CCVB Director Sally Nankivell
The Cook County Visitors Bureau (CCVB) is working hard on its mission to fill beds in Cook County. At a September 28, 2011 Business Networking Luncheon sponsored by Cook County Higher Education, Director Sally Nankivell gave an update on the conglomerate of tourist entities working to increase Cook County’s profile as “the” place to be.
Nankivell had an opportunity to do some damage control when the Pagami Creek fire was at its height and would-be visitors were wondering if they would get smoked out if they followed through with plans to come up the North Shore. She was interviewed by TV news stations in Duluth and the Twin Cities, reporting that the skies were clear. The reporter from Duluth had never been to Cook County and fell in love with it, telling Nankivell, “Please call if you ever have anything you want us to cover!”
CCVB is trying to find visitor gaps on the calendar. This year, WTIP’s Radio Waves music festival and North House Folk School’s Unplugged concert and fundraising weekend were moved to fill a gap between summer visitors and fall leaf watchers. Nankivell said she hoped people could see how many people they brought to town. The national radio program Mountain Stage that recorded live during Unplugged brought national publicity, and it was free.
CCVB is working on “branding” the whole county, Nankivell said, calling it “way north of ordinary” in advertisements. Before the Gunflint Trail Tourism Association, the Grand Marais Area Tourism Association, and the Lutsen- Tofte Tourism Association went under one umbrella with Grand Portage and Lutsen Mountains as the Cook County Events and Visitors Bureau and then the CCVB, each of the entities was buying smaller ads. Now that they are pooling their funds, they can buy bigger ads that catch people’s attention better.
The five groups continue to retain separate identities, which according to Nankivell allows individual communities and businesses to have autonomy and have a say in setting direction for the CCVB. The groups are “cross-marketing” each other, Nankivell said, by encouraging people to take in activities in other parts of the county while they are staying here.
One ad going into a winter edition of Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine states, “The best winter getaway in the Midwest. And we have the ‘ests’ to prove it. Cook County is winter at its best. The longest downhill ski runs. The greatest freshwater lake. The largest groomed cross-country network in North America, and more. Whether you want to rekindle a romance or ignite an adventure, book your getaway at VisitCookCounty.com.” At the bottom of the page it lists four areas: Lutsen/ Tofte, Grand Portage, Grand Marais, and the Gunflint Trail. Where are Schroeder and Hovland? Nankivell said those communities chose to do their own marketing. The Lutsen- Tofte Tourism Association decided that to include “Schroeder” in its name “was too much verbiage,” she said. These communities are represented on maps of the area, however, she said.
This year’s budget is $1.7 million garnered from Gunflint Trail, Grand Marais, and West End lodging taxes, business contributions, and carryover funds. CCVB’s mailing list includes about 3,000 voluntarily submitted names.
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