Sister Cities Commission

AGENDA Sister Cities Commission Meeting 5:15 PM - Monday, April 6, 2026 City Hall Council Chambers Page 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 3.1. Approve the March 2, 2026 Sister Cities Commission meeting minutes. 3-4 SCC minutes 03-02-2026 4. FINANCIAL REPORT 4.1. Approve the financial report for the date ending March 31, 2026. 5-6 SISTER CITIES 03.31.26 SISTER CITIES 03.31.2026 General 5. HANS JOOHS CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM 5.1. Outbound Hans Joohs Intern  Ulm, Germany has selected Samuel Blomberg as the 2026 Hans Joohs Cultural Exchange intern.  Samuel has accepted the internship and provided dates to travel to Ulm, Germany from approximately June 8th to August 28th.  Annemarie has been notified of Samuel's dates and a final determination of travel will be determined  Ulm will work on host families and employer intern location 5.2. Inbound Hans Joohs Intern  Jan Rosenberg will serve as the inbound Hans Joohs intern for 2026.  The New Ulm Country Club will serve as the intern location for Jan.  Dates for Jan's internship are to be determined. The country club suggested arrival to New Ulm from July to August.. 5.3. Schedule speaking event with Sertoma for Jan Rosenberg; any first three Wednesdays of the month at the New Ulm Country Club 5.4. Potential Host Families for Jan Rosenberg  Nathan/Shelly Pearson  Dick/Sharon Seeboth  Jim/Konnie Bartels 6. OLD BUSINESS 6.1. Update on collaboration with Brown County Historical Society-Museum on their summer programs (Ellie Sveine) 6.2. Advertising & Promotion Committee (Lorie Jewell/Tamara Furth) 7 - 12  Marketing types used in the past  Marketing types that were most effective; and  Potential new marketing options to consider Page 1 of 12  Sister Cities Advertising and Promotion Plan Draft 2026 - Lorie Jewell 7. ANNOUNCEMENTS 7.1. 2026 Cash Wise Brat Stand Dates (sign up schedules will be sent in the near future)  Tuesday, August 11, 2026; and  Wednesday, August 12, 2026 7.2. The next meeting will be held on Monday, May 4, 2026 at 5:15 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. 8. ADJOURNMENT If someone would like an item discussed at an upcoming Sister Cities Commission meeting, please send an email to lisap@newulmmn.gov so the item can be added to the Agenda. The SCC meets the first Monday of the month. In order for an item to be added to the Agenda, please submit the information five (5) days prior to the meeting. Page 2 of 12 Minutes of the Sister Cities Commission Monday, March 2, 2026 5:15 pm Roll call Members present: Jayne Maday-Hulke, Ellie Sveine, Larry Mack, John Vorwerk, Tony Beranek, Carolyn Marti-Smith, Lorie Jewell, Tamara Furth, and Mayor Kathleen Backer Absent: Meeting Called to Order Jayne Maday-Hulke called the meeting to order at 5:15. Membership Welcome new member Tamara Furth, and Lorie Jewell, new in January. We are very happy to have two new members on the Sister Cities Commission. Approval of Minutes from February 2, 2026 Lorie Jewell made a motion to accept the minutes, second by Tony Beranek. Motion carried. Financial Report ending February 28, 2026 General Fund account balance is $3,570.00, Special Projects Fund account balance is $7,509.00. Ellie Sveine made a motion to accept the report as given in the agenda, second by Carolyn Marti- Smith. Motion carried. Hans Joohs Cultural Exchange Program We are looking for a place of employment for Jan R., the first pick for incoming exchange. Jayne will check with Lisa P. to see about his credentials for working in the US. Lorie Jewell mentioned the fact that he also said he may like working in food service. She brought up the idea of possibly working at Oak Hills Nursing Home food service, as they also have catering that may be interesting for him. We will work on getting this and get back to Ulm, Germany as soon as this is settled. We are waiting for a response from Ulm, Germany about the three candidates we sent to them. Old Business Ellie Sveine and Carolyn Marti-Smith have met with Brown County Historical Society Program Director Christina Koester regarding summer day camps. We will collaborate with their Heritage Chores camp that will be held at the Kiesling House on August 8th 2026, 9:00 – 1:00. We are going to make Spatzle with them. We will be working with 5th – 6th graders. We will also include some very basic German language with them. Tony Beranek stated that he can donate eggs for this project. The dates for our fundraiser at Cash Wise brat stand will be August 11th and August 12th. Page 3 of 12 New Business Lorie Jewell stated that she signed up for the marketing committee; Tamara Furth also said she would help with this committee. Lorie has many ideas and will come back to the group with plan. Adjournment The next Meeting will be held on Monday, April 6th, 2026 at 5:15 pm at City Hall Conference Room. Ellie Sveine told the group that she will be gone so someone will need to take the minutes. A motion to adjourn made by John Verwerk, second by Carolyn Marti- Smith. Meeting adjourned. Minutes submitted by Ellie Sveine. Page 4 of 12  Sister Cities Commission Special Projects Fund For the Month Ended March 31, 2026 Beginning Balance: 1/1/2026 7,693.07 Revenue: Interest 0.00 Other Contributions/Sales 0.00 0.00 Expenses: Other (184.07) (184.07) Ending Balance: 12/31/2026 7,509.00 Detailed Revenue and Expenses Revenue: TOTAL REVENUE $0.00 Expenses: January 2025 SCC Recognition Award Reception -$184.07 TOTAL EXPENSE -$184.07 Page 5 of 12  Sister Cities Commission General Fund For the Month Ended March 31, 2026 Revenues: Budget 0.00 Revenues: 0.00 Budget remaining 0.00 Percent of budget remaining 0% Expenses: Budget 3,570.00 Expenses (440.00) Budget remaining 3,130.00 Percent of budget remaining 88% Total Budget Remaining 12/31/2026 3,130.00 Detailed Revenue and Expenses Revenue: TOTAL REVENUE $0.00 Expenses: March 2026 Sister Cities International Membership -$440.00 TOTAL EXPENSE -$440.00 Page 6 of 12 Marketing Plan: New Ulm Sister Cities Commission DRAFT ONE Marketing Objectives • Increase awareness of the Commission and its mission • Promote cultural exchange program and sponsored events • Grow community participation and volunteer involvement • Strengthen regional recognition of New Ulm’s international connections Target Audiences • Residents of New Ulm and surrounding communities • Families, educators, and students • Cultural enthusiasts and travelers • Local organizations and civic groups • Potential volunteers and donors Core Marketing Channels • Digital: City of New Ulm Website, email newsletters? City of New Ulm social media • Traditional: Newspapers, radio, posters – The Journal, KNUJ do not charge for this service • Community partnerships: Schools, Chamber, nonprofits • Experiential: Cultural events and exchange programs -Maybe host a table at the “Welcome Week” event or the New Ulm Night Out event to raise awareness that we exist in the community. Marketing Timeline & Tactics 1. Foundation & Awareness (Ongoing / 8–12 Weeks Out for Key Events) Goal: Build recognition of the Commission year-round Page 7 of 12 Digital Presence • Maintain a dedicated Sister Cities page on the city website – The Sister Cities has a dedicated page on the city website. New or updated content would need to be emailed city administration for review and revision to the site https://www.newulmmn.gov/302/Hans-Joohs-Cultural-Exchange-Program • Regularly update events, exchange opportunities, and news • Add all activities to community calendars and post on social media. Storytelling • Share: o Sister city relationships o Cultural exchange stories o Photos from past trips and visiting delegations Branding • Develop consistent visual identity (logo usage, colors, messaging) – Sister Cities uses a logo on their letterhead • Create a general “What is Sister Cities?” explainer graphic 2. Awareness Campaign (6–8 Weeks Before Programs/Events) Goal: Educate the public and spark interest Media Outreach • Write and distribute press releases highlighting – send press releases to city administration for review: o Cultural significance o Upcoming exchanges or events • Pitch human-interest stories to local media Community Engagement • Partner with: o Schools (presentations, cultural talks) o Library programs Page 8 of 12  o Civic groups Print Promotion • Create posters promoting: o The Commission itself o Upcoming cultural opportunities 3. Engagement Phase (4–6 Weeks Out) Goal: Encourage participation and connection Social Media Strategy • Launch themed posts: o “Meet Our Sister City” series o Cultural facts, traditions, food, and language o Spotlights on participants or travelers to our Sister Cities Video Content Join programs like Something Artsy which are filmed by NUCAT and talk about up coming event. They are aired for a month before an event. • Share short videos: o Past exchange highlights o Testimonials from participants o Invitations from Commission members Radio & Local Media • Schedule interviews discussing: o The purpose of Sister Cities o Upcoming opportunities to get involved o KNUJ has a standing Community Affairs timeslot that we could request when we have an event to promote. 4. Participation Push (2–4 Weeks Out) Page 9 of 12 Goal: Drive attendance and involvement Event Promotion • Boost posts for: o Cultural events o Visiting delegations, new exchange participants. o Fundraisers or informational sessions (brat stand) Call-to-Action Messaging • Emphasize: o “Get involved” o “Host a visitor” o “Join the Commission” o “Attend a cultural event” Partnerships • Cross-promote with: o Chamber of Commerce o Tourism organizations o City of New Ulm 5. Final Push (1–2 Weeks Out) Goal: Maximize turnout and visibility Media Reminders • Send event reminders to press and radio • Increase frequency of social posts Community Visibility • Encourage partner organizations and members of the commission to share on our personal social media accounts. Direct Outreach Page 10 of 12  • Email reminders to past participants and supporters (Do we have a list of e-mail addresses? • Personal invitations to community leaders, city council other commissions etc. 6. Event / Activity Promotion (Day-Of & During Programs) Goal: Showcase impact and create shareable moments Invite NUCAT to film the event for later broadcast. • Encourage attendees to: o Share photos and tag the Commission • Capture: o Photos and videos for future marketing • Highlight cultural experiences in real-time 7. Post-Event Engagement Goal: Sustain momentum and grow future participation • Share recap posts with photos and highlights • Thank participants, partners, and sponsors • Collect testimonials and stories • Promote next opportunities to engage Key Messaging Themes • Global connections, local impact • Cultural exchange enriches our community • Opportunities for all ages to participate • Pride in New Ulm’s international relationships and cultural heritage Key Promotional Techniques Used Page 11 of 12 This plan leverages your checklist strategies: • Community calendar saturation • Print + digital integration • Strong local media (press + radio) • Social media storytelling and boosting (small cost for boosting posts) • Community partnerships and grassroots outreach • Visual branding and consistent messaging Optional Enhancements • “Passport to the World” campaign (attend multiple events, earn rewards) • Cultural series (food, music, language nights) • Student exchange promotion • Email newsletter dedicated to Sister Cities updates Page 12 of 12