Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tourism topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trustee Egan: data tools and retail leakage report shape Lombard tourism strategy
Summary
Trustee Egan reported the Community Promotion & Tourism Committee is using Placer AI and other analyses to better understand visitor patterns; Frosty Faustings and Restaurant Week drew multi‑day and increased traffic, and a retail leakage report identified opportunities to recapture local spending.
Trustee Egan told the Village Board that the Community Promotion & Tourism Committee met April 7 to review how the village is using data to grow Lombard's tourism economy and target promotions more strategically.
Egan said Trevor Dix, Director of Economic Development and Planning, updated the committee on the village's use of Placer AI, which the committee finds valuable for understanding where visitors come from, how long they stay and how they move through the community. "It's giving us real insight into where visitors are coming from, how long they're staying, and how they're moving through the community," Egan said, adding that the tool helps staff move "from guessing to actually knowing."
Egan highlighted Frosty Faustings 2026 at the Westin Chicago Lombard as a continuing regional draw with multi‑day visitation patterns that support overnight stays and hotel business. He also said Lombard Restaurant Week 2026 generated increased traffic to participating establishments. The committee reviewed a retail leakage report showing where residents spend outside the village and identifying realistic opportunities to recruit or support businesses that meet local demand.
Deputy Village Manager Nicole Aranas and Village President Anthony Puccio presented an overview of the 2026 local tourism grant program; staff walked the committee through application and evaluation processes. Trustee Egan said there were no items from that meeting being forwarded to the Board for formal action, but the committee will continue to refine data‑driven promotion and development work through the year.
