February 2022 CVB Report

January has been a busy month for the CVB! At the beginning of the month, I traveled to Grapevine, TX to attend the American Bus Association (ABA) Marketplace. The ABA Marketplace is considered to be the hub for the group travel industry. I had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with tour operators to tell them everything Pierre has to offer their customers. The appointments are the main focus of the event; however, I also attended numerous networking opportunities and educational seminars.
 
The South Dakota Tourism Conference was held last week and was a great success. The conference offered keynote speakers and several breakout sessions. The attendees walked away with solid steps we can all use to improve tourism in our communities. Pierre is very fortunate to have this conference. The economic impact is evident with money being spent for lodging, food, gas, and shopping.
A special congratulations to Karen Kern, former Executive Director of Missouri River Tourism, for being awarded the Ben Black Elk award. This award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to South Dakota’s tourism industry. Karen recently retired and devoted her career to promoting Pierre and the state of South Dakota. She couldn’t be more deserving of this award. Congrats, Karen!!!
 
In the next coming months, the CVB will be working to get the 2022 peak season marketing campaign ready to go and distributing the 2022 Pierre Visitor Guide. We are also planning and preparing for upcoming sport shows in St. Cloud, MN; Omaha, NE; Eau Claire, WI; and Denver, CO.