Sec. Klett Presents Tourism Grant to Chippewa Valley Book Festival

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Department of Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett presented a $2,000 Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grant to the Literary Arts Committee of the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council to promote the Chippewa Valley Book Festival, an annual event held Oct.  18-23. This is the second year the project received marketing assistance from the Department of Tourism.  Event organizers goals for this year include increasing the total attendance to 4,500 and generating an economic impact of $50,000 from traveler spending at area hotels, restaurants and stores.

"Now in its second year of JEM grant funding, this event leverages the area's ideal location near Minneapolis-St. Paul with its other tourism amenities to attract new visitors and to brand this community as an unexpected destination," Secretary Klett said. "It's also a perfect example of how our JEM grant programs not only helps the economy but reinforces the creative economy through education and the arts.

The Department of Tourism's marketing grant program funded 51 projects totaling $1.14 million in fiscal year 2010.  Visitor expenditures driven by the marketing from these projects exceeded $30 million.

Now in its 12^th year, the book festival hosts 30 authors at 14 different community locations, develops author in the schools programming, and conducts a children's writing contest. Grant funds will go towards online advertising, social media, print advertising, posters and brochures and outreach through Wisconsin Public Radio.  The marketing plan will focus on markets within a 50 mile radius and include Minneapolis-St. Paul.