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30 | I NSIGH T • S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m TOURISM/CONVENTIONS Green Bay Packers donated $200,000 for naming rights. e link to the Packers has proven a helpful marketing tool for Green Bay, Toll says. "e name Green Bay, because of the Packers, probably gives the impression we are a tier higher than we actually are," Toll says, referring to the hierarchy used to group convention facilities. "It's helped us generate interest, and now with the space we can book some of those events." For example, the KI Center will host a group that was previously considering convention facilities in Reno, Nev., before settling on Green Bay. Additionally, the Groundwater Protection Council will hold its first ever convention in Wisconsin. In fact, the expanded KI Center is already reaping some early returns. e expansion was originally projected to generate an additional $4 million a year in bookings, and the Green Bay CVB is already $5 million ahead of pace for 2016. "It's already doing what we thought it would do," Tolls says. It helps that visitor spending is ticking up in general, according to statistics compiled by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Direct visitor spending increased more than 5 percent in Brown County, growing to $588 million in 2014 from $557 million. Roughly 23 percent of that figure can be attributed to conventions while the rest is from leisure travel. Northeast Wisconsin is blessed with many options to tap into that growing stream of visitor spending. In addition to Green Bay, Appleton is also one of the state's Tier 3 convention cities — the other two are Madison and La Crosse. e Fox Cities are also pursuing plans to expand convention facilities. is past March, the Appleton City Council approved a $2 million purchase of land for a new convention center in downtown Appleton. A $27.5 million, 35,000-square-foot exhibition center has been proposed for the site. Welcome to the Premier Life® Waterfront Hotel and Convention Center 1 N. Main Street Oshkosh, WI 54901 (920) 230-1900 • (855) 230-1900 oshkoshwaterfronthotel.com Newly Renovated Great water views 25,000 sq ft of meeting space for up to 1,200 guests