Guess the First Ship and Win
Port of Green Bay and PCVCB team up for contest

GREEN BAY, Wis.
March 7, 2006

Green Bay, WI – It won’t be a tall ship, but it won’t be long before the first ship of the season makes its way into the Port of Green Bay signaling the start of another shipping season.

Once again this year, the Port of Green Bay and Packer Country Visitor & Convention Bureau are partnering on a contest that embraces the age-old tradition of guessing the day the first ship will arrive in port.

The actual date can certainly vary due to the weather and other shipping factors. Will it be next week? Will it be next month? No one knows for sure until that first vessel makes its way into the Green Bay shipping channel.

The person who comes closest to picking the date and time of the first ship’s arrival will win a special Port of Green Bay prize package, which includes:

• A limited edition Edmund Fitzgerald print by Gillette. It’s a beautiful watercolor rendition of the famous ship in the middle of the tragic storm.
• The first-ever interactive explorer CD-Rom on the Edmund Fitzgerald. The CD-Rom includes the most video ever released from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s resting place, animated theories of the ship's final moments, exclusive interviews from all the expeditions, and exclusive film of the ship's construction.

To place your guess and have a chance to win, go to the Packer Country Web site, www.packercountry.com, click on the “First Ship Contest” photo on the home page and follow the instructions.

The shipping industry is significant for the Port of Green Bay and the Packer Country region. Each year, an average of 200 ships pass through the port, bringing coal, wood pulp, cement, limestone, salt and other products to supply the region. During a typical shipping season, more than 2 million tons of cargo move through the Port of Green Bay.

And this summer, there will be ships of a different kind visiting the area. The Port of Green Bay will be host to the 2006 Baylake Bank Tall Ship Festival. The event takes place July 27-31. A fleet of at least ten ships is expected.

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Packer Country Visitor & Convention Bureau is the regional destination marketing organization committed to improving the visitor experience and increasing the economic impact of tourism to its communities. For more information call 888-867-3342 or visit us online at www.packercountry.com.