For the past four decades, the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (CVA) has served the Region for all of its tourism needs. Beginning in 1983 as the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Shore CVA has become a powerhouse for bringing money into Northwest Indiana.
“Northwest Indiana is really a bullseye economic opportunity for the family raising kids and for business owners,” said President and CEO David Uran. “We are in the business of collecting dollars from visitors and putting them back into the communities themselves. That's our goal.”
Uran, formerly the mayor of Crown Point, stepped into the role at South Shore CVA with a plan to enable the organization to better work for the Region. This involved working closely with other tourism organizations neighboring the South Shore, expanding the things the Region already does well, and focusing on areas that had holes.
“In the industry of tourism, your Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights should be golden. People are going to come out of their house and they're going to go out and spend money,” said Uran. “It's what we do on Sunday through Wednesday that's going to make a difference. Our goal is to be out there and make sure that we're motivating, attracting, and letting people know that anything you can do in the rest of the nation, you can do right here in Northwest Indiana.”
One area that the South Shore CVA hits hard is the bang for your buck that Northwest Indiana offers both residents and tourists. Plus, any money spent on tourism goes right back into the community.
“We are able to attract more people, get the assessment dollars, and then we can add more impactful programs to the municipality,” Uran said.
Another area that the South Shore CVA focuses attention on is the youth sports happening in Northwest Indiana.
“When COVID hit, we didn't skip a beat because we were in the outdoor amateur sports business,” said Uran. “When it comes to late October to March, we're easily rocking and rolling for four or five nights a week, and all of a sudden, winter’s gone because you're not sitting home complaining about snow or how it's cold; you're getting in the car with some of your best buddies. It's a great opportunity to shut off life for just a couple hours.”
As part of staying on top of tourism in the Region, the South Shore CVA is always looking to stay ahead of technology without letting the old ways fall to the wayside. This involves creating interesting graphics for events happening in the Region, sending newsletters out via email, and ensuring its website stays up to date. This also includes the occasional bit of slogan editing.
“How people travel today is a little bit different,” said Uran. “That's just technology, and we have to embrace that. With our 40th anniversary, we talked about our 40th anniversary logo, and we produced an acronym within the name itself. We're Forging Opportunities for Residents and Travelers and Youth sports (FORTY) in the Region.”
Of course, behind the scenes is a team of people dedicated to improving life in the Region and making sure there’s always something fun to do. The work the South Shore CVA does today is built on the work that was being performed 40 years ago, 20 years ago, and 5 years ago. Progress is cumulative, and every new administration brings its own unique perspective.
“All the employees and travel counselors who have taken their time to be part of the South Shore, the visitors who come through here, and our board members who have come and gone have all left their mark in a positive way to move the industry of tourism to where it is today,” said Uran. “I'm very fortunate to be able to pick that baton up and try to make the new mark and just leave it better.”
The South Shore CVA is currently crafting an event to celebrate this huge milestone in the organization's history. While all of the details haven’t been finalized yet, Uran is certain that the celebration will be incredible.
“I think it's going to be awesome with our partners and the community itself coming together to celebrate 40 years,” he said. “It’ll really give us an opportunity to tell our story and raise the awareness of what we do.”
To learn more about the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, find something fun to do in the Region, or get involved, visit southshorecva.com.
