[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,74,86],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6164111,"mediaKeyId","5431319-baebf1bbaa6dbe9d4ec78a6d6fd8061d","parentId",5431319,"title","Staff outlines Discover Monona marketing push, fund balance and office lease concerns","audioSeconds",650,"startMs",3663000,"endMs",4313000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5431319-baebf1bbaa6dbe9d4ec78a6d6fd8061d&start=3663&end=4313","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5431319-baebf1bbaa6dbe9d4ec78a6d6fd8061d/thumbnail_3663000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6164111/Monona/Dane-County/Wisconsin/Staff-outlines-Discover-Monona-marketing-push-fund-balance-and-office-lease-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164111-1056d777827e049b60f175b88aae71d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770174154&Signature=Ukx72Waox4P0E1rjh7rZm0FR9y6IGL06p7Q6oeZZUyoSsT0siDG78LEU574COWWUe5MFe3w5jMFhNTn3G43TxV5F2C77vPL5Jo~JuMWjDajwLIqv2GbuvImxJKM8fWwIKIaKsp9NHqvtm8~y4kcQnyfcKqLJmyOoo4DVR924sytm0FixTkScWvF0d6IdWR1jNMpB4yXNhAca76Nc4qLjVtfyzlg9OhEWTUmCrPqJfo89OAM~DjYOlGcA30hsoIjVf7tyR1gyQJKmLhdBPBujKVaj9~FVaHiPRlj~FfX6iC-Y0en6OduT53ao~1MvuknoMnxteVrBpVoTe5fStk0IsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Monona, WI","date","2025-07-20T08:36:52.383Z","article","Tourism staff provided commissioners a midyear update on marketing, fund balance and operational planning, and asked the commission to consider multi-year contracting to support a permanent office.

Staff member Christine said the commission still has “little over 50,000 in our bank account, from the original, branch that you gave us,” and that roughly $15,000 of that amount is being held for office-space costs. Director Neil Houdegger earlier presented a spreadsheet that showed the commission’s available balance for the year as $57,600 and projected next year’s budget collection at about $400,000.

Christine reviewed active and planned marketing work: a year-round campaign promoting bike trails and lakes, targeted itineraries, drone footage for use in promotional materials, relationships with influencers and familiarization (“fam”) trips, and social-media advertising. She described a data trial that used high-level cell–phone location data (Placer AI) to see where event attendees came from and which hotels they visited; staff reported Country Inn and Suites and AmericInn among the top local lodging sites for festival attendees and said the data show many attendees still use hotels in nearby Madison.

Commissioners discussed content coordination and event calendars. Commissioner Colleen and other members urged better sharing of Parks & Recreation event details so Discover Monona’s promotions can include smaller community events; staff said they meet regularly with department heads and will work to automate calendar feeds and increase cross-department coordination.

On office space, staff said developers at the Bloom offered a small office that could be shared with a partner organization, subject to a 10‑year lease; Christine said her board is uncomfortable signing that long a lease under the current year‑to‑year commission contract and asked commissioners to consider a multi‑year contract (three to five years) so staff could pursue affordable, shared office space. Commissioners said they would discuss the contract term when finalizing the 2026 budget and priorities.

Staff also summarized conversations about event opportunities: they have been in talks with the U.S. ice-fishing organization about a qualifying round and said the city’s Destination Madison contact supported the idea; a bass-fishing tournament application was not successful. Staff asked commissioners to consider policies for future awards, such as limiting commission funding to a percentage of an event’s operational budget or requiring documentation of prior hotel-night impacts for repeat applicants.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tourism Commission - July 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Tourism staff summarized marketing activity, fund balance and outreach efforts, and asked commissioners to consider longer-term operating agreements to support an office lease. Staff reported remaining funds for media campaigns, drone footage and fam-trip promotions and noted coordination needs with Parks & Rec and area hotels.","taxTitle","Monona, Dane County, Wisconsin","taxId",70921,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":75,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":76,"_40":77,"_42":78,"_44":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6164116,"Commission funds Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival community day",1247,2412000,3659000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5431319-baebf1bbaa6dbe9d4ec78a6d6fd8061d&start=2412&end=3659","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5431319-baebf1bbaa6dbe9d4ec78a6d6fd8061d/thumbnail_2412000.jpg","/articles/6164116/Monona/Dane-County/Wisconsin/Commission-funds-Whitehorse-International-Wood-Sculpture-Festival-community-day","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164116-87078871cae49838399bb49d50388bbf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770174154&Signature=INuBGw5A6ziAwd3saW9n6SQx~Mj-jqKCMKSc5v9L3xFkKfSXTYIIlK2iYNubA~ijIRE-vHVSJ8EWe6XBNSwqZCi58Viz55P5rcKPNlZ0RTp81Jf0lXxlG~wxuU4dXzlw2WQ5fYsrPPwHKN4lZxjQKiwwXUb6v2Hn7e-D5pSfc-WFnndhTGeYsD-xCy5TareZPtMOwLR39TFEmr8TGOn-Ee9XigNrd6G9NZyG~bOPf9b0gx-Q9o9eS1-mtaZvkaVpAablgnrsCOyM0LkPcwkaG9r~G5WC0WlPieQYbnU8138r2WgVacuSWrP73oewkIGdDT-43Q2ZyXFmD8c-TdRNZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Monona Tourism Commission approved an $8,041 grant request from Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival, Inc. to fund a one-day community event linked to the group’s larger biennial festival.

The applicant described the event as cultural programming and local promotion that will include sculpting demonstrations, Indigenous artists and a storyteller at Ahouska on Aug. 16; organizers said the day is intended as a lead-in to a planned 10-day festival at San Damiano in 2026.

DJ Whitehorse Klaus, who introduced himself as “a long time Winona resident” and said, “I am an enrolled member of the Ho Chunk nation and actually, an elected official of the Ho Chunk nation,” explained the cultural context for the event and that the nonprofit obtained 501(c)(3) status within the past year. He said the one-day program has limited lodging needs and estimated about 10 hotel stays tied to performers and demonstrators. When asked why the hotel-stay projection was low, DJ Whitehorse Klaus explained many indigenous performers are committed elsewhere during powwow season and said the 10‑stay figure reflects conservative planning for demonstrators and visiting artists.

Commissioners probed the festival’s finances and revenue plan. Commissioner Paula Kugel asked whether the grant request represented the full event budget; the applicant confirmed the $8,041 request is the bulk of the funding for the one‑day community event and said the program will be free to the public, with food vendors holding local permits and some in-kind support from the Ho-Chunk Nation Madison office for equipment and coolers.

Commissioners expressed support for continuing the festival after the successful 2024 inaugural event and noted the cultural and tourism benefits. On a motion to approve the request, the commission voted in favor by voice vote; the minutes record “Motion passes.” Staff and the applicant discussed coordinating with local hotels and marketing to maximize overnight stays tied to the festival.

Organizers told the commission they plan to reapply for larger marketing grants for the 2026 festival and estimated the full 2026 event budget could approach $80,000; they said that larger application will include marketing-revenue plans and donor/sponsorship efforts.

","The Monona Tourism Commission approved an $8,041 grant request from the Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival, Inc. for a one-day community event to promote a larger biennial festival. Organizers said the day is a marketing lead-in to a 10‑day festival planned for 2026 and that this year’s event will be free to the public.",{"_32":87,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":88,"_40":89,"_42":90,"_44":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6164121,"Monona commission approves full grant request for MG Sings show-choir event",932,1463000,2395000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5431319-baebf1bbaa6dbe9d4ec78a6d6fd8061d&start=1463&end=2395","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5431319-baebf1bbaa6dbe9d4ec78a6d6fd8061d/thumbnail_1463000.jpg","/articles/6164121/Monona/Dane-County/Wisconsin/Monona-commission-approves-full-grant-request-for-MG-Sings-show-choir-event","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164121-56bd67ee5cfb89e5cab07d953f8823c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770174154&Signature=aepTk305vZLZk0m6UHOzmULkQ479~2zbbYFRU2QbuvSIOXg-S-cx7-QiU3iErFQ9lPGqn3yuW72H4x2oJ4u1wT2LW8AnR4NkGGPYm94EdNNqwCa7T8yq4n9t~uneUTuM~k9Z2GVLpX~LnQWcLL5FXGIKrivbRPiI0E7AmMdcyrjXYvEIS~Wwn5BY2ALwudQSyiAF1-P5czdjS89JWgG7MS72XhtdZU~GKxA-HDdYPpEBw85Ec-03ixlU8z-5BBDWTB43ss0Lfx0vUdqhHFA5p44PbHYEmk26frjoXOYdkafXi~xtQba2C7-ukgPNKcKH05Uhj2V9UdTTpcgduSjkVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Monona Tourism Commission on a voice vote approved the full grant request from MG Sings, the Monona Grove High School vocal-music booster group, to support its regional show-choir competition and related activities.

Commissioners and staff said the decision followed a staff presentation of the commission’s current fund balance and questions from commissioners about expected hotel stays and event finances.

Director Neil Houdegger presented the fund balance and said the commission’s “total available for this year is currently 57,600.” Jennifer Krug, president of MG Sings, described the event and its recovery since COVID: “my name is Jennifer Krug, and I'm the president of, MG Sings, which is the vocal music booster group at Monona Grove High School. We support, the show choir program as well as the high school musical.” Commissioners asked for specifics on recent participation and economic impacts; Krug said the group had about 22 signed groups for the coming event and that pre-COVID levels were returning.

Commissioners questioned program line items and revenue assumptions. One commissioner noted the judges’ fees and concessions figures on MG Sings’ budget and asked whether concessions revenues were being used to offset costs; Krug said concessions last year generated about $24,000 and that the requested grant would cover hard costs and promotional expenses the group would otherwise have to absorb. The applicant acknowledged a possible operating shortfall if ticketing or attendance did not meet projections and said the grant would help reduce that risk.

On a motion to fund the application at the full amount requested, commissioners voted in favor; the meeting minutes record a voice vote and the chair stated, “Motion passes.” The record does not list individual roll-call votes. Staff said a grant agreement would be forwarded to the applicant in the coming weeks.

The commission also noted this level of funding may not be available in the same amount next year given projected budget constraints and asked applicants to be prepared for smaller awards in future cycles.

Notes: The applicant referenced last year’s commission funding as “like, dollars 29,060.” The commission’s staff had previously reported an estimated next fiscal-year collection of about $400,000.

","The Monona Tourism Commission voted to fund the full grant request from MG Sings, the Monona Grove High School show-choir booster group, after staff said the commission has sufficient fund balance. Commissioners discussed attendance, hotel impacts and budget line items before a unanimous voice vote to approve funding.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Staff outlines Discover Monona marketing push, fund balance and office lease concerns

Commission funds Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival community day

Monona commission approves full grant request for MG Sings show-choir event