Stephanie Klett
Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett will be the keynote speaker at the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce fall luncheon Nov. 6.
The lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. at Menominee Casino Resort Conference Center in Keshena.
Appointed by Gov. Scott Walker in January 2011, Klett spearheads promotion of the state’s $17.5 billion tourism industry, which employs more than 185,000 people.
Under Klett’s leadership, the tourism department has stepped away from traditional slogan-based advertising and focused on what she said is the number one travel motivator in the United States: fun.
Klett’s marketing efforts, including the recruitment of Hollywood directors and celebrities with Wisconsin ties for advertising campaigns, have helped produce a 6-1 return for Wisconsin taxpayers, according to a Department of Tourism press release.
From 2011-2013, the department earned 47 national and international marketing and public relations awards. Also, eight Travel Wisconsin Welcome Centers are open for business, and new industry customer service and development programs are helping communities grow their local economies.
Klett has been promoting Wisconsin for over two decades, logging more than 1 million miles crisscrossing the state during her 20-year career hosting the award-winning Discover Wisconsin television and radio series.
Klett has received eight Emmy nominations from the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She brought home the golden statue in the category of Individual Excellence for On-Camera Hosting in 2010.
The cost is $20 per person for chamber members and $30 for others. The deadline for reservations is Oct. 24. To RSVP, call 715-524-2139 or e-mail chamber@shawano.com.