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For Immediate Release Contact: Deborah Hutson, CMP, Executive Director
Kankakee County CVB
815-935-7390

Local Tourism Professionals Represent the Kankakee County CVB at annual
Governor's Conference on Tourism

Kankakee County, IL - Representatives from the Kankakee County CVB
attended the 17th
annual Illinois Governor's Conference on Tourism, the state's premier
educational forum for the travel industry. This year's conference, held
March 29-31, 2004, at the Chicago Hilton, was hosted by Governor Rod
Blagojevich, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity,
Bureau of Tourism, and Visit Illinois.

Deborah Hutson, CMP, Executive Director and Larry Williams, Director of
Sales and Marketing for the KCCVB and Kelly LaMore, KCCVB President, Board
of Directors, were among the hundreds of Illinois professionals from hotels,
convention and visitors bureaus, restaurants and destinations who gathered
at the conference to discuss outlooks for international, national, statewide
and local tourism, learn about new promotional and marketing tools, and
exchange ideas and best practices.

"The Illinois Governor's Conference is the foremost educational forum on
tourism in the state," said Deborah Hutson, Executive Director KCCVB. "This
conference provided industry leaders statewide with the opportunity to share
their views on the latest travel research and trends, consumer behaviors,
the expanding role of the internet - and most importantly, what it all means
to Illinois."

To provide additional insight on key issues facing the tourism industry in
2004 and beyond, the conference featured several nationally recognized
travel industry leaders. This year's speakers included Ed Barlow, President
of Creating the Future, Inc., who explored the trends and influences
affecting the tourism industry and shared effective planning strategies.
Additionally, Peter Yesawich, Managing Partner of Yesawich, Pepperdine,
Brown & Russell, revealed the latest trends in consumer travel habits
attitudes and demands.

The conference also offered individual educational sessions focused on
Internet marketing, ecotourism, packaging, customer service, tourism
research, sports marketing and other timely topics.

"The 2004 Governor's Conference was a valuable opportunity for us to network
with and learn from other tourism professionals across the state," said
Deborah Hutson, Executive Director.

According to the latest industry statistics, Illinois welcomed 83 million
domestic visitors, 27.8 million for business and 55.5 million for leisure
purposes, and more than one million overseas visitors in 2002. During that
year, these travelers spent nearly $22 billion on transportation, lodging,
food, entertainment, recreation and incidentals.

A surprise win for the KCCVB staff on its recent publication of the Official
Kankakee County Visitors Guide was award at the final banquet of the
conference. Antonio Mora from CBS WBBM Channel 2 in Chicago presented the
award to Deborah Hutson and Larry Williams of the Kankakee County CVB for
Best Visitor Guide in the State of Illinois (CVB with Budgets below
350,000.00) at the recent Illinois Governor's Conference on Tourism. The
last time the Kankakee County CVB won an award was in 2000 for Best Black
and White Poster.

The Governor's Award program was established in 1986 as a way to recognize
excellence in marketing local destinations. The tourism projects are voted
on by a panel of judges who are experts in the hospitality industry.
Projects may include websites, publications, marketing strategies, and media
promotions.

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