Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Unveils Signage and Wayfinding Plan
Sign designs and Capital Development Signage Grant program introduced
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
December 12, 2006
Fox Cities, WI – The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau introduced its proposed signage and wayfinding plan for the area this morning at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton.
The Bureau's 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 would include the Towns of Grand Chute and Greenville.
Corbin Design, a wayfinding consultancy from Traverse City, Michigan, developed the plan and symbols.
"We're extremely happy with the results of this first phase," said Terry Bergman, chair of the president of the Bureau's Signage Task Force. "Corbin was able to translate the complexities of our 18-community, 3-county area a way that will be easy for visitors and locals to understand. The visuals really speak to the uniqueness of the areas."
The Bureau also announced a new grant program through its Capital Development Fund to support installation of the signs. Communities will have the opportunity to apply for grants to offset the costs on initial printing and installation of the signs.
"The Bureau's Board of Directors is committed to the success of this project," commented Mike VanAsten, president of the Bureau's Board of Directors. "The Bureau invested significant monies in the assessment phase, and we will be instituting a Capital Development Grant program to help communities implement the program."
Next steps in the program include a study phase where a plan for where each sign should be located and what is should say, and then the actual installation of the signs.
"Our Tourism Assessment strongly recommended improved wayfinding signage for the Fox Cities," commented Bergman. "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 will now begin working with local municipalities interested in instituting the signage program.
Tourism meant 6,046 jobs and $102.01 million in income to residents of the Fox Cities in 2005. Total tourism expenditures in 2005 were $355.35 million.
Reprinted from the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau – December 12, 2006