It’s our birthday at Midwest Travel Network and we will Dance if we want to!!
“We can’t believe that it’s been 5 years this week that Midwest Travel Bloggers (now Midwest Travel Network) started. It’s been a ride that Sara and I would not have imagined back then. We’ve now grown to just under 800 members! Wow!”–Lisa Dunham Trudell
Yesterday
October 23, 2013 Sara Broers and Lisa Dunham Trudell co-founded Midwest Travel Bloggers. This was primarily a group made of travel bloggers based in the Midwest collaborating, networking and sharing the stories of the Midwest. Now five years later, the organization has evolved into Midwest Travel Network, a group made up of not only writers and bloggers but also the tourism partners working hard to promote their communities.
Over the five years Sara and Lisa have traveled the Midwest together..
They have traveled the Midwest with fellow bloggers…
Midwest Travel Bloggers hosted a gathering at the 2017 Women In Travel Summit…
Midwest Travel Network hosts WITS 2017 gathering at Central Standard Distillery in MIlwaukeeWITS 2017 in Milwaukee, WI Photo Credit: Jason Seagle-
In 2018 Midwest Travel Network presented their first conference, Building Community 2018 in the lovely town of Clear Lake, Iowa. With great response from bloggers, destinations, vendors and sponsors this ground-breaking event will continue to foster connections.
Today
2018 finds the Midwest Travel Network busy and thriving. In pursuit of their mission:
“Midwest Travel Network mission is to connect the writers/bloggers/ influencers with tourism partners to share the great places, eats, and stories of the Midwest.”
Midwest Travel Network offers many opportunities for connection and growth.
Twitter Chats and Facebook Live Shows
If you are looking for inspiration for where to go on your next roadtrip, check out #mwtravel on Instagram and Twitter. Our first venture was the #MWTravel Chat. Both writers and tourism partners learn of travel opportunities and strengthen connections and relationships during these Chats. The #MWTravel Chat happens the first and third Wednesday of every month of Twitter from 11 am- Noon (CST). This is where you can learn more about fun places to visit all across the midwest.
The Twitter Chats have been so successful we started looking to expand the concept into other platforms. Midwest Travel Network is working on creating Facebook Live Shows. These are still in beta, but please hop on and experience one soon. We would love your feedback.
Facebook Groups
Another valuable aspect of Midwest Travel Network is the strong support found on our Facebook Groups. These groups are a great way to share content, find connections and ask questions. Each of these groups has a distinct purpose.
Midwest Travel Network Facebook Page. This is the business page for Midwest Travel Network. Here you will find new and upcoming events, informative posts about the Midwest. The Facebook Live Shows happen here and are archived on this page.
Midwest Travel Network Group is a closed group where members discuss tips, ideas, solutions and upcoming events.
Midwest Travel Bloggers Support Group. This is a members only group where writers share their links to their Midwest posts.
After the first Building Community Conference we realized there were untapped education opportunities for both writers and tourism partners. Midwest Travel Network will start developing these projects over the next several months. Watch for announcements on the website as things progress.
Industry specific tracts
As the business and its membership grows, we discover many ways that we can serve our followers. The homepage and blog of this website will highlight topics, news and events that are important to our entire readership. Midwest Travel Network also believes there is value in developing two separate tracts of content. These will be specifically applicable to either writers or tourism partners. These tracts will appear in the homepage menu as we get them up and running.
Construction
You have probably noticed the website gradually changing. We are working to update the website so that it keeps up with all the new and exciting ventures here at Midwest Travel Network. We appreciate your patience in the interim.
Stay connected to the Midwest Travel Network Future
As you can see there are many exciting developments here at Midwest Travel Network. Be sure to stay-tuned and up-to-date on everything happening. Here are several ways that you can keep informed:
Tune into the twice monthly Twitter Chats #MWTravel
“We can’t believe that it’s been 5 years this week that Midwest Travel Bloggers (now Midwest Travel Network) started. It’s been a ride that Sara and I would not have imagined back then. We’ve now grown to just under 800 members! Wow!”–Lisa Dunham Trudell
2019 Midwest Travel Network Conference
You have probably noticed the website gradually changing. We are working to update the website so that it keeps up with all the new and exciting ventures here at Midwest Travel Network. We appreciate your patience in the interim.