 | At the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Meeting & Exposition in Chicago this week, anyone who stopped by the VISIT Milwaukee booth received a wealth of MKE information and a hearty Bloody Mary. The sales team welcomed about 750 attendees to its ASAE booth and served up 700 stacked signature Milwaukee Bloody Marys. “Among many other nicknames, Milwaukee is known as the Bloody Mary Metropolis. We wanted people who visited our booth to get a true taste of the city (pun intended),” said Marco Bloemendaal, senior vice president of sales. “Having activities like this at trade shows, conventions, and community events keeps Milwaukee top of mind for travelers when planning their next business trip or vacation.” The ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition is the premier tourism event hosting meeting planners from associations nationwide. These association representatives enjoy the three-day conference for its plethora of resources as well as in-person introductions to top destinations to host their own meetings and conventions, a key market for VISIT Milwaukee. |
| In fact, VISIT Milwaukee’s convention sales team has created a buzz at the ASAE annual meeting for several years now and attended 50 conferences like it last year alone. As a result, they brought 545,000 visitors to Milwaukee. But serving Bloody Marys was not the only VISIT Milwaukee attraction at the exposition, as VISIT Milwaukee took the opportunity to advertise to one of its key drive-in markets. As national and international ASAE attendees arrived at Chicago airports, they were greeted by digital signage heralding “The City that Beer Built,” “The Home Base of Harley-Davidson,” and “America’s Third Coast” to name a few. |  |
Additional attendees passed by VISIT Milwaukee’s digital billboard truck, which circled the convention center for the duration of the expo as well as around key areas like Michigan Avenue and The Loop. That truck had the eyes of thousands of locals as it played music and displayed videos of kids cheering at Miller Park, movie-goers at the Avalon Theater, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino chefs preparing meals, and other Milwaukee sights.
“Our job as the Milwaukee area’s destination marketing organization is to ensure that people see Milwaukee as the incredible destination it is,” Bloemendaal said. “Whether hosting national conventions in the city, securing top Milwaukee venues for conferences, marketing the city to tourists and national media, or even serving Bloody Marys at national tradeshows, VISIT Milwaukee prides itself as the lead MKE promoter.”
About VISIT Milwaukee
VISIT Milwaukee is the Greater Milwaukee area’s convention & visitors bureau, marketing the destination as a top choice for business, convention, and leisure travel to national and international visitors to increase the economic impact of tourism in the region. Each year, tourism supports over 50,000 full-time jobs and brings in over $5 billion to the community. VISIT Milwaukee has over 680 members, including hotels/motels, restaurants, attractions, services and area businesses. The City of Wauwatosa, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino and the Wisconsin Center District are strategic partners with VISIT Milwaukee, providing funding support for conventions and tourism programs. For more information call 1-800-554-1448 or visit www.visitmilwaukee.org.
“Our job as the Milwaukee area’s destination marketing organization is to ensure that people see Milwaukee as the incredible destination it is,” Bloemendaal said. “Whether hosting national conventions in the city, securing top Milwaukee venues for conferences, marketing the city to tourists and national media, or even serving Bloody Marys at national tradeshows, VISIT Milwaukee prides itself as the lead MKE promoter.”
About VISIT Milwaukee
VISIT Milwaukee is the Greater Milwaukee area’s convention & visitors bureau, marketing the destination as a top choice for business, convention, and leisure travel to national and international visitors to increase the economic impact of tourism in the region. Each year, tourism supports over 50,000 full-time jobs and brings in over $5 billion to the community. VISIT Milwaukee has over 680 members, including hotels/motels, restaurants, attractions, services and area businesses. The City of Wauwatosa, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino and the Wisconsin Center District are strategic partners with VISIT Milwaukee, providing funding support for conventions and tourism programs. For more information call 1-800-554-1448 or visit www.visitmilwaukee.org.
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