LAKE ELLYN BOATHOUSE: PHASE 3

The Lake Ellyn Boathouse, built in 1937 as a WPA project, is the primary rental venue for the Glen Ellyn Park District. The Boathouse was fully restored in 2016 to the tune of 2.9 million dollars. Lake Ellyn Park and the Boathouse are generally considered the “jewel of Glen Ellyn," and the District wanted to both educate and gain support from the public on the project. Post-restoration, the District sought to build a brand around the Boathouse and to increase rental revenue. Several awards were also pursued, including LEED certification, to elevate the status of the Boathouse.

The Boathouse experienced a 35% increase in the number of rentals in the year following restoration and continues to grow. In addition, the Boathouse saw a 240% increase in rental revenue generated when comparing 2016 to 2017 and a 437% increase when comparing 2015 to 2017.

MY ROLE
MARKETING STRATEGY
PRODUCTION MANAGER
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
COPYWRITER
EVENT PLANNING TEAM

EDUCATING THE PUBLIC

Prior to the start of the project, the Park District had gone through a number of shareholder meetings, community input sessions, and included restoration of the Boathouse on the 2012 Community Attitude and Interest Survey, where it was ranked as high priority. With plans in place to finally move forward with the costly restoration, the Park District wanted to make sure the community was informed about what the project entailed. Efforts included:

  • Activity Guide and Annual Report inclusion

  • Dedicated project webpage

  • Email newsletters/blasts and social media

  • Information meetings

  • Open houses during major District events in the park

  • Press releases/articles

  • Information packet and large-format posters

  • Signage within the park leading up to and during construction

  • Grand opening with key community stakeholders

  • New Boathouse rental materials and photography

  • Sponsorship/donation proposals

  • New interpretive signage within the park

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

An information kit was created for the project which contained answers to anticipated questions, architectural drawings, timeline, and budget numbers. The project was also featured in a two-page spread in both the 2015 and 2016 Annual Reports.

RESTORATION CELEBRATION

A “Restoration Celebration" was held as the grand opening of the Boathouse. Key community members were invited to get a first look at the renovations including representatives from the Village and common renters. For the event, the Boathouse was decorated to reflect the sustainability efforts that went into the construction (e.g. LEED certification) and catered by local businesses with the goal of showcasing the splendor of the venue as a rental option. Speeches were given by members of the Park Board and the Executive Director. Each participant went home with a “Restoration Celebration" coffee mug keepsake.

POST-RESTORATION OPEN HOUSES

Two open houses were held during events at Lake Ellyn Park in which community members were able to tour the restored Boathouse. Board members were on-hand to answer resident questions and informational signage on the project was displayed. The open houses were promoted via email, social media, posters/flyers in facilities, and on the District’s website. Approximately 100 community members attended each open house.

AWARDS

The Boathouse received several awards post-construction. An overview sheet on the project was created to include with the award applications.

  • 2016 Restoration of the Year from the Glen Ellyn Historic Preservation Commission

  • Gold-level LEED Certification

  • National Register of Historic Places

  • Local Historic Landmark Designation.

REBRANDING THE BOATHOUSE

LOGO DESIGN

The first step in the rebrand process was the creation of a new Boathouse logo through a contest on 99Designs.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Katherine Salvatori Photography in Glen Ellyn was secured to photograph the Boathouse. Katherine provided complimentary photos in exchange for a free ad in the Lake Ellyn Boathouse rental brochure. Since the initial photo shoot, the Glen Ellyn Park District has been lucky to have multiple wedding/event photographers willing to share their photos with the District. 

MARKETING MATERIALS

As a highly sought wedding venue, the new Boathouse marketing materials needed to reflect a more professional look and feel. A suite of collateral was designed which included the creation of a 12-page Boathouse rental brochure, rate card, tour kit folders, envelopes, FAQ sheets, a new webpage, pull-up banners, floor plan, and more. Two of the most successful lead generation tools for the Boathouse are our listings on www.WeddingSpot.com and www.WeddingWire.com.