Statement to Senate Committee on Commerce 

In support of SB 501 

February 7, 2008 

Judy Billings, President & CEO 

Destination Management, Inc. 

Lawrence, Kansas 

 

 

Committee Chairs Brownlee and Jordan, and members of the Senate 
Committee on Commerce. I am pleased to be here today in support of SB 
501, a bill that I believe will positively impact the economy of our 
communities and our state. 

 

I’m here today to boast a little on the progress being made with Freedom’s 
Frontier National Heritage Area and to let you know that Visit Kansas will 
play an important role in the development of this federally recognized area. 
Since the President signed legislation determining our national status, this 
grassroots group of individuals and organizations representing rural and 
urban/ Kansas and Missouri interests, has been working toward creating a 
required planning document that will guide us through the next 10-15 years. 
Our goal is to better interpret and connect our shared heritage so that 
visitors and school children will have a richer experience. VISIT KANSAS 
would provide product development resources that could help leverage the 
federal dollars that will become available upon completion of this plan. 

 

I have been employed by the Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau 
(LCVB) since its inception in 1980. Our bureau has recently experienced the 
same type of reorganization being proposed to you for the state tourism 
office, i.e. we have separated from our umbrella organization the Lawrence 
Chamber of Commerce after 28 years. With the support of the Chamber 
and both our city and county commissions, we made this move in order to 
have more flexibility to promote tourism in Lawrence and Douglas County. 
Our mission is to focus fiscal resources on heritage and cultural assets in a 
more effective and collaborative manner. 

 

We have formed a new 501c6 organization called Destination Management, 
Inc. that oversees the operations of the LCVB, Freedom’s Frontier and other 
tourism related activities in our community. While the Lawrence Chamber 
of Commerce has been an excellent home for the LCVB, its focus is on 


traditional economic development. I believe it is true, particularly in Kansas, 
that a new resident and business owner is first a visitor. But marketing to 
the visitor industry and developing the visitor product employs a different 
message and focuses on entirely different target markets than does traditional 
economic development marketing. 

 

The Lawrence CVB has actively partnered with our state tourism office and 
with many dedicated Kansans over the years who promote our state with all 
our heart and soul. We have worked with the department of commerce and 
the legislature unsuccessfully to date to bring our tourism budget in line with 
our neighboring states. I believe the KTI is by far the most complete proposal 
to come before this body. KTI proposes more investment in product 
development and marketing along with more accountability for the dollars 
invested. I believe that the tourism industry offers a return on investment 
that few other industries do and that this organizational structure is a way to 
maximize that investment. 

 

Let’s raise our expectations for Kansas. Let’s make an investment in an 
industry that brings new dollars to our state and tells the world that we’re a 
great place to visit…and just maybe to live and do business in, too!