Tourism in the greater Milwaukee area is a $2.6 billion annual business, employing about 64,000 people. Thanks to a slate of exciting tourism-related initiatives, 2008 should be a year in which we continue to enhance our reputation as a desirable destination for conventions and leisure travelers and grow the economic impact tourism brings to the region.
Our growth will come from a combination of new attractions, the launch of an exciting film, television and video gaming economy, new hotel developments and a Milwaukee certified Tourism Ambassador program intended to enhance the visitor experience through exceptional customer service.
New attractions
• The Harley-Davidson Museum: All destinations crave that “one-of-a-kind” attraction. That wish will come true for Milwaukee this summer with the opening of the Harley-Davidson Museum. The museum will celebrate this worldwide iconic brand and draw an estimated 350,000 visitors a year. This venue holds wide appeal to both the convention market (because of its exhibits and unique meeting spaces) and leisure travelers and further opens Milwaukee’s doors to more national and international visitors. The exposure will be tremendous for Milwaukee.
• The Potawatomi Bingo Casino expansion: Already, the No. 1 visitor attraction in the area, the $240 million expansion located down Canal Street from the Harley-Davidson Museum will also be completed this year and triple the current footprint of the facility, with an additional 500,000 square feet of gaming space, two new restaurants, a center lounge and a food court.
Lights, camera, action!
After almost three-years of work by a committed group of volunteers, the tax credits for qualifying film, television and video gaming projects are now in effect. This industry holds tremendous potential for the region for new jobs and economic impact and the opportunity to market Milwaukee through the worldwide reach of film. We host the Film Wisconsin office and serve as the Milwaukee Film Office. Look for cameras rolling, star sightings and millions of dollars of new economic impact coming soon to a neighborhood near you!
An army of concierges
• The Milwaukee Certified Tourism Ambassador program: The idea of this national customer service training program is to inspire front-line hospitality employees and volunteers to turn every visitor encounter into a positive experience. The program consists of pre-session reading, a half-day class, concluded by an open-book exam. We graduated about 100 new ambassadors last month and we’re shooting for an additional 500 this year. Go to www.ctanetwork.com for more information.
Convention center expansion?
The Midwest Airlines Center is now the smallest convention facility among all the major Midwest cities we compete against. Working with the Wisconsin Center District, we plan to commission a feasibility study this year that will determine if a larger convention center will create greater demand for conventions and in turn, create more jobs and economic impact by bringing more visitors to Milwaukee.
Hotel developments
• The Iron Horse: Located just south of the Harley-Davidson Museum, this 102-room, boutique will be the first hotel in the industry catering to motorcycle enthusiasts when it opens this summer. The restoration plans for this 100-year-old former warehouse are exciting and will provide a new “cool” factor in our local hotel properties.
• The Staybridge Suites: Located by the new Manpower corporate headquarters and the entertainment district, this property, scheduled to open this spring, will offer visitors (short and long-term) a host of amenities, including full kitchens and a modern fitness facility.
• The Ghazi project: Appropriately called the Catalyst and planned for 4th and Wisconsin, this $200 million development will do exactly that – serve as a catalyst to increase convention business because of its location (across the street from the Midwest Airlines Center). The Ghazi Co. plans to build a 30-story, mixed-use complex that includes 150,000 square feet of retail, entertainment and restaurant space. It is this entertainment component offered in the package which downtown Milwaukee and specifically Wisconsin Avenue does not have and desperately needs. Plans are to break ground by this summer.
Convening in Milwaukee
Some large high-profile events and conventions will be landing in Milwaukee this year. Here’s a sampling:
• The McDonald’s All-American High School Basketball Games, March 21-27.
• The National Association for Music Education, Apr. 8-12.
• Society of Plastic Engineers, May 4-8.
• Metavante Corp., May 12-15.
• Prevent Child Abuse America, May 19-22.
• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, June 23-July 1.
• The Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, July 19-23.
• FBI National Academy Associates Inc., July 27-30.
• The Ecological Society of America, Aug. 2-8.
• The Harley-Davidson 105th Anniversary, Aug. 27-31.
• Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Sept. 12-18.
• National Association of Medical Staff Services, Oct. 11-15.
Doug Neilson is president and chief executive officer of Visit Milwaukee.
