It will if you subscribe to the simplistic “Field of Dreams” credo: “If you build it, they will come.” But more realistic observers would say that completion of the $150-million Potawatomi project represents only one part of the tourism puzzle – the need for additional first-class hotel rooms in the city.

Seldom has the downtown Milwaukee area seen so much hotel construction. Work on the new 200-room Downtown Marriott started late in 2011, a new 128-room Hilton Garden Inn near the Marriott site should begin to emerge soon and construction is progressing on a new boutique hotel in the old Pabst Brewery complex. If the stalled Staybridge Inn on N. Water Street is completed by a new owner, almost 1,000 new hotels rooms will be added by the time the Potawatomi hotel opens in 2014.

Potawatomi officials emphasized that they believe 90% of the visitors using the new casino hotel will be visitors who are not currently spending a night at an existing hotel. In other words, the new hotel will not be as much of a competitor for existing travelers as one might expect. The same argument was made by Marriott developers. They may be correct, but only if  several other developments take place as the new hotels rise:

• The Frontier Airlines convention center must be expanded. When it replaced the old Mecca facility, the city’s convention center was lauded as up-to-date and attractive. Trouble is, it really wasn’t much larger than the old center. The land is there to expand the center;  financing is the issue. Increasing the already high rental car tax or the hotel tax rate are ridiculous options. They negatively impact the visitors the center and the city are trying to attract. Coming up with suitable financing for an expansion of the center will require some real creativity and leadership.

• The city also must do something to clean up the area west of the Milwaukee river to the convention center and beyond to Marquette University. The floundering Shops of Grand Avenue and the string of empty buildings on the north side of Wisconsin Avenue require attention now. With the hotel room portion of the equation in place, the city needs to form public-private partnerships to rejuvenate this critical area that stands like a roadblock between the convention center and the Historic Third Ward, East Town and the lakefront.

• Attitudes toward the private sector of the economy must begin to change. Private investors are building the hotels,  just as private investors developed the Lake Express High Speed Ferry and Discovery World. And private philanthropists provide the bulk of the funds for the Milwaukee Art Museum and other institutions which make Milwaukee a true destination. Everyone knows that essential services like public safety are the responsibility of government. But the days of government spending on public art and other non-essentials are over and public officials should make that clear. Other cities with much less to offer have vaulted over Milwaukee in recent years by working with private developers, rather than putting roadblocks in their path.

The Potawatomi announcement is one of the most positive developments in recent memory and goes a long way to meeting hotel-room needs. Now, public officials need to work with leaders of the private sector to resolve the other issues standing in the way of Milwaukee becoming the world-class destination it should be.

We see no reason for the Art Museum to modify its comprehensive look at 3,000 years of Chinese art, one of the most outstanding programs developed here or at any other U.S. art museum. See it. We think you’ll agree.

Ignore the protesters. Your Summer of China is another example of what a well-run, world-class art museum should be doing.

Again you have put Milwaukee at the top of the art world. The centerpiece of the Summer of China, “The Emperor’s Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City,” has been seen only in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. From Saturday until Sept. 11, it will be in Milwaukee before returning to China.

If the distinction of being only one of three museums to host the exhibition weren’t enough, Keegan and his staff have assembled four complementary exhibitions, expanding significantly on both the Peabody Essex and Met presentations.

“On Site: Zhan Wang” brings a monumental 21st century sculpture by Zhan Wang into Windhover Hall under the wings of the Calatrava addition. “Warriors, Beasts and Spirits” takes visitors back into the Han, Tang and Ming dynasties through the collection of a Wisconsin native. “Emerald Mountains” is one of the most comprehensive collections of modern Chinese ink paintings in the West. The fourth complementary exhibit, “Way of the Dragon” explores the Chinoiserie style of ornamentation, and is the only part of the Summer of China to open later on June 30.

Simply stated, the Summer of China is world class. It’s something that won’t be seen in Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco or LA.

Through the leadership of Keegan and programs like the Summer of China, the Milwaukee Art Museum and its renowned Calatrava addition remain at the forefront of the world art scene. In addition, by charging nothing extra for special exhibits like the Summer of China, the museum has made great art accessible to every resident and visitor.

Protesters, spurred on by the media, argue that the detention of an outspoken Chinese artist by the current government in China should cause museums to cut back on cultural exhibitions from that country or at least modify them to include the issue they champion. To us, that would be like adding a discussion of the current political situation in Egypt to the recently departed “Mummies” exhibition at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

It’s a mock controversy that detracts from the historical significance and beauty of the Summer of China.

Keep up the good work Director Keegan.

The “Picture the Fun” campaign developed by the department and its agency, Laughlin Constable, is outstanding in many ways.

• The first three of many planned 30-second television spots are crisp and to the point. In the Milwaukee spot, a young couple visiting Milwaukee takes in the Calatrava, Lake Michigan and, yes, the statue of the “Fonz” on Milwaukee’s RiverWalk. A cameo by actor Henry Winkler is included, but the spot does not depend on the Fonz. It focuses on the many fun activities in Milwaukee and the pictures that can be taken…probably by a smartphone.

• Two other 30-second spots are aimed at family fun throughout the state and the many activities for “empty nesters.” They are equally well done and continue the “picture the fun” approach.

All three spots are polished, emphasize snapshots and contain no dialog. The pictures are definitely worth thousands of words. In addition, the campaign features Wisconsin talent, production crews, musicians and background music created by Wisconsin artists. It’s a refreshing change from the campaign that had to be redone because permission had not been granted to use of a non-Wisconsin soundtrack.

• While It is not unusual for the state to look south to the big Chicago market, the way Wisconsin does it in this campaign is somewhat groundbreaking. For the first time, print messages will fill the ceilings of Chicago buses. Again it’s the “Wisconsin is Fun” message, written larger than life. The best of the bus ceilings is a look at fish and someone fishing… from the bottom of a lake. Side panels also will be used, but the Wisconsin ceilings are sure to wake up riders and get them thinking of all the fun available in Wisconsin.

• The campaign also is linked to social media, recognizing that visitors share their “fun” experiences on Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in and other platforms. Some print presentations cleverly mimic social media sites and should encourage “Wisconsin is Fun” to go viral around the country and the world.

• The common thread of the campaign are photos of all the activities available in Wisconsin. The state takes that one step farther by encouraging visitors to submit their favorite pictures in an ongoing contest. The plan calls for the best of the photos to be used on billboards, in print and even television commercials of the future.

The Walker Administration states frankly that much of the research behind “Picture the Fun” was done in the previous administration. For example, a Harvard Business School report revealed that “70% of all (social) actions are related to viewing pictures or other people’s profiles.” Tourism professionals, however, correctly question whether the previous administration, which closed all of the state’s visitor centers, was capable of turning that research into a viable program.

In moving forward so rapidly on the new campaign, Department of Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett and her exceptional deputy director, Dave Fantle, have shown they know how to implement as well as research a strong marketing program. “Our campaign will hit the mark for travelers by appealing to the emotional experiences that come with a Wisconsin vacation,” says Klett. “Our goal is to inspire travelers and make it easier for them to find fun this summer.”

Their boss, Gov. Scott Walker, has long been a proponent for tourism because of its economic impact on the state and local communities. “The Department of Tourism’s primary focus is to market the state and grow the tourism economy, ultimately creating jobs through effective marketing,” says Walker. “The creative platform we’re rolling out will enable us to effectively compete for tourism dollars and meet those objectives.”