vocal support and look forward to working with you on future opportunities, challenges and new beginnings.
INSIDE 2018 Year in Review Inspired by the Thrill of Victory: Community First Champion Center Fox Cities Fox Cities - IN THE NEWS Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau 3433 W. College Ave., Appleton, WI 54914 800-236-6673 | 920-734-3358 tourism@foxcities.org | FoxCities.org
by Pam Seidl
James Fenlon
Executive Director
2018 Board Chair
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