SIM Partners Releases Enjoy Illinois Android App

CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2011 — SIM Partners, a full-service digital marketing agency and leading developer of mobile apps for destination marketing organizations (DMOs), today announced that "Enjoy Illinois," the official travel app of the Illinois Office of Tourism, is now available for Android smart phones.

The Android app, created through a partnership with the Illinois Office of Tourism, SIM Partners and JWT Chicago, is now available for free download.

"Mobile phones with the Android system are increasingly popular in the consumer market, with more than 550,000 being activated a day," said Jon Schepke, President, SIM Partners, developer of the app. "We’re thrilled to build on the success of the Enjoy Illinois iPhone app by making this best-in-class pocket tour guide accessible to Android users as well."

Since its launch in August, the iPhone app has been used in 37 different countries and 45 U.S. states, with 80 percent of usage occurring within Illinois.

With its robust content and GPS-driven features, Enjoy Illinois offers a fun and easy way to experience Illinois, while making sure visitors don’t miss a thing along the way. Key features include:

• NEAR ME: Tap this option to see attractions nearby your location that can be filtered by interest to reveal popular hot spots or hidden gems worth a visit.
• BROWSE BY INTEREST: Filter more than 10,000 attractions in seconds for travel inspirations categorized by dining, shopping, nightlife and other special interest categories.
• BROWSE BY REGION: Explore the regions of Illinois by tapping a map to discover each area’s top cities and attractions, allowing easy exploration of every "mile after magnificent mile." 
• MY TRIPS: Create a detailed, custom trip itinerary that can be accessed later, even without a data connection.
• EVENTS: Discover festivals and events happening around you.
• DEALS: Find money-saving deals throughout Illinois on everything from hotels to dining.
• SHARE: Connect with Facebook, Twitter or e-mail to share your itinerary and post info on the attractions you’re visiting. 

Consumer reviews of Enjoy Illinois have been overwhelmingly positive:

A great app (Five Stars) "A nice travel application with so many essential information. Convenient and easy to use is what I love about the app, good design!"

Wow (Five Stars) "Very useful. Makes we want to live in Illinois!"

Enjoy Illinois (Five Stars) "So glad I heard about this app on new radio. I love finding new places to go & this is such a time saver. Well designed & easy to use!"

Thank you Enjoy Illinois (Four Stars) "This is a great app, I really like the information on Events & Deals…. nice job!"

SIM Partners has extensive roots in the travel industry and more than a decade of experience helping leading companies in travel, financial services, retail, restaurant, home services and other industries increase their marketing ROI through mobile marketing, search engine marketing and social media strategies. The agency specializes in apps that engage users with relevant content and rich functionality and provide real-time tracking and reporting features for better decision-making and results.

About SIM Partners

SIM Partners, based in Chicago, IL, is a full service, interactive marketing agency specializing in innovative, ROI-driven solutions that help companies cost-efficiently acquire customers through the use of mobile marketing, search engine marketing and social media strategies.  SIM Partners’ offerings include a Local Search Platform (LSP), paid search, search engine optimization, social media marketing, text messaging, mobile application development, video production, optimization & distribution.  For more information, visit http://www.simpartners.com.

About IOT

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism manages industry efforts that result in sustainable and significant economic and quality-of-life benefits for Illinois residents.

SOURCE SIM Partners