For immediate release
January 11, 2008

Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Announces Grant Program to Fund Wayfinding Signage

[Fox Cities] – The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced a Capital Development Grant program to fund wayfinding signage in the Fox Cities. The Bureau will fund 50% of the production and installation costs for each community that adopts the Bureau’s recommended signage plan. The signs are part of a regional wayfinding initiative aimed at helping visitors navigate the area better.

“The Bureau’s 2004 Tourism Assessment strongly recommended improved wayfinding signage for the Fox Cities,” commented John Burgland, chair of the Bureau’s Board of Directors. “Better signage will improve the visitor experience, make the area more attractive to job recruits, and contribute to overall safety on our roads.”

The Bureau’s Regional Signage and Wayfinding plan calls for the area to be divided into four areas, each with its own symbol and color-coding: a pink heart for the Heart of the Valley, a green apple for Appleton, a yellow sailboat for the Waterfront communities of Neenah, Menasha, Sherwood, and Towns of Menasha, Neenah and Clayton and a brown fox for the Fox West area which includes the Towns of Grand Chute and Greenville.

Corbin Design, a wayfinding consultancy from Traverse City, Michigan, developed the initial plan and wayfinding symbols. Appleton-based Omnni Associates recently completed Phase II of the program which includes identifying exact sign locations and content.

The Town of Greenville was the first local community to receive a signage grant. It installed signs in the summer of 2007.

Total tourism expenditures in the Fox Cities were more than $383 million, and tourism created 6,467 jobs and $110.65 million of resident income in 2006.

The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private, not-for-profit corporation working to strengthen local economy through tourism. This is accomplished by attracting meetings, conventions and tournaments to the community and promoting area attractions and special events to tourists and other visitors.

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For More Information Contact:
Pam Seidl, Director of Marketing Communications
(920) 734-3358
pseidl@foxcities.org