May 15, 2015 at 4:44 p.m.
Rhinelander chamber receives $20,000 JEM grant for Boom Lake Log Jam
Rhinelander chamber receives $20,000 JEM grant for Boom Lake Log Jam
By Kayla Thomason-
"This grant is going to be used to market the event because at the Department of Tourism we exist to market Wisconsin," said Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett. "We don't get to own buildings or just hand over money to people for doing a good event but we can partner with them to market."
Klett said she was pleased to award the grant to the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce.
"Oneida County had another fantastic year, so travel expenditures were up 5.5 percent - which is huge - so it was about $274 million of total travel expenditures in Oneida County," she said. "So you're doing fantastic, you're offering that true Northwoods experience, everything from great golf to beautiful lakes to fun festivals and events. You've really become a four-season vacation destination so there's not a whole lot that we'd ask you to do better because you're already doing it."
This is the second year in a row the chamber has received the grant, which is a feat.
"(The JEM grant is) not an easy thing to get because it's judged by a group of five tourism leaders that hail from across the state and this is our taxpayer dollars," Klett said.
The tourism leaders have strict criteria that must be met in order to receive a JEM grant. They look at the quality of the event and expected return on investment, which is about $250,000 this year, among other criteria, according to Klett.
"(The tourism leaders) are highly competitive so the fact that you received two grants two years in a row is a very big deal and again showing that Rhinelander really knows what it's doing," Klett said.
She praised the chamber for working with the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, getting on the Internet, extranet and promoting the events.
There are five categories for JEM grants. Approximately 60 events statewide receive a grant each year and in fiscal year 2014 the Department of Tourism awarded more than $1.1 million.
The chamber's grant falls under the festival and destination category, which is the most competitive because people want to get the word out about their events and area via newspapers, radios, television and social media across the state.
Chamber officials were ecstatic to receive the money.
"We're very greatful for the Department of Tourism for helping support these types of events, I think it's a really nice program honestly because it opens up a lot of avenues for marketing these types of events and to new audiences that you wouldn't be able to reach otherwise," said Dana DeMet, executive director of the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce. "Our grant award was actually double of what we were awarded last year so it just shows that the selection committee saw a positive outcome of the event in it's first year and they see big things for it in the second year - which we would agree with."
The Boom Lake Logjam is a lumberjack-themed festival featuring activities like log-rolling, a lumberjack show and pancake breakfast.
There will be three new elements to the Boom Lake Log Jam this year, including a Bloody Mary competition and a canoe and kayak race on Sunday.
"We're working to make it a sustainable event, which I'm confident we should be able to do over the next year or so," DeMet said.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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