eTraveler - May 31, 2023
May 31, 2023
The meeting will start at 10:30 a.m. and lunch will be provided. It will focus on social media trends and marketing expertise from Lucy Cade, IEDA/IFA social media manager, along with networking and an open forum for collaboration and discussion.
Attendees will also experience the town of Stuart, learn about how scenic byways (like Stuart's White Pole Road) can create tourism assets, and take a historical walking tour that includes the Saints Cultural Center and a Bonnie & Clyde bank robbery re-enactment. Finally, end the day with shopping and hearing the story behind the creation of retail shop Doe a Deer. The bulk of the meeting with occur from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., but we encourage you to consider staying the night and joining us for an optional morning activity on Wednesday.
What your peers are saying:
"I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet and network with other professionals in the tourism industry. I also enjoyed the open forum to learn from others about what they are doing, how they are approaching different challenges, and what they find useful."
"The afternoon of exploring the town was nice and gave me an opportunity to talk to a lot of the attendees that I hadn't spoken to during the meeting."
"I liked that we were able to visit some small businesses in the area. This allows for us to put money in the community we are visiting and learn and share their story."
REGISTER
Learn more about the options by watching the recorded webinar or looking through the opportunities packet. This is a great way to feature your attraction or destination in the story we will tell the traveler through advertising. Co-op registrations will open on June 7, 2023, at 10 a.m. Opportunities will be available on a first-come, first-served basis as there are limited spots for each option. If you have tourism co-op program questions, please email Jessica O'Riley at jessica.oriley@iowaeda.com.
LEARN MORE
Register to receive up to TWO free admission tickets to the Fair and join the industry for a day of networking and fun! The day will include a morning welcome, an educational session and map with tourism points of interest to guide your day at the Fair – including the opportunity to see the Travel Iowa tradeshow booth at the Varied Industries Building.
A LIMITED number of tickets remain – tickets are first-come, first-served and are non-transferable. Parking is not included. Tickets will be mailed to the address you submit after June 30.
Thank you to Jeremy Parsons, CEO of the Iowa State Fair, for this special opportunity!
REGISTER
The Travel Iowa tradeshow booth will have space in the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fair! We are looking for volunteers to staff the tradeshow booth – in return you will be able to speak to Fairgoers about your destination during your time slot, have printed materials and video promotion throughout the Fair and receive free admission and parking for the day of your shift.
There are two time shifts available each day of the Fair:
To volunteer for a shift, contact Ann Vogelbacher with Central Iowa Tourism at 515.571.3855.
The webinar covered the following topics:
REGISTER
ACTION NEEDED: Please stop shipments of brochures and materials to the Iowa Welcome Centers in rest areas. Check your auto-shipment lists to remove these locations. Materials shipped after May 15, 2023 will not be returned.
The Midwest Living team will hit the road in Iowa for content capture and development on June 12-15, 2023. The itinerary will include Council Bluffs, Winterset, Des Moines, Amana Colonies, Iowa City, Jackson County and Dubuque. Watch our Travel Iowa social media for sneak peeks of the trip and stay tuned for the full promotion in summer 2024.
The Midwest Living Road Rally activation will align with the bulk of the Soul of Iowa 2.0 promotion, putting Iowa top-of-mind for travlers across the Midwest next year.
The Iowa Tourism Office's passports are now updated with new hidden gems to explore for the chance to win fun new prizes. These are a great opportunity to engage visitors and locals alike.
The Iowa Parks Passport encourages exploration of over 60 parks, each of which includes a description of a hidden gem within the park. Participants who post a selfie at the hidden gem with the hashtag #IowaStateParks will be entered into a drawing to win an outdoor cooking package. For every 300 points earned, passholders will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a paddling package (kayak, paddle, life jacket and dry bag) or a three-night stay at a cabin in Lake Darling State Park.
New to the Iowa Wine and Beer Passports is a sweepstakes that runs June 1 through October 31. Each month, every check-in is entered into the monthly drawing to win a $100 gift card at a participating business.
The Iowa Distillery Passport has been updated with new businesses, deals and offers.
The Iowa Byways Passport is scheduled to launch by July 4 with a new "Local Legends" theme. Participants will be able to earn points to receive limited edition Local Legends trading cards.
Help the Iowa Museum Association celebrate their Iowa Museum Week, which will be held June 12-18. Please join the social media campaign by sharing your local museums with the hashtag #IowaMuseumWeek.
All museums and tourism organizations are encouraged to review the Museum Association's social media plan and economic impact statement and use tools such as the event graphic.
Deadline: Tourism Insider Meeting Registration
Registration is now open for the second Tourism Insider Meeting, which will be held in Stuart on June 20-21. Registration closes on Friday, June 16.The meeting will start at 10:30 a.m. and lunch will be provided. It will focus on social media trends and marketing expertise from Lucy Cade, IEDA/IFA social media manager, along with networking and an open forum for collaboration and discussion.
Attendees will also experience the town of Stuart, learn about how scenic byways (like Stuart's White Pole Road) can create tourism assets, and take a historical walking tour that includes the Saints Cultural Center and a Bonnie & Clyde bank robbery re-enactment. Finally, end the day with shopping and hearing the story behind the creation of retail shop Doe a Deer. The bulk of the meeting with occur from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., but we encourage you to consider staying the night and joining us for an optional morning activity on Wednesday.
What your peers are saying:
"I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet and network with other professionals in the tourism industry. I also enjoyed the open forum to learn from others about what they are doing, how they are approaching different challenges, and what they find useful."
"The afternoon of exploring the town was nice and gave me an opportunity to talk to a lot of the attendees that I hadn't spoken to during the meeting."
"I liked that we were able to visit some small businesses in the area. This allows for us to put money in the community we are visiting and learn and share their story."
REGISTER
Y24 Co-op Advertising Opens June 7
In alignment with Iowa's branding and awareness campaign to the out-of-state visitor, the Iowa Tourism Office's FY24 Co-op Program includes traditional favorites along with exciting new opportunities.Learn more about the options by watching the recorded webinar or looking through the opportunities packet. This is a great way to feature your attraction or destination in the story we will tell the traveler through advertising. Co-op registrations will open on June 7, 2023, at 10 a.m. Opportunities will be available on a first-come, first-served basis as there are limited spots for each option. If you have tourism co-op program questions, please email Jessica O'Riley at jessica.oriley@iowaeda.com.
LEARN MORE
You're Invited to the Iowa State Fair!
Let’s bring Iowa Tourism Partners together at the Iowa State Fair for the first Tourism Day at the Fair, to be held Thursday, August 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Register to receive up to TWO free admission tickets to the Fair and join the industry for a day of networking and fun! The day will include a morning welcome, an educational session and map with tourism points of interest to guide your day at the Fair – including the opportunity to see the Travel Iowa tradeshow booth at the Varied Industries Building.
A LIMITED number of tickets remain – tickets are first-come, first-served and are non-transferable. Parking is not included. Tickets will be mailed to the address you submit after June 30.
Thank you to Jeremy Parsons, CEO of the Iowa State Fair, for this special opportunity!
REGISTER
Promotional Opportunity at the Iowa State Fair
The Travel Iowa tradeshow booth will have space in the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fair! We are looking for volunteers to staff the tradeshow booth – in return you will be able to speak to Fairgoers about your destination during your time slot, have printed materials and video promotion throughout the Fair and receive free admission and parking for the day of your shift.There are two time shifts available each day of the Fair:
- 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
To volunteer for a shift, contact Ann Vogelbacher with Central Iowa Tourism at 515.571.3855.
Save the Date: 2024 Iowa Tourism Conference
We are so excited to announce the dates for the 2024 Iowa Tourism Conference! Please mark your calendar for March 20-21, 2024, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. Details and registration will be shared later this year.Iowa Tourism Office Webinar Recording Available
Thank you to all that were able to join our May webinar! If you were unable to attend, the recorded webinar can be found here.The webinar covered the following topics:
- National Travel & Tourism Week recap
- FY24 Marketing Co-Op
- Soul of Iowa Spring 2023 update
- Tourism Insider Outreach Plan
REGISTER
Reminder: Iowa Welcome Centers Closing
The Iowa Tourism Office and Iowa Department of Transportation recently completed an Iowa Welcome Center Study, which recommended that the state transition away from funding and supporting state-owned welcome centers. Instead, we plan to continue to support our privately owned and operated centers. Effective July 1, 2023, IEDA plans to permanently close and release space back to the Iowa Department of Transportation in four co-located welcome center/rest area locations - Davis City, Sergeant Bluff, Underwood and Wilton. The rest areas will remain open and staffed by the Iowa DOT.ACTION NEEDED: Please stop shipments of brochures and materials to the Iowa Welcome Centers in rest areas. Check your auto-shipment lists to remove these locations. Materials shipped after May 15, 2023 will not be returned.
Midwest Living's Road Rally 2024 to Feature Iowa
The Iowa Tourism Office is excited to share that Iowa will be the featured state in the 2024 Midwest Living Road Rally! The team at Midwest Living has been holding their annual road rally, featuring a week-long road trip in one state, for the last several years. The road trip is then featured in the summer issue of Midwest Living as well as through several social media promotions. See an example of the current Road Rally trip.The Midwest Living team will hit the road in Iowa for content capture and development on June 12-15, 2023. The itinerary will include Council Bluffs, Winterset, Des Moines, Amana Colonies, Iowa City, Jackson County and Dubuque. Watch our Travel Iowa social media for sneak peeks of the trip and stay tuned for the full promotion in summer 2024.
The Midwest Living Road Rally activation will align with the bulk of the Soul of Iowa 2.0 promotion, putting Iowa top-of-mind for travlers across the Midwest next year.
Digital Passports Refreshed
The Iowa Tourism Office's passports are now updated with new hidden gems to explore for the chance to win fun new prizes. These are a great opportunity to engage visitors and locals alike.The Iowa Parks Passport encourages exploration of over 60 parks, each of which includes a description of a hidden gem within the park. Participants who post a selfie at the hidden gem with the hashtag #IowaStateParks will be entered into a drawing to win an outdoor cooking package. For every 300 points earned, passholders will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a paddling package (kayak, paddle, life jacket and dry bag) or a three-night stay at a cabin in Lake Darling State Park.
New to the Iowa Wine and Beer Passports is a sweepstakes that runs June 1 through October 31. Each month, every check-in is entered into the monthly drawing to win a $100 gift card at a participating business.
The Iowa Distillery Passport has been updated with new businesses, deals and offers.
The Iowa Byways Passport is scheduled to launch by July 4 with a new "Local Legends" theme. Participants will be able to earn points to receive limited edition Local Legends trading cards.
Celebrate Iowa Museum Week
Help the Iowa Museum Association celebrate their Iowa Museum Week, which will be held June 12-18. Please join the social media campaign by sharing your local museums with the hashtag #IowaMuseumWeek.All museums and tourism organizations are encouraged to review the Museum Association's social media plan and economic impact statement and use tools such as the event graphic.
Upcoming Meetings
- June 11-12, 2023 - 2023 iTip Summer Celebration, Cedar Falls
- June 14, 2023 - Western Iowa Tourism Region Annual Meeting, Audubon
- June 20-21, 2023 - Tourism Insider Meeting, Stuart
- July 20, 2023 - Iowa Tourism Office Update, Virtual