Chicago Southland CVB Awarded Tour Showcasing Region

Vol. 1 Issue 2
Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau
April 2015
Tourism Marketing Information
Chicago Southland CVB Awarded
Tour Showcasing Region
With the conclusion of the 2015
Heartland Travel Showcase in
Chicago, the Chicago Southland
Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted
the post familiarization tour which
brought group tour operators on a
guided tour through the Chicago
Southland.
The purpose of the tour was to
showcase the Chicago Southland to
various group tour operators from
the travel showcase.
Led by Tobie Fitzpatrick, Chicago
Southland CVB Sales Manager, group
tour operators experienced the flavors
and sounds of the Chicago Southland
with dining stops at Flossmoor Station
Restaurant & Brewery, Harvest Room,
Cracker Barrel in Tinley Park and CD
& ME in Frankfort for Spirits tasting.
Other stops included horse racing
at Balmoral Park Race Track,
Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park,
Union Street Art Gallery, Bridgeport
Art Gallery and Brookfield Zoo.
The group tour operators were
among the first to tour Chicagoland’s
newest national monument and
world’s first planned industrial town,
Pullman National Landmark District.
They walked along the maroon
row houses on the way to Hotel
Florence and stopped at the Pullman
Factory Complex.
“... We had a great time; we hope to
be able to tie in some of the great
things we saw in the
Chicago Southland!”
- Donna Azzolino Vice President,
Group Tours LLC
to have been awarded the opportunity
to showcase the Chicago Southland to
group tour operators.”
The tour visited the Pullman
Foundation Visitor Center to find out
how the town bounced back to the
track of prosperity after near
demolition in the early 20th century.
“To be able to bring them to
Pullman as the first official tour of the
newest national monument is
wonderful,” said Jim Garrett, President /
CEO of the Chicago Southland
Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s great
One group tour operator has
already coordinated a group tour that
will have stops in the Chicago
Southland this coming fall.
Break Out the Sunglasses!
Congratulations to
Pullman!
On February 19th, President Obama made Pullman a
national monument.
“The great people at the Pullman National Monument,
and the many people whose passion and dedication to
achieve this status for Pullman, deserve it,” said Jim
Garrett, President / CEO of the Chicago Southland
Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“I encourage everyone to discover the faces and
places that tell the experience of Pullman and enjoy
Illinois’ newest national treasure.”
The 2015 Spring / Summer Festivals
& Events Guide Is Coming Soon
As the Chicago Southland breaks free from the frigid and
snow-covered winter and sets its sights on the warmth of
summer, it can only mean one thing; the 2015 Spring /
Summer Festivals & Events Guide is coming!
The guide includes over 400 events with highlights
including the Caribbean Block Party in Tinley Park, Fourth
of July parades and the Lansing Autumn Fest. The guide is
distributed to visitors outside the region and is featured in
the Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis and local area hotels.
To order a copy of the 2015 Spring / Summer Festivals
& Events Guide call Bernice Scheive at 708-895-8200 or
email Bernice@VisitChicagoSouthland.com.
2015 Springfield Lobby Days
Pictured left to right - Manu Patel,
AAHOA Lifetime Member and
Hotel Advocate; Cory Jobe,
Director of Illinois Office of
Tourism; Aemish Patel,
General Manager of Holiday Inn
Express & Suites – Chicago South
– Lansing and Sally Schlesinger,
CPA, Executive Vice President of
the Chicago Southland CVB
The Illinois Council of Convention & Visitor Bureaus,
Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association and Illinois
Restaurant Association held its annual Lobby Days in
Springfield, IL March 9 – 12th.
Jim Garrett, President / CEO and Sally Schlesinger,
Executive Vice President of the Chicago Southland CVB,
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Pictured left to
right - Illinois
Governor Bruce
Rauner and
Sally Schlesinger,
CPA, Executive
Vice President of
the Chicago
Southland CVB
met with legislators to discuss the importance of tourism.
“During difficult times, it is important that the
economic engine funding the state isn’t touched,” said
Sally Schlesinger, Executive Vice President of the
Chicago Southland CVB. “The governor and legislators
understand the value of tourism and the high return on
investment it produces.”
April Food Day
The Chicago Southland hospitality
industry led the way this year in the
South-Southwest Suburban United
Way’s annual April Food Day.
Twenty-two drop-off points were
established throughout 12
communities in the Chicago
Southland region and food
was collected through
Wednesday, April 1st, 2015.
The sites included hotels and
park districts.
Local food pantries
estimate that the need for
food and toiletries has more
than doubled in the past five
years. While many think
of food pantries during
the winter months, need is
typically higher in spring and summer
as donations decrease and supplies
diminish.
Last year the Chicago Southland
hospitality industry helped to raise
over 7,000 pounds of food locally.
Front Line Training
This year, they helped raise over
25,000 pounds.
On April 1st, all the collected
food was taken to the Tinley Park
Convention Center and weighed.
The food was packed up and taken
to six local food pantries and shelters
throughout the Chicago Southland.
The shelters that were helped included:
Respond Now - Chicago Heights
Ford Heights Community
Service Organization
Richton Park Food Pantry
Catholic Charities - South Holland,
Restoration Ministries –
South Holland
Together We Cope – Tinley Park
Meet the Marketing Manager!
The Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau
recently completed another successful Front Line
Training. The seminar held on Thursday, February 26th
at the Holiday Inn Express - Crestwood aimed to create
stronger employees armed with information about the
Chicago Southland and customer service tips.
The next Front Line Training is Thursday, April 30th at
8:30 a.m. at the Matteson Community Center in Matteson,
IL. This free, two-hour seminar has limited availability and
is for both the experienced and new employees.
To RSVP call Diane Graves by April 23rd at
708-895-8200 or email
Diane@VisitChicagoSouthland.com.
Kristen Bonk, Marketing Manager, will utilize
social media and e-marketing platforms in conjunction
with other media to market the Chicago Southland as a
unique, convenient and affordable destination. Bonk will also plan and execute a variety of
Chicago Southland CVB special events, activities
and publications as well as serving as a community
liaison.
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Chicago Southland CVB Welcomes New
Board Appointments!
Annie Byrne
The Southland Center,
a Ho-Chunk Enterprise
Exposition Appointment
Jodi Kennedy
Ravisloe Country Club
Village of Homewood
Conrad Kiebles
Village Administrator
Village of Orland Hills
Adam Woodworth
Children’s Museum of Oak Lawn
Membership Appointment
National Tourism Day
Last year, we distributed “Visitors Means Jobs” decals
to our members. We are asking you to play your part in
raising awareness about the importance of tourism for
the Chicago Southland and the entire State of Illinois by
proudly displaying the decal in your main entrance.
We also encourage you to share photos of your
sticker displayed along with any other photos you
would like to share via social media during National
Tourism Week, May 2nd - 10th using #NTTW as well as
#ChicagoSouthland.
If you are in need of a replacement decal or have not
received one, please contact Bernice Scheive at
708-895-8200 or Bernice@VisitChicagoSouthland.com.
If you are interested in making a silent auction or food
donation, call the CSCVB office at 708-895-8200.
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January and March Grant Recipients
Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn, 6th Annual Easter Egg Hunt for
Kids with Disabilities, Village of Oak Lawn - Pictured left to right;
Jim Garrett; Amanda McCarthy, Friendraising Director, Children’s
Museum in Oak Lawn and Adam Woodworth, Executive Director,
Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn.
Mokena Community Park District, 11th Annual Farm &
Barn Fest, Village of Mokena - Pictured left to right; Jim
Romanek, Executive Director, Mokena Community Park
District; Erin Cortilet, Special Events & Trip Coordinator,
Mokena Community Park District and Jim Garrett.
Village of Orland Hills, Party in the Park - Pictured left to right;
Jim Garrett; Glenn Bilina, Recreation Director, Village of Orland
Hills and Sally Schlesinger.
City of Palos Heights, 2015 First Midwest Bank Half
Marathon and 10K - Pictured left to right; Jim Garrett; Mel
Diab, Race Director, 2015 First Midwest Bank Half Marathon
& 10K, City of Palos Heights and Kim Kislowski.
Illinois Nurses Association, INA Membership
Assembly in Alsip, Village of Alsip.
Chicago Gaelic Park, Irish Fest Promotion, City of Oak
Forest - Pictured left to right; Jim Garrett; Marian Ryan,
General Manager, Chicago Gaelic Park and
Sally Schlesinger.
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Host It Here in
the Chicago Southland!
“Host It Here” encourages local residents to host their
next state, regional, or national meeting, event or sports
tournament here in the Chicago Southland.
For more information, contact Mary Patchin at
708-895-8200 or email
Mary@VisitChicagoSouthland.com
Jim Garrett Visits Washington to
Discuss Legislative Issues
Jim Garrett, President / CEO of the Chicago Southland CVB
attended the annual Destination Capitol Hill conference in
Washington, D.C., March 24 -26th with a delegation of other
state CVB Directors and the Illinois Council of Convention
& Visitor Bureaus.
v Jim met with Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Acting
Administrator Gregory Nadeau of the U.S. Department of
Transportation to discuss signage issues along the Illinois
Tollways.
Visit The Abraham Lincoln Exhibit
The exhibit features eight kiosks and covers Lincoln’s
childhood, the Lincoln - Douglas debates, the 1860
Presidential election the Civil War, the 13th Amendment,
the Emancipation Proclamation, his assassination and
other important periods and events in his life.
With the Abraham Lincoln Exhibit set to leave the
Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis this summer, we
encourage everyone to visit the exhibit.
The traveling exhibit was created by the Abraham
Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum (ALPLM) to
commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth.
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“It was great working together with the Illinois Office
of Tourism, Abraham Lincoln Museum and U.S. Equities
to bring this exhibit to the Chicago Southland Lincoln
Oasis,” said Jim Garrett, President/CEO of the Chicago
Southland CVB. “This exhibit is a terrific way to welcome
visitors to Illinois when they stop at the Oasis on Interstate
80/294.”
“Abraham Lincoln’s life is one of the great American
stories, and this is a wonderful spot to remind people
about that story. Travelers from all over the country will
get to see the exhibit,” said Amy Martin, director of the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
Core Ambassadors Program
The Chicago Southland Core Ambassadors aim to
strengthen positive awareness with visitors and
regional stakeholders in order to enhance our
destination and encourage economic development.
The ambassador program is a marketing arm of the CVB,
which allows Chicago Southland leaders and stakeholders
with influence to raise the awareness and importance of the
CVB’s role in creating economic vitality of the region.
If you want to find out more about the
ambassador program, please contact Lynne DeYoung,
CPA, Director of Finance and Administration at
708-895-8200 or email
Lynne@VisitChicagoSouthland.com
JoAnne Alexander
Village of Glenwood
Brooke Bialasik
Hilton Chicago /
Oak Lawn &
Conference Center
Gareth Blakesley
Lake Katherine Nature Center
& Botanic Gardens
Vicki Foeman
Markham Chamber of
Commerce &
Industrial Association
Dan Gardner
Prairie State College
Thank You
Core Ambassadors!
Mary Poulsen
City of Blue Island
Greg Lochow
Blue Island Area
Chamber of Commerce
& Industry
Teri Raney
Village of Calumet Park
Ronald Reed
Country Club Hills
Chamber of Commerce
Jake Melrose
City of Oak Forest
Allisa Opyd
Village of Homewood
Rebecca Palumbo
Rollins Palumbo Creative
Aemish Patel
Holiday Inn Express Hotel
& Suites - Chicago
South Lansing
Videos on the CSCVB
YouTube Channel
The Chicago Southland
Convention & Visitors Bureau
would like to showcase our
members’ videos on our
YouTube Channel.
To have your videos
featured, email Juston Teach,
Communications Manager at
Juston@VisitChicagoSouthland.com.
Laura Tews
Holiday Inn Express - Crestwood
Cindy Vassell
The Pickwick Society
Tea Room,
Gifts & Antiques
John Wilson
Lan-Oak Park District
Upcoming Industry
Trade Shows
Convention & Location
African American Travel Conference: Merrillville, IN
National Association of Sports Commissions: Milwaukee, WI
Conference Direct: Dallas, TX
Meetings Quest: Providence, RI
Christian Meetings & Conferences Association: Jacksonville, FL
HelmsBriscoe: Las Vegas, NV
Sports Illinois Huddle: Quad Cities, IL
Collaborate Marketplace: Orlando, FL
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PRESORT STANDARD
AUTO
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
LANSING, IL
PERMIT NO. 170
2304 173rd Street
Lansing, IL 60438
VisitChicagoSouthland.com
Thank You To John Daly For 20 Years of Leadership!
Thank you to John Daly for serving more than 20 years on
the Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau’s
Board of Directors. Throughout the years, his service and
dedication as the treasurer, vice chairperson and chairperson
has made a tremendous difference in making the Chicago
Southland a wonderful place for visitors.
Mark your 2015 Calendars!
National Tourism Day Celebration, May 13th CSCVB Office
Annual Meeting & Luncheon, October 7th
Hilton Chicago/Oak Lawn & Conference Center
Holiday Membership Reception, December 2nd
DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago-Alsip
Upcoming CVBO Dates:
May 12th, June 9th & July 14th