The Visitor Beat

Welcome to The Visitor Beat, the monthly newsletter of Experience Sioux Falls. Stay up-to-date on what's going on locally in the travel industry, as well as what's trending nationally.

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Save the Date

Experience Sioux Falls will be holding its annual Visitor Industry Luncheon at 11:30am on Monday, May 6, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Head coach of the back-to-back WNBA Champions Las Vegas Aces and South Dakota native, Becky Hammon, will be the featured speaker at this year’s event.

More event details and ticket purchasing will be available soon.

Thank you to our co-sponsor, First PREMIER Bank & PREMIER Bankcard!

More about Becky Hammon

After an outstanding college and professional basketball career, including two Olympic appearances, Becky made history in 2014 when she became the first woman to coach full-time in the NBA when the San Antonio Spurs brought her into a leadership role as an assistant coach. In December of 2020, Becky once again made NBA history when Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in the second quarter of a game. Upon the ejection, he turned to Becky and said, "You got 'em."

As she describes her fascinating journey as an NBA trailblazer, Becky reveals vital leadership lessons for building credibility and respect. Considered an underdog for most of her career, Becky's enthralling tale features her rise from undrafted rookie in the WNBA to being named one of the league's Top 15 Players of All-Time. The WNBA legend returned to the league to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces in 2022, and in 2023 she made history yet again by becoming just the third NBA or WNBA Head Coach to win back-to-back titles in their first two seasons as coach.

2024 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic Breaks Attendance Record in Sioux Falls

National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic saw a record 35,415 attendees over the course of the three-day event that filled the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, Sioux Falls Convention Center, and Sioux Falls Arena. National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic is an annual event for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever which celebrates habitat, access, advocacy, and education initiatives fueling North America’s leading upland habitat conservation group. The event combines a national consumer show, wildlife habitat seminar series, and a family event with activities for kids.

This was just the second time National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic has been held in Sioux Falls, with the first time being in 2018, which saw over 28,000 attendees.

Read the full press release from Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.

Recent Bookings From the Experience Sioux Falls Sales Team

The Experience Sioux Falls sales team has been busy prospecting and finalizing details for future events in the city. A few of the recent bookings for Sioux Falls include:

  • North American Gamebird Association is holding its 2024 Hunting Club Conference in July. The event is expected to draw 150 people for three days.
  • South Dakota Job’s Daughters is holding its 2024 Annual State Conference in June in Sioux Falls. This event is expected to bring 350 people to Sioux Falls for three days.
  • Tri-State Bookstore Association is holding its 2024 Annual Conference in June. Like the North American Gamebird Association, this event is also expected to draw 150 people for three days.

Falls Park Visitor Information Center Brochure Space

Have your brochures displayed at the Falls Park Visitor Information Center! There were just under 185,000 people that visited the Falls Park Visitor Information Center last year, so this is a great opportunity to get eyes on your business.

There are two options available:

4” x 9” brochure space - $50/year
8.5” x 11” magazine space - $50/year

*contract dates run until April 30, 2025

If you would like to claim one of these spaces, please contact Experience Sioux Falls’ Host City Manager, Zane Lodmell, at Zane@ExperienceSiouxFalls.com or (605) 373-2026.

Meet the Team Series

In this monthly series you’ll get to know a little about everyone that makes up the Experience Sioux Falls (ESF) team. This month, meet Josh (JT) Thompson!

Josh (JT) Thompson
Title:
Creative Marketing Manager
Has worked for ESF for: 3 months
Hometown: Seabeck, WA

  1. What have been some of your favorite projects you have worked on thus far in your role with Experience Sioux Falls?
    I’ve worked on a lot of projects during my short time thus far with ESF, but a few of my favorites have been our Visitor Industry Luncheon invites (stay tuned for those!), billboard creative for Pheasant Fest, and a car wrap design that we will run in some of our target markets in a few months.
  2. What do you enjoy doing during your free time?
    Haha, free time?! With three little kids I don’t get much of that these days, but when I do I enjoy working out, playing games (video or board), driving, and cooking.
  3. What's your favorite meal in Sioux Falls?
    I love the Steak Burrito Ruleta from Plaza Azteca along with a Mexican Mule to sip on.
  4. Describe your ideal weekend in Sioux Falls.
    I think a night out on the town with my wife for some drinks and a nice meal to start the weekend sounds wonderful. But I can’t be away from the kiddos for too long, so I would say the rest of the weekend would be spent outside enjoying some fresh air, a long walk or two, and maybe a trip to the Washington Pavilion.

The Summit League Bracket Challenge

Have you entered The Summit League Bracket Challenge giveaway? Fill out your choice of a men’s or women’s bracket for The Summit League Basketball Championships and submit it to be entered to win one of two weekend getaway packages, each valued at $1,000!

The first games of The Summit League Basketball Championships begin tomorrow (March 8), so be sure to get your bracket submitted before the sweepstakes period closes at 3:30pm tomorrow.

Build Your Bracket

South Dakota Interstate Welcome Centers Publication Program

As you plan out your brochures for this year, you will also want to consider displaying them at any of the five Interstate Welcome Centers this year. To do so, you must first review the policies and requirements set forth by Travel South Dakota, and then submit the online registration form.

Learn more and register for the Publication Program.

Great Plains Zoo on The Drew Barrymore Show

In case you missed it, the Great Plains Zoo appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show a couple of weeks ago! Great Plains Zoo Conservation Director, Stephanie Arne, traveled to New York City to be on-set to talk about pigs with Drew Barrymore and Maisie Williams.

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