Fall Colors Online Auction

August 2, 2017 in Uncategorized | No comments

Donating a lodging package to aWH&LA Bidding for Good Online Auction is a great way to reach new guests and support the WH&LA! Instead of a holiday auction, the Board of Directors decided to host a Fall Colors auction, so travelers can use their prizes to see our great state in the fall.

We hope that you will consider a donation of a lodging package! There is no cost to donate and your property will receive added exposure including:

  • Visibility to the Bidding for Good community on the “Enjoy Wisconsin” Auction page September 13-19, 2017.
  • A link to your website on the listings page.
  • Multiple photos on the details page.
  • Over 8,500 WisconsInn Getaways subscribers and all WH&LA members will be notified of the online auction and asked to share the link with family and friends.
  • Promotion of the auction and your property via Facebook & Twitter.
Click here to fill out the online donation form. Auction donations can be mailed to WH&LA at 1025 S. Moorland Rd. Ste. 200, Brookfield, WI 53005. If you have questions please call Monica at 262/782-2851 or email service@wisconsinlodging.org
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2017 Wisconsin Lodging Conference & Trade Show

July 31, 2017 in Uncategorized | No comments

Join the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association at the annual Wisconsin Lodging Conference & Trade Show, November 5-7, 2017 at the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee. Early bird registration opens on August 7th! Below are highlights of the programming -

Straight Talk on the Industry - Experienced industry leaders discuss timely issues impacting the lodging industry in Wisconsin. 

Safety and Security 2.0 - Back by popular demand, this safety and security session discusses challenges and prevention tactics to protect properties and guests. 

Lifelines for Addressing Worker Shortages - Our expert panel will discuss the variety of tools available to find new employees, train and retain existing employees and enhance your hiring efforts.  

Making the Most of Online Marketing - Our panel of experts will discuss how to leverage your online presence to power your identity and attract travelers.

Employment and Labor Law Update – an Insider’s Guide for Wisconsin Hospitality Employers - Gain information on current labor law developments, including the latest on overtime regulations, and how to protect your property from costly mistakes.  

Tools for Promoting Your Job Openings - Learn how to effectively advertising job openings to make the most of your time, effort and money.

Managing Your Online Reputation: The Role of Social Media - As lodging properties are dependent upon a quality reputation in order to attract and retain guests, learn how you can best customize your social media approach for your property. 

Why Will Your Company Culture Help You to Win the Talent War? Learn how to identify and cultivate a positive company culture to recruit and retain top talent and increase success. 

Keep an eye on the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association Facebook page for more information on the sessions!

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Welcome This Week’s New Members!

July 28, 2017 in WH&LA New Members | No comments

Please join us in welcoming one new Lodging Member, one new University Member and three new Associate Members to the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association!

Econo Lodge, La Crosse

1906 Rose Street, La Crosse, WI, 54603

Conveniently located minutes from the historic downtown area, this La Crosse discount hotel gives you easy access to Dahl Auto Museum and such nearby attractions as the Children’s Museum of La Crosse, Pump HOuse Regional Arts Center, Hixon House and more. Students and their families can visit Viterbo University and the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse; golfers can play a round at Forest Hills Golf Course; skiers can schuss down Mount La Crosse; and the whole family can catch some thrills at Riverside Amusement Park! Travelers are invited to experience the combination of friendly service, cozy accommodations and affordable rates at the Econo Lodge hotel in La Crosse, WI.

 

Northcentral Technical College

1000 W. Campus Drive, Wausau, WI 54401

Northcentral Technical College(NTC) has over 170 program offerings including two-year associate degrees that combine technical skills with general education, one and two-year technical diplomas that provide concentrated hands-on-learning and short-term certificates to improve job skills. Additionally, NTC offers flexible learning opportunities including online, Virtual College, full-time, part-time, day and evening classes to meet your lifestyle. NTC offers a number of associates degrees and certificates in the Hospitality and Tourism field.

 

SP+

Visit website for location information

SP+ is the leading provider of professional parking management services throughout North America.  They specialize in maximizing parking profitability for our clients while at the same time making the parking experience a first-class, enjoyable one for parking consumers.

Through the SP+ Parking, Standard Parking and Central Parking brands, they currently operate thousands of parking facilities containing over two million parking spaces in hundreds of cities across the United States and Canada. Their USA Parking valet experts manage more Four- and Five-Diamond parking operations for the hospitality industry than any other parking company in the world.

 

Signalfire

1711 Woolsey Street, Suite D, Delavan, WI 53115

Signalfire is a full-service branding and digital agency specializing in developing cohesive strategies between traditional and online marketing. Specialties include website design enhanced with email marketing, social media management, and an effective content strategy that delivers results for your business or organization.

 

 

Leavitt Recreation & Hospitality Industries

942 14th Street Strugis, SD 57785

Leavitt Recreation & Hospitality specializes in insurance protection for campgrounds, resorts, hotels and motels, bed and breakfasts, bars, restaurants, and many other recreation and hospitality businesses. They insure over 2,500 campgrounds and resorts nationally.

Their years of service-oriented expertise and our ability to help properties succeed in your industry make Leavitt Recreation & Hospitality Insurance the natural choice. They are backed by “A” rated insurance companies; the strong reputation of co-owners, the Leavitt Group; and members of numerous regional and national campground associations.

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Welcome New Members

July 21, 2017 in WH&LA New Members | No comments

We are excited to welcome two new lodging members and one new associate member to the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association!

Settle Inn, La Crosse 

2110 Rose Street, La Crosse, WI 54603

Just 3 miles away from University of Wisconsin La Crosse, this hotel is located off of Highway 53 in La Crosse and offers an indoor pool, complimentary continental breakfast and free WiFi. All of the 96 rooms at Settle Inn & Suites La Crosse provide a cable TV with premium movie channels, along with a desk and chair. A coffee maker is also included. La Crosse Family Restaurant is adjacent to the hotel and offers all day breakfast, along with traditional American classics for lunch and dinner. There are also vending machines on-site.

 

Rodeway Inn(Previously Road Star Inn), Madison

6900 Seybold Road, Madison, WI 53719

Road Star Inn is a budget hotel serving the lodging needs of Madison, Wisconsin. Located only a few blocks from the West Towne Mall and Woodman’s Grocery, guests won’t have to look far to find what they need during their stay here in Madison.  This hotel is just 7 miles from the University of Wisconsin and downtown State Street. The Olbrich Botanical Gardens and Wisconsin Historical Museum are within a 20-minute drive of the hotel. The hotel features free Wi-Fi, a continental breakfast and guest rooms with microwaves and refrigerators. This 92 room hotel is located directly off the Beltline off of the Gammon Road exit.

 

Employ Milwaukee 

Employ Milwaukee works with companies across southeastern Wisconsin through an integrated, sector-based workforce strategy. Employ Milwaukee’s Business Solutions team assists companies with worker recruitment and screening. They provide soft skills training and job readiness for potential employees. Additionally, they offer On-The-Job Training and Specialized Training. The support doesn’t end there, they continue to provide retention and supportive services.

The goal is to ensure that qualified candidates are available so employers can save valuable time and resources. They do this through pre-screening and pre-employment testing. Additionally, they provide soft skills training and job readiness to give potential employees skills that will help them to be successful in the workplace.

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WH&LA is on Social Media

July 6, 2017 in Marketing & Social Media, WH&LA Membership Features | No comments

Have you visited the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association Facebook page? Are you following us on Twitter? Our WH&LA membership page brings you news, event information, issue updates and more! @WisLodging on Facebook and Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/WisLodging/

https://twitter.com/WisLodging

Did you know that WH&LA will post on behalf of your property on the Traveling in Wisconsin social media pages? Let us share information on your property and upcoming events with over 2,880 + Facebook followers and 1,700+ followers on Twitter.  Just fill out this form and we will do the rest https://www.tfaforms.com/4599982.

https://www.facebook.com/TravelingInWisconsin/

https://twitter.com/TravelingInWI

 

 

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WH&LA Targeted Marketing Opportunities

July 3, 2017 in Marketing & Social Media, WH&LA Membership Features | No comments

WH&LA offers over 60 cost-effective targeted advertising opportunities that won’t break your budget.  See all of the 60+ opportunities available here -> Targeted Marketing 2017. Checkout this month’s featured opportunity!

  

NEWSPAPER FUN GUIDES |Waukesha County

Seasonal Fun Guides are inserts in Oconomowoc Enterprise, Waukesha Freeman, Lake Country This Month and Brookfield & Elm Grove This Month. The easy-to-read guides contain information on celebrations! The Fall Issue in early to mid-September; circulation of 53,000+

New order deadline – July 27

Click here to learn more

 

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Renew Your WH&LA Now!

June 29, 2017 in WH&LA Membership Features | No comments

In mid-May renewal letters for our upcoming 2017/18 Membership Year were sent. While the deadline is not yet here, we’d like to remind you that the optimal time to renew is NOW!    If you have recently sent in your renewal, likely on the way to us in the mail, please accept our appreciation.

We’d also like to take this chance to remind you that  your WH&LA  membership comes with great benefits!

Publications
Through both print and electronic communications, members are kept informed of the latest industry news. The quarterly Inn Touch magazine, weekly Wisconsin Lodging Insider e-newsletter, frequent Industry Blog posts and timely e-alerts and legislative briefs put the most current and relevant lodging industry updates and information at your fingertips.

From the latest on revenue management to marketing tips, energy cost-saving strategies to comparative wage data, WH&LA publications keep members “in the know.”

Information & Resources
Whether you’re looking for money-saving ideas, industry benchmarking data or have regulatory or room tax questions, WH&LA will provide the answers. As soon as it becomes available, the WH&LA Industry Blog features the most recent regional occupancy and ADR data available from Smith Travel Research. Members receive a weekly email roundup, the Wisconsin Lodging Insider, full of important articles in state and local, national, industry and WH&LA news.

The Lodging Industry Resource Guide provides answers to members’ most commonly asked questions and can be found online 24/7 at the WH&LA members website. Room tax resource pieces are also available to members online. The Lending Library also contains a wide selection of training materials available for complementary member use.

Marketing
Through both print and electronic media, WH&LA members receive year-round exposure.

With 175,000 copies of the Wisconsin Lodging Directory currently in circulation, travelers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois find WH&LA member properties in this popular, easy-to-use guide.

Also, the mobile-friendly, searchable WisconsinLodging.org Web site draws more than 22,000 users monthly with the ability to book overnight stays directly through the site.

For properties interested in affordable options to stretch marketing dollars, WH&LA offers electronic venues like the Featured Properties section and the WisconsINN Getaways email program, as well as an array of niche marketing opportunities (electronic and print) in the popular Targeted Marketing program. Opportunities also exist to add value to advertising selections with WH&LA’s social media programs on Facebook, Twitter and the Stay in Wisconsin blog.

Federal Representation
As a partner state of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), WH&LA participates in national issues affecting Wisconsin’s lodging industry. Each spring, WH&LA representatives meet with Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. to address issues of concern face-to-face, ensuring your voice is heard.

State Representation
Through both a contract lobbyist and WH&LA President/CEO, WH&LA ensures the interests of the lodging industry are represented in Madison, providing you a voice in the legislative process so your issues are clearly heard. In 2008, the association’s efforts resulted in an increase in the state lodging per diem rates as well as defending room tax expenditures for marketing and tourism purposes.

Members are kept abreast of relevant legislative issues with timely Legislative Briefs and through the online Legislative Center, located on the members Web site.

Legal Information
WH&LA members have access to free preliminary legal advice from our noted hospitality legal counsel. Members also receive a complementary electronic employment compliance manual, helping to avoid potentially costly employment mistakes.

For your convenience, you may renew your membership online with a credit card payment:

Lodging Membership Renewal

Chamber/CVB Membership Renewal

Associate Membership Renewal

Thank-you for your past support of Wisconsin’s Lodging Industry, and we very much look forward to continuing to work with you.

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May STR Data Now Available

June 29, 2017 in Smith Travel Data | No comments

Occupancy was up 1.2 percent in Wisconsin for May 2017. Most market areas saw an increase in occupancy for the month, with the largest increase in Eau Claire/Menomonie. ADR was up 2.2 percent statewide for the month, with the largest increase in Madison.

 

View Smith Travel Data for your region for May 2017

This link is password protected for WH&LA Lodging Members only.

SOURCE: STR, INC. REPUBLICATION OR OTHER RE-USE OF THIS DATA WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF STR IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Provided by STR. For detailed lodging performance data for your area, contact STR at 615-824-8664 ext. 3504, or info@str.com.

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WH&LA Marketing Concierge Program

June 28, 2017 in Marketing & Social Media, WH&LA Membership Features | No comments

What is it? Created as a service for smaller and independent properties with limited marketing budgets, but also of value to larger properties, our lodging members can now access complementary professional marketing advice that will be targeted to meet your unique needs in increasing your bottom line!

Who can participate? Only current WH&LA lodging member properties are eligible, as a free membership service.

How does it work? 

  • Three marketing service companies have committed to provide complementary marketing consulting services exclusively for WH&LA lodging members within certain guidelines. You get to choose which company you wish to work with.
  • You will provide some requested background information about your property and current marketing choices (confidential of course!), so that the vendor can spend some analysis time up front. You can also specify what type of marketing assistance you are looking for, so it is even more customized.
  • The vendor will contact you within two weeks of receiving your information, and will spend at least 15 minutes on the phone with you asking any further questions and giving you specific suggestions to help you to more successfully market your property.

What does it cost? This service, as outlined, is complementary to our lodging member properties. Should you wish to seek enhanced or ongoing services beyond this complementary package, you would need to discuss this directly with the vendor for their pricing.

How do I sign up? 

  1. Complete the WH&LA Marketing Concierge Registration Form.
  2. Think about what type of marketing consulting that you need the most, and note it on the form, so that you get what you are looking for.  Some examples could be: a new marketing message for your property, suggestions on your website, help with identifying your target markets and how to reach them, help with a basic Marketing Plan to start with, etc.  If you are unsure, just say so, and the consultant will determine the expertise most needed.
  3. Be prepared for the consultant’s call within the next two weeks, so that you can take full advantage of their expertise in the time you have with them. Learn what you can implement to improve your bottom line… and then you can take it from there!
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Call for nominations: WH&LA’s Stars of the Industry awards

June 22, 2017 in WH&LA Membership Updates | No comments

Who do you think are the best in Wisconsin’s lodging industry? Visit http://www.tfaforms.com/249235 to submit your nominations! Deadline for nominations is August 11, 2017. Questions? Contact Monica in the WH&LA office by email at  monica@wisconsinlodging.org or call 262/782-2851.  

Innkeeper of the Year
WH&LA recognizes the complete commitment to lodging excellence with this award, open to all WH&LA member property general managers or owner/operators, regardless of property size. One individual, one couple or one set of family members from the same property will be selected from all completed entries to receive WH&LA’s highest honor. Judging criteria include ongoing involvement in WH&LA and the lodging industry, commitment to both the profession & the community, personal and/or property achievements, general leadership abilities, and human resource skills.

Corporate Champion of the Year
This award is for key management of companies owning/operating multiple lodging properties in Wisconsin, with all of their Wisconsin properties in WH&LA membership. One individual will be selected from all completed entries by the Awards Committee to receive this prestigious honor. Judging criteria includes contributions to the company’s success in the lodging industry, personal or company recognition received, ongoing WH&LA involvement, and other industry or community involvement.

Associate of the Year
WH&LA honors a high degree of industry dedication & knowledge with this award, open to all current WH&LA associate members. One individual will be selected from all completed entries to receive WH&LA’s highest associate member honor. Judging criteria include a proven track record of exceptional commitment & service to the industry, ongoing participation in WH&LA, personal and/or company achievements and general leadership abilities.

Spirit of Hospitality Award
Is there someone very special working at your property who demonstrates the spirit of hospitality to your guests and to your staff? Only 12 WH&LA “Spirit of Hospitality” Awards will be given in 2017, making this achievement and recognition even more special to our winners! WH&LA’s Awards Committee will review all nominations remitted as required, review the description submitted on the Nomination Form on why they deserve this award, and will then  select the most deserving nominees to receive this year’s Award. WH&LA will then contact the person making the nomination to let them know if their nominee won, so that they may plan accordingly. Winners are not announced publicly until the Recognition Luncheon on November 6 at the Wisconsin Lodging Conference. Limit one entry per property.

Hero of Hospitality Award
The NEW hero of hospitality award was introduced to recognize employees who save a life or prevent serious injuries. The nominations committee established this award in 2017 to commend heroic acts performed by hospitality employees at Wisconsin Lodging properties. Any employee from a WH&LA property can submit a nomination on behalf of a colleague who performs a life-saving act, whether it’s clearing the airway of a choking victim or reporting a life-threatening security issue to authorities. Limit one entry per property.

NOMINATION RULES: All nominees must be employed by a current WH&LA member property. An official nomination form must be submitted for each nominee. All submitted materials become the property of WH&LA and will not be returned. In fairness to all candidates, no deadline extensions will be permitted.

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