Lakefront Brewery believes people want to go on brewery tours for three main reasons: drink beer, be entertained and see the place. You’ll enjoy a cold brew upon arrival and quirky guides who serve up belly-busting laughs on what TripAdvisor.com ranks as the fourth best brewery tour in the nation. This progressive, award-winning brewer is the first beer company to bottle fruit beer since prohibition and the first beer to be certified gluten-free in the U.S.
Tour departs from the Hilton City Center.
Sign up here.
Celebrate Milwaukee’s Latino culture with Milwaukee’s all new bus-driven Tacos & Tequila Tour! You may already know the restaurants of Milwaukee’s Latin Quarter, but allow us to showcase the hidden gems of the community!
We’ll visit 3 restaurants for tacos, sope and fajitas. Each location will be paired with a half-sized margarita or tequila-infused drink. As with all of our tours, we’ll find our way through this historic neighborhood and point out interesting city factoids and landmarks along the way. And, be sure to save room for dessert – churros from a woman owned, local Hispanic bakery!
Tour departs from the Hilton City Center.
At the Milwaukee Art Museum, you will experience over 30,000 works of art in the world’s only moving art museum, located along the shores of Lake Michigan. Next door, you will find 120,000-square foot facility includes interactive exhibits, the Reiman Aquarium, learning labs, and more! You’ll find fun and educational experiences for all ages during your visit to Discovery World.
Pick up at 8:30AM at Hilton, drop at Colectivo until 9:40AM, drop at MAM at 9:55AM, drop off at hotel at noon.
Sign up here.
This tour is focused on discovering new craft breweries and distilleries in Milwaukee – before they become famous! This isn’t a brewery tour where you learn about the brewing process – we will be meeting with the masterminds behind these locations and learn more about their craft philosophies while sampling their products.
Most of the locations we visit do not distribute their beer or spirits, but you will have the opportunity to buy directly from them if you would like to take home a souvenir or two.
Tour departs from the Hilton City Center.
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Catch a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game at Miller Park, named after the Miller Brewing Company. The stadium even has a retractable roof for those cold or stormy nights. Brats and brews await for a night at the ballgame!
For questions on the Brewers or Miller Park, or to share any content published about the game or stadium, please contact Zak.Thomas@brewers.com.
Transportation is not provided to the stadium.
NOTE: Click here to sign up. You must receive a physical or digital ticket from marissa@sheswanderful.com in order to get into the game. Your Eventbrite ticket will not give you access.
The Kenosha Area is located in the most southeastern corner of Wisconsin on the Lake Michigan shore. We invite you to come and experience your own #KenoshaFun! The Kenosha Area Convention & Visitors Bureau will provide transportation and a step-on guide as you travel from Milwaukee to Kenosha. We’ll depart Milwaukee at 10 a.m. and return at 4 p.m. on April 21.
Our first stop will be Jelly Belly Visitor Center: We’ll learn candymaking secrets aboard the Jelly Belly Express, a free train tour that travels through the distribution center. We’ll stop in the store afterwards, for free tasty candy samples and shopping. The next stop is the Civil War Museum (includes catered lunch): We’ll “see the elephant” at this lakefront museum. CWM is one of three Kenosha museums that is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate. It’s also one of only three venues in the country that features a 360-degree film experience. We’ll watch the film “Seeing the Elephant” and have a guided tour.
We’ll close the visit with a unique view of the Lake Michigan shore and Downtown Kenosha by riding an Electric Streetcar. Kenosha has a fleet of seven authentic and colorful Electric Streetcars. Learn more about the Kenosha Area at VisitKenosha.com.
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Celebrate PIZZA with Milwaukee’s bus-driven Pizza Tour! Join us as we sample the quintessential thin crust pizza, grab gourmet slices of tomato goodness, and search for the most historic pies in town.
We’ll go from old school, 5-star pizzerias to newer, upscale establishments and enjoy a variety of unique tastes that they each offer. As with all of our tours, we’ll find our way through historic neighborhoods and point out interesting city factoids and landmarks along the way. And, save room for dessert – our excursion concludes with a divine scoop of gelato!
The 3-hour bus tour will depart from the Hilton City Center and feature substantial portions. Pizza slices, dessert and round-trip transportation are included.
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Have you ever sat in front of your computer, agonizing over what to post on your social media accounts or blog that day? Learn about the role of the editorial calendar in a successful digital marketing program, and then dive into the best tips and tools — including helpful apps and software — for calendar creation. You’ll learn the nitty-gritty of how to build a calendar that’s specific to your blog or business, plus professional editors’ tricks for when and how to repurpose content.
What You Will Learn:
The tour begins in Milwaukee’s historic downtown and ends at the ultra-modern Milwaukee Art Museum at the lakefront. Tour guide will help guests explore the architecture and streetscape to gain insight into how the commercial use of the rivers, lake and harbor helped create the Milwaukee we know today.
Highlights of the tour include: City Hall, Milwaukee Riverwalk, Iron Block, Chase Bank, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Building, Wells Building, Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee Club, Federal Building, Gas Light Building (designed by Eschweiler and Eschweiler), US Bank Building, Northwestern Mutual Life Data Center, War Memorial Center (designed by Eero Saarinen) and the Milwaukee Art Museum (designed by Santiago Calatrava).
Meet at the Hilton City Center.
Sign up now.
NOTE: You must purchase a Blogger 101 Day ticket in order to participate in Blogger 101 Day. This is separate from a regular WITS ticket. You can purchase a Blogger 101 Day ticket at witsummit.com!
Make yourself heard on social media! Learn from a panel of experts about key social media platforms and how to build your social presence, amplify your voice, and connect with your audience beyond your blog.
NOTE: You must purchase a Blogger 101 Day ticket in order to participate in Blogger 101 Day. This is separate from a regular WITS ticket. You can purchase a Blogger 101 Day ticket at witsummit.com!
Rev up your engines at our Friday night reception at the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum!
Party along with VISIT Milwaukee and take time to explore a museum that’s become an international destination with attractions for both riders and non-riders alike.
With Gallery Talks occurring throughout the evening, you’ll have a chance to hear the story of 20-year-old Vivian Bales who rode her Harley motorcycle 5,000 miles from Georgia to Milwaukee in 1929, and learn how the women’s dispatch motorcycle brigades helped win WWII. View customized bikes like the “Rhinestone Harley” and experience Harley’s influence on Hollywood and pop culture. You know you’ll want to hop on bikes for great photo ops before you leave!
Bikes, brews, and music by popular cover band Random Maxx will make for one rockin’ event – genuine Milwaukee at its best!
Shuttle buses from the hotel will be available for all attendees.
The Milwaukee Art Museum and VISIT Milwaukee present Yoga @ the Museum. Join us for a special opportunity to practice yoga in Windhover Hall, beneath the wings, of the Milwaukee Art Museum.
While this opportunity is generally provided once a month, VISIT Milwaukee has arranged for a special class just for WITS! The class is open to all levels and is a great opportunity to get some exercise before a day in conference chairs. Yoga mats will be provided.
Pick up from Hilton City Center at 6 am and return by 8 am.
Sign up now.
Epic branding is your golden ticket to freedom, fulfillment, and an increase in your finances. During this fun and interactive session, you will learn how to innovate and leverage your brand in a way that amplifies your authenticity, fuels your freedom, and turns “surviving” business into a thriving empire that allows you to live the life you crave, build your community, and increase your profits.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Content may be king but it’s easy to fall into the trap of neglecting the other aspects of your blog that need attention. Don’t let this happen to you! This practical workshop will provide tips for beginning and intermediate bloggers looking to take their blogs to the next level. Participants will pair up to audit a partner’s blog to provide helpful feedback on the appearance, content, and way content is being shared across channels. We’ll also talk about your blog’s back-end, the huge importance of media kits, favorite tech tools to streamline your work to maximize efficiency, and at what point it’s worth considering outsourcing tasks.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
How and why has culinary tourism grown in recent years? What role do we each play in making food the attraction? Join Theresa Nemetz in looking at culinary tourism trends that have destinations rethinking their offerings. Explore the business model behind food tours, and the role of food tours in driving revenue and repeat fans to locally owned businesses from both locals and travelers alike.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
How do you become (and remain!) a successful location-independent entrepreneur? By tuning into the three things you need most: Making (creating and innovating), Managing (joyful discipline and structure), and Magic (inspiration and self-reverence). In this workshop, you’ll discover the beat of your own entrepreneurial rhythm without forgetting your bliss.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Whether you’re a new blogger or a seasoned veteran, there’s one thing that will give you a significant edge over your competition: having a rock-solid, professional media kit. In this session, you’ll learn what is essential to include in your media kit and how to make your media kit work for you so brands are banging at your door.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
From building homes to volunteering at animal sanctuaries to staying in eco-friendly lodging, more and more travelers are looking to give back while on the road. Some are even dedicating their whole trip to social impact. But when is impact travel helpful to a local community — and when does it hurt it? Join a panel of impact travel experts to talk about this booming industry, — how it’s driving purchasing decisions, the ethical issues that may arise as a result, and what bloggers, entrepreneurs, and travelers can do to make responsible and ethical travel the norm.
What You Will Learn:
We all have fond memories of the first travel trips that got us addicted to the adventure, wonder, and joy of travel. For some it was through study abroad or exchange programs and for others, it was when we finally had enough money (and courage) to get that first passport stamp. For girls, especially those with limited means, travel seems like an out-of-reach goal, but as we have experienced, travel is a gateway to empowerment, independence and opportunity. Teen girls need those more than ever. We’ll discuss why and how to pass on your love of travel to young girls. This includes teaching them about careers in travel, travel blogging and more to expose them to the endless possibilities that can change their life.
In this session, participants will learn:
New to pitching destinations or moving from press trips into paid campaigns? Hear from destinations about the information they need, the media kits they’re looking for, and how they prefer to be pitched. Also, ask questions of successful bloggers who have made it work for them. This panel of experts will help you get a better feel for how to craft your pitch to a destination and what is reasonable to expect back in return. You’ll hear about classic mistakes, the ins and outs of press trips, industry secrets, and — most importantly — how to avoid getting yourself on an ill-fated blacklist.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Traveling has a large carbon footprint and contributes heavily to global warming. Air travel alone has been estimated to contribute to 3.5% of climate change and miles of coral reef are destroyed every year by tourists and oblivious ocean-goers. Discover more about how environmental changes and travel impact each other, and what these trends will mean for bloggers, entrepreneurs, and change-makers. Learn the importance of eco-tourism and sustainable, ethical travel habits. Through habits such as choosing cleaner transportation options, buying local, and participating in ethical wildlife encounter tours, learn how you can see the world while saving it at the same time.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
From USA Today, to Black Enterprise Magazine, Houston Chronicle, a handful of television appearances, and a successful Indiegogo campaign, Deidre Mathis has had the opportunity to be featured in some of the most well known news media outlets — all without a publicist’s help. In this workshop, you will gain hands on experience that will teach and show you how to successfully brand yourself and gain exposure for your travel brand.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Today, marketing professionals are getting savvier about what’s most important in working with influencers. The results are in, and it’s not necessarily about how many followers you have. In this talk, you’ll hear two perspectives on why growing your audience and community matter, but not at the expense of engagement. We’ll discuss strategies for authentically increasing engagement, how to present and emphasize engagement rates when building partnerships, and some stats on what “good” engagement rates are on key platforms. If you’re looking to leverage your travel experiences and blog to professional opportunities, this talk will give you insight from the marketing people on “the other side,” as well as actionable tips on successfully building long-term partnerships.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Join leading women from the craft brewing industry to learn about tastings, travel, and tourism connections and entrepreneurship in this booming beverage category. Learn how to connect with authentic beer culture in every city you visit, work with breweries, and engage in behind-the-scenes beer experiences.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Entrepreneurs, unite! Whether you are an established business owner or are chewing on a brilliant idea, this panel is all about taking your growth plans to the next level. Our show-stopping panel of women founders gather to give us an intimate look into their lives as innovators, executers, and leaders — how they built their businesses from idea to reality, the hurdles they jumped to make success happen, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way that entrepreneurs of all experience levels can use as we propel our own businesses forward. A must for startup enthusiasts, solopreneurs, lifestyle business owners and more, you won’t help but leave this session with excitement, enthusiasm, and readiness to hit the ground running.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Photographs and video are one of the most important aspects in today’s media world. Good photographs and video TELL a story.
With over 3 billion views of video on YouTube every day and its growing integration into online search, bloggers, entrepreneurs, and startups must use video as part of their marketing strategy. It connects them with their viewers and engages the reader. In this session you will learn how to create compelling and technically-sound videos, no matter what kind of camera you are using. An Emmy award-winning producer, Lisa will give attendees real, straightforward knowledge, tips, tricks, and info on video broken down into the following categories:
The Story
The Shoot
The Writing
The Edit
The Gear
Without being getting too technical or overwhelming, you’ll will leave with practical advice you can put into action immediately in your photography and video endeavors.
What You’ll Learn:
Photo:
Video:
The future of travel media is becoming mobile-first, serving up real time destination content to 100M global millennials who travel. Brands and CVBs are now looking for measurable engagement and ROI on high-quality content in a mobile format. How does a blogger prepare for and succeed in this new world?
Learn how to create effective mobile-first content, increase your revenue from blogging, and establish more successful relationships with brands in an exciting new premium part of the influencer/brand/CVB partnership.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Learn irresistible negotiation tactics from lawyer Jamie Lieberman and hear real world experiences where they have worked. Kiss the intimidation of negotiation goodbye! You’ll learn the most common contract terms that can be negotiated and how to maximize your income by negotiating these terms and showing what you’re worth.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Whether you have a travel blog you’d like to get more cred for or a travel writing career that you’re waiting to embark upon, writing for print travel magazines is the best way to cache and cash as a travel writer. Magazines still pay significantly higher than writing for the web, and there are more opportunities with editors now that many people simply take their writing online. We’ll explore exactly what you need to break into print, where to do it, and how to turn it into an ongoing part of your income stream.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Women in Travel and Tourism International hosts a provocative panel discussion on women’s leadership in the travel industry. The panel of industry leaders will discuss their perspectives on the underrepresentation of women in the most senior roles in our industry and how we can bring more women into travel. The discussion will then be opened to the audience for their experiences as women bloggers and influencers in the industry, culminating in a frank conversation on how together, media professionals and women who work in the industry can begin to work together towards meaningful change.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
What is it about us crazy world travelers, who dare jump off to explore the world? Why do we take on so much risk, when others would never? The same could be asked to entrepreneurs – why risk failure, bankruptcy, total isolation, and immense stress, all to chase a crazy business idea? And what about that subset of nomads/expats who also become entrepreneurs. Are we just built differently? Do we see risk in a different way? This session shares the stories of 50 world-traveling entrepreneurs who have taken leap of faith after leap of faith to thrive in high-risk situations, elevating themselves and their business to leave a lasting impact.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Women in midlife may experience different types of challenges than those from another generation, from building an audience to expanding our social media knowledge. Whether you’re 18 or 78, join us for a dynamic, engaging cross-generational discussion, hosted by a panel of expert midlife travel bloggers. We’ll discuss issues midlifers deal with on a daily basis and get answers to questions and issues they find challenging in the blogging world, all while empowering each other with a new understanding of blogging as a woman in midlife.
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Generation Z — the generation after the Millennials, consisting roughly of individuals under the age of 20 — grew up in a world of rapidly changing technology. Where Millennials are leading current travel trends, Gen Z will ultimately transform them. Yet where Gen Z expects information to be readily available and easily accessible, this brings a number of questions about how the travel industry will evolve to suit their needs: Will social media continue to gain importance? In what way will companies refocus their marketing efforts? How will Gen Z change the way we travel — and will it be for the better or for the worse?
What You Can Expect to Learn:
Join Women in Travel and Tourism International for a reception featuring a truly Milwaukee experience!
Get a taste and feel of Wisconsin at Anodyne Coffee Roasting Company, offering their exceptional local brew complimentary to reception attendees. Mingle and decompress in this classic setting that is both urban Milwuakee combined with the woods of northern Wisconsin forests; a popular setting for weddings and special events. (Wine and craft beer available for purchase.)
And enjoy the uncompromising bites offered complimentary by the woman-owned National Cafe's Chef Nell Benton. Nell is a Milwaukee icon, having purchased her restaurant for $100 and turning it into a city institution. Meet Nell and Witti members to continue the discussion from the "How to Advance Women in the Travel Industry" panel and have one last bit of networking before ending the final day of the conference.
Join us at historic Walker's Point -- originally a fur trading post -- that now is one of the most vibrant areas of the City.
Transportation not provided.
Why was Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward once known as the Bloody Third Ward? Who invented the Bloody Mary and why are there so many variations of the popular drink? These are just a few of the many questions to be answered on this unique Sunday brunch tour that will take you throughout the City.
This tour includes traditional brunch items, plus three 6-ounce Bloody Mary samples. For those that prefer to not have Bloody Mary samples on this tour, we can easily substitute mimosas, domestic beer or non-alcoholic options for you.
Tour departs from the Hilton City Center.
Sign up now.
Lakefront Brewery believes people want to go on brewery tours for three main reasons: drink beer, be entertained and see the place. You’ll enjoy a cold brew upon arrival and quirky guides who serve up belly-busting laughs on what TripAdvisor.com ranks as the fourth best brewery tour in the nation.
This progressive, award-winning brewer is the first beer company to bottle fruit beer since prohibition and the first beer to be certified gluten-free in the U.S.
Tour departs from the Hilton City Center. Pre-ordered lunch provided.
Sign up now.
