Untitled Document

Governor's conference on tourism set
May 18, 19 in Lewiston

From the Idaho Department of Commerce
Members of Idaho's tourism and business industries, along with the general public, are encouraged to register online for the annual Governor's Conference on Tourism, May 18, 19 at the Red Lion Hotel in Lewiston.

Visit www.visitidaho.org and click on the Governor’s Conference logo on the lower right.
If you’ve attended this conference in the past, you know how important it is to every tourism-related business, whether new or old, so please help us make sure nobody misses the 2006 conference.

You’ll find registration forms, a complete agenda, and a link to the Red Lion Hotel in Lewiston so you can make your room reservations now.

Barbara Steinfeld, director of Tourism Development for the Portland Visitors Association will deliver the keynote address, “Park Your Ego at the Door: Cultural Tourism Partnerships” following the opening ceremonies on Thursday, May 18. Steinfeld has 20 years of tourism marketing experience and is current chair of the Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance.

Adam Sacks, leading tourism economist and author of the Global Insights study on economic impact of tourism in Idaho will be the keynote speaker for the Thursday lunch session.

Conference workshops will address topics such as creating cultural-heritage events, identifying resources, recruiting-training volunteers and making the media work for you.

A CEO Roundtable on Friday morning will include Wally Huffman, Sun Valley Company; Gary Norton, Silverwood Theme Park; Carl Wilgus, administrator, Idaho Tourism Development Division and other leading figures from the tourism industry in Idaho.

The conference wraps on Friday afternoon following presentation of the Take Pride in Idaho Awards and a Nez Perce Tribal presentation.

Please plan to join us for this important conference and encourage others in tourism related businesses to attend.

Take Pride in Idaho Award nominations
It’s that time of the new year when I ask you to please start thinking about those individuals and organizations worthy of a Take Pride In Idaho Award. Awards will be presented at the Governor’s Conference on Recreation and Tourism in Lewiston, on Friday, May 19.

Descriptions of the categories and a nomination form may be downloaded from www.visitidaho.org.

Click on the Governor’s Conference logo on the lower right and then click on Take Pride In Idaho Award Nomination Form. If you need a form e-mailed or faxed to you, contact Ron Gardner at (208) 334-2470 or via e-mail: ron.gardner@tourism.idaho.gov .

Last year, we added a visual element to the presentations which was well received and we would like to do that again this year. If you have, or can obtain a digital photograph to accompany the nomination, or tell me who to contact for such a photograph, that would be greatly appreciated.

The deadline for nominations this year is Tuesday, April 25. This allows time for the judge’s panel to review all the nominations and order plaques for the winners.

Please - in your nominations, be specific about why this person or organization’s efforts are deserving of special attention. What sets them apart?