What is a Visitors Bureau? By Sherry Beckman Executive Director, Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau The Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau (HLVCB) is the community’s destination marketing organization and is the local expert on all things tourism. The HLVCB exists to bring visitors – both leisure and business travelers – to the Hayward Lakes Area and Sawyer County. Visitors are great for the local economy because they bring money into our community by eating at our restaurants, shopping in our stores, staying in our hotels and exploring local attractions. Without the dollars visitors bring to our community, each household would need to pay an additional $850 in taxes annually to maintain the same level of services provided by local government. Our marketing team reaches potential visitors through visitor guide mailings, promotional
materials, social media and email marketing campaigns. Once the visitors arrive, we assist them while they are here to help find their way around the community and answer any questions they may have. Behind the scenes, the HLVCB also lobbies legislators on behalf of tourism businesses. We share the importance of tourism with decision-makers to ensure a successful tourism industry. The Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau has been around since 1953 and is an accredited destination marketing organization. We are made up of an award-winning staff and have been recognized for outstanding marketing efforts from the Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. The HLVCB is a not-for-profit organization largely funded by membership, Sawyer County government, and tax collected when a visitor stays at a lodging accommodation in the Town of Hayward, Town of Hunter, and beginning May 1, 2021, the Town of Bass Lake.
The Hayward Lakes Visitors and Convention Bureau, Sawyer County, WI USA is the official tourism marketing organization for Sawyer County, whose mission is to increase the number of visitors to the Hayward Lakes Area, by communicating the unique resources our area offers to the seasonally diverse activity segments and to the seasonally diverse demographic segments. Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau, Sawyer County, WI USA 15805 US Hwy 63/PO Box 1055 Hayward, WI 54843 715-634-4801 / 800-724-2992 haywardlakes.com
Discover Wisconsin Names Sawyer County as Choice Destination Sawyer County was selected as a choice destination in 2021 by Discover Wisconsin Media Works for their partnership in the newest TV segment “Tales from the Trails” which aired on April 17, 2021.
Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau
haywardlakes.com
Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau
Economic Impact of Tourism Visitor Spending
Area Counties for Tourism Spending in 2019
(In millions)
100
haywardlakes.com
(In millions)
90 80
Dane
1311
70
Sauk
1133
60
Door
366
Eau Claire
255
Vilas
232
Barron
104
Sawyer
92
Bayfield
54
Ashland
36
Washburn
30
50 40 30 20 10 $71.1
$72.3
$78.4
$83.7
$85.6
$88.3
$92
$93.1
$92.2
(In thousands)
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
10
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
$77,027.00
20
$98,191.00
70
$71,320.00
70
$63,987.00
80
$63,824.00
80
$62,020.00
90
$61,869.00
90
$59,660.00
100
$53,799.00
100
Sledding in Sawyer County
A Snowmobile Friendly Community Promotion a Success Sledding in Sawyer County: A Snowmobile Friendly Community project was a collaboration of the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau, Sawyer County, WI USA, Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce, Stone Lake Chamber of Commerce, Birchwood Area Chamber of Commerce and the Winter Area Chamber of Commerce. The goal of the Joint Effort Marketing grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism was to kick off this joint project to promote the winter recreation sport of snowmobiling located in the heart of Northwest Wisconsin. Throughout this process, the various partners utilized their resources and talents to accomplish a significant amount of brand awareness in a short amount of time, likely resulting in years of impact for Sawyer County. Snowmobiling has had very little promotion over the years, yet has a significant local following. Our goal for this project was to expand awareness of the Sawyer County trail system, bring new visitors to enjoy the trails and encourage those that have previously visited to return. Our marketing consisted primarily of social and digital, with a little strategic print and inbox marketing included to balance out the plan. The group used each individual Face-
book and Instagram profiles highlighting Sledding in Sawyer County: A Snowmobile Friendly Community which quickly gained a significant following. A considerable amount of volunteer time was contributed to maintaining websites, negotiating ad contracts, designing ads, social media posts The response to the Sledding in Sawyer County: A Snowmobile Friendly Community project has been nothing short of amazing. One example of the response is the number of snap a selfie pictures submitted on Instagram and Facebook. The team tracked 81 submissions for the snap a selfie; gained 341 new followers. If even half of those contacts stayed overnight or visited a restaurant in the area, that’s a potential of $48,000 in economic impact for just one of the partner cities. Two of the most encouraging responses we received from our business survey was the questions “Do you know if they were a first-time visitor to the Sawyer County Trails” and” Did you see a direct benefit from the snowmobile promotion”? An awesome 55% responded with a “yes” to both questions. This confirms that the promotion of the Sledding in Sawyer County: A Snowmobile Friendly Community was successful and will continue to benefit our area for years to come. The Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau, Sawyer County, WI USA extends a very sincere thank you to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism for their support of this project. This was the first time that the regional partners worked in unison to promote the incredible trails in Sawyer County. The overall impact of the campaign was fantastic. We imagine that the effect of the campaign will be felt for years to come. With or without additional grant funding in the future, we have decided to continue with this campaign and promote the snap a selfie at least until 2023 when the designation needs to be renewed. We want to continue to feature the Sawyer County region’s network of trails, snowmobile friendly amenities, and the natural beauty of the area.
Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau
20 10
$77,900.00
(In thousands)
$70,860.00
Room Tax Collections - Town of Hunter
$63,500.00
Room Tax Collections - Town of Hayward
2018
2019
2020
Working Together to Tell Our Story
By Mindy Simons Marketing Administrative Assistant
Every single business in our community plays an important part in the promotion of our destination and our collective success. As a member of the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau you are an integral part of our community story and a partner in tourism. You might feel like you do not need the added exposure and benefits that we can offer, but the truth is, our story is incomplete without you. Your membership with the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau supports our efforts in promoting the area and bonds that partnership. As tourism industry partner, we learn about you and your business which makes it possible for our team to expand your level of exposure on HaywardLakes.com, referrals of guests and customers through our personal interactions at the Information Center, meaningful engagement through social media, and exposure to the journalists who share our community story with readers from around the country. The marketing efforts of the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau work to maximize the Hayward Lakes brand through various marketing programs and multiple advertising channels in key markets to help keep the Hayward Lakes area top of mind as a premier tourism destination in Wisconsin. Some of the many benefits to membership with the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau include: •
Listing in the official annual Hayward Lakes Vacation Guide—with the ability to purchase additional advertising.
•
Brochure distribution in Hayward’s Visitor Information Center
•
Full member listing on HaywardLakes.com
•
Lodging members—Give us your vacancies and we will help you fill them!
•
Representation of your business at sport shows
•
Inclusion in printed promotional materials
•
Opportunity to be included in special events, traveling journalists, and local promotions.
•
Lobbying representation in Madison
•
Social Media member spotlights
No matter the size of your organization, we will work together by collaborating and maximizing our resources to grow the Hayward Lakes area as a top-rated, year-round tourism destination. We look forward to partnering with you to continue telling our story! To learn how you can become part of the Hayward Lakes story, and more about the many additional benefits of becoming an industry partner, contact Mindy Simons at 715-634-4801.
haywardlakes.com
Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau
haywardlakes.com
Namekagon River Wisconsin’s Moving National Park Promotion Receives the 2020 People’s Choice Award and the St Croix River Association Watershed Steward Award. Sawyer County along with Bayfield, Burnett and Washburn Counties were selected to receive the St. Croix River Association Watershed Steward Award. The award was given to the Namekagon River Partners for the “Namekagon River: Wisconsin’s Moving National Park” campaign. The promotion raised awareness of the special status of the Namekagon as a nation park and a wild scenic river. It inspired new audiences to explore the river and reminded past visitors of their memorable experienc-
es, inviting them to come back. This kind of personal connection and understanding is the foundation of future stewardship. The Hayward Lakes VCB contributed to the success of this promotion that was funded by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism JEM grant program. This was the first time that the regional partners along the river worked in unison to promote this incredible natural resource. The project utilized a wide breadth of marketing initiatives that generated 13,937 unique us-
ers to the new website www.namekagonriver.org, 578 requests for information and 4,028 visitors to the Namekagon River Center. The primary activities enjoyed by the visitors polled would indicate that wildlife viewing was the favorite. The entirety of visitors polled indicated that they explored the river with friends, family or a partner. Stop at the Hayward Lakes VCB for river maps or view online at www. haywardlakes.com.
Let’s Talk Hayward Facebook Live Thursday, May 20th 6:30 pm Musky fishing experts will be available to answer your questions! What is Facebook Live? Facebook Live is a live video streaming feature on Facebook that allows us to broadcast a live video out to our audience through your Hayward Lakes Visitors and Convention Bureau page. Since many of the in-person sport shows were cancelled due to the pandemic, John Myhre came up with an idea that is essentially like meeting in person, since the event is happening “face to face” and in real time. Facebook Live allows us to have experts answer our followers’ questions in real-time. This gives us an opportunity to engage with viewers when they are most interested. Past shows that you are available to view on Facebook include the following experts:
January
February
Pete Mania-Fishing Guide
Tim Davison-Snowmobile Enthusiast
Jim Onarheim-Event Specialist
Cherie Morgan-Hospital Trail System
Matt Leahy-Fishing Guide
Jarrett McCarthy-ice fishing expert Ben Poppe-American Birkebeiner Trails and Event
Dave Schlabowski-CAMBA Trails
March
Mike Best-Fishing Guide
April Mark Kerner-ATV Enthusiast Jeff Evans-Fishing Guide Erik Thue-Fishing Guide
Max Wolter-DNR Fisheries Biologist HaywardHayward Lakes Visitors Lakes&Visitors Convention & Convention Bureau Bureau
haywardlakes.com
Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau
Hayward Lakes Visitor & Convention Bureau Executive Members of the Board of Directors
haywardlakes.com
Marketing Partners & Friends of Tourism The following marketing partners are financial contributors to the Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau, Sawyer County, WI USA
Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce PO Box 726 15805 US Highway 63 Hayward, WI 54843 www.haywardareachamber.com info@haywardareachamber.com 715-634-8662
Birchwood Area Chamber of Commerce www.birchwoodwi.com
From left - From Left: Amanda Wilson-Secretary, Margaret Hoffmann-President, Kris Treland-Neumann-Treasurer and Cheryl Treland-Vice President
Board of Directors
Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association 10630 W. Twin Bay Road Hayward WI 54843 www.chippewaflowage.com
Quiet Lakes Resort Association www.quietlakes.com
Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Government 13394W Trepania Road Hayward, WI 54843 715-634-8934 www.lco-nsn.gov
Town of Hayward 15460 W State Hwy. 77E Hayward, WI 54843 715-634-4123 www.townofhayward.com
From left, back row - Chris Ruckdaschel, Diane Weber, Jim Onarheim, Mike Dorenski, David Thearin, Angie Dorenski, Brenda Dettloff, Margaret Hoffman, Don Mrotek. From left, front row - Kris Treland-Neumann, Julie Thomas-Telitz, Cheryl Treland, Amanda Wilson. Missing: Mike Best, Randy Cadotte, Chuck Van Etten, Melanie Mikesh, Rob Mittlesdorf, Kaci Robotka, Amanda Staudemeyer, Lori DeJoode, and Louis Taylor Town of Namakagon 43670 County Road D Cable, WI 54821 715-794-2036 www.Namakagon-WI.org namakagon@cheqnet.net
Town of Hunter 9316 N County Road CC Hayward, Wisconsin 54843 www.townofhunterwi.net townhunter@centurytel.net
Sawyer County Government 10610 Main St. Hayward, Wisconsin 54843 715-634-4866 www.sawyercountygov.org
Nelson Lake Resort Association 13045N Dam Road Hayward, WI 54843 715-634-4175 www.nelsonlake.net
Friends of Tourism
Find us on:
Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau
Pat’s Landing Resort www.patslandingresort.com Oak Shores www.oakshores.com Treeland Resorts www.treelandresorts.com Chippewa Valley Bank www.chipppewavalleybank.com Frandsen Bank & Trust www.frandsenbank.com Jump River Electric www.jrec.net
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