Civil and Municipal - Mar 2023

19 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 “For the last decade, our brand was ‘Wisconsin’s Events City’,” shares Amy Albright, Executive Director of the Oshkosh Convention and Visitors Bureau. “There were lots of reasons for that. We’re home to one of the largest aviation events in the world, which is AirVenture. Every July, we welcome about 600,000 people to Oshkosh, so we’ve definitely proven that we can host and handle large-scale events. What we’ve realized since Covid-19 is that our natural resources are not only pandemic-proof, but they’re also a dominant force in the regional tourism industry. That’s sort of how we got into our rebrand ‘Discover Oshkosh’, which is all about taking Oshkosh from a major event and summertime destination to a year-round tourism attraction.” Unveiled last November, the new brand identity evolved from the desire to pique our curiosity about Oshkosh. Nestled between Lake Winnebago (the largest in Wisconsin) OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN and Lake Butte des Morts, which is fed by the Fox and Wolf rivers, the possibilities are endless in Oshkosh for water-sport enthusiasts in what’s considered the Midwest’s premier fishing and boating destination. “We realize we have some pretty amazing assets here,” offers Albright. “Whether that’s world-class regattas, or getting out in your fishing boat, paddle boarding, kayaking, speed boating. You name it, you can do it on our lakes and rivers.” Championing the area’s waterways while bringing the local community together has been at the heart of Oshkosh’s downtown redevelopment strategy. Some of that has come in the way of building attractions—like riverfront dining and a waterfront hotel—and some the way of paying homage to its ‘Sawdust City’ heritage as a woodworking town. “Plans are moving forward for Mill on Main, which is a really exciting development that’s going up in our historic Sawdust District,” adds Tricia Rathermel, President and CEO of the Greater Oshkosh Development Corporation. “Oshkosh has a history in pulp, paper, and wood manufacturing. We had a lot of sawmills that were located right along our riverways. But ONLINE | AFFORDABLE | FLEXIBLE Discover your ONLINE OPTIONS at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Certificate, associate, bachelor’s and master’s programs are available. 100% online, including options for 7-week courses at affordable tuition rates. uwo.sh/go-online