Gateway Days June 24, 2014 Ramada Plaza Milwaukee Airport Hotel - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Ramada Plaza Milwaukee Airport Hotel Gateway Days

June 24, 2014

• Today we would like to highlight two transformative

projects taking place in The Gateway to Milwaukee Hospitality Market Analysis

• E. Layton Ave Streetscape Plan

• “Hospitality” represents a primary driver of our

local economy.

• Job creation
• New investment and construction
• Driver of retail and restaurant spending

Tourism is the #2 industry in the State of WI, which is carried by visits to and spending in Milwaukee.

• The Gateway to Milwaukee is home to 26

hotels with over 2,700 rooms. Why are travelers staying here?

• How can we encourage them to stay longer?

• Throughout 2013, The Gateway worked to develop a

Hospitality Committee with representatives from local hotels and –

• General Mitchell International Airport
• Visit Milwaukee
• South Suburban Chamber of Commerce
• City of Oak Creek
• The committee was awarded a Joint Effort Marketing

(JEM) grant from the Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism.

• Working with a research vendor, The Dieringer Research

Group, we sought to identify the niche that defines the airport area hotel cluster. The process included stakeholder interviews, review of existing research, online web surveys, and in-person surveys of travelers. Here are some of our key insights…

• Overall in Milwaukee, leisure travel (86%) is

much more common than business travel (14%). Compared to national trends (80/20) we skew heavily towards leisure travel.

• Travelers surveyed at MKE were more likely to

have traveled to Milwaukee for business (36%) than overall in the region.

• Travelers surveyed at Gateway hotels were more

likely to have traveled to Milwaukee for vacation (66%) than business (34%).

• Travelers whose trips originated from Northern Wisconsin (27.27%), the

rest of Wisconsin (11.36%), and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (7.58%) comprised almost half of surveyed travelers staying in Gateway area hotels (46.21% combined).

• Travelers whose trips originated in Chicago (6.05%) and the rest of Illinois

(3.79%) comprised a relatively small proportion of travelers staying in a Gateway hotel (9.85% combined).

• Respondents whose trips originated from Midwestern States (Illinois,

Michigan, Indiana, and Minnesota) were a significant portion of Gateway area hotel stays (34.86% combined).

• Overall in Milwaukee, leisure travel (86%) is much more common

than business travel (14%). Compared to national trends (80/20) we skew heavily towards leisure travel.

• Travelers surveyed at MKE were more likely to have traveled to

Milwaukee for business (36%) than overall in the region.

• Travelers surveyed at Gateway hotels were more likely to have

traveled to Milwaukee for vacation (66%) than business (34%).

• Milwaukee Visitor Profile
• • The proportion of leisure versus business
• travelers to the Milwaukee area is 86% vs.
• 15% respectively

• Location was the most important factor influencing hotel

choice for travelers surveyed at both MKE (28.3%) and Gateway hotels (34.09%).

• While location was important for travelers surveyed at

Gateway hotels, brand loyalty, price, and promotional deals were equally as important in when viewed in total (34.09% combined).

• Besides competitive rates, visitors are looking for

complimentary hotel perks to enhance their stay, including free parking, Wi-Fi, and breakfast, as well as no cancellation fees.

• Milwaukee Visitor Profile
• • The proportion of leisure versus business
• travelers to the Milwaukee area is 86% vs.
• 15% respectively

• Milwaukee Visitor Profile
• • The proportion of leisure versus business
• travelers to the Milwaukee area is 86% vs.
• 15% respectively

• Milwaukee Visitor Profile
• • The proportion of leisure versus business
• travelers to the Milwaukee area is 86% vs.
• 15% respectively

• Respondents at both the airport and hotels

stated that they were very likely to return to Milwaukee within the next 12 months.

• This segment of potential repeat visitors

already has a strongly positive impression of Milwaukee and could be an easy demographic to target in marketing campaigns.

!

• Visitors’ perceptions of Milwaukee are very positive, often

cited for being a great place to vacation, with relatively few opportunities for improvement.

• When asked the one thing they would change about

Milwaukee to make it more inviting, nearly 4 in 10 visitors say there’s nothing they would change.

• Of those offering suggestions, improvements in the area
• f public transportation are most commonly cited,

followed by aesthetics and safety.

• What does this research mean?

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• How can we build a marketing platform for

the whole airport area built off of this knowledge?

• 2. Enhance ongoing Gateway initiatives

Next Steps

Safety Beautification Marketing Economic Development

• 1. Empower the Hospitality Committee with a joint

marketing platform (Year 2 JEM grant)

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• Improve aesthetics of The Gateway and impressions
• f Milwaukee
• E. Layton Ave is an important connector
• Incorporate opportunities for stormwater filtration/

infiltration

• Provide a safe pedestrian environment
• Utilize a low maintenance approach

• )*''
• Extension of

beautification work

• n S. Howell, W.

Grange, W. Layton Aves

• Working with

McKay Nursery landscape architects

• 3 areas

• *+),
• Height restrictions
• Species restrictions
• Focus on simple massing of

grasses

• Incorporate art & sculpture
• Continue banners
• Rain gardens

• *+),

• ,
• Traffic calming / pedestrian

awareness

• Urban streetscape amenities
• Trees, shrubs, perennials
• Rain gardens

• ,

• ,

• Pedestrian Zone

Pedestrian Zone Pedestrian Zone Pedestrian Zone

• Pedestrian Zone

Pedestrian Zone Pedestrian Zone Pedestrian Zone

• Native & adaptive species
• Salt tolerance
• Object free zone restrictions
• Urban landscape
• Focus on grasses w/ mass of

color in key locations

• Plant Palette

Plant Palette Plant Palette Plant Palette

• !.-/(0

• .''-
• We need your help and want your

involvement

• Join a committee
• Drop by our office
• Call us anytime
• Fill out a comment card

• "+

Stay tuned for updates and give your feedback on our new website - www.GatewaytoMilwaukee.com

• Jim Tarantino

414 455-3323 jim@gatewaytomilwaukee.com www.GatewaytoMilwaukee.com

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