January Newsletter
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Welcome to the new year! It’s a time for new beginnings, fresh starts, and for me, time to choose a new Word of the Year. Last month, I shared in this column about how I had miserably failed at my 2023 Word of the Year…. Simplify. I actually considered making it my word again for 2024 just to see if I could do any better the second time around. But I did ultimately decide to move on, promising myself to still work on the ideal of not making things harder than they need to be and eliminating unnecessary clutter.
Throughout the year, I keep a list of words that stand out to me for some reason or another. These words might surface in conversations, on a TV show, or in something I am reading. While they are usually not unfamiliar words, they somehow do resonate with me in a new or different way in either my personal or work life.
So, after careful reflection, I am excited to reveal my Word of the Year for 2024. Expansion. And yes, I am fully aware of the irony in choosing “Expansion” following last years word of “Simplify,”, but let me explain my reasoning.
In 2024, Expansion is taking on a purposeful meaning in my life. It means growth, maturity, extension, and development. It’s about me stretching and evolving, not for the sake of growth but for the sake of improvement. I want my Expansion to be deliberate. It is my commitment to being better not just bigger.
This concept of Expansion is very meaningful to the work that Kansas Tourism is doing in 2024. We are experiencing unprecedented growth – expanding our budget, increasing our staff, and introducing many new projects, like the Sunflower Summer Program. We are extending our marketing initiatives both in and out-of-state, increasing our staff to help handle the larger workload, and continually growing our connections with stakeholders. We are stretching and we are evolving the Kansas Tourism impact.
But it is not just about being bigger; it’s about being better. Better at everything we do because we know it matters. It matters to you as members of the tourism industry, it matters to the health and prosperity of your community, and it matters to the growth and economy of Kansas.
So, here’s to a year of purposeful Expansion.
I can’t wait to see what we as a tourism industry are going to achieve in 2024.
To The Stars,
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Travel Guide & Website Updates
The 2025 Kansas Travel Guide listings will soon be open! This is a good time to add/update/delete tourism businesses for TravelKS.com so your listings are current. Contact Kelli if you need help or would like for her to come to your office for further training on the Extranet.
We need you to add upcoming Events thru the Extranet. Now's a good time to also add any Martin Luther King, Kansas Day, or Valentine's Day events. If you need assistance please contact Hunter.
Also don't forget to load your coupons and deals on TravelKS.com. We will be doing some promotions that you won't want to miss out on! Add your coupons thru the Extranet now.
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PR Updates
Click below to check out Colby's first "To The Stars....And On the Road" segment on WIBW. A new segment will appear each week on Thursdays in 2024.
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Tourism Industry Huddle
Join us for the next tourism industry huddle on Wednesday, January 10 at 1:00 PM. Topics covered will include information from Kansas Tourism on our 2024 Media Plans, 2024 Kansas Day plans and how you can participate, 2025 Kansas Travel Guide listing instructions, and an update on Destination Statehouse by TIAK.
Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88663149856?pwd=MXo2TzdSWmt4eVphNjZSNWtwSmkwQT09
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Grant Opportunities
Start your new year by applying for grant opportunities available in 2024. Here are a few resources from Kansas Tourism and from some of our partners to get you started!
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Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission - Register for an upcoming grant webinar:
- Walmart
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We're Hiring
We have a new position for a Marketing Assistant, who will assist with various marketing initiatives including the Sunflower Summer Program, social media, content creation, and e-newsletter marketing. If you know of someone who would be perfect for this job please have them click here to apply.
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Kansas Tourism Regions
Have you connected with your local tourism marketing region yet?
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To find out when the next meeting is in your region click here.
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Webinars
- January 9 - Kansas Trail Talk - What Will This Cost - 12pm
- January 24 - Unveiling the New Rural Economic Development Toolkit - 1pm
- January 30 - ChatGPT: How It's Changing in 2024 - 12pm
Articles & Research
- 2024 Content Calendar Template
- 2024 Travel Trade Shows Unleashed
- Advertising in a Cookieless World
- Esports Tourism: Essential to any Destination's Future
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Here’s How to Reach Different Generations on Social Media
- Make Your Parades More Accessible with a "Sensory Block"
- Sports Tourism as an Anchor for Development
- Top Reasons to Invest in a Website
- Top Sports Tourism Trends for 2024
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January
- Mon, Jan 1 - State Offices Closed
- Wed, Jan 10 - Virtual Huddle
- Mon, Jan 15 - State Offices Closed
- Mon, Jan 29 - Kansas Day
February
- Thurs, Feb 1 - Attraction Dev Grants Open
- Wed, Feb 7 - Destination Statehouse
- Wed, Feb 14 - Virtual Huddle
March
- Wed, Mar 13 - Virtual Huddle
For a full list of industry events click here.
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We are continuously getting new and renewing Kansas Agritourism businesses that we'd love for you to explore and highlight in your own communities! For more information on the Kansas Agritourism Program, please contact Kelsey Wendling.
New & Renewing in December 2023
| Crooked Post Winery | Ozawkie |
| Pulliam Cattle Co & Treehouse Retreat | Mulvane |
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