The Illinois Office of Tourism is excited to announce that Daniel Thomas joined our team at DCEO as the Deputy Director for the Illinois Office of Tourism on July
1, 2023.
Daniel has been immersed in the Illinois tourism industry for over 10 years as CEO & Tourism Strategist of TimeZoneOne, the PR and Trade Marketing agency of record for IOT. A lifelong tourism professional spanning hospitality, hotels, attractions and aviation, he is no stranger to global tourism and brand development.
New Middle of Everything Summer
TV Spots Launched
The Illinois Office of Tourism has launched three new summer TV spots for its tourism campaign, "Middle of Everything." The ads feature the return of Illinois native and Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress and director, Jane Lynch. Lynch performs a new song in the TV spots that promotes the diverse attractions, natural wonders and one-of-a-kind experiences visitors can find throughout Illinois.
To download social media assets and videos from the campaign, view the Illinois Office of Tourism's recently updated media toolkit.
IOT Takes Pride As part of the “Middle of Everything” campaign, DCEO’s Office of Tourism showcased Enjoy Illinois on a custom float at the Chicago Pride Parade, which took place on Sunday, June 26.
The float featured iconic Illinois locations and all of our volunteers sported an Enjoy Illinois branded shirt while passing out stickers and fans to onlookers along the parade route. The fans featured LGBTQ+ trip ideas and information accessible by
QR code.
Global FAM Trip for UK, Germany & Mexico
Reps
IOT recently hosted a global familiarization trip for 15 trade and media representatives, as well as three agency reps from the United Kingdom, Germany and Mexico. The group certainly got their kicks on Route 66 as they traveled from Chicago through Joliet, Pontiac, Springfield, Livingston, Edwardsville, Grafton and Collinsville.
Among the many stops were excursions to the Old Joliet Prison and Aerie's Resort in Grafton. The trip concluded at the Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series Race in Madison, IL.
2nd NASCAR Enjoy Illinois 300 Event
In June, the
second consecutive Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series welcomed over 83,000 NASCAR fans for three days of racing thrills.
Enjoy Illinois' "Middle of Everything" activation gave fans the fun opportunity to register and step on stage to race remote control cars around a track that was dotted with iconic Illinois attractions and notable locales.
IOT was supported by CVB partners including Discover Downstate Illinois, Great Rivers & Routes, Visit Springfield, and Heritage Corridor Destinations.
New American Giants Museum to Open in Atlanta The Atlanta Betterment Fund organization has announced plans to open an American Giants Museum in downtown Atlanta. Located on the 1926 alignment of Route 66 (Arch Street), the new museum will explore the tale of the "Muffler Man/Bunyan Giant" statues that rose to popularity and public intrigue in the 1960s. Since then, the statues have continued to be some of the most beloved and iconic attractions traveling along the historic Route 66.
The museum is scheduled to open later this summer.
2023 Cubs MLB London Series Recap
IOT collaborated with agency and Route 66 partners to host UK media and trade representatives at Game 1 in Stratford on Saturday, June 24 and a viewing party the next day.
The first game welcomed over 43,000 locals, baseball and Cub fans alike as MLB made its long-awaited return to London. The Cubs dominated the London opener with a 9-1 score in the first game.
New Videos
We are pleased to share the latest addition to our Illinois Made video collection: Bright Endeavors.
Be on the lookout for the launch of new videos on our YouTube channel in the coming days and weeks.
Illinois Made Submission
Deadline If you know any amazing small businesses or expert artisans in Illinois, please feel free to nominate them for the 2023 Illinois Maker class.
Submissions are still open! Deadline for the 2023 class is August 1.
Looking for one-of-a-kind, upcycled lodgings for your next trip? Trying to find that local connection when traveling? Discover reimagined stays and sustainable getaways with the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of the Enjoy Illinois
Magazine - available now for viewing and download.
If your are interested in becoming an advertiser, contact Kim Sommerfeldt
at DotDash Meredith.
