November 20th, 2021
DDC Partner Newsletter
Organizational Updates, Industry Insights, Community Reminders, and Business Tools!
|
|
Greetings!
Thank you all for the very warm welcome as we start our journey together. I have had the opportunity to meet so many people this week, and the one thing that has been most evident to me is the passion and commitment you all share for this very special place. We all want to make Door County a better place to live and visit! I am so impressed with our DDC team and Board of Directors, and their commitment to the community. Please know that we will continue to work hard to increase our engagement with you, to positively manage the future of our visitor economy while enhancing the quality of life for our residents.
There is more synergy when integrating tourism, economic development, and talent acquisition with attention to the health, wellbeing, and stewardship of our Door County communities. We have a responsibility to preserve our county for future generations, and we hope to make a difference through the promotion of Care for Door County and the Door County Pledge initiatives. Both of which we look forward to working on more closely with each of you.
As we tackle these important issues, I want to invite you to reach out to me directly to share your thoughts so I can fully understand the needs of this unique destination. By working together in partnership, we can truly make a difference!
Thank you,
|
|
Julie L. Gilbert CDME CTP
President & CEO
Destination Door County
|
|
MARKETING & SALES
Michelle Rasmusson, CDME - Director
|
|
THANK YOU, HOSPITALITY WORKERS!
We here at DDC and the local community business associations have partnered together to give a big and well-deserved ‘THANK YOU’ to all the hospitality workers for showing up, putting others first and making Door County proud this past season.
Nominate a Door County hospitality worker to win an airline ticket voucher worth $250. One winner will receive a voucher to fly to any Frontier Airlines destination for a well-deserved break.
Qualified nominees must be employees of a Door County business and all nominations must be submitted by December 14th for consideration. The winner will be chosen on December 16th and notified directly via email. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, Destination Door County will continue to select winners until the prize is claimed.
|
|
COMMUNICATIONS & PR
Jon Jarosh, CTA - Director
|
|
AJ Dillon and the Key to Door County
As some of you may have heard, at DDC’s 2021 annual meeting this past Tuesday we had a little fun and surprised Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon with a token key to Door County. Through his social media channels and during interviews and media appearances, AJ has regularly shared his enthusiasm and love for Door County, publicly stating his desire to someday have the key to Door County. Our DDC team has been corresponding with him since early August and worked with his fiancée to pull off the surprise at our annual meeting. Watch the video of our new CEO, Julie Gilbert, surprising AJ Dillon with the key to Door County.
AJ graciously offered to take photos with folks at our annual meeting, and lots of people enjoyed getting their pictures taken with him and his new “key” to Door County.
At his Thursday (11/18/2021) player press conference, AJ answered media questions about getting the key and talked up Door County even a little more. Watch that interview here.
We appreciate AJ’s love for our destination and look forward to seeing where his Door County adventures will take him next!
|
|
Above: DDC staff along with AJ Dillon, his fiancée Gabrielle and his key at the organization’s annual meeting on Nov. 16, 2021 at Fernwood Gardens Ballroom at Mr. Gs. |
|
Press Trip Update
We have one press trip remaining in 2021, December 2-5. The trip will be holiday and heritage themed and will feature the new Door County Christkindlmarkt, Ephraim’s Christmas in the Village, hiking, retail, and much more.
If your business is interested in hosting journalists or learning more about our media marketing program, please let Jen know, jen@doorcounty.com. Since our press trip program began, we’ve generated $32 million worth of earned media for Door County and that editorial coverage garnered more than 4.4 billion impressions. View all program articles via Google Drive here.
2022 dates will be available in early January.
|
|
Latest Travel Sentiment: Vaccination Status of Children Complicates Travel Outlook
Nov 16, 2021 - According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, Americans with children under 18 are split on both their children’s vaccination status and how comfortable they feel traveling as a family. A third of family travelers have no concerns about traveling with their unvaccinated children, while a quarter do have worries about taking their unvaccinated children on trips. Additionally, a quarter of family travelers have children who are fully or partially vaccinated and they have no hesitation about them traveling, while a similar percentage does have concerns about travel with their children even though they are fully or partially vaccinated. Continue reading… View the latest study summary PDF.
|
|
Recent Media Hits
-
EastSideATX published a story about best places to visit in Wisconsin and featured numerous Door County businesses. View the story here. The writer was here on a press trip in August 2020.
-
Several local television stations covered AJ Dillon receiving the ceremonial key to Door County at our 96th Annual Meeting. View the various stations' news stories - WBAY, WFRV, NBC26.
- The Green Bay Packers shared the news of Dillon receiving the key on their various social platforms.
|
|
What’s New in 2022?
We're putting together a "What's New in 2022" pitch sheet for journalists and media outlets and would love to feature new businesses, new attractions, major renovations, new events and major anniversaries. Please share any leads or ideas on what will be new or improved in Door County in 2022 by emailing jen@doorcounty.com. We'd love to help share the news!
|
|
MEMBERSHIP
Phil Berndt, CTA - Director
|
|
Interested in Hiring J-1 Visa Students, but don't know where to start?
Join us Thursday, December 2nd at 2:00 on Zoom for a 1/2 hour program update and introduction to becoming a J-1 Visa Host Employer, presented by Becky Davis, USA Regional Account Manager for Work & Travel, and Clay Lewis, Employer & Community Engagement Manager - both with InterExchange.
Becky & Clay have helped us coordinate many of our J-1 employer programs and I am thrilled to have them share their insight to help take the intimidation out of becoming a host employer. If you are interested in joining us or receiving a copy of the recording, email Phil Berndt at phil@doorcounty.com to receive your Zoom invitation. |
|
|
|
Looking for J-1 Visa program information?
|
|
Member-facing social media channels!
Don’t forget to follow DDC Members on our member-facing social media channels! Admittedly, there are photos of gorgeous sunsets and ice shoves, like you’ll find over on our main channel, but DDC Members pages on Instagram and Facebook are focused on sharing updates, resources, news, recent media hits, and general DDC insider info.
|
|
Upcoming Industry Trainings
-
Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation: Creating Welcoming, Enjoyable Trails for All
-
Discover ways and resources to promote positive trail experiences. Hear from the national coalition behind Trails are Common Ground whose goal is to create a respectful, inclusive, safe, and enjoyable environment every time anyone steps, rides, or rolls onto the trail. Then hear from local groups who weave trail etiquette and safety into their education and programs.
-
Moderated by Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Mary Monroe Brown, the webinar will be prerecorded and released on December 2, 2021.
-
Click here to register and receive the webinar on December 2, 2021.
- Wisconsin Small Business Development Center Network: First Steps to Starting a Business
- Thinking of starting a business but don't know where to begin? Join SBDC for a 3-part live-stream webinar: First Steps to Starting a Business. Participants will receive a variety of materials to help start their business in addition to being introduced to several resources that can help them along the way.
- Wednesdays December 1, 8 & 15 from 7:00pm-8:00pm
-
Click here for full details and to register.
|
|
Know Before You Go:
Hunting Season Safety Reminders & Resources
A quick reminder that gun season opens today. Know the seasons, know the rules, and keep you and your pets visible! Brush up on best practices to keep you AND your guests safe, whether hiking, hunting, or just generally enjoying Door County. Learn More, courtesy of Door County Land Trust
|
|
WELCOME CENTER UPDATES
Pat Nash, CTA - Director of Visitor Services
|
|
Door County Gift Certificates Make Great Holiday Gifts!
Looking for the perfect holiday gift for those people in your life who love Door County? Look no further than a Door County Gift Certificate! This year we have introduced an online pickup order option. Simply place your order online here and select the FREE pickup option and checkout and we can have your order ready for you when you arrive! As always you can call, or order to be shipped anywhere in the US.
|
|
How Can We Better Serve You in 2022?
We are already in preparation for next season as well. Cleaning out inventory, preparing for new materials, etc. We would like to ask for your help!
- Will you have a brochure to feature in our lobby in 2022?
- How much inventory can you provide at once?
- Who is providing it? (the business itself, or through a delivery service)
- A good contact e-mail and phone number (FB page works too!) so we can inform you when we are running on your materials. (if not using delivery service)
Please send me an e-mail pat@doorcounty.com and we can get everything coordinated to get the most out of your materials for next season.
|
|
Featured Volunteer Opportunities
Morgan Rusnak, CTA
|
|
Gibraltar Band Buddies
The Band Buddies program being created by director Charlie Eckhardt would link community members to musicians in the ensemble to mentor the students. Eckhardt hopes it injects some new life into his bands. Volunteers will have to pass a background check and follow the necessary COVID-19 protocols. Learn more HERE.
|
|
Door County Habitat For Humanity
Habitat for Humanity seeks passionate individuals and organizations to join us in building strength, stability and self-reliance through home ownership in Door County. Learn more about the full range of opportunities HERE.
|
|
The Ridges Sanctuary
The Ridges offers a wide variety of ways for you to be involved. Volunteers are the backbone of The Ridges and the core of many of our important programs: Opportunities include: Front desk/Nature Store support, Wednesday Crew maintenance, Guided Hike Leader, Range Light Docent, office & mailer help, and citizen science programs. Learn more HERE.
|
|
As we know, many Door County organizations rely heavily on volunteers to carry out their mission and keep things running day to day, year after year. Our Care for Door County initiative includes bringing more light to those opportunities and we'd love to hear from you! Does your group or organization have events coming up or ongoing volunteer needs? Let us know about your needs by following the link below. You'll be added to our Care for Door County Voluntourism page and each newsletter will now include a few featured opportunities to share or explore for yourself. |
|
Destination Door County
PO Box 406, 1015 Green Bay Road, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
920-743-4456
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
