Webster City will be in the spotlight on Thursday, August 28, as the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce hosts a Tourism Insider meeting sponsored by the Iowa Department of Tourism.

This free event is for businesses and attractions located locally and throughout the state of Iowa.

The deadline to register for the sessions is Saturday, August 23.

“The primary reason for hosting and offering these meetings, from the state’s point of view, is to inspire other communities and offer models of effective strategies,” Anna Woodward, director of the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce, said.

Woodward said local business owners and organizations should all consider attending the forums.

“Sometimes there is a misconception about what tourism is all about,” she said. “Tourism supports a much broader conversation; it’s not just a visitor for a weekend. It’s also a potential investor to our community.”

The insider meeting will include success stories, roundtable discussions and other presentations. The focus will be beneficial to anyone who benefits from out-of-town traffic.

A tourist, defined by the state tourism office, is any customer who travels 50 miles or more to a community. This can be helpful to a single retail outlet, movie theaters, museums, restaurants, and even gas stations.

Webster City was one of three communities selected to be a meeting post, according to Woodward.

“The selection process is very different from a bidding process, which depends more on price and location.” The communities selected were based on what they had to showcase. “It’s very much a compliment to Webster City to host this,” she said.

In Webster City, the agenda will start with the renovated Webster Theater on Second Street, and will include the building transformations of the Webster City Community Theatre and The Elks.

The day will include an Art Walk and a tour of The Elks.

To register, contact the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce, or go online to https://industrypartners.traveliowa.com/events/tourism-insider-meeting-291/.