Eastern Iowa EASTERN Tourism Association 117 3rd Street SE P.O. Box 189 Dyersville, Iowa 52040 563-875-7269 www.easterniowatourism.org Board of Directors IOWA President John Sutter National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium President-Elect Sarah Tarnowski Cedar Rapids Area CVB Past President Rustin Lippincott Fairfield Iowa CVB Treasurer Lonnie Elmore Waterloo CVB V.P. Education Christy Decker Grout Museum District V.P. Grants Cassie Bott Fireside Winery V.P. Legislative Marilee Fowler Cedar Rapids CVB V.P. Marketing Laurie Haman Iowa City/ Coralville Area CVB V.P. Membership Keith Rahe Dubuque Area CVB Office Staff Executive Director Carrie Koelker fy [email protected] 14 Administrative Assistant Annual Report Connie Nebel [email protected] cooperative grants partnerships Cassie Bott, Vice President Statewide Grant Program The Eastern Iowa Tourism Association is funded on State Funding $122,100 • Secured liaisons to the Iowa Economic Development Authority Grant Program review and strong membership involvement and represents EITA Funding $ 97,000 application process. businesses, organizations, and individuals from Updated the current scholarship grant application. Total Funds $219,000 • every facet of the tourism industry. • Awarded Tourism Conference scholarships to nine members. Secured funds at the April Power of Travel Day for future Tourism Conference scholarships. Membership investments and our Iowa Economic travel • Development Authority’s Iowa Tourism Office contract • The three Iowa Tourism Regions joined forces to provide two additional statewide tourism are a critical piece to our partnership. Every component educational components. is valued in our private/public partnership. • Appointed delegates to serve on the statewide review grants review process and committee. membership legislative Keith Rahe, Vice President Marilee Fowler, Vice President • Memberships were available to counties in the Eastern region, EITA Liaisons of the Travel Federation of Iowa Board: businesses/organizations, and others interested in tourism for Eastern Iowa. Wes Ehrecke, Kim Manning Aaron Buzza, Marilee Fowler, and Carrie Koelker • In 2014, EITA secured participation and contributions from all 28 Eastern Iowa counties. 2014 Legislative Priorities: • 260 members, processed 22 new memberships in FY’14. • Enforce Iowa’s School Start Date • Held five EITA General Membership Meetings for members to attend. • Fund Iowa’s Three Tourism Regions • Hosted three bonus statewide opportunities for regional members. • Increase Visitation Through Increased Advertising • Continued a membership campaign offering existing members a free membership by • Co-sponsored the annual Iowa Tourism Conference and Tourism Awards in Waterloo. recruiting two new members. • Coordinated the Legislative Showcase in Des Moines by bringing together industry representatives • Updated the membership section on the website and added additional region business with elected Iowa officials to deliver tourism information and explain the importance of Tourism to documents. Iowa and the economy. • Attended numerous member events and site visits. • Assisted in securing and hosting a Legislative Luncheon. • Offered technical assistance to various members and committees. • Coordinated a statewide District Leader program with industry members. • Secured liaisons to serve on the Iowa Tourism Awards committee. • Held District Leader training for Eastern Iowa delegates. • Appointed delegates to serve on the Iowa Tourism Conference site selection committee. • Coordinated an industry statewide survey to tabulate the legislative needs and priorities. • Held a tourism summit with tourism industry stakeholders. • Re-designed and coordinated the TFI Fast Fact Tourism statistics and awareness information. • Continued to contract lobbyists and provide electronic TFI Legislative updates to the EITA membership. • Assisted specific needs and district leaders with talking points and contacts. • Supported all issues of the TFI 2014 Legislative Priorities. • Attended monthly TFI Board Meetings. • The Travel Federation of Iowa contributed partnerships to each tourism region to assist with partnerships, advocacy training, and educational priorities. • Coordinated a school start date survey and enhanced initiatives for this priority. • Aaron Buzza served as President and Carrie Koelker as Secretary on the TFI Leadership Board. education Christy Decker, Vice President • Hosted educational programs in conjunction with General Membership Meetings and by webinars: • Marketing Impossible – Back to Basics and Fine Tuning Marketing Strategies - Hopkinton • Annual Town Meeting with the Iowa Tourism Staff – Cedar Rapids • Learn How to Wow – Fayette • Mobile Training Lab – Cedar Rapids • Power of Travel Day/Regional Partnership Meeting – Des Moines • Licensed to Steal – Walcott • Tools We Can Use To Grow Relationships – Annual Meeting – Dubuque • Hosted two webinars in partnership with the Central and Western Tourism Regions: • The Power of Itineraries – Roger Brooks • The Use of Photography to Increase Sales – Roger Brooks marketing Laurie Haman, Vice President • Printed the 2014 Eastern Iowa Travel Guide for distribution in all Iowa Welcome Centers and mailed to ad placement and web site inquiries. • Partnered with nearly 60 tourism industry members in the 2014 Eastern Iowa Travel Guide and Region website. Ad sales totaled $36,480. The Guide is solely supported from advertiser sales. • Advertisers received leads from a reader response card included in the travel guide. • 21,000 Travel Guides were distributed and downloaded from the region website. • 41,800 website page views took place with the average visitors duration of 2.10 minutes. • Maintained membership to the Iowa Group Travel Association and partnered with IGTA to host the May General Membership Meeting. • Secured membership in Iowa Destination Marketing Alliance and attended the bi-monthly meetings. • Placed an ad in Midwest Living and Best of the Midwest. • Drafted and solicited proposals for a new website. • Assisted travelers and group tour planners with their itineraries. • Kept website updated with current contact information. • Solicited sales for the Iowa Office of Tourism 2014 Travel Guide. • Potential launch in FY’15 of a new regional website. special projects In FY’14 the Iowa Office of Tourism invited Iowa’s three tourism regions to submit proposals to apply and manage multiple special projects. Each region was appointed $25,000. After soliciting members of the tourism industry, four ideas were chosen by the Board of Directors of Eastern Iowa. Two of the four were joint partnerships with Central and Western Iowa Tourism Regions. Input was gathered for future potential regional efforts. A variety of time and talent was embedded into each and every project.

Visual Images/Photography Images are often our biggest promotional component, but also a continuous and ongoing challenge. Power of Travel Day This was submitted as a Phase 1 for an ongoing project. A joint partnership between Iowa’s three tourism regions and the Iowa Office of Tourism. • Quality photos enhance the visibility and promotion of Iowa. The current library and availability This was held April 25, 2014 in Altoona, Iowa. of photos was limited and stagnant. • One day education and networking opportunity designed to energize and appreciate the tourism • Photos were obtained from a winter festival, growing the library for winter visuals. industry for their partnership and involvement. Perfectly timed to kick off the upcoming spring • A series of photos were taken at festivals showcasing the arts and culture component and summer travel seasons. of the industry. • The day included Doug Lansky, internationally known speaker presenting The Biggest Mistakes • Staged photography featuring diversity and options is an ongoing project, the collection has been in Travel Marketing and What You Can Learn From Them. enhanced. • The popular Guy Pie Auction raised over $900 in scholarships for the upcoming Iowa Tourism Epic Iowa Road Trip Conference. Steering Committee Members: Laurie Haman and Lonnie Elmore. • Attendance increased by 22% from the 2013 event and included statewide industry participation. A news conference was held announcing the route and partnerships to the media for the A joint partnership between Iowa’s three tourism regions and the Iowa Office of Tourism. This event • upcoming Epic Iowa Road Trip. took place May 2-10, 2014. • Industry Members were extended an invitation to host the Epic Iowa Road Trip to their Mobile Training Lab communities, counties, and attractions. A professional mobile “hands-on” training lab was orchestrated. A variety of members voiced they • The tour included 2,100 miles, 33 counties, 46 communities, and over 60 unique Iowa needed specific components defined in their branding and upcoming marketing plans. The overall goal destinations. was to have the attendees gain knowledge to implement in their daily work environment to be • The Eastern Iowa component took place May 4-6, 2014. successful in their tourism endeavors. • A colorful motor coach showcasing vivid photography served as a rolling billboard across Iowa • This was held March 31, 2014 in Cedar Rapids. encouraging Iowans to plan their Epic Iowa Road Trip within the state. • A partnership was formed with Bryan Earnest, ME & V. • Media coverage resulted throughout the nine-day tour showcasing the unique stops along the way. • A pre-advanced survey was sent to the registered attendees to target the conversation and • The Iowa Tourism Office’s social channels were strongly utilized and encouraged to ensure the maintain the course of the day. message of the Epic Iowa Road Trip. A partnership of social channels was also done by the host • 42 registered attendees participated, surpassing the goal of 30. communities. • Each attendee was provided a workbook for future planning stages of branding and community • The Iowa Filmmakers traveled aboard producing short videos featuring Scott Siepker and building they can reference. advancing the library of B roll footage. • Visual Images were obtained to grow the Iowa Tourism Office and regional photo libraries. • The investment of our stops was highly appreciated. Our partnerships shined and were showcased every mile of the journey. fy 14 1st Fridays ArtEITA Walk Clinton County MembershipFrontier Motel Jefferson County Old Creamery Theatre Co. African American Museum of Iowa Clinton County Historical Society Grant Wood Art Gallery Johnson County Ottumwa Area CVB Allamakee County Clinton CVB Grant Wood Studio & Armstrong Johnson County Historical Soc Our Iowa Magazine Allamakee County Econ Develop Comfort Inn Dyersville Visitor Center Jones County Ox Yoke Inn Amana Colonies CVB Community Main Street Downtown Greater Burlington CVB Jones County Conservation Pine Ridge Retreat & Lodging American Gothic House Center Cedar Falls Grout Museum District Jones County Tourism Plaza Antique Mall AmericInn Hotel & Suites Fairfield Coralville, City of Guttenberg Develop & Tourism Kalona Antique Company Putnam Museum AmericInn of Anamosa Country Inn & Suites Hansen's Dairy Farm Kalona Area Chamber of Commerce PZAZZ! Entertainment Complex Anamosa State Pen Museum Country Junction Restaurant Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch Kalona Historical Village Quad Cities CVB Banowetz Antique Mall & Showroom Cresco Motel Heartland Acres Agribition Ctr Keokuk CTB Quad City International Airport Belle Plaine Comm Development Crystal Lake Cave Henry County Keosauqua Chamber Quiet Walker Lodge Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce Curtis Mansion Henry County Tourism Kinze Manufacturing, Inc. River Arts Center Belmont Hill Victorian B & B Czech Village/New Bohemia Herbert Hoover National Historic Site Lady Luck Casino Marquette River Cruises Benton County Main St. District Herbert Hoover Pres Lib & Museum Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum Riverside Casino & Golf Resort Best Western Hotels of Iowa Days Inn & Suites Waterloo Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Lee County Ronneburg Restaurant & Gifts Best Western Plus Longbranch Hotel Delaware County Association Linn County Royle Printing Company Bickelhaupt Arboretum Delaware County Historical Society Historic Greef General Store Linn County Conservation Rukmapura Park Hotel Bily Clocks Antonin Dvorak Museum Delmar Depot Railroad and Military Holiday Inn Dubuque/Galena Little Brown Church in the Vale Rush Park Motel Black Hawk County Museum Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lost Island Waterpark Sawmill Museum Blackhawk Hotel Des Moines County Holiday Inn Express LeClaire Louisa County Scenic Valley Motel Bloomsbury Farm Des Moines County Historical Society Hotel Blackhawk Louisa County Conservation Scott County Bonaparte Inn Diamond Jo Casino Hotel Julien Dubuque Maharishi Vedic City Seed Savers Exchange Bossen Implement, Inc. Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Hotel Manning B & B and Motor Inn Main Street Lansing Silos & Smokestacks Breitbach Country Dining Gardens Hotel Winneshiek Main Street West Branch Sleep Inn & Suites Bremer County Dubuque Area CVB Howard County Manchester Area Chamber Sleep Inn & Suites North Liberty Brucemore, Inc. Dubuque County Howard County Business & Tourism Mandolin Inn B & B Spook Cave and Campground Buchanan County Dubuque Museum of Art Iowa 80 Trucking Museum Maquoketa Area Chamber Squiers Manor B & B Buchanan County Historical Society Dubuque River Rides Iowa Bicycle Coalition Marion Chamber of Commerce & St. Donatus Historical Society Buchanan County Tourism Dutch Country Inn Iowa Children's Museum Uptown Marion St. Francis Xavier Basilica Buffalo Bill Museum Dyersville Area Historical Society Iowa City Downtown District Marion Heritage Center Museum Star Destinations Burke Property Management Dyersville Chamber of Commerce Iowa City/Coralville Area CVB McGregor/Marquette Chamber State Historical Society of Iowa Burlington Trailways/Trailways Travel Eagles Landing B & B and Winery Iowa County Midwest Old Threshers Historic Sites Calkins Square Eastern Iowa DMA Iowa County Conservation Board Mississippi Explorer Cruises Stauer House Bed & Breakfast Capitol Theater Eldridge-North Scott Chamber Iowa Dairy Center Mississippi River Distilling Company Stone Cliff Winery Carl & Mary Koehler History Center Elkader Area Chamber of Commerce Iowa Grape Vines Winery Monticello Area Chamber of Strawberry Point Develop Fund, Inc. Cedar County Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre Co. Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commerce Swedish American Museum Cedar Falls TVB Fairfield Arts & Convention Center Commission Montrose, City of Tabor Home Vineyards & Winery Cedar Rapids Area CVB Fairfield Iowa CVB Iowa Mormon Trail Association Morning Mist Cabins, Inc. Tanger Outlet Center Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival, Inc. Family Museum Bettendorf Iowa State Parks, SE Regional Office Muscatine Art Center Theatre Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids Marriott Fayette County Iowa State Snowmobile Association Muscatine County Three Rivers Insurance Cedar Rapids Museum of Art Fayette County Economic Iowa State University Extension Muscatine CVB Timber Lake Playhouse Celebration River Cruises Development & Tourism Iowa Valley RC&D Muscatine History & Industry Center Tipton Community Development Chickasaw County Fayette County Tourism Council Iowa Wine Trail MVL Community Development Group TOMY Outlet Store Chickasaw County Historical Society Field of Dreams Movie Site Iowan Magazine Mystique Casino U of I Athletic Hall of Fame Chickasaw County Tourism Fireside Winery Iowa's County Conservation System National Czech & Slovak Museum US Army Corps of Engineers Children's Discovery Center Fort Madison Partners Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf and Library Ushers Ferry Historic Village City of Columbus Junction Four Mounds Inn & Conf Center Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo National Farm Toy Museum Van Buren County Clarion Hotel & Convention Center Franklin Street Brewing Company Jackson County National Mississippi River Museum Vesterheim Museum Clayton County Friends of Pine Creek Grist Mill Jackson County Area Tourism & Aquarium Village of East Davenport Business Clayton County Development Group Froelich's 1st Tractor and 1890's Village Association National Motorcycle Museum Villages Folk School of Van Buren Clayton County Visitors Center Jackson County Conservation Natural Gait County New Vienna Historical Society Villages of Van Buren NewBo City Market Vinton Unlimited North Lee County Historical Society Washington Chamber of Commerce Oelwein Chamber & Area Develop Washington County Old Cedar County Jail Waterloo Center For The Arts Old City Hall Art Gallery Waterloo CVB Waukon Chamber of Commerce Waverly Chamber of Commerce West Liberty Chamber of Commerce West Union Chamber of Commerce Wild Rose Casino & Resort Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce Winneshiek County Winneshiek County CVB