Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/518838
w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m J u n e 2 0 15 • I NSIGH T | 33 [continued ] » and every community wants to put itself in a position to capture as much as possible," says Matt Ten Haken, director of sports marketing for the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau. Northeast Wisconsin does well when it comes to tourism in general and sports tourism specifically. Direct visitor spending topped $11 billion in Wisconsin in 2014, an increase of 5.3 percent from the previous year, according to the latest statistics released by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Northeast Wisconsin's share of that was $2.4 billion. Determining just how much of that spending is sports-related is a bit less clear. Some events are easier to tie specific dollar values to than others. Certainly, when you think of sports and Northeast Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers come to mind. A study from 2010 found that game day spending exceeds $13.5 million, says Brad Toll, executive director of the Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau. Plus, there is the incalculable value of having the community showcased during the broadcast of home games. "Green Bay is a city that literally has world-wide recognition thanks to our famous sports team," Toll says. "A winning team is also very helpful as it adds to the number of nationally televised games each year and that puts our community in front of an audience of millions on a regular basis throughout the season, something we could not do with our marketing budget." But the economics extend well past the Packers. e Fox Cities will host the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II Championships this month, featuring 216 of the best teams from the Midwest playing in Appleton and De Pere. Brad Toll A rigorous, on-campus program o ering three distinct emphases: Now accepting applications for Fall 2015 enrollment. www.snc.edu/go/newmba S E T Y O U R S E L F A P A R T W I T H A S C H N E I D E R M B A The MBA for Business The MBA for Supply Chain & Manufacturing Professionals The MBA for Health Care & Medical Professionals "The industry has grown rapidly and every community wants to put itself in a position to capture as much as possible. There are a number of communities just like us who want a piece of that exponential growth." – M at t Te n H a ke n , d i re c to r o f s p o r t s m a r ke t i n g f o r t h e Fox Ci t i e s Co nve nt i o n & Vi s i to r s B u re a u ANY DIRECTION YOUR MEETING NEEDS TO GO 40,000 sq. ft. of Conference and Meeting Room Space 390 Guest Rooms Free Wireless Internet Throughout the Hotel 5 Restaurants 3 Lounges Pool and Fitness Center No matter what course your meeting takes we have everything you need. 333 West College Avenue \ Appleton, WI 920.733.8000 Central Reservations 800.333.3333 www.radisson.com/appletonwi PAPER VALLEY HOTEL PAPER VALLEY HOTEL Home of the Legendary www.vincelombardisteakhouse.com