Here are the most important updates this week:
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Register for the 2026 Iowa Tourism Conference
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Registration is open for the 2026 Iowa Tourism Conference. This is your chance to join industry leaders, network with peers and gain valuable insights into the latest trends and strategies in tourism marketing. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and grow your connections.
Sponsorship options start at $1,000 and include two registrations. See more details here.
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DEADLINE: Iowa Tourism Conference Scholarships Applications
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During the 2025 Iowa Tourism Conference, IEDA Director Debi Durham announced a new scholarship in honor of Shirley Phillips, a long-time tourism advocate.
Each year, the Iowa Tourism Office will award two scholarships to cover the registration fee for the Iowa Tourism Conference. Awardees will be individuals from a rural Iowa community with a population under 10,000. Each scholarship will cover the full cost of registration for one attendee (travel expenses are not included).
The scholarship application period is now open, and applications are due Friday, December 5, 2025. Awardees will be notified by January 2, 2026.
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Now Accepting Iowa Tourism Award Nominations
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The Iowa Tourism Awards recognize communities, attractions, tourism businesses and the marketing professionals that promote them for excellence in raising the profile of Iowa as a tourism destination. Winners will have demonstrated creativity, innovation, collaboration and strategy grounded in research and results in their projects.
Award winners will be announced on Friday, March 13, during the 2026 Iowa Tourism Conference.
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Iowa Tourism Office Team on the Road
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Left Photo: The Iowa Tourism Office team made some partner visits while in Dubuque for the recent Tourism Insider Meeting. Amber Rottinghaus, Stephanie Neppl, Lora Friest and Jim Lee got a chance to tour Wanderwood Gardens with Director Jared McGovern. Coming in summer 2026, Wanderwood Gardens will be a magical forest playscape for adventurers of all ages to explore and find joy and inspiration in nature.
Pictured left to right: Stephanie, Jared, Amber, Lora and Jim.
Right Photo: Jim, Lora and Stephanie also toured the new permanent stadium at the Field of Dreams movie site. The stadium is still under construction and will host the recently announced MLB game next August.
Pictured left to right: Lora, Stephanie, John Sutter – VP of Field of Dreams Operations at Travel Dubuque, Mike Decker – President of Decker Concrete, and Jacque Rahe – Executive Director at the Dyersville Economic Development Corporation.
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Helpful Tools to Organize Grant Opportunities
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While marketing grants are great, don’t forget to also maximize free marketing opportunities. Many tourism professionals are eager to secure the Iowa Tourism Marketing Grant but have not yet capitalized on the FREE marketing made available through the Iowa Tourism Office. TravelIowa.com can be used to promote individual businesses, highlight a downtown and brand your community no matter what your budget is. It can direct visitors to the attractions you are known for, as well as all the supporting businesses around them. Some Iowa communities are maximizing this website as a branding and marketing tool while others are absent. Even worse, some tourism professionals are letting other entities determine what is important to showcase for their town.
Featured Resource:
Iowa Tourism Office Tourism Liaisons are available to help you better understand how to maximize TravelIowa.com and many other state resources. In Western Iowa, email Stephanie Neppl (stephanie.neppl@iowaeda.com); in Eastern Iowa, email Lora Friest (lora.friest@iowaeda.com).
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An Introduction to Edits, Instagram's Video Editing App
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Say hello to Edits, the new, all‑in‑one app built for video creation by Instagram.
This app allows users to centralize the entire creative process of video creation and editing, while also offering tools/templates to support your creation and the option to share your work directly on Instagram and Facebook.
Here are a few ideas to try out in Edits:
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- Holiday Lights: Capture dazzling displays and guide your audience to the best spots in town.
- Holiday & Winter Markets: Showcase local vendors, cozy treats and the seasonal atmosphere.
- Winter Recap: Wrap up the season with highlights from your destination or community events.
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Visit traveliowa.com/industry-partners for more information
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Iowa Tourism Office
1963 Bell Avenue, Ste 200 | Des Moines, IA 50315 US
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1963 Bell Avenue, Suite 200 | Des Moines, IA 50315 US
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