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QUARTERLY REPORT—JANUARY 2018REPORTING FISCAL YEAR 2018 2ND QUARTER OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2017Knowing Your CustomerTABLE OF CONTENTSCEO Letter. 2Visitor Inquiries. 2As we continue to implement marketing campaigns across multiple channels, tellingour Outside of Ordinary story, it’s critical to understand our audience. As a Universitycommunity, we draw a wide range of demographics with broad interests. To betterunderstand who our messages are reaching, we dove into our Google Analytics,Facebook and Instagram Insights, and data from our reader-response to advertising tocreate some key customer insightsAGE—WEB VS. SOCIALOur top age group is ages 25–34 acrossboth our website and social media.However, looking at web vs. social,ages 18–24 make up our second largestaudience on our website (21%), whilethey are the smallest demographic onFacebook (6%) alongside 64 . Lookingat the average age across both channels,our strongest demos are ages 25–34 and35–44.30.%25.%25%26%Sales & Marketing Efforts. 4–5Hotel/Motel Information. 4Website Statistics. 625%22%21%20%18%20.%16%14%15.%10.%25%Here, There & Everywhere. ITE45-54FACEBOOK55-6464 AVERAGEONLINE BEHAVIORGENDER—WEB VS. SOCIALTop pages visited on our website include: Calendar of Events Restaurant Week Must-stop Food Spots in Champaign County Top Weekends to Plan a Trip to Champaign CountyGEOGRAPHY—WEB, SOCIAL, READER RESPONSETop pages from visitors referred from social media include: Event Detail pages Must-stop Foodie Spots Blog Restaurant Week Riggs Spotlight BlogWomen make up an average of 64% of our users across bothchannels, with the difference being more prevalent on socialmedia.Illinois is the pre-dominant state across all channels, makingup 79% of all online traffic and receiving 18% of leadsfrom reader response withMidwest Living (ML) andAAA Living (AAA). WhileVisitChampaignCounty.orgreceives traffic from nearly all50 states, top states outside ofIllinois include: Indiana (top cities:Indianapolis, Terre Haute,Fort Wayne) Missouri (top cities:St. Louis, Kansas City,Chesterfield) California (top cities: SanFrancisco, Los Angeles, San Jose) Texas (top cities: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio)Readers from ML and AAA requesting information reside inMichigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Minnesota andIowa. Approximately 3% of online traffic is from internationalsources: India, Canada, UK, China, Brazil, Japan and Italy.In order to measure the effectivenessof our various online campaigns, andto determine customer behavior, VisitChampaign County implemented on onlinetracking program with ADARA. Throughthis system, pixels are placed on ourvarious online campaigns and our websitethat follow consumers after they interactwith us. As we collect information from thisprogram, we will be able to see how manypeople searched for hotels, booked a stay,searched for airfare and booked a flightafter engaging with our online content.Additional data will include total number of travelers, nightsstayed, revenue generated, average number of days searchingprior to booking, average length of stay, and average daily rate.Ultimately, this data, alongside our analytics, will help VisitChampaign County build successful sales and marketingcampaigns that will continue to increase economic impact tothe greater Champaign County area.

NOTE FROM OUR CEOThe second quarter of each fiscalyear is my favorite— beautiful fallweather, followed by the holidayseason! While the weather didturn cold, people tend to be moreforgiving and grateful for connectionsall around them.Connections are what make our economicdevelopment efforts a success. We work with the best Boardof Directors, with whom we enjoyed the holiday board meetingcelebration on December 6 at Silvercreek. Next, our partnersare at the top of the list of connections, including our StrategicPartners, Hotel Partners, Regional Marketing Partners (which Ienjoyed speaking with the Arthur Area Economic DevelopmentCouncil on October 30 and attended the Allerton Visitor Entrancegroundbreaking on September 29), plus our VCC Foundationpartners (see separate listing & ad.) And of course, our supportfrom the Illinois Office of Tourism, who included us in the IllinoisBicentennial Celebration kickoff at Navy Pier on December 3.As part of our advocacy efforts, one of my favorite activities isgiving a year-end presentation to our public strategic partners.In addition to sharing the annual report and showing the “Facesof Travel” video, this year was extra special being able todistribute copies of the write up of Champaign-Urbana beingnamed the “Midwest Living Greatest Food Town!” Presentationswere made at Village of Rantoul (November 7), Urbana CityCouncil (November 20), Champaign County Board (November21), Village of Mahomet (November 28), Village of St Joseph(November 28), Village of Savoy (December 6) and ChampaignCity Council (December 12.) For the other strategic partners andFoundation partners, I enjoyed delivering or mailing a personalthank you package to each of them on December 21.A shout out to Cody Dees for his wonderful work with VCC andwe wish him the best as he moves on to another chapter. Anda huge welcome to Shea Brunson, who started with VCC onNovember 27.Thank you to our destination management partners andhospitality industry job force who support VCC efforts andwe look forward to your continued involvement. It takes aunified effort to invest in a destination’s economic growth andcommunity well-being. We are making good progress!Jayne DeLuceWelcome, Shea BrunsonVisit Champaign County would like to welcome Shea Brunson to our team, who joined us just afterThanksgiving as our new Communications Manager. Shea received his Master’s in CommunicationStudies from Eastern Illinois University, and was the National Public Relations Manager for hisfraternity, Phi Rho Eta. Most recently, Shea interacted with many visitors as he drove for CUMTD.At VCC, he will be focusing on growing our social media presence, creating engaging blogs andvideos, as well as servicing our various events that take place in the community. Welcome Shea!Thank You2017 Visit Champaign County Foundation PartnersInvestment from our partners assisted with thefunding of the following initiatives:The Champaign County Film OfficeHot Rod Power TourIHSA Wrestling & FootballAmerican CornholeIllinois Triathlon ChampionshipVCC Welcome CentersUSA Elite SoftballWe look forward to what’is coming in 2018.youtu.be/84haOD4cOSw2 January 2018 visitchampaigncounty.orgVISITOR INQUIRIES1st QTR2nd QTRWeb, Mail, lcome CenterTICs & Local Bus.*Grand TotalWe collect data on how many information requests we receive viaour various methods of communication: web, mail, email, phone andWelcome Center walk-ins.*TICs (Illinois Interstates, Market Place Mall, Willard Airport, IllinoisTerminal) are off-site locations where we distribute Visitors Guides.Additionally, Visit Champaign County weekly supplies local businesseswith guides. This number reflects the combined amount of VisitorsGuides distributed.

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY AREA RESTAURANT WEEKAfter celebrating our title as the Greatest Midwest Food Town by Midwest Living, we’re excitedto bring back the second annual Champaign County Area Restaurant Week. This nine-daycelebration brings together area restaurants and chefs to showcase our Outside of Ordinaryculinary destination. 23 restaurants will offer special menus and discount pricing for the entiretyof the event. Plan now to go out and support our area restaurants! Don’t forget to share yourexperience with us on Instagram with #CCRestaurantWeek!Here, There & EverywhereALLERTON PARK GROUNDBREAKINGThe delegation heard presentationsabout regional collaboration andeconomic development, startup culture entrepreneurialism,community development, downtowndevelopment and talent attraction,retention and preparing the talentpipeline. The delegation returned toChampaign County eager to keepthe momentum from this economicdevelopment educational trip going tohelp grow our community.ICCVB FALL MEETINGCOLLEGE OF MEDICINERECRUITMENTJayne attended Allerton Park & Retreat Center’sgroundbreaking on September 29 for their newentrance drive to the mansion. The David J.and Debra C. Rathje Allerton Mansion GrandEntrance Drive will create a more prominent,accessible vehicular entry to the Mansion,in addition to ADA accessible walkways andimproved lighting. The 22-foot concretedriveway will run along the current GateHouse carriage lane where guests would havehistorically approached the Mansion.Jayne, Terri and Ryan visited Peoria during theICCVB Fall Meeting, October 2–3. In additionto attending the niche meetings (Sports,Marketing, Meet & Tour), the team heard froma variety of speakers discussing economicdevelopment in Peoria, bike-shares, and muchmore. The ICCVB meetings are an ideal time tomeet with our colleagues from around the stateto learn about each other’s various efforts tobring business to Illinois.U OF I ALL EMPLOYEE EXPOOn October 5, Cody and Brooke participatedin the annual University of Illinois All EmployeeResource Expo at the Illini Union. VisitChampaign County was one of 75 resourcebooths present to welcome nearly 700 attendingemployees from academic, civil service, andfaculty positions. Year after year, VCC sharessomething new with attendees, educating eventhe most seasoned residents. Making sureUniversity of Illinois employees aware of whatthis area has to offer is essential in growing ourbrand ambassadors.CC1 VISITS DES MOINESJayne traveled with Champaign County Firstto Des Moines, IA on November 1–3 for aneducational, inter-city visit. The delegationmade up of 20 local leaders included both CUmayors, economic development professionalsfrom local governing bodies, Regional PlanningCommission, and private sector representation.3 January 2018 visitchampaigncounty.orgThe University of Illinois & CarleCollege of Medicine is in activerecruitment for their first classof students, selling them on thenew school concept as well as thecommunity. Terri presented at thefirst two recruiting events, October21 and November 18, giving studentsand their families an understanding ofour Outside of Ordinary community.Positive feedback was receivedafter both events, with additionaldepartments at Carle and the U ofI looking to add similar communitypresentations during recruitment. Terriwill present at the final two recruitingevents in January and February.VCC RIBBON CUTTINGFour months after the move to thenew office space, Visit ChampaignCounty, alongside Woolard Marketingand 40 North, held an official ribboncutting with the Champaign CountyChamber of Commerce on November8. A great turnout of area legislators,local businesses and stakeholdersattended as we celebrated our newWelcome Center in the heart ofdowntown Champaign.