Bureau and Festival Officers ElectedAt the November 5, 2013 Board of Directors meeting, the Board of Directors unanimously elected the following Visitor Bureau officers:

President: Jill DiehlVice President: Dan GavinskiSecretary/Treasurer: Jon Bernander

In addition, at the October 29, 2013 Festivals Board of Directors meeting, the Festivals Board unanimously elected the following Festivals officers:

President: Jill DiehlVice President: Jesse De FosseSecretary/Treasurer: Dan Gavinski

Please join us in congratulating our officers and thanking them for the time and effort they devote to the Visitor Bureau.

The Big Bundle Round UpThe wildly successful Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s “The Big Bundle Up” campaign is back again this year. This charity drive collects warm winter items –mittens, hats, gloves, scarves, coats, etc., from November 18, 2013 through January 3, 2014. Last year’s program collected more than 17,000 winter items to helpwarm up families statewide in need. With the spirit of the holiday season upon us, donating winter items is the perfect way to give back.

We’re inviting all our member businesses to get involved, with some suggestions for participation below. If you plan to participate, just reply to this e-mail,sarah@wisdells.com, with specifics so we can keep track and make arrangements for the Bureau to collect items and dollar donations (we’ll also take care ofpurchasing the items.)

Click here for a printable version of the mitten campaign poster to let your guests and employees know the locations of our drop-off sites (we’d be happy to printsome off for you – just let us know how many you’d like!)

Here at the Visitor Bureau, we’ll be a drop-off site at both our locations. Additionally, our employees will be able to wear jeans to work through January 3 as long asthey bring in an item to donate, an extension of our ongoing Friday fundraisers. We’ll also be calling on all our Facebook fans to join in.

Member businesses may want to set-up a collection box for their employees and/or guests or may simply consider a monetary donation (as little as $50 willpurchase more than 10 items!) Many thanks in advance for considering.

Performance ReportClick here (member log-in required) to view the September/October 2013 WDVCB Performance Report in the Newsletters & Reports section of MembersNet.

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Social SpeakSocial Media and Time ManagementManaging a half-dozen social media channels can eat up hours faster than a DeLorean at 88mph. The audience is limitless and they all need your attention. Take thetime commitment out of your social media relationships by using a social media channel management tool like Shoutlet or Hoot Suite. These services link to your existing social media accounts and allow you to update, post, reply, respond, friend and follow from a simple interface. These services alsoallow for batch scheduling – so you can spend an hour writing the months tweets and schedule them automatically.

Current Bureau Literature

At this time, the following Bureau marketing collateral is available to member businesses:

2013 Wisconsin Dells Vacation Guide®2013 Attraction & Lodging Price Guide2013 – 2014 Festivals & Events Brochure2013 Meetings & Conventions/Group Activities Planning GuideSplash on Safety Card (with and without lifeguards)Water Safety Public Service Announcement (PSA’s)Sun Safety Public Service Announcement (PSA’s)

If you would like a quantity to share with your guests, materials may be picked up at the administrative entrance at 115 La Crosse Street, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday –Friday. Please direct questions to Amanda Rinaldi at (608) 254-7180, ext. 304 or amanda@wisdells.com.

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2014 Employee Entertainment CardsNew Issuing Location & HoursThe 2014 Employee Entertainment Cards will be available for distribution beginning Thursday, January 2, 2014. New for 2014, the card issuing location has beenchanged to expand issuing hours.

NEW Location: 701 Superior St (same entrance as our Visitor Information Center – across from the Bank of Wisconsin Dells)

NEW Days of Week: 7 Days a Week

NEW Hours:

January-May, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.June-August, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.September-December, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

To purchase a card at the Visitor Bureau, an employee must be 14 years old and must bring all of the following:

Photo I.D. (Acceptable forms include Drivers License, Passport, Student I.D.; employees ages 14-16 years are able to present a social security card).

$15 cash (or employer-purchased voucher)

Payroll Stub (verifying employment with a Visitor Bureau member).

As a reminder, all employees that purchase an Employee Entertainment Card will have their picture taken and printed on the card. This alleviates the need foremployees to show photo identification when using the card. Questions regarding the program should be directed to the Bureau’s Information Center atinfo@wisdells.com or (608) 254-4636.

Employee Entertainment Card (EEC) VouchersEEC vouchers are available for member businesses to purchase for their employees at $10 each. Orders can be placed year-round, Monday - Friday, from 9 a.m. - 5p.m. Please contact Jenifer Dobbs at jenifer@wisdells.com or (608) 254-7180, ext. 311 to purchase the vouchers. A 48-hour notice prior to pickup is required.

Meeting UpdateClick here (member log-in required) to read minutes from past Bureau meetings and to view the schedule of upcoming Bureau meetings under the Meetings &Minutes section.

Membership UpdateOur warmest welcome goes out to our new 2014 WDVCB members:

Chi-Town Pizza (Restaurant)Cindy’s Cafe (Restaurant)Log Gables on Bunker Drive (No 5) (Accommodation)

Log Gables on Bunker Road (Accommodation)Wisconsin Dells Craft & Antique Malls (Shopping)Wisconsin Opry (Attraction)

Mark Your Calendar…The following marketing opportunities and programs are ongoing and members can sign up for them at any time:

Employment Opportunity Guidewisdells.comGift Card ProgramClassic Wisconsin DellsCalendar of Events ListingsLeisure Inquiry LeadsPackages & Deals Web Site Incentive

Click here (member log-in required) to view all solicitations/programs.

Meetings

January 8, 2014 (Wednesday) – Accommodation Division Meeting from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.January 21, 2014 (Tuesday) – Board of Directors Meeting from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.

All meetings are held in the WDVCB Board Room unless otherwise noted.

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November Events Recap

November 5-8, 2013 the WDVCB attended Travel, Events and Management in Sports (TEAMS) Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City, UT. The WDVCB participated in 21

one-on-one appointments as well as education and networking events.

Boomers in Groups (BiG) met in Cleveland, OH November 15-17, 2013. This event focused on group planners that work with boomer-aged travelers. The WDVCBparticipated in 24 one-on-one appointments.

For more information on tradeshows and events, please contact Tifani Jones at (608) 254-7180, ext. 345 or tifani@wisdells.com.

Upcoming Tradeshows & EventsWisconsin Society of Association Executives (Elkhart Lake, WI) – December 5-6, 2013Sports Wisconsin (Neenah, WI) – December 11-12, 2013American Bus Association (Nashville, TN) – January 12-15, 2014Meeting Professionals Int’l – WI Chapter (Green Lake, WI) – January 16, 2014

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Display of Lights

The holiday season is upon us and we ask you to help showcase our community’s holiday spirit to visitors and residents by joining the Wisconsin Dells Visitor &

Convention Bureau in the Display of Lights. To help create a festive community-wide atmosphere during the holidays, please consider decorating your business for

the season. All businesses, especially those on the main streets and Wisconsin Dells Parkway, are asked to light and decorate the exteriors of their properties. We

request lights be up and lit in early December and keep them lit through early January.

Upcoming December Events

Click here to view upcoming December events.

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