Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau

What Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau does

Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau is a non-profit organization that operates as both the area's Visitors Bureau and Chamber of Commerce for Three Lakes, Wisconsin, in the Northwoods region. Founded in 1972 (with the broader community tracing to 1881), the organization employs 1-10 people and is led by Executive Director Jacqui Sharpe. It promotes the Three Lakes area as a year-round outdoor recreation destination, leveraging unique natural assets: 28 interconnected lakes forming the world's largest inland chain of freshwater lakes, 132 miles of state-funded snowmobile trails, and access to 650,000 acres of Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The Bureau serves four primary audiences — tourists and vacationers (primary), prospective residents/relocators, local businesses, and year-round/seasonal residents.

The organization's core platform is threelakes.com, built on the Simpleview CRM infrastructure, providing visitor information across lodging, dining, events, and outdoor activities. It offers free destination guides, trails guides, and annual snowmobile trail maps in both digital and print formats, supplemented by a "Three Lakes Store" e-commerce sub-brand for merchandise. Content marketing channels include the "Beyond the Shores" editorial blog, email newsletter (via Constant Contact and Mailchimp), active social media presence, press releases, and a calendar of community events. Distribution combines a physical Welcome Center at 1704 Superior St. with the comprehensive website serving as the primary information hub.

The revenue model is hybrid: subscription/recurring membership dues from local businesses, an events advertising program, and partner directory listing fees. Visitor-facing services are free (freemium), with no paid tier for end consumers. The Bureau is governed by a Board of Directors (Chamber President Justin Behling referenced historically), has no venture capital or private equity ownership, and participates in regional coalitions including the Oneida County Tourism Council and the seven-county Northwoods Marketing Coalition. Leadership has transitioned multiple times since 2017 (Sarah Flashing, then Collette Sorgel, now Jacqui Sharpe), reflecting the typical stewardship cycle of a small community-based non-profit.

Name

Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau

Legal name

Three Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce

Website

https://threelakes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau is a non-profit organization operating as the Visitors Bureau and Chamber of Commerce for Three Lakes, Wisconsin. It promotes the area's 28-lake chain, snowmobile trails, and national forest access to tourists, prospective residents, local businesses, and community members through its website, visitor guides, events, and partner directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Tourism Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Visitor information services
• Chamber of commerce
• Tourism promotion services
• Community events management

Headquarters

HQ city

Three Lakes

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership/Dues: Chamber of Commerce membership program for local businesses with benefits including directory listing, event advertising program, and marketing support.
2. Events Advertising Program: Advertising opportunity for special events, providing approved events with advertising campaigns managed and funded through the Chamber.
3. Partner Directory Listing Fees: Local businesses pay for or participate in the partner directory and business listings on the website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau is a non-profit destination marketing organization that operates jointly with the Three Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce to promote tourism in the Three Lakes, Wisconsin area. Its core offerings include a comprehensive visitor information website (threelakes.com), free destination and trails guides, a snowmobile trail map, a partner directory of local businesses, an events calendar, the Beyond the Shores blog, and an email newsletter. The Bureau also runs a Chamber of Commerce membership program and event advertising program that local businesses pay to participate in.

Product overview

Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau operates as a unified tourism marketing platform centered on its main website (threelakes.com), complemented by the Three Lakes Store e-commerce site. The core offering includes comprehensive visitor services such as the Trails Guide, Destination Guide, Snowmobile Trail Map, and Events Calendar. Supporting content platforms include the Beyond the Shores Blog and Press Releases/Media Center. The Partner Directory connects visitors with local businesses, while Newsletter Signup and Webcam Services provide ongoing engagement. The organization uses Simpleview CRM platform for partner management and member services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trails Guide Free adventure guide covering hiking, biking, paddling, and other trail activities in the Three Lakes area, available as physical copy by mail or digital download for visitors and tourists.
• Destination Guide Free annual visitor guide providing comprehensive tourism information including lodging, dining, activities, and attractions for the Three Lakes area in Wisconsin's Northwoods.
• Snowmobile Trail Map Annual updated map covering nearly 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails in the Three Lakes-Brule River Trails system, available free to snowmobilers.
• Webcam Services Live webcam feeds showcasing the Three Lakes area, providing real-time visual access for visitors and prospective tourists considering travel.
• Travel Newsletter Signup Email newsletter subscription service providing travel updates, event announcements, and visitor information from the Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau to engaged subscribers.
• Events Calendar Comprehensive online calendar of local events including community activities, concerts, sports events, ski shows, and seasonal celebrations for the Three Lakes area.
• Three Lakes Store E-commerce storefront offering Three Lakes area merchandise and branded goods to visitors and supporters.
• Chamber of Commerce Membership Program Chamber of Commerce membership program for local businesses offering benefits including directory listing, event advertising participation, and marketing support services.
• Events Advertising Program Advertising program for special events in the Three Lakes area, providing approved events with managed and Chamber-funded advertising campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tourism generates $408 million total economic impact in Oneida County (2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Astrea (CCI Systems, Inc.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 January 2021Partnership to bring free public Wi-Fi to Three Lakes, WI. Astrea, a division of CCI Systems of Iron Mountain, MI, partnered with the Chamber to install a Wi-Fi hotspot at Cy Williams Park. This partnership addresses broadband access gaps for community members and remote workers, with Astrea also providing sponsorship support for local initiatives.
• Grow North Regional Economic Development Corp.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with the Chamber to identify areas of most need for broadband access in the Northwoods region as part of the Town of Three Lakes Broadband Support Proclamation initiative.
• Wisconsin Office of Outdoor RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in the DIY Economic Impact Program, a statewide initiative that helps communities measure how outdoor recreation contributes to local economies. Received guidance on data collection, analysis, and report development for the Three Eagle Trail economic impact study.
• Three Eagle Trail FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit foundation managing the 12.7-mile Three Eagle Trail connecting Three Lakes and Eagle River. The trail contributes approximately $2 million in local business activity annually with 10,659 users. The Visitors Bureau supports trail promotion and uses trail data for economic development planning.
• Oneida County Tourism CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Executive Director of Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau serves as Chair of the Oneida County Tourism Council. Collaborates on regional tourism marketing, economic impact data collection, and tourism promotion initiatives across Oneida County.
• Northwoods of Wisconsin Marketing CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition of chambers and visitors bureaus across seven Northwoods Wisconsin counties (Forest, Iron, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida, Price, Vilas) working together on tourism marketing and advocating for state support during challenging conditions (e.g., mild winter impacts).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Simpleview: The CRM/website platform provider used by the Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau; enables and serves the broader DMO industry, including many direct peers on this list.
• Destination Marketing Association International (Destinations International): Industry trade association representing DMOs and visitors bureaus; not a competitor but defines best practices, training, and benchmarks that shape how Three Lakes and its peers operate.

Direct peers

• Door County Visitor Bureau: Wisconsin destination marketing organization promoting an outdoor, lake-and-peninsula tourism economy with seasonal events, lodging directories, and event-driven visitor traffic — directly analogous in mission and model to the Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau.
• Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce: Oneida County partner DMO under the same regional tourism council; comparable membership/event/ad model and shares county-wide tourism economic data with Three Lakes.
• Boulder Junction Chamber of Commerce: Vilas County DMO marketing an adjacent lake-and-forest experience; overlaps with Three Lakes on snowmobile trails, fall colors, and small-town Northwoods lodging inventory.
• Eagle River Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center: Neighboring Northwoods DMO/Chamber in the same lake-and-snowmobile corridor; shares overlapping lakes, trails, and visitor base with Three Lakes and competes for the same Wisconsin drive-to traveler.
• Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce: Adjacent Oneida/Vilas county DMO promoting lake recreation, snowmobiling, and Northwoods lodging — a near-substitute destination within a short drive of Three Lakes.

Broad incumbents

• Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau: Larger-scale Wisconsin destination marketing organization with a much broader family-attraction and waterpark portfolio; serves as the state's flagship DMO benchmark for visitor count, partner programs, and event-driven marketing.
• Travel Wisconsin (Wisconsin Department of Tourism): State-level DMO that funds, markets, and coordinates regional bureaus including Three Lakes' parent coalition — directly comparable in mission (promoting Wisconsin tourism) and partially overlapping content/event promotion.

Regional players

• Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce: Northwoods Wisconsin DMO with similar lake/outdoor-recreation proposition and event calendar (muskie tournament, fall colors), serving the same general drive-to visitor from the Twin Cities/Midwest corridor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/3LakesChamber
• Facebookfacebook.com/threelakeswi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/three-lakes-information-bereau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau