Cover Story

From tourism to tickets

By Autumn Rhea Carpenter

ROCKFORD WOMAN

Oct 25, 2007 @ 12:05 AM

If you’re too busy navigating your own universe to troll through the electronic one, look no further than this spot. Every issue, this feature will profile sites that can make your life easier.

VisitNorthernIllinois.com
What it is: The Illinois Bureau of Tourism provides free travel consulting information, with tourism counselors available seven days a week to answer questions and address Illinois travel needs.
What it offers: Themed and niche travel ideas for individuals, couples and families, says Bonnie Heimbach, executive director for the Northern Illinois Tourism Development Office, located in Belvidere. It also offers promotions: “Currently, our site is offering a Shell gas card to consumers who purchase their getaway online,” she says. “Our calendar of events is also a great way to learn about upcoming current festivals and other happenings occurring in whatever Illinois community you choose to visit.”
Why you should bookmark it: Because it’s a treasure trove of insider’s information on Illinois’ attractions, events, lodging, dining, packages, heritage, and additional resources.

CentreEvents.com and CoronadoPAC.org
What they are: A quick way to buy tickets to events sponsored by the MetroCentre and Coronado Performing Arts Center. (You no longer can buy Coronado tickets on the CentreEvents site.)
What they offer: Convenience. “Visitors can order and print their tickets at home and are not charged to reserve them at the box office. Subscribers to our electronic newsletter, ‘The Scoop,’ are also eligible for pre-sale opportunities, contest prizes, and discounts,” says Matt Mohr, Centre Event’s marketing and sales manager.
Why you should bookmark them: You don’t have to pick up the phone or wait in line for concert tickets. Plus you can keep up with what’s coming to Rockford.

NextRockford.org
What it is: A forum developed by a group of young professionals striving to expand the Rockford area’s educational and business opportunities, while focusing on creating an attractive community for families to live and grow. “Next Rockford is the only organization that not only gives a voice to working professionals in their 20s, but as a woman, has allowed me to voice opinions and make an impact in areas that might not have been available at this time in my career,” said Erin Werthman, a strategy team member with the group. “They also encourage involvement with local organizations. I’m now serving on the board of the YWCA; I don’t think that connection would have happened without Next Rockford.”
What it offers: A good way to learn about the group’s initiatives and how to get involved.
Why you should bookmark it: As attracting and retaining the next generation of workforce talent to Rockford continues, this group with diverse academic, business, economic, and cultural backgrounds is always seeking new members, born on or after 1965.