2023 WHLA Action Day Event Recap

Over forty hoteliers and industry supporters gathered in Madison for WHLA’s 2023 Action Day on March 7. The event was sponsored by Bravo Hospitality Group and the Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club. The event and sponsors provided attendees with the opportunity to participate in the legislative process by connecting with their legislators to talk about the issues currently facing our industry. 

The event began at the Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club where WHLA members including hotel owners and operators and hospitality vendors heard from guest speakers Anne Sayers, Secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism and Senator Joan Ballweg. During lunch, Bill Elliott, WHLA President & CEO and Kathi Kilgore, WHLA contract lobbyist, provided an overview of the key issues and tips for the afternoon’s legislator meetings

After a morning of preparation and an enjoyable lunch, attendees walked to the Wisconsin State Capitol for pre-scheduled meetings with legislators and their staff. During these meetings, WHLA members lobbied on key issues including funding the state tourism budget, the repeal of personal property tax, protecting the September 1 school start date, and the appropriate use of room tax funds. 

​Following the meetings, attendees gathered with members of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, Destinations Wisconsin and the Association of Wisconsin Tourism Attractions for a joint reception at the Top of the Park at the Best Western Premier Park Hotel. 

While you can always rely on your WHLA staff to advocate for the industry in Madison, we know from experience that legislators place a lot of value on hearing from their constituents directly. These legislators are from the same cities and towns you live in, so sharing your stories provides context to the issues we lobby for.

Advocacy efforts continue throughout the year - they don’t stop when Action Day is over. Watch your email for WHLA Action Alerts and Capitol Insider briefings to stay up to date on advocacy issues that affect Wisconsin’s lodging industry.

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