Manitowoc Power of Tourism

COASTLINES Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau

The Power of Tourism

May, 2018

New Tourism Development Brings Excitement in 2018

By Jason Ring

Executive Director, Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau Tourism is one of three leading industries in Wisconsin (along with Manufacturing and Agriculture), and in Manitowoc County it generates over 100 million dollars for our local economy each year. Since 2009 we have seen tourism spending by visitors increase from 93 Million dollars to over $112.1 Million in 2016. Looking at just the numbers it might appear that Manitowoc lost ground in 2016 but when you look at the bigger picture this slight decline is easy to explain.

In 2015 the impact of hosting the PGA Championship in nearby Kohler, WI helped Manitowoc County to see record tourism numbers. Without an event of that similar size in 2016 it really is not an accurate comparison. Looking at the years since 2011 our trend is a positive one. The chart below shows some of the data we track. Note that 2011 and 2015 were years where there was a PGA Golf event in nearby Kohler.

Manitowoc Room Tax

Two Rivers Room Tax

Annual Visitor Spending

2011

$398,588.00

$75,007.00

$105.1Million

2012

$365,660.00

$68,985.00

$100.8 Million

2013

$506,035.00

$84,100.00

$107.1 Million

2014

$538,004.00

$90,754.00

$111.0 Million

2015

$637,936.00

$100,651.00

$115.3 Million

2016

$615,234.00

$113,103.00

$112.1 Million

2017

$622,462.00

$118,656.00

$113.4 Million

Improving the image of Manitowoc has played an important role in positive trend. Since 2011 the

Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau has promoted the brand “Coast.” This brand is defined by our Brand Statement: Two communities, forever tied together as one by the most glorious stretch of pristine Lake Michigan coastline you’ll find anywhere in Wisconsin. Six miles of unspoiled everything, and a path that takes you from Point A to Point B on foot or on bike. Rest on sandy beaches with room to spread out. Explore the woodland dunes. Camp at the majestic state forest where you can hear yourself breathe. Wade out to the sand bars. Walk the piers and take in the lighthouses.

Picnic in the parks. Soak up views of the sailboats moored at the marina. Watch the country’s last remaining passenger steamship emerge on the horizon at night lit up like an ocean liner with travelers eager to disembark. Be soothed by clean breezes off the lake that keep summers cool and turn the fall season into an explosion of color. With no pressure to stay on any schedule, move easily from the beaches to the green spaces to the quaint downtowns where the draw of the lake is still pervasive, in an authentic fishing village, a museum that merges maritime past with future, even the shops that invite you to slow down with an ice cream sundae or pop in to buy a kite. Be lulled to sleep by the sound of waves. We’re the refreshing stretch of Lake Michigan.

elsewhere. We look forward to that investment paying off in several ways in 2018 including the opening of the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center and installation of the Spirit of the Rivers stature along the Mariners Trail.

This work is planned for this summer with an official dedication to take place in September.

In the next couple years we can look forward to continued development including renovations at the Capitol Civic Centre, moving & renovation of the Meeme House at Pinecrest Historical Village, continued communications related to forming a National Marine Sanctuary along the coast of Lake Michigan and the future development of the downtowns of both Manitowoc and Two Rivers.

Combining these man-made structures with the natural beauty of the Lake Michigan coastline provides us with a strong “tourism product” to promote to visitors to our community. This combination will help keep tourism in Manitowoc County strong in the years ahead.

Local investment in area businesses has contributed to a rise in visitor spending. If we are not improving our hotels, attractions, restaurants and other facilities for visitors they will stop visiting us and spend their dollars

Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau | PO Box 966; 4221 Calumet Ave. | Manitowoc, WI 54221-0966 | 920-686-3071 | Fax: 920-683-4876 | www.manitowoc.info

COASTLINES The Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center is Gearing Up for Grand Opening

By Melissa Bender Director of Education and Programming, FWDC It’s Coming! After eight years of planning and dreaming, the vision set forth by a committed board of directors, staff and volunteers will soon become a reality when the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center opens its doors on July 28th of this year.

Previously known as the Wisconsin Agricultural Education Center, in 2017 the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center moniker was adopted along with a vibrant logo, which speaks to the mission of the center and the role of agriculture in Wisconsin’s economy.

The $13 million attraction is a world-class, interactive discovery center that will focus on the diversity of Wisconsin agriculture within a framework of sustainable and responsible farming practices. Farm Wisconsin is located south of Manitowoc at 7001 Gass Lake Road, northwest of the I-43 and County Road C intersection.

“Only 2 percent of Americans produce food for the other 98 percent of us,” said Julie Maurer, Farm Wisconsin board president and a Manitowoc County dairy farmer.

“Wisconsin has a rich agricultural heritage. Visitors to the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center will connect with that heritage and learn about the fascinating future of agriculture through interactive exhibits, farm tours and a birthing barn where they can witness the miracle of calves being born.”

Artist’s rendering of Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center – opening July 28.

Meetings Mean Business

By Megan Bruckschen Sales Associate, MAVCB

The Manitowoc County Holstein Association in coordination with the Wisconsin Holstein Association will host the 129th Annual Wisconsin Holstein Association Adult Conference in Manitowoc, February 22-24, 2019. The event is expected to bring an estimated 200 Holstein breeders from around the state for meetings and to

receive awards for accomplishments in 2018. The Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau looks forward to welcoming this group, whom is vital to the success of agriculture and economic growth in the state of Wisconsin to our community. Be on the watch for welcome signs and extra visitors on the Coast next February!

Nic Schoenberger, Farm Wisconsin board vice president continued, “As a farmer, I am most pleased with Farm Wisconsin’s focus on agriculture and conservation.

The land is our most important asset. The evolution of farm practices to minimize environmental impact is a great story.”

Farm Wisconsin will welcome an estimated 100,000 visitors per year including school groups, bus tours, and visitors of all ages. Highlights will be: - 10,000 square feet of hands-on, interactive, educational exhibits highlighting the diversity of Wisconsin agriculture and the relationship between farmers, the animals they care for, the food they produce and the land they steward; - 300-person conference center; - Birthing barn where visitors may watch baby calves born each day; - Country store featuring Wisconsin-made products including cheese, beer and wine; - Café with a Wisconsin-centric menu including farm-to-table selections; and - Ice cream counter.

The center will host a variety of events, which will include dairy and farm production tours, seminars, culinary events, weddings and community events. Truly a 21st-century tourist destination, Farm Wisconsin will be equal parts fun and educational.

With the exception of major holidays, Farm Wisconsin will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days per week.

Check the center’s website for admission fees.

Currently, Farm Wisconsin is at 96 percent of its $13 million goal and continues to welcome donations at all levels. Naming opportunities for selected areas are still available.

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.buildwaec.org , find us on Facebook, or contact Lauren Rose Hofland at lauren@farmwisconsin.org.

Enjoying locally produced products like wine and cheese at Courthouse Pub.

Destination Delicious

By Megan Bruckschen Sales Associate, MAVCB

For a lot of travelers, one of the first things they do once they pick a destination is to decide where and what they will dine on during their visit. Culinary tourists are motivated by unique experiences and tend to spend at least 50% of their overall trip cost on food related activities. Manitowoc County is home to over 1,440 farms that produce or are a part of producing a diverse group of products such as milk, beef, pork, chicken, sausage, peas, corn, strawberries, carrots, ice cream, cheese, maple syrup, honey, beer and more. The freshness of these locally-produced goods means that Manitowoc County can proudly offer squeaky cheese curds, hundreds of flavors of ice-cream, fresh-brewed beers, sizzling sausages, summer salads and more to our visitors. What’s even better is that those who call the “coast” home, get to enjoy these same things. Thank you to the thousands of farmers, restaurants, chefs, business owners who make “farm-to-table” in Manitowoc County an everyday reality for visitors and residents alike.

Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau | PO Box 966; 4221 Calumet Ave. | Manitowoc, WI 54221-0966 | 920-686-3071 | Fax: 920-683-4876 | www.manitowoc.info

The The Power Power of of Tourism Tourism

Wisconsin Maritime Museum Celebrates Exciting Milestones

By Rolf “Wisconsin” Johnson CEO, Wisconsin Maritime Museum

Spirit of the Rivers

By Carol Wergin

Board Member, Spirit of the River The year 2010 was arguably not the best year to consider raising three quarters of a million dollars for a public art project. But, its passionate supporters remained determined to bring the Spirit of the Rivers monument to life, believing that it would stand as a jewel of the lakeshore for generations to come. This fall their dream will come true as they dedicate the monument to the City of Two Rivers.

USS Cobia celebrates 75 years in 2018.

Although perhaps better known for cheese, HarleyDavidson motorcycles and the Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin is in-fact a maritime state. The rich history, traditions and stories of this maritime relationship, along with fun, engaging hands-on experiences exploring our connection to the Great Lakes can be discovered by everyone who visits the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.

Preparations are now underway to celebrate two major milestones in this renowned museum’s history: the 75th anniversary of the museum’s iconic WW II submarine, USS Cobia is being celebrated in 2018 and the 50th anniversary of the museum itself will occur in 2019.

2018 marks the 75th anniversary of USS Cobia’s launch! And the museum plans to celebrate!

The museum is well known as the home of Cobia, which is acknowledged as the best and most accurately preserved WWII sub in the world. Cobia came to her home docked alongside the museum in 1970, after a storied war career in the Pacific followed by life as a US Navy Training vessel.

Representing the largest artifact in the museum’s vast collections, and a major draw for tourists from around the world, USS Cobia is longer than a football field, contains the most original equipment of any WWII sub and represents the 28 submarines built in Manitowoc as their Gato Class sister ship. So what better way to honor those Manitowoc “freshwater subs” than to throw a year-long party for Cobia.

Events are being planned to mark major milestones in Cobia’s story; from laying her keel to her final commissioning with a sea-tested crew to her entry into battle below the waves in 1944, in the Pacific theater.

After completing many successful missions and escaping being depth-charged more than once during the war, she trained new sailors in the waters of Lake Michigan, off the coasts of Chicago and Milwaukee.

Cobia was bought to Manitowoc and the museum in 1970 for a very important reason: in large part because the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company built 28 submarines for the war effort in WW II. The thousands of women and men who worked so skillfully in the shipyards building these submarines continued a tradition often going back generations. Part of our 75th anniversary celebration of Cobia will also be a celebration of these proud Americans; only a few of whom are still with us.

Annual SubFest Sunday, July 13th-15th. Music, food, kid’s activities, boat parades, fireworks and patriotic events are mixed together with a uniquely fun family experience, all with the backdrop of Cobia moored alongside the museum’s beautiful riverfront campus.

And of course, there’ll be plenty of sea stories from the Navy veterans who regularly participate as volunteer guides and docents both above and below decks.

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the museum!

As the state’s official maritime museum, we’ve enthralled more than 2 million people since first opening in 1969 along the shores of Lake Michigan in downtown Manitowoc, WI. This is where the story of our connection to the Great Lakes comes alive!

From humble beginnings, but with a passion for exciting visitors about maritime history, science, art and technology, it didn’t take long for the museum to grow into the internationally respected institution we see today.

Our 60,000 square foot museum facility houses much more than our popular exhibits; we also have learning labs, collections and archive storage areas and facilities for meetings and group gatherings. We are proud to be a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate Museum and have a leadership role in many national and international museum organizations. As part of our 50th anniversary celebration, two of these groups will be coming to the museum for their conferences, bringing maritime history and science experts from around the world to Manitowoc. These are the maritime stories and researchers of today! This is what makes the Wisconsin Maritime Museum world class!

We’ll have some fun during our birthday, as well. A series of wonderful 50th anniversary events are being planned, with an emphasis on both entertaining and enlightening participants.

And in preparation for our next 50 years of engaging and delighting museum goers of all ages, we’ll be developing new visitor experiences, both inside and outside our building. These will include new interactive and technology enhanced exhibits, hands-on workshops and public programs and new public events. We will also be expanding our programs on the water, including creating new opportunities for families. And of course, there will be a big birthday bash in the summer of 2019 that everyone will be invited to! We hope to see you there!

The Spirit of the Rivers consists of three - ten foot tall American Indians - a couple who just ascended from Lake Michigan and an Elder welcoming them while gesturing the way forward. Distinguishing the monument from all others is a 20 foot long birch bark canoe carried on the young man’s shoulders.

The entire gathering will be cast in bronze and positioned with Lake Michigan as a backdrop. It was meant to be an eye-catcher; a thought provoker; a reminder of days gone by.

When asked to consider a sculpture for the town he was born and raised in, internationally renowned artist, R.T. “Skip” Wallen chose to feature the First People who lived on this land and their contribution to our maritime history – the birch bark canoe. These canoes were crafted and used by the Woodland Indians who lived along our shores and the entire Upper Great Lakes for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. They were lightweight, easy to maneuver, capable of carrying large loads of goods and exquisitely beautiful. And they were constructed entirely of resources available from the very forests they lived in.

The Spirit of the Rivers resonated with our communities! There was an innate sense of understanding that this extraordinary larger than life sized bronze monument would bring beauty and pride to our communities as well as acclaim from far and wide. Donors gave because they loved it’s majesty; because they wanted to honor the people who lived along our shores for thousands of years; because they knew it would bring visitors from far and wide; and because they wanted to applaud the talent of native son, artist R.T. “Skip” Wallen.

So, today while the statues are being cast in bronze, plans are being made to prepare the monument site. Native grasses and wildflowers will enhance the primitive setting. Trees used in the construction of their canoe will be planted and identified. The adjacent Forget Me Not stream will be restored to invite a flourish of fish to swim its waters again.

And, all of these preparations will result in a finale welcoming the Spirit of the Rivers to its final resting spot.

The public is welcomed to attend the Dedication Ceremony on Sunday, September 16th at 2:00 p.m.

It is located across from the Aurora Medical Center, 5300 Memorial Drive, Two Rivers. A celebration of gratitude and remembrance will follow. A drumming circle of Wisconsin tribal members will mark the special occasion as visitors arrive.

Speakers will remember the Woodland Indians who lived on our shores and who inspired the Spirit of the Rivers. A shower of gratitude will be accorded the artist, communities and individuals who made this extraordinary monument possible. Join us to celebrate this historic occasion!

A major highlight of Cobia’s 75th anniversary in 2018, and a growing festival in its own right, will be our 4th Manitowoc ManitowocArea Area Visitor Visitor && Convention Convention Bureau Bureau || PO PO Box Box 966; 966; 4221 4221 Calumet CalumetAve. Ave. || Manitowoc, Manitowoc, WI WI 54221-0966 54221-0966 || 920-686-3071 920-686-3071 || Fax: Fax: 920-683-4876 920-683-4876 || www.manitowoc.info www.manitowoc.info

The Power of Tourism

COASTLINES

What is a Wayzgoose?

By Stephanie Carpenter Assistant Director, Hamilton Wood Type Museum

Meeme House on the Move in 2018.

Meeme House

The Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum in Two Rivers is the only museum dedicated to the preservation, study, production and printing of wood type. With 1.5 million pieces it is one of the premier wood type collections in the world. Each year over 250 attendees come from all over the globe to take part in our conference, the Wayzgoose.

Last year designers, printers, typographers, educators, and students from 30 states and 4 continents joined us for a weekend filled with workshops and world-class speakers. We look forward to hosting our 10th annual Wayzgoose in 2018 to continue this important tradition.

Windigo Fest

By Dawn Marie Dabeck Organizer, Windigo Fest

Windigo Fest is a spine chilling festival that kicks off the Halloween season in Downtown Manitowoc, right outside the chamber door of the town’s “quaint” little tourist destination known as Dead by Dawn Dead & Breakfast. With a spotlight on folklore, freaks and all things Halloween, thousands of All Hallows Eve enthusiasts enjoyed participating in 2017. Windigo fest exploded into a weekend filled with costumes, side show performances, oddity and food vendors, contests, music, dark carnival games, an art gallery, parade, historical cemetery tours, and the list goes on. 2018 will bring many new events such as the Pallbearer races, Extreme Midget Wrestling, a suspension demonstration and a finger raffle along with new performers and music. Our celebrity guest Butch Patrick, Eddie Munster from the timeless classic TV show, will be here all weekend signing autographs and displaying the Munster Koach and Dragula Tribute Hot Rods. We encourage everyone with a weakness for the Macabre or curiosity seekers to join in the memorable festivities! Bring out your best costume or float to compete in the Halloween parade, dress up just for fun, or come and gaze at the strange and unusual souls crowding the streets of Manitowoc. Submit an art piece, try your hand at the chalk art contest, or lurk through the exhibits and discover the eccentricities this bizarre festival has to offer. Windigo Fest celebrates the ghastly fall holiday like no other place in Wisconsin so come to Manitowoc and “ghost” for awhile!

By Amy Meyer

Executive Director, Manitowoc County Historical Society In the fall of 2017, the Manitowoc County Historical Society reached a milestone over 2 years in the making – the move of the historic Meeme House Inn. Following the successful relocation, the Inn’s second floor walls were re-erected and work is moving forward to bring the Inn’s roof into place. The next step will be to make the structure weather-tight as we continue to raise funds for its important restoration.

Once completed, the Meeme House Inn will once again share the story of its boarders and proprietors around the year 1915. The site will be home to workshops, rentals, and educational overnights.

The mission of the Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau is to promote, support and encourage development and implementation of tourism in the Greater Manitowoc Area.

Father & Daughter in the Windigo Fest Costume Contest.

Printing with wood type at Waywgoose.

Discover Manitowoc Grant Program Mayor Justin M. Nickels The City of Manitowoc is pleased to offer this fundraising assistance opportunity for the purpose of bringing more people to locally held events through targeted and effective marketing strategies. This is available to those putting together well-organized events that not only attract visitors to our community, but could also benefit from additional funding for marketing efforts. $25,000 was dedicated in 2016 with a majority of those dollars going toward Subfest, which drew thousands of people from outside our area to downtown Manitowoc. Grant funds were again made available in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, the Capitol Civic Centre, the Manitowoc County Historical Society, and the Rahr-West Art Museum were among the recipients, since those entities are major draws for tourists. Sharing our great holiday events with a broader audience resulted from grants to support Evergleams on 8th, Windigo Fest, and Lights in Lincoln Park. And a grant to support the Discover Eastern Wisconsin Disc Golf tournament highlighted Manitowoc as a great destination for a sport of growing popularity. We are thrilled to be able to support creative events and organizations that bring culture and vibrancy to our community. Tourism plays a major role in our community, and as a result, my goal over the past few years has been to start providing funding to organizations that already market our community in markets outside our area.

That’s why I created the Discover Manitowoc Grant Program, and I feel we’re fulfilling that goal, and hope to continue to do so for years to come.

Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau | PO Box 966; 4221 Calumet Ave. | Manitowoc, WI 54221-0966 | 920-686-3071 | Fax: 920-683-4876 | www.manitowoc.info