The past month has been exciting. We’re thrilled to report that our Illinois. The Middle of Everything campaign, launched in April, continues to gain momentum. In fact, the campaign won a coveted U.S. Travel Association Mercury Award at ESTO for Best Public Relations Campaign last month in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And that wasn’t the only campaign to be recognized on a national stage at ESTO—our Illinois Made campaign won the Mercury Award for The Road Less Traveled category. We’re so proud that, through these awards, we’ve been able to shine an even brighter spotlight on Illinois’ wonderful destinations and the incredible work you’ve all been doing to drive tourism in communities across our state.
We showcased the Middle of Everything to a variety of audiences in August through exciting on-site activations.
Partnering with the Chicago Bears allowed us to bring the campaign to life at two key preseason events in August: The Meijer Family Fest and Enjoy Illinois Training Camp. We also had a great time engaging with both locals and visitors at the Bud Billiken Day Parade on Chicago’s South Side, which is the largest African American parade in the United States. Live events and strategic partnerships will remain a key part of our strategy as the Middle of Everything campaign continues to evolve in the weeks and months ahead.
The Middle of Fall in Illinois Earlier this week, we launched our fall tourism campaign, which aligns with the Middle of Everything theme. In addition to the digital tactics we’re already executing, new TV spots will begin airing in 20 regional markets and national cable on September 12—so keep an eye out! The campaign will run for seven weeks and also includes highway billboards and large displays at O’Hare Airport that will help us reach travelers from all over the country. We’ve added a new twist to our fall travel marketing strategy with the 2022 Illinois Fall Color Guide, a helpful tool that will help residents and visitors discover the best time to spot fall foliage across the state. This year’s guide features new, interactive elements that will allow users to easily track peak fall colors on a weekly basis by region and date on enjoyillinois.com. Be on the lookout for an announcement soon!
Save the Date: ILGOV 2022 The 2022 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism, the state’s premier industry event, will be held December 5-7 in the Aon
Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier. This event gives us a special opportunity to celebrate the tourism leaders and travel professionals who are driving our economic recovery. Save the date to join professionals from across Illinois and around the country to network, learn from experts, celebrate success and discover what’s ahead for Illinois tourism. Details regarding the conference schedule, speakers, programs and awards will be announced soon at ilgovconference.com.
Sharing Ideas and Making Connections As DMO professionals and tourism experts, we have a lot to learn from each other. The CenStates and Greater Western Chapter Travel and Tourism Research Conference on October 19-21 in Skokie will give our community an opportunity to network, share experiences, explore trends and discuss ideas in a collaborative environment. Learn more and view the schedule.
Investing in Our Communities On August 15, Governor Pritzker and DCEO announced $106 million in capital grants awarded to revitalize 50 commercial corridors and main streets throughout Illinois. In addition to the $106 million in state funding, projects offered an additional $109 million in matching grant funds, for a total investment of $215 million. The historic Rebuild Illinois (RBI) Downtowns and Main Streets Capital program represents the largest-ever RBI investment focused on community revitalization.
Thank you to everyone who nominated new Makers for our 2022 class. Each business we add to this program makes it stronger, helping us to continue driving travelers to these one-of-a-kind businesses and experiences.
We’ll be announcing that group in the coming months, so stay tuned! If someone you know is interested in becoming a Maker, please feel free to nominate them for next year’s class.
The Fall/Winter issue of the Enjoy Illinois Magazine is now available! From expert advice for mapping out the ultimate fall color road trip to Illinois native Jane Lynch’s recommendations for the perfect Chicago day, the magazine is a one-stop shop for fall trip planning. Order your own copy at the link
below or view it online. For bulk orders, please contact Brad.Strauss@illinois.gov.
