U.S. National Kubb Championship

A Wisconsin Department of Tourism grant will fund a marketing campaign that uses Eau Claire’s status as a kubb capital to attract visitors to the region. The Department of Tourism recently announced that it was giving a $39,500 Joint Effort Marketing grant to Visit Eau Claire, the region’s destination marketing agency, for a “campaign (that) aims to introduce visitors to the welcoming and playful vibes of Eau Claire” through the local popularity of kubb, a Swedish lawn game. “The best marketing efforts are based on solid research, and research shows that kubb is a truly unique offering that is part of the full Eau Claire experience,” state Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett. “This campaign will create a positive economic impact and highlights the many reasons why visitors should put Eau Claire on their bucket list.” Eau Claire is the self-proclaimed Kubb Capital of North American and hosts the U.S. National Kubb Championship, which draws hundreds of competitors to town each summer. According to a press release from the Department of Tourism, the marketing campaign will begin this month and run through May and will be directed at family travelers from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. The campaign – which include TV, digital, and print advertising, in addition to photo and video production – is projected to draw an estimated 2,000 visitors and $104,000 in visitor spending. JEM grants are given to nonprofit groups, and are used to pay for up to 75 percent of a promotion project’s costs in the first year, which decreasing amounts of support in the second and third years.