eFYI for October 2008 South Dakota Office of Tourism

eFYI - Featuring Your Industry - October 2008

Pheasantennial Firearm
A limited edition Pheasantennial firearm has been crafted by A&A Engraving. Six guns were produced and are being offered to the tourism industry for use in fundraisers, raffles, auctions, giveaways, and any other use you choose. For more information or to purchase one of these unique shotguns, contact Buddy.Seiner@state.sd.us, Outdoor Media Relations Representative, or call 605-773-3301. More details as well as photos are also available on www.SDVisit.com.

Peak 2009 Giant Step
The deadline for the 2009 Giant Step program is Friday, October 24. Remember, this cooperative marketing program is on a first-come, first-served basis. Receipt of payment at the Office of Tourism is what secures your spot.

New for 2009 is a format change to our ads. The format change was made to improve viewership and ad retention, and is illustrated in the program mailer (pdf). This in turn gives you, our partner, added benefit for being part of the program.

Visitor and Industry Relations
For more information, contact
Natasha Bothun
at
Natasha.Bothun@state.sd.us
or
(605) 773-3301

Million Dollar Challenge
Funds for the Governor's Million Dollar Challenge are still available! If you have a new initiative that could use some help with financing, visit www.SDVisit.com for program guidelines. The application deadline for receiving consideration at the next Tourism Board meeting is November 3.

Visitor and Industry Relations
For more information, contact
Nicole Gall
at
Nicole.Gall@state.sd.us
or
(605) 773-3301

2010 Summit Meetings
Another round of 2010 Summit meetings will be held December 2-4. Plans are still being finalized and more information will be available soon. Currently, the meetings are scheduled to take place in Brookings, Rapid City and Vermillion. Visit www.2010initiative.com for updates and the latest Summit plans.

Primal Quest Volunteer Opportunities
The world’s most challenging human endurance race, Primal Quest, will be in South Dakota in August 2009, and they’re looking for volunteers. If you’re interested in helping out, check www.ecoprimalquest.com for more details. The Primal Quest coordinators are looking for volunteers in a variety of areas, so whether you have a special skill or you just want to offer some general help, they’ll be glad to hear from you!

Media and Public Relations
For more information, contact
Emily Currey
at
Emily.Currey@state.sd.us
or
(605) 773-3301

Job Opening
The Office of Tourism currently has a Marketing Research Analyst position open. To be considered for the position, please email a letter of interest, resume, references and salary history to Kirk.Hulstein@state.sd.us, or mail them to South Dakota Tourism and State Development, 711 E. Wells Ave., Pierre, SD 57501-3369.

Research and E-Commerce
For more information, contact
Kirk Hulstein
at
Kirk.Hulstein@state.sd.us
or
(605) 773-3301

2009 Tourism Conference
The Office of Tourism encourages all tourism-related businesses to attend the 2009 Governor's Conference on Tourism, January 21-22 in Pierre. Registration materials will be mailed in early November, so watch your mailbox. At that time, you can also go to www.SDVisit.com to register and pay online. Until then, it's not too early to make your lodging reservations. See the list of Pierre-area accommodations.

At a Glance...
July 2008 International Arrivals to the United States:

Canadian visitation grew 14 percent over July 2007, driven by land arrivals. At the same time, air arrivals increased 13 percent. Overseas (excludes Canada and Mexico) arrivals increased 10 percent over July 2007. Visitation from overseas markets has grown for 15 consecutive months.

Source : TI News: An information service from Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI)

Marketing Research
For more information contact
Kirk Hulstein
at
Kirk.Hulstein@state.sd.us
or
(605) 773-3301

South Dakota Office of Tourism

Monthly Progress Report

www.TravelSD.com	Consumer Site
www.SDVisit.com	Travel and Tourism Industry Site
www.MediaSD.com	Press and Media Site
www.FilmSD.com	South Dakota Film Office Site
www.TourSDakota.com	Travel Professionals Site