Convention & Visitors Bureau’s promotion highlighted area’s arts offerings

For the City-Times

The Stevens Point Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (SPACVB) has announced the winner of its recent Celebrate the Arts Spring Sweepstakes, which wraps up the bureau’s spring promotion focusing on the abundant arts options in Portage County.

Michele DeFever of Madison will receive an arts getaway to the Stevens Point area that includes lodging at Country Inn & Suites, tickets to a 2014-15 UW-Stevens Point Performing Arts Series performance, gift certificate for The Market on Strongs and items made by local artists from Q Gallery Artists Cooperative.

“We saw a lot of success from the Celebrate the Arts Spring Sweepstakes and our arts promotion in general for the second year in a row,” SPACVB Executive Director Sara Brish said. “We feel like we’ve successfully introduced people to our great arts scene, and we want to make sure they know it’s something they can enjoy year-round.”

The Celebrate the Arts Spring Sweepstakes was part of the second year of the SPACVB’s Celebrate the Arts promotional campaign, which highlighted the area’s arts offerings in four different categories: visual arts, performing arts, culinary arts and the art of brewing.

The promotional campaign was funded in each of the last two years by a Joint Effort Marketing grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. In addition to the sweepstakes, the SPACVB also offered special lodging and ticket packages, expanded its social media presence, and worked with groups like the Arts Alliance of Portage County to help promote arts events.

“We’re very pleased that we were able to use this grant to show people across the state what we have to offer when it comes to live theater and music, galleries, craft beer, spirits and cuisine,” Brish said. “Our arts scene is one of our best attributes, and it’s something we want people to come here to see.”

To start planning your trip to the Stevens Point area, visit www.stevenspointarea.com. You can also find the Stevens Point Area Convention & Visitors Bureau on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.