As the innovator of the “Lambeau Leap,” LeRoy Butler is accustomed to setting trends. Now, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame safety is here to advise visitors about the best places to eat and sites to see in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

An artificial intelligence-powered version of the star athlete is one QR scan away from travelers in Brew City.

Seeking to take the ubiquitous AI chatbot, available on most DMO websites, to the next level, Visit Milwaukee engaged with the football legend about this one-of-a-kind offering.

“I haven’t seen any other destinations doing anything like this,” said Claire Koenig, Visit Milwaukee’s vice president of communications and advocacy.

Countdown to Kickoff

How it works is that QR codes have been placed around the Greater Milwaukee area. Anyone with a smartphone can scan one, which, like a genie in a bottle, summons Butler’s avatar. The AR version of Butler then serves as a tour guide, sharing recommendations and answering questions.

Visit Milwaukee debuted the technology at Connect Marketplace in August in Miami. As proof of his commitment to the role as de facto ambassador and tour guide to Milwaukee, Butler spent a day at the Visit Milwaukee booth during the trade show.

The launch coincided with the kickoff of the NFL season, noted Josh Albrecht, the DMO’s chief marketing officer.

Albrecht said the idea first came to his team when the National Football League awarded Green Bay the 2025 NFL Draft.

Milwaukee, about a two-hour drive from Green Bay, has always been the Packers’ home away from home, Albrecht noted. In fact, the team used to play some home games in the city and it’s hard to find a local who doesn’t cheer the cheeseheads on.

Butler, who retired from pro football in 2001 and was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 2022, now lives in Milwaukee. He is an active member of the community, serving as a spokesperson for various nonprofit organizations and other local entities.

By the time Butler came into the Visit Milwaukee offices (loaded with Packers swag, naturally), he was already working with a tech company on creating an AI likeness of himself. That’s when Albrecht knew “we had a perfect marriage.”

Milwaukee: A Sports City

The avatar sounds and talks like Butler, so users are getting as close to an authentic experience as they can get without his actually being there. Members of the DMO team toured the city with Butler so he could become better acquainted with key sites like the famed Milwaukee Art Museum and the Baird Center and surrounding Wisconsin Center District.

“He’s able to speak from his own experiences and recommend the locations he enjoys,” said Albrecht.

To ensure accuracy, the AI only pulls information from the Visit Milwaukee website and Baird Center’s website.

The program is geotargeted so recommendations reflect the part of the city guests are visiting at that moment. It is currently optimized for meeting and sports tourism business, and will expand by January 2026 to support leisure travelers as well.

This initiative is in line with Visit Milwaukee’s tradition of blending local culture and innovative marketing.

Past projects have included a citywide NFT scavenger hunt created with Summerfest Tech, as well as the launch earlier this year of an immersive drone tour of the newly expanded Baird Center.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. and Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich are also ambassadors for the city.

Photo Credit: Visit Milwaukee