VisitDuluth.com :: Membership News Brief

January 22, 2009

MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Gail Walkowiak, Director of Market Services, Visit Duluth

Visit Duluth welcomes the following new member:

Arlene Coco Buscombe
Prairie Kitchen Food Tours
23 West Central Entrance #172
Duluth, MN 55811
(218) 269-7979
arlene@prairiekitchen.biz
www.prairiekitchen.biz
Canal Park Food and Cultural Walking Tours...discover tastes from unique merchants. 2 hour tour for groups of 10-16 people. Explore local treasures, hidden culinary gems and learn more about the food culture of the area. Tour serves as a light meal.

2009 DULUTH VISITOR GUIDE
The 2009 Duluth Visitor Guide has arrived! This edition reflects several trends that both our research and our partners in the industry indicate will be very important to travelers this year.

The most striking theme in the 2009 Guide highlights Duluth as a “green” destination. Visitors increasingly seek places that support their interests in sustainability and the environment. Lake Superior and Duluth’s countless outdoor opportunities have long been at the heart of visitors’ experience here, so this connection is very natural. Duluth embraces sustainable development more and more every year.

Quantities of the 2009 Visitor Guide are available to all Visit Duluth members. Guides may be reserved for pick up by calling (218) 722-4011 or (800) 438-5884. Your supply will be available between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at Visit Duluth offices, 21 West Superior Street, Suite 100.

BROCHURES
Lori Steinbach, Travel Information Manager, Visit Duluth

If you have brochures, we would love to display them. Please bring them by our main office at 21 West Superior Street, Suite 100. We will distribute them to our Waterfront Information Center as well.

SPOTLIGHT ON A MEMBER
Lisa Sundberg, Travel Information Manager, Visit Duluth

Lonnie Noponen, the owner of Paper Hog for the past seven years, is our January Spotlight on a Member.

Paper Hog has been in business for over twenty years. When Lonnie took over the business he moved to a newly renovated location on First Street. The space had previously been the “Shiskabar.” The landscape of First Street businesses has significantly changed over the past decade. Lonnie is pleased with the new additions of the Bridgeman Russell Building, the Duluth Chamber of Commerce, and the Soft Center.

Paper Hog has seven years of growth, and attributes it to keeping the customer as first priority. “The main question to ask yourself each time a customer walks in the door is “how would I like to be treated?”, then treat your customers with the same kindness, respect, and professionalism. Our staff of five is able to give personal attention to our customers,” states Lonnie.

A memorable and touching experience Lonnie remembers when starting his business was having a young customer who lost his dog, came in to have a poster made. Sometimes creating the appropriate announcement on a flyer is extremely important. The flyers only took about 15 minutes to put together, but the reward was great! A few weeks later, we saw the young man with his “found” dog on his leash, wearing a big smile.

Paper Hog has been a member of Visit Duluth since it moved to its new location. “Our local economy evolves around people being attracted to Duluth. Duluth has such variety with so many fun events! I enjoy all the information and promotion Visit Duluth provides all year. My favorite pastime is using our local nature trails such as Chester Park. Visit Duluth is a great resource for maps and their new “Always Green” 2009” Visitor Guide,” says Noponen.

Thank you, Paper Hog for being our spotlight on a member.

Paper Hog, Inc.
2 West 1st Street, Suite 103
Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 727-1450
(218) 727-3300 Fax
pcart@paperhog.com
www.paperhog.com

CONVENTION SALES NEWS
Julie Johnson, Senior Sales Manager, Visit Duluth

NEW YEAR GROUPS
The New Year in Duluth is off to a strong start for sporting events and convention groups. We started the year with the Icebreakers Invitational Hockey Tournament, featuring 70 regional girl’s hockey teams; followed by the Minnesota State (USBC) United States Bowling Congress. The Lady Bowlers will be in Duluth for 16 consecutive weekends of tournaments.

January convention groups include, the 29th Annual Arrowhead Emergency Medical Services Association, the Juvenile Officers for their 4th consecutive conference in Duluth, followed by the Minnesota Water Wells Association which hasn’t met in Duluth since the 1980s.

These are just a few of the many groups that will be here this year. Please join Visit Duluth in welcoming these groups and thank them for starting the New Year off right!

If you would like additional members of your staff to receive the Membership News Brief, please contact Gail Walkowiak at gailw@visitduluth.com or call
(218) 625-8104.

Visit Duluth, the city's convention and visitor's bureau, is Duluth’s only officially recognized destination marketing organization. Chartered in 1935, as a non-profit corporation, we represent more than 450 businesses that make up Duluth’s tourism industry. We are dedicated to promoting the area as one of America’s great vacation and meeting destinations while providing comprehensive, unbiased information to all travelers.