| Welcome to Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce
Greetings!
Good News!!! Our 2009 Chamber goals have been reached! We have developed our 3-5 year Strategic Plan and have established Policies and Procedures.
New this past year:
1. Business Showcase at Echo Lake Inn
2. RSN 12/20 television program with videos added to your enhanced listings!
3. Free web links added to your basic listings.
4. New vendor, Spring River Enterprises producing our Regional Guidebook, Okemo Valley Regional Map and Passport to $avings coupon books.
5. Men of Okemo Valley 2010 Calendar.
6. Scavenger Hunt throughout the Valley
7. Displays at Guilford and Fair Haven Welcome Centers.
8. TravelHost Magazine having an Okemo Valley section - first time!!
9. Monthly LPC-tv Chamber program called "Okemo Valley, Your Place in Vermont" highlighting new businesses and upcoming events.
10. Online lodging booking engine on our website.
11. Monthly newspaper column called "Chamber Corner".
12. Blog added to website next to facebook, twitter, linked in and Merchants Circle.
We're excited about our new Okemo Valley Regional Guidebook. Let us know what you think. It will be shipped to us the first week of December and will be available at our Annual Meeting on December 9th.
Be sure to rsvp to the annual meeting. Our guest speakers will be Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, Linda Rossi from the SBDC and Darcy Carter from the SBA. Learn what resources are available to you.
We now have a blog on our website. If you would like to write on our
blog, please let the Chamber know. We'll give you a name and password!!
During the Holiday Season, several area businesses have band together to raise funds for two local food banks; Black River Good Neighbor Services in Ludlow and the Chester Andover Family Center Food Bank. 12 local businesses have chosen to "almost" bare all to bring food and heat to their neighbors who may have to go without this winter. With an exclusive printing of "The Men of the Okemo Valley 2010 Calendar", the Chamber of Commerce hopes to raise money for these area food banks and other projects throughout the year to promote our Okemo Valley.
The businesses include:
Northern Ski Works
Timber Inn Motel
The Killarney
CZ Construction Management
MacLaomainn's Scottish Pub
Lisai's Chester Market
Pleasant Valley Foods
Cool Moose Cafe
Hunter Lea Gallery and Frame Shop
Stone Heath Inn & Tavern
Misty Valley Books
Blue Sky Trading Company
Calendars will be available for $20 on December 9th after the annual meeting, and December 10th at the above-mentioned businesses and the Chamber office.
On December 16th we will have our Holiday Party and Okemo Valley Calendar Men Reveal from 6-8p at the Cool Moose Cafe in Ludlow. Vote for your favorite month, cutest, bravest, funniest, most courageous, etc. Cool Moose treats and cash bar. Come enjoy a fun evening!!
Last chance to get a coupon page in the "Okemo Valley Passport to $avings" book.
Call the chamber office TODAY. $25 for your coupon page and 3,000 will be printed just in time for Christmas!!!
We are also adding benefits for our M2M benefit card program. New cards are coming out upon receipt of your 2010 dues. Please call the office TODAY if you would like to offer a discount to other chamber members. Go to our website: www.Yourplaceinvermont.com. Click on ABOUT US, Member Benefits and 2010 M2M Benefit Program. Check your offering. If you're not there and want to participate, please call the Chamber office.
Congratulations to Gallery at the Vault for being designated a Vermont State Craft Center!
Save the Date: Our Chambers Legislative Day at the State House is scheduled for January 21, 2010. Please let me know if you would like to join me and meet with your legislators.
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Upcoming Events
12/1 Scottish Country Dance Class at MacLaomainn's Scottish Pub in Chester 7:30pm
12/2 Open Mic night at Curtis' All American Restaurant 8:00pm
12/3 Ludlow Streetscapes meeting 6:30pm
Historical Room at the Library
12/4 Holiday Concert at Weston's Old Parish Church 7:00pm
12/4 Chocolate Lovers Delight with Spencer Lewis at the Gill Home in Ludlow 7pm
12/5 & 12 Chester Overture to Christmas 10am-7pm
12/5 Scavenger Hunt through Chester, Stone Village and Ludlow. 1 prize to be given away every hour beginning at 12noon from the Chamber office.
12/5 Rome Rail Jam at Okemo Mtn Resort Registration begins 8am-10am.
12/5 Old Fashioned Christmas in Weston 11am-5:30pm
12/5 Festival of Lights Auction & Dinner at Jackson Gore Inn. Benefits the Mount Holly Community Historical Museum 6:30pm - 10pm
12/6 Annual Christmas Tea & Sale at St. Luke's in Chester 11am-3pm
12/9 Annual meeting at Gill Home in Ludlow.
Speakers, Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, Linda Rossi from Small Business Development Corporation, and Darcy Carter of the Small Business Administration.
12/11 The Inn at Weston Special Five Course Tasting Menu with Wine Pairings 6:30pm 824-6789
12/11 - 13 Wassail Weekend at Billings Farm in Woodstock
12/11-12 Black River Academy Museum presents 9th Annual Open House and Play "Motley Tales" 6:00pm. 228-5050.
12/12 Mount Holly Craft Fair - Mt. Holly School
9am-4pm
12/12 President Calvin Coolidge Open House
10am-4pm
12/13 Vermont Voices: A Series Presented by Misty Valley Books - Dr. Warner Jones at 4:00pm
12/16 Cool Moose Cafe - "Men of Okemo Valley 2010 Calendar" Revealed!! 6pm-8pm
12/19 Christmas in Mount Holly 4pm at Community Center & Library in Belmont
12/20 & 21 Holiday Open House - Gallery At the Vault 11am-5pm
12/26 Christmas at the Billings Farm in Woodstock
10:00am - 3:30pm
There are so many events in December that we couldn't list them all. Please check our website for details. If you have an event that is not listed on our website, please email sgregg@yourplaceinvermont.com with the details. We'll be happy to post it!
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Membership Committee News
The membership committee met on November 24th. New Chamber Benefits for 2010 will be introduced at the annual meeting.
The member benefit for December is 10% off at Gallery 103
We welcomed 7 new members this month.
Did you know your membership dues are tax deductible?
Your new 2010 M2M Benefit cards and 2010 window clings will be going out in January upon receipt of your 2010 dues.
Contact Laura Tuttle-Williams, Chair of Membership at 802-738-5556 or email: calmmoments@yahoo.com if you would like to join this committee.
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Marketing Committee News
The marketing committee did not meet in November.
2010 Advertising that is in place includes:
JAN/FEB 1/2 page brand ad in Vermont Magazine
65,000 subscribers
MAY-AUGUST Yankee Magazine co-op ad
2.4 million readers. This is for dining establishments and consists of print, one year online and reader response cards.
MAY 1/2 page brand ad in Connecticut Magazine
SUMMER Inside Front and Inside Back Cover of the Vermont Vacation Guide 200,000 subscribers
WINTER Inside front and inside back covers of the
Vermont Vacation Guide 100,000 subscribers
TravelHost Magazine is back and we're looking to provide co-op opportunities. This is for in-state advertising.
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Chamber Mixers
Join us for our monthly Chamber Mixers on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Please mark your calendars NOW!
All mixers are from 5:30pm-7:30pm
December 9 - Annual Meeting at Gill Home - Ludlow
RSVP Chamber office 228-5830. Confirmed Speakers: Secretary of State, Deb Markowitz;
SBA Darcy Carter and Linda Rossi of SBDC.
December 16 - Cool Moose Cafe 6-8.
"Men of Okemo Valley 2010 Calendar" reveal
January 13 - Newsbank Conference Center mixer. Topic: Customer Service interactive presentation presented by Guy Payne, Sr. Consultant with Action to Excellence (ATX), a Vermont based consulting and leadership training company from So. Burlington.
RSVP: Chamber office 228-5830.
January 21 - Legislative Day at the State House
February 10 - anyone want to Host February's mixer?
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Welcome New Members
Pleasant Valley Foods - Proctorsville
Chasse Fine Art Gallery - Chester
Mike Bodi Plumbing & Heating - Chester
Signs by Troy Adams - Ludlow
Express Copy, Inc. - Manchester
Salt Ash Inn - Plymouth
Lawrence & Wheeler - Chester
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NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS:
Crown Point Country Club has their new membership rates out for 2010 and if you pay by December 31, you get 6% off the rate.
Christiane Skinner from the State says:
I'm starting a list of performance venues. What is considered a performance venue? A location where student groups (band and/or choir) can perform for free. They prefer an indoor location and must be in a location where there are other visitors. For example, the Great escape in NY lets the students play 20 minutes at the entrance of the park. It can be at an event, lodging property, attraction.
IMPORTANT Each year, I ask you to supply me with some figures of your motorcoach visits for the current year. I really appreciate each of you that have sent me this information in the past. If you have not done it before, you can send me 2008 and 2009 which should include December. This is the information I need from you:
If you are a lodging property, I would like the number of motorcoach groups that stayed at your property along with a total room nights.
If you are a restaurant, event, shop or attractions, I just need the number of motorcoach groups.
Please let me know and I'll get the info to Christine. Thanks.
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About Our Organization
Our Chamber provides the following member benefits:
*Health Insurance provided by Cigna,
*Dental Insurance provided by Delta Dental,
*Free listing on our website with web link,
*Free listing in our regional guidebook,
*Free placement of your business brochures in our welcome centers in Ludlow and Chester,
*Free monthly chamber mixers,
*Member to member discounts,
*Referrals,
*Co-op advertising,
*Marketing,
*Events publicized,
*And much, much more!!!
Our Mission Statement:
The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit, member-driven organization. It is the voice of its members and the business communities in the Towns of Andover, Cavendish, Chester, Ludlow, Mount Holly, Plymouth and Weston, Vermont. It provides advocacy, support and unified regional marketing to promote and enhance our regional businesses and four-season economy.
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Volume 2, Issue 5
www.YourPlaceInVermont.com
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Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director
Marji Graf
mgraf@yourplaceinvermont.com
Staff
Sandy Gregg, Office Manager
sgregg@yourplaceinvermont.com
Executive Board:
Jim Kubec, President
The Governors Inn
Lynne Reed, Vice President
Misty Valley Books
Maria Tomaselli, Treasurer
Bovine Bookeeping
Bill Dakin, Secretary
Dakin & Benelli
Board Members
Michael Alon
DaVallia Art & Accents
Tesha Buss
Good Commons
Annie Fuji'i
The Village Green Gallery
Sheldon Ghetler
Stone Heath Inn & Tavern
Barb Lemire
Chittenden Bank
Laurie Marechaux
Fletcher Farm School
Ken Saccardo
Spring River Enterprises
Jack Smart
Gigg's Antiques
Laura Tuttle-Williams
Calm Moments Spa Services
Past President
John McAveeney
Sunshine Acres Garden Center
Your Chamber at work for you!
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