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Commerce News | August 10 |
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Commerce Volunteer Week
This week Commerce held its first ever, Volunteer Week. Across the state, members of Commerce contributed to North Dakota communities in or near their home town. Here are some images that captured the week-long event of boots on the ground efforts to help our communities.
 Garrison Food Pantry
Commerce's new Workforce Development Deputy Director Janna Pastir volunteered at the Garrison Food Pantry. Pastir helped by unloading the food truck and packing 120 boxes for distribution later this month. Pastir is a huge advocate of volunteerism in communities and serves on the board of the Garrison Area Resource Center.
 Papa's Pumpkin Patch
Executive Assistant Tammy Heick, and Venture and Credit Analyst Sam Mattson volunteered at Papa's Pumpkin Patch where they helped with weed eating, taping floor mats, cleaning and placing garbage cans, cleaning wagons, and staining wood fences and the decorative combine.
 Cub Scouts Northern Lights Council and United Way
Workforce Project Coordinator Melyssa Diebold, Program Administrator Ben Faul, and Executive Assistant Joleen Leier volunteered for the Cub Scouts Northern Lights Council by helping stuff fall recruitment briefing packets for the Cub Scouts in Western North Dakota. The team also attempted to put together a 20-year-old aluminum race car track that was unsuccessful due to some missing pieces. They then jumped over to organize a rummage sale that starts tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. at 1321 Eagles View Pl in Bismarck. Everything is marked to sell & proceeds benefit the United Way backpack program.
Everyone had a blast and enjoyed the opportunity to get together with colleagues in-person for a great cause!
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 Thank you for doing business in North Dakota! We are working to improve processes on starting a new business, helping businesses grow and make interactions with state agencies more effective and efficient. Share your thoughts by Aug. 17 at https://ndgov.link/BizSurvey22.
 Attend North Dakota’s premier community-building conference
The Main Street ND Summit provides an opportunity to connect, learn, get inspired, and gain insight to build and grow your community for the future. For all of us, the state of today’s workforce is top of mind as we identify and address the needs of our communities and state in 2022 and beyond. The 2022 Main Street ND Summit will be all about community and workforce! The planning has started and we are pursuing some amazing speakers, activities and interactions designed to SPARK your enthusiasm for our amazing state! We have numerous partners that are stepping up and out to assure the speakers and presentations include information and actions you can take home and put into place immediately.
Registration for the 2022 Main Street ND Summit is FREE and additional information can be found at msnd.link/summit-2022.
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The application window for the Main Street Initiative Artists on Main Street grant program will be open from Aug. 15-Sept. 23.
The Artists on Main Street grant is an accelerated program that offers technical assistance and funding to develop local artist-led projects in five North Dakota communities.
Eligible entities may receive up to $5,000 of funding per community to be used for technical support, supplies, and resources to achieve community and artist outcomes of at least five projects.
Commerce will be hosting an informative webinar about the Artists on Main Street grant program from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 12. Registration for the event can be accessed at msnd.link/AOM-Webinar.
Nominations for the 2022 Governor’s Main Street Awards, a program of North Dakota’s Main Street Initiative (MSI), are now being accepted through Sept. 2, 2022.
The Main Street Awards are a collaborative effort of the Office of Governor and the North Dakota Department of Commerce. A selection committee made up of the collaborating agencies and partners judge the entries to make final awards, which will be presented at the Main Street ND Summit in Bismarck, North Dakota.
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The Innovation Technology Loan Fund (LIFT) Committee awarded a total of $1 million to two companies for the month of July.
July LIFT recipients:
- Dakota Energy Systems, a company that is establishing their presence in North Dakota through a hydro-electric power system using pressurized flow in pipes was awarded $500,000.
- Vigilant Aerospace, an unmanned aircraft systems company in Grand Forks that focuses on detect and avoid software for beyond visual line of sight was awarded $500,000 contingent on a 1:1 match from non-debt sources, and that the majority of the dollars be spent within North Dakota.
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Congratulations to the FMWF Chamber Foundation for being awarded the Good Jobs Challenge Grant
The Fargo Moorhead West Fargo (FMWF) Chamber Foundation has been awarded a $9.62 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) Good Jobs Challenge Grant.
The Chamber Foundation, in collaboration with backbone organizations will bolster the region’s economy by developing the skilled workforce needed to support the regional agriculture, manufacturing and technology industries.
The Good Jobs Challenge Grant was a very competitive process with only 32 projects awarded out of over 500 applications nationwide. Of that, this was the only awarded EDA grant out of 20 applications submitted by organizations in Minnesota and North Dakota
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 International Peace Garden celebrates 90 years
Commerce Tourism and State Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman, participated in the International Peace Garden’s 90th anniversary weekend celebration July 29-30. The three day event included, the flag raising ceremony for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, traditional indigenous and Metis presentations, a 1932 themed dinner, the grand opening and dedication of the new children’s nature play area, live music, outdoor movies, art and food vendors, and fireworks. The garden was busy with visitors, some who were visiting the garden’s for the first time.
Governor Burgum and North Dakota Parks and Recreation Director Cody Schultz also attended Friday’s events which concluded with the presentation of the state’s highest honor to Dr. Merton Utgaard award-winning musician, educator, founder, and long-time director of the International Music Camp, as the 47th recipient of the North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award.
Jamestown Tourism Executive Director resigns
The Executive Director of Jamestown Tourism Searle Swedlund has submitted his resignation and is thankful for those who supported him in the community.
“As an outsider to be welcomed in the way that I have, it’s just been an absolute honor,” Searle Swedlund said.
Swedlund’s last day will be Sept. 9. He has held the executive director position since 2013. Swedlund will do economic development work for the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission.
The North Dakota Tourism team would like to thank Searle for his innovative approach and thoughtful work leading Jamestown tourism, and wish him the best.
“Searle has been a tireless advocate for Jamestown Tourism and destination marketing in North Dakota. I have valued his leadership on the Bison World opportunity and with the Destination Marketing Association of North Dakota,” stated Sara Otte Coleman on Swedlund's resignation.
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 Tourism and Marketing staff attend MHA Nation Indian Horse Relay at North Dakota State Fair
Brand new to the North Dakota State Fair this year was the MHA Indian Horse Relay, a night full of entertainment featuring talented Native American athletes gathering their teams and racing their horses to the finish line on one of the shortest tracks in the Midwest.
The relay teams consist of four members – a rider, a mugger, two holders, and three horses. There were 18 teams in the preliminary races. Five teams from North Dakota - Mandaree, New Town, Elmer’s Point (MHA) and Ft Yates (Standing Rock).
Riders mount their first horse bareback at the stall, while the holders retain the other two horses. There was four heats and a championship round concluding the relay. Prior to the event starting, in between the races, and before the final race, MHA Tourism dancers and singers gave cultural performances (mini powwows).
North Dakota Tourism and Marketing staff members Director Sara Otte Coleman, Global Marketing Manager Fred Walker, Social Media Strategist Alicia Joliffe, and Digital Asset Specialist Cassie Theurer attended the event and gathered several photos and video assets from throughout Minot for future use and social promotion.
New assets for 2023 campaign gathered during photo shoot throughout North Dakota
Tourism employees, along with our agency of record, Odney, traveled throughout North Dakota getting new photos and video footage for the 2023 campaign. The photo shoot ran from Aug. 2-6 and took the team through Bismarck, Turtle Mountains, Carrington, Grand Forks, Devils Lake, and Williston. The video crew started their statewide trek on Aug. 5, ending on Aug. 9 with footage being shot in Bismarck, Williston, Watford City, Mandaree, Lake Sakakawea, and Carrington.
D&N Cinematics out of Fargo worked with both Ryan Donnell, photographer, and the Stonehouse Productions video crew. A combination of drone, handheld still photography and handheld videography were used, and the talent used in both shoots included residents and visitors on location.
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 Q2 Tourism and State Marketing report now available
Some of the 2022 Q2 updates include:
- Hotel occupancy is up 11% over May and June of 2021, and 14.4% YTD; while visitation to the national park was down 16% YTD.
- Border crossings from Canada were up by 340% over Q2 2021, and 270% YTD (testing restrictions eased in April but fully-vaccinated status extended).
- Air arrivals are approximately 87% of 2019 deplanements (pricing and staffing are now a factor).
- NDDOT reports that highway traffic in June was 2% lower than 2021.
- Global marketing updates: French mission, Nordic mission, International Round-up and IPW resulted in 267 travel trade and media leads.
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 Portrait of Travelers with Disabilities survey stresses importance of accessible travel
According to the newly published Portrait of Travelers with Disabilities Mobility and Accessibility survey from MMGY Global, every industry should act now to better understand and meet the needs of individuals who use mobility aids and their traveling companions.
The survey discovered that accessibility for lodging and transportation is the greatest barrier to travel for those with mobility issues.
Travelers with mobility issues should be granted the same experiences as those without. $58.2 billion is spent annually on travel by those with mobility disabilities.
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Tourism Marketing Summit - Oct. 6, Bismarck
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