e-Traveler - Tourism Day at the Iowa State Fair, Arrivalist Data & More
June 5, 2024
Sign Up Now for Tourism Day at the Iowa State Fair
Join us on Thursday, August 15, for the second annual Tourism Day at the Iowa State Fair! Network with tourism partners from across the state, get behind-the-scenes tours of the Fair and enjoy the food, fun and entertainment of the Fair with free admission.
The day will kick off at 9:30 a.m. with an Iowa Tourism Welcome with Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons and State Tourism Manager Amy Zeigler. Attendees will be able to choose from one of four special afternoon tours:
Volunteer at the Travel Iowa Booth at the Iowa State Fair
The Travel Iowa booth will again be present in the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fair. We are looking for destinations and attractions to work shifts at the booth and highlight your destination, hand out your travel materials and chat with Fairgoers about traveling Iowa.
Shifts are 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. each day of the Fair. Volunteers receive free admission and free parking for the whole day. If you are interested in volunteering, complete this form. You will receive a phone call from Ann Vogelbacher with more information and to confirm your volunteer shift time/day.
Remnant Space Available in Co-op Program
Confirmations for successfully secured FY25 co-op placements have been sent to all partners. There are some remnant opportunities still available. Email Jessica O'Riley (jessica.oriley@iowaeda.com) if you are interested in reserving any of the following. These will remain available until sold or the month passes, whichever comes first. There are no restrictions on the number of opportunities you may purchase, even if you’ve already reserved space in one of the options below.
Visitation Data Now Available by Travel Area
Visitation data powered by Arrivalist is now available to all partners at no cost by travel area. Data includes visitation by month/season for the calendar year, percentage of overnight vs day trip travelers and top markets – all by travel area. The state is divided into five travel areas – Lakes & Land, Loess Hills & Beyond, Capital Country, Driftless Area and Storied & Scenic.
These reports are available by request only. Please reach out to Matt Kodis (matthew.kodis@iowaeda.com), Lora Friest (lora.friest@iowaeda.com) or Stephanie Neppl (stephanie.neppl@iowaeda.com) to receive these reports. On-demand city and county data is only available if you have purchased a sub-license to Arrivalist.
Sign Up for the Iowa Arts Summit
Join the Iowa Arts & Culture team at the Iowa Arts Summit on June 18 to experience the state’s leading professional development and networking event for Iowa’s arts and creative community.
Held every two years, the event brings together creatives, nonprofit professionals and community leaders for a day of networking, learning and celebrating the arts in Iowa. In keeping with tradition, the summit will also feature special performances and activities led by Iowa artists throughout the day, in addition to sessions and regional breakouts.
Tickets are currently $60, but will increase to $100 after June 10.
Register Now for the Next Iowa Tourism Office Update Webinar
Sign up now for the next Iowa Tourism Office Update Webinar, held on Thursday, June 20, at 2 p.m. Topics will include Soul of Iowa 2.0 results, available visitation reports, Iowa State Fair information and an IPW update.
Marketing Tools for Iowa’s Wine, Beer and Spirits Industries
Help promote Iowa’s wine, beer and spirits industries! Several marketing tools are available to help inspire more visitation to the state’s wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries, including social media toolkits and flyers promoting the Iowa Wine, Beer and Distillery passports. Please view more information here and contact Stephanie Neppl (stephanie.neppl@iowaeda.com) with any questions.
Agritourism Operations: Share Your Thoughts on the 2024 National Agritourism Survey
The 2024 National Agritourism Survey is now collecting responses. All agricultural operations that welcome visitors—whether for on-farm direct sales, educational programs, entertainment, farm stays, recreation, special events and more—are invited to complete the survey. By participating in this survey, you'll help pinpoint the types of support farmers require. If you have questions about this survey, please contact Claudia Schmidt, Penn State Extension specialist (cschmidt@psu.edu).
Helpful Tools to Organize Grant Opportunities
Have a plan. Many grantors ask you to explain how the project you are proposing aligns with your mission, plan or strategy because it is important for your project to be well thought out and move your organization or destination toward a predetermined goal. A good plan includes input from partners, build support for implementation of strategies and strong partnerships.
Featured Grant: The Iowa Tourism Grant will open in August. The scoring criteria for this grant awards points for how your proposal promotes tourism in Iowa, aligns with the IEDA's marketing plan and how your project supports your own marketing strategies. Before you develop your proposal, read through the summary of our marketing plan. Inform your marketing strategies by reviewing Arrivalist data and Economic Impact Reports for your city or county. Contact Iowa Tourism Liaison Lora Friest (lora.friest@iowaeda.com) for more information.
Here are the most important updates this week:
- Sign up for Tourism Day at the Iowa State Fair and volunteer at the Travel Iowa Booth.
- Arrivalist visitation data is now available by travel area.
- Register for the Iowa Arts Summit.
- Sign up for the next Iowa Tourism Office Update Webinar (June 20, at 2 p.m.)
Sign Up Now for Tourism Day at the Iowa State Fair
Join us on Thursday, August 15, for the second annual Tourism Day at the Iowa State Fair! Network with tourism partners from across the state, get behind-the-scenes tours of the Fair and enjoy the food, fun and entertainment of the Fair with free admission.
The day will kick off at 9:30 a.m. with an Iowa Tourism Welcome with Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons and State Tourism Manager Amy Zeigler. Attendees will be able to choose from one of four special afternoon tours:
- Grandstand Tour: Behind-the-scenes tour and discussion on booking entertainment at the Fair
- Have you “Herd?”: Hands-on animal experience
- History Tour: Tour the Fair’s two historic museums
- Fair Food Fun: Behind-the-scenes tour and discussion about concessions at the Fair
Volunteer at the Travel Iowa Booth at the Iowa State Fair
The Travel Iowa booth will again be present in the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fair. We are looking for destinations and attractions to work shifts at the booth and highlight your destination, hand out your travel materials and chat with Fairgoers about traveling Iowa.
Shifts are 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. each day of the Fair. Volunteers receive free admission and free parking for the whole day. If you are interested in volunteering, complete this form. You will receive a phone call from Ann Vogelbacher with more information and to confirm your volunteer shift time/day.
Remnant Space Available in Co-op Program
Confirmations for successfully secured FY25 co-op placements have been sent to all partners. There are some remnant opportunities still available. Email Jessica O'Riley (jessica.oriley@iowaeda.com) if you are interested in reserving any of the following. These will remain available until sold or the month passes, whichever comes first. There are no restrictions on the number of opportunities you may purchase, even if you’ve already reserved space in one of the options below.
- Leads (1)
- Sponsored Content (July, Aug., Nov. and Dec. 2024)
- Social media: July 2024 (1); Nov. 2024 (1); Dec. 2024 (2); Jan. 2025 (1); Feb. 2025 (1); June 2025 (1)
Visitation Data Now Available by Travel Area
Visitation data powered by Arrivalist is now available to all partners at no cost by travel area. Data includes visitation by month/season for the calendar year, percentage of overnight vs day trip travelers and top markets – all by travel area. The state is divided into five travel areas – Lakes & Land, Loess Hills & Beyond, Capital Country, Driftless Area and Storied & Scenic.
These reports are available by request only. Please reach out to Matt Kodis (matthew.kodis@iowaeda.com), Lora Friest (lora.friest@iowaeda.com) or Stephanie Neppl (stephanie.neppl@iowaeda.com) to receive these reports. On-demand city and county data is only available if you have purchased a sub-license to Arrivalist.
Sign Up for the Iowa Arts Summit
Join the Iowa Arts & Culture team at the Iowa Arts Summit on June 18 to experience the state’s leading professional development and networking event for Iowa’s arts and creative community.
Held every two years, the event brings together creatives, nonprofit professionals and community leaders for a day of networking, learning and celebrating the arts in Iowa. In keeping with tradition, the summit will also feature special performances and activities led by Iowa artists throughout the day, in addition to sessions and regional breakouts.
Tickets are currently $60, but will increase to $100 after June 10.
Register Now for the Next Iowa Tourism Office Update Webinar
Sign up now for the next Iowa Tourism Office Update Webinar, held on Thursday, June 20, at 2 p.m. Topics will include Soul of Iowa 2.0 results, available visitation reports, Iowa State Fair information and an IPW update.
Marketing Tools for Iowa’s Wine, Beer and Spirits Industries
Help promote Iowa’s wine, beer and spirits industries! Several marketing tools are available to help inspire more visitation to the state’s wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries, including social media toolkits and flyers promoting the Iowa Wine, Beer and Distillery passports. Please view more information here and contact Stephanie Neppl (stephanie.neppl@iowaeda.com) with any questions.
Agritourism Operations: Share Your Thoughts on the 2024 National Agritourism Survey
The 2024 National Agritourism Survey is now collecting responses. All agricultural operations that welcome visitors—whether for on-farm direct sales, educational programs, entertainment, farm stays, recreation, special events and more—are invited to complete the survey. By participating in this survey, you'll help pinpoint the types of support farmers require. If you have questions about this survey, please contact Claudia Schmidt, Penn State Extension specialist (cschmidt@psu.edu).
Helpful Tools to Organize Grant Opportunities
Have a plan. Many grantors ask you to explain how the project you are proposing aligns with your mission, plan or strategy because it is important for your project to be well thought out and move your organization or destination toward a predetermined goal. A good plan includes input from partners, build support for implementation of strategies and strong partnerships.
Featured Grant: The Iowa Tourism Grant will open in August. The scoring criteria for this grant awards points for how your proposal promotes tourism in Iowa, aligns with the IEDA's marketing plan and how your project supports your own marketing strategies. Before you develop your proposal, read through the summary of our marketing plan. Inform your marketing strategies by reviewing Arrivalist data and Economic Impact Reports for your city or county. Contact Iowa Tourism Liaison Lora Friest (lora.friest@iowaeda.com) for more information.
- June 20, 2024 – Iowa Tourism Office webinar, virtual
- July 30-31, 2024 – Tourism Insider Meeting, Corning
- August 15, 2024 – Iowa Tourism Day at the Iowa State Fair, Des Moines