Monday, April 30, 2012

Wibya Tool Bar Can Add More Engagement To Your Site

National Restaurant Association Updates for April 2012

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

A Message from Idaho Governor Otter ~ May National Tourism Month

Friday, April 13, 2012

Idaho Conference on Recreation and Tourism May 8 - 10, 2012 in Coeur d'Alene


All meetings and events are at the host hotel – Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d’Alene
Group Lodging rate:  $109 - $169  
Transportation:  If you are planning on flying into Spokane and need transportation to ICORT, round trip transportation reservations are available through Coeur d'Alene Resort @ 800-688-5253 ask for Transportation Reservsations . Rate is $69.00 per person. Guests can make reservations one of two ways:
  1. Have their flight information: name of airline, flight # and time of arrival; and make their reservation at the same time you make your Hotel reservations
  2. Or, once you have made your airline reservations, call back, reference your Hotel confirmation number and make a transportation reservation.
Attire: Business Casual
Wireless Internet: Access is available at the Conference Center
Conference Registration: 
March 16- April 15: $175.00
April 16 – May 8: $200.00

Online Registration

Exhibitor and Sponsor Information

Agenda 
Tuesday, May 8th ~ U.S. Travel Rally Day

U.S. Travel Rally Day is a concerted effort to demonstrate travel's impact on local workers, businesses and economies. Please wear red!
7:00 – 8:30 am :Upbeat Breakfast at the Coeur d’Alene Resort on U.S. Travel Rally Day.   Jerry Jaeger, Co-Owner of the Coeur d'Alene Resort and Gary Norton, Owner of Silverwood Theme Park will be speaking on Tourism.   $14.00 in advance, $19.00 at the door.   Please RSVP to Brenda Young call 208-415-0110.
9:00 am - 6:00 pm    Coeur d' Alene Resort  CONFERENCE CENTER  ~Casco Bay  
Idaho Travel Council Meeting ~ Public is Welcome
Grant Presentations and a special 12:30 pm presentation by Ruf Strategic Solutions - Terry Berggren, Director of Destination Marketing.  Terry will present research findings from a fresh study done on Idaho Tourism Inquiry records

Noon – 5 pm:   Coeur d' Alene Resort CONFERENCE CENTER Registration Desk at Conference Center Lobby Area.   Registration Desk is open, Exhibitors set-up.
Conference Name Badges Sponsored by: Sunset Magazine
Early arrivals – Pick-up Tubbs Hill 2.2 mile hiking trail map 

4:00- 4:30 pm:  Intro to Twitter with @jamiemorgancda in Whispers Lounge  #ICORT
4:30 – 5:30 pm: TweetUp  with @jamiemorgancda  in Whispers Lounge  #ICORT

5:30 – 8:00 pm:  Coeur d' Alene Resort CONFERENCE CENTER ~ Bays 4 - 6 
Evening Reception with Exhibitors, Idaho Preferred Local Food Showcase, MY ID, Vote Travel,
No host bar  Sponsored by: Trip Advisor
 Idaho Preferred local food showcase
 Idaho PreferredLocal Food Showcase Menu

Idaho’s Ballard Farm Cheese Display
 featuring:
Our local dairy specialty assorted marinated cheese curds, Danish pearl cheese, and Idaho Golden Greek Grillin' cheese prepared by chef attendant With warm lime and honey, assorted crackers and fresh fruit and berries.

Sun Valley Ruby Red Smoked TroutServed on platters with cream cheese, fried capers, minced red onion & chives, grated egg white & yolk, toasted Idaho baguette, sweet brown bread, and our cracker assortment.
 Dilly’s® Mild and Spicy Pickled Assortment 
Asparagus, green beans and spicy baby dill pickles.

Famous Idaho Potato Martini Action Station Served in mini martini glasses with your choice of: Seasoned oven baked Idaho Baby Baked potatoes or Idaho’s mashed Russet potatoes with crispy Idaho Gaufrette Guests are now ready to top their choice of potato with the following toppers: Hot melted butter, crispy Prosciutto, grated Asiago & cheddar cheeses, homemade Pico de Gallo, Bakon® vodka sour cream, chopped fresh chives and Idaho forest chanterelle mushroom ragout.

Idaho Buffalo and Lentil Soup Shots
Served with horseradish cream and homemade crackers.
Idaho Onion Casserole Ringers
Beer battered onion rings stuffed with Idaho onion Casserole topped with melty cheddar cheese 
Snake River Farms Kobe Flat Iron Steak 
Carved table side and served with caramelized Idaho onions, balsamic syrup and Toasted baguette  
Idaho Huckleberry Jubilee
With homemade vanilla ice cream in a Almond Florentine bowl

8:00 pm:  Explore Downtown Coeur d'Alene
 

Wednesday, May 9th

7:00 am  – 10:30 am:   Coeur d' Alene Resort CONFERENCE CENTER Registration Desk at 
Conference Center Lobby Area.    Desk is open

7:30 – 8:20am:   Coeur d' Alene Resort  CONFERENCE CENTER ~ Bays 4 - 6 
Minute Connections with North Idaho Tourism Summit
Have you ever been in a room full of strangers and wondered how to break the ice and let them know about the great business you represent? We have the perfect opportunity for you to put your best foot forward and share who you are and what you have to offer through your business. “Minute Connections” is that opportunity, and we invite you to participate! Come prepared with a box full of your business brochures, cards or special offers to share at a round table one-minute presentation to at least 50 different attendees. It’s fast paced, fun and networking at its best!
Breakfast Sponsored by:   Alaskan Airlines Magazine 

8:30 am   Coeur d' Alene Resort CONFERENCE CENTER ~ Bays 4 - 6 
Welcome by Karen Ballard, Administrator, Idaho Division of Tourism
Jeff Sayer, Director of Idaho Department of Commerce 

8:45 – 10:15 am       Coeur d' Alene Resort  CONFERENCE CENTER ~ Bays 4 - 6 
General Session                                         
Sponsored by: Idaho Bed and Breakfast Association 
“Mastering Online Reviews and Reputation Management” 
Keynote: Jay Karen 
Marketing is no longer just having rack cards and a pretty website.  In the age of Web 2.0, marketing now includes monitoring and influencing your reputation all the various new forms of social media web sites, i.e. Trip Advisor, Yelp, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, BedandBreakfast.com, You Tube and even Google. Learn the do’s and don’t’s, and be a confident player in the new age of marketing. 

10:15 - 10:45 am     Coffee break with Exhibitors
                                     Exhibitor Twitter challenge from @jamiemorgancda  
                                    Sponsored by: Reader's Digest                                                     

11:00 am                    Depart for Silverwood Theme Park
Buses (located at the entrance of Conference Center) will depart for Silverwood  Theme Park- Driving time approximately 30 minutes.        27843 N Hwy 95 Athol, ID 83801

12:15 pm - 1:15 pm Lunch &  General Session at Silverwood Theme Park 
““Expose Yourself - Putting Personality Up Front to Increase Your Business”  
Keynote:  Tim Brady
It’s time to bare it all.  With so many blended options for travelers, showcasing your individuality can help make you a standout.  In this hour session you will see how putting your businesses personality in the spotlight can shift your sales to a new level and separate you from the pack.  Sponsored by: Idaho Bed and Breakfast Association
Lunch Sponsored by: 

1:15 - 2:45 pm    Idaho Lodging and Restaurant Association (ILRA) Board Meeting at Silverwood Theme Park 

1:20 - 2:00 pm     General Session at Silverwood Theme Park 
Keynote: John Jachim, Silverwood’s Human Resources Director 
Silverwood - Northwest’s largest theme park.  Seasonal employees and how to deliver outstanding customer service.
 
2:00 - 3:00 pm:  PLAY IN SILVERWOOD THEME PARK! ~ Rides will be open exclusively for ICORT attendees.  

3:00 – 7:00 pm          Field Trips to regional attractions (Depart from Silverwood Theme Park)

TRIP 1:           Culinary Tour  ( FULL - waiting list at Registration Desk) 
Get on the Fun Bus! This trip will whisk you away to taste and savor the culinary talents of our area! Sample hand-crafted beers at Sandpoint's Mick Duffs and delicious treats from local culinarians. Savor the winemakers offerings at Coeur d'Alene Cellars in Coeur d'Alene, one of our state's most notable wineries!

TRIP 2:           Farragut State Park with Peter Grubb of ROW Adventures
Join ROW Adventures on a three-hour tour to bike through the forests of Farragut State Park (once the largest Naval Training Station in the world) and then paddle on the crystal waters of Lake Pend Oreille. Our friendly guides will get you set up on a front-suspension mountain bike for a fun and easy ride combining roads and trails through pine-scented air. After about a one-hour ride, we arrive at our kayaks and trade pedals for paddles to kayak on the cool, clear water of this spectacular lake. Formed by glaciers during the last ice age, it is the fifth deepest lake in the United States. The dramatic forested mountains and narrow bays create a setting that is not unlike the fjords of Norway or glacial bays of Alaska. 
Minimum group size is six.
Maximum group size is 24. 
The group will be divided into two groups of 12 with 12 biking while 12 others are kayaking and then we switch activities half way through. 
Price $20/person and includes guides, bikes, helmets, kayaks and all required gear.

TRIP 3:           Wallace and Silver Valley             
   Jump on the Silver Valley Magical History Tour with Prime Minister Rick Shaffer at the helm.  Depart modern day Silverwood Theme Park for the thrills of another ilk.  Travel back in time to the days of young Idaho had its origins in the gold and silver mining camps of Murray, Kellogg, Page, Eagle and Wallace.  Walk in the same steps as Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, Big Ed Pulaski and President Teddy Roosevelt as the Coeur d’Alene Mining district affected the going-ons of a new country and growing world.  Coach along the old Mullan Road to the Silver Capital of the World, Historic Wallace where history lives every day.  A fun filled scavenger hunt/poker crawl will ensue with all time travelers hitting the well heeled streets in search of history, mystery, fun and prizes.  Sure to be included is the Oasis Bordello, Wallace District Mining and Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museums as well as the newly reprised Wallace Brewing Company and the North Idaho Mountain Breweries.   Retreating well informed and happy, the troop will stop by the Old Mission State Park for a bit of spiritual engaging at the Oldest Standing Structure in Idaho and perhaps the newest being the Sacred Encounters.  Get educated, get up and moving and come along for some real fun!

6:30 - 7:30 pm           Idaho Lodging and Restaurant Association Reception                                  
Coeur d’Alene Resort CONFERENCE CENTER  - BAYS 4 – 6                                 
Appetizers and no-host bar

7:30 – 8:15 pm          Idaho Lodging and Restaurant Association Award presentations   ~ 
Coeur d’Alene Resort CONFERENCE CENTER - BAYS 4 – 6 AAA Four Diamond Award

7:30 – 10:00 pm       Idaho Bed & Breakfast Association Annual Meeting, Awards & Dessert at theRoosevelet Inn 

7:30 - 10:00 pm        Coeur d’Alene Dine around.  Information and coupons in your registration packet.

Thursday, May 10th  

7:00 am  – Noon:    Coeur d' Alene Resort CONFERENCE CENTER Registration Desk at Conference Center Lobby Area. Registration Desk is open,

7:00– 8:00 am          Breakfast  Coeur d' Alene Resort  CONFERENCE CENTER Bays 4 - 6 
Breakfast Twitter Tables  
Sponsored by:     Meridith Travel Group 
 
8:10 am                    Good Morning Welcome from:  Nancy Merrill, Director, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.      Coeur d' Alene Resort CONFERENCE CENTER Bays 4 - 6                           
8:15  - 9:30 am         General Session   Coeur d' Alene Resort CONFERENCE CENTER Bays 4 - 6    
                                    "Playing to Win in a Changing America"   Keynote:Emilyn Sheffield
Boomers, Millennials, and Latinos are large and important groups to serve.  These groups aren’t uniform but they are huge…each 50 – 80 million strong. Who are they? Where are they? How do you capture the power of their hopes and dreams to improve your bottom line and advance your mission?
Sponsored by: Bureau of Land Management
           
9:30 – 10:00 am         CDA CONFERENCE CENTER  Coffee break with Exhibitors 
Sponsored by: Golf Digest  

10:00 - 10:45 am   Breakout Sessions I (rooms listed next to each session – some repeat the tracks)

Partnerships and Friendly Rivalries.  BAY 1A
SPEAKER: Kim Birrell, Rocky Mountain International  
How this four state partnership works and how it benefits our region, why working with rivals can benefit Idaho greatly, how partnering with others in your region (suppliers who are rivals) can help your local area.   . 

What the new market of guests want from you and what you can to do to deliver.   BAY 1B (REPEAT TRACK- Session II )
SPEAKER: Jay Karen  
The lodging industry has done a phenomenal job taking care of the Silver Generation and the Baby Boomers – but what about Gen X & Y?  There is a whole new generation of travelers out there with more choices in front of them than ever – and if you’re not in the game, they might completely bypass you.  We’ll discuss everything from décor to databases and food to the “f” word.

Getting the BIG Tourism Picture . BEAUTY BAY  ( REPEAT TRACK-Session II )
SPEAKER: Panel discussion with the North Idaho Tourism Summit
In our competitive tourism marketplaces, all stakeholders in a region must come together to create a more visitor-centric travel experience. Hear from the all-volunteer planning team of the North Idaho Tourism Summit on the origin of the Summit, the vision for an all-inclusive tourism discussion and how to engage businesses and organizations across an entire region to promote the tourism industry.

 Millennial Familiarization Tours: Learn from Tomorrow’s Visitors Today .
 
Boardroom 5A on the 7th Floor  (REPEAT TRACK-Session II)
 SPEAKER: Emilyn  Sheffield In the follow-up session that tiers off her keynote, Emilyn will explore ways to engage Millennials and their perspectives in planning and marketing your business and in managing public lands.  She'll share wry, funny, and instructive findings from seversl recent Millennial consultants and FAM's.  You'll also get tips on how to host your own Millennial FAM's.

Ruf Strategic Solutions  Boardroom 5B on the 7th Floor  (REPEAT TRACK - Session II)
SPEAKER:  Terry Berggren, Director of Destination Marketing
Terry will present research findings from a fresh study done on Idaho Tourism Inquiry records.  Learn what segments performed well for Idaho and what RUF identified as travel targets for prospective travelers. 

11:00 - 11:45 am   Breakout Sessions II

 Extending Stays- - Stretching Strategies.  BAY 1A  
SPEAKER: Tim Brady
Did you know the overnight guest is the easiest guest to build on extending their stay?  Learn how to successfully shift your average stay from 1.3 nights to 2.1 nights over the course of one year by using “stretching strategies”.

Getting the BIG Tourism Picture .  BEAUTY BAY  ( REPEAT TRACK from Session I)
SPEAKER: Panel discussion with the North Idaho Tourism Summit


What the new market of guests want from you and what you can to do to deliver.
BAY 1 B 
 (REPEAT TRACK from Session I)
SPEAKER: Jay Karen 

Millennial Familiarization Tours: Learn from Tomorrow’s Visitors Today Boardroom 5A on the 7th Floor  (REPEAT TRACK from Session I)
SPEAKER: Emilyn Sheffield 
Ruf Strategic Solutions
Boardroom 5B on the 7th Floor  (REPEAT TRACK from  Session I )
SPEAKER: Terry Berggren, Director of Destination Marketing

12:00 - 1:30 pm    Coeur d'Alene CONFERENCE CENTER ~ Bay 4 - 6 
 Awards Luncheon

Idaho Travel Council Choice Awards
Kyle Walker Award Winners
The Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award 
2013 ~ Year of Idaho Scenic Byways
2013   ~ICORT location announcement
National Travel and Tourism message from Governor Otter
Sponsored by:             
        
2:30 pm: Idaho Lodging and Restaurant Association Golf Tournament Fund Raiser benefitting the Larry J. May Hospitality Scholarship Fund.     

For more information contact:
Pam EatonExecutive Director Idaho Lodging & Restaurant Association
PO Box 1822 Boise, ID  83701-1822
208-342-0010 - office
208-870-8312 - cell
208-342-0060 - fax
pameaton@idahoretailers.org    ilra@idahohospitality.net

About the Larry J. May Hospitality Management Scholarship Fund: Created by family and friends to memorialize this long time hotel entrepreneur to provide scholarships for Idaho students pursuing a degree in a hospitality related program at their choice of an accredited public or private college or university. Hospitality related programs include (but are not limited to) hotel/lodging, culinary, restaurants, entertainment/golf club, resort, business, and the travel and tourism industries. Scholarships from the fund are awarded to a student graduating from an Idaho high school or to a student that has been employed in the hospitality industry in Idaho for a minimum of two years. Scholarships from the fund are awarded primarily on the basis of a student’s sincere desire for further education, and individual achievement as evidenced through participation in outside interests and activities, leadership roles and/or work experience. Grade point average or academic standing shall not be the primary determinant.