The West Bend Downtown Business Improvement District board voted Nov. 4 to authorize up to $6,000 from its marketing funds to help underwrite a Discover Wisconsin promotional package that will feature West Bend.

Callie, communications director for the City of West Bend, told the board the Discover Wisconsin package includes two TV broadcast airings of one episode, six streaming vignette videos, social and blog promotion, and a podcast feature. Callie said the program guarantees placement and audience reach and that a commitment would be needed by January to hit a fall 2026 or spring 2027 run window. “The spring episode is probably gonna be more conducive to us leading into that busy season for West Bend,” she said.

Callie provided a cost breakdown for the package: approximately $13,001.20 for each of four segments and about $52,000 for the whole episode. She said the Chamber of Commerce had committed to one segment and that other partners—such as the Museum of Art and other tourism stakeholders—might each take additional segments. Under the proposal discussed at the meeting, the BID would sponsor roughly half of one segment, i.e., about $6,000.

Board members noted the BID’s near-term marketing budget is $8,000 and that the proposed $6,000 contribution would use a large portion of that allocation; the board also heard the BID’s proposed budget for next year is $10,000. “If we had $10,000 and we wanted to try to do something and just say, what can we do for $10,000 that would give us the same reach? I don’t think we’d be able to come up with [it],” Callie said, describing the package’s broader reach and placement value.

After discussion about timing, partner contributions and how the segment would be framed, a board member moved to approve up to $6,000 from BID marketing funds to participate in the Discover Wisconsin package. The motion was seconded and approved by a voice vote.

Board members said they expect the final scope and screen time to reflect the relative financial commitments of participating partners; Callie said she would coordinate storyboard and scheduling details with the partners and with Discover Wisconsin. She also said the city would receive finished assets and promotional materials but not the full b-roll archive.

The board’s approval authorizes staff to pursue the sponsorship and to work with the chamber, tourism partners and Discover Wisconsin on final details. Additional funding commitments from other partners were discussed but not finalized at the Nov. 4 meeting.