| Welcome to Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce
Greetings!
At the Chambers February Board of Director meeting, the marketing committee proposed a change of vendors for our current website. It was decided that we would move our website from Silvertech to Got2Web in Rutland. Nothing will change on the front end, and will allow Chamber staff complete control of the back end. What does that mean? We can add packages, specials, pictures, move things around, do everything in house that we were paying Silvertech to do. We will have a user friendly calendar as well as search function.
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ChamberMail, our direct mail piece to new homeowners will close out in one more week due to the storm last week. 3 parts include:
1. MAILER: Direct Mail brochure into the hands of 2000* new residents 2-4 weeks after they move to your area.
2. DATABASE: Monthly database to advertisers of all new residents mailed to in that month.
3. INTERNET: ChamberMail Links, a FREE online coupon program driving new resident traffic to your Chamber site, allowing new residents to sign-up to receive periodical ChamberMail ad offers from you.
THIS IS A GREAT DEAL!
Costs: $199, $249, $449, and $499 for the entire year-long program (not a monthly cost). A $199 ad places your business and service in front of 2000 new residents for less than 10cents per household. Call Jen Maxwell 1-888-531-6775 ext 6 asap!!
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We had two successful winter carnivals, both in Ludlow and Chester. Great job everyone!
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We had a successful "Let's Make A Deal mixer on 2/10 at the Green Mountain Banquet and Conference Center in Chester. Thanks Jack for making us feel so welcomed. Members created packages that we took to the New York Times Travel Show from 2/26-28 where we handed out our Regional Guides, Regional Maps, coupon books and special packages from the Okemo Valley.
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Two towns in the Okemo Valley, Plymouth and Ludlow, as well as the 2010 Calendar Men, were featured on the television program "Chronicles" that aired out of Boston on 2/15. The calendar also was promoted on WEZN radio in Fairfield county.
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My guests on lpctv this month were Deb Guillow from The Wellness Center talking about her "day of giving" on March 9 and Mark Verespy of The Killarney about St. Patrick's Day activities. You can view the program online at www.lpctv.org
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Please come to our next Chamber mixer on 3/10 at Hawk Inn and Mountain Resort. We will learn about email marketing from Constant Contact. rsvp Chamber office 228-5830.
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The State will be coming down to the Okemo Valley on 4/13 9-12n to the Green Mountain Banquet & Conference Center (Am. Legion complex) for an Ambassador training and roll out of the Vermont Information signs for businesses.
After this Ambassador training, interested businesses will be able to take an online test. Once they pass, they will earn their Ambassador pin and be able to have a blue Vermont Information sign at their location. Here is the criteria:
Businesses and organizations that participate in the VDTM Ambassador Training program will have the opportunity to serve as an informal traveler information provider. The business/organization will be provided with a simple sign that will alert the traveling public that the location will provide basic unbiased information. The sign under consideration is either the blue ? or the new federally adopted blue info sign. The business/organization agrees to:
Maintain an inventory of Official State Maps
Maintain an inventory of Vermont Guidebooks
Provide a bathroom facility
Be friendly and hospitable
Answer questions as unbiased as possible
Refer travelers to the Chamber office or after hours 1-800- VERMONT or www.vermontvacation.com (where available)
Businesses/organizations need to comply with local sign ordinances when displaying the welcome signage. We will encourage local chambers to help with compliance of participating businesses/organization.
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SAVE THE DATE: Our Chamber Golf Tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, September 15th at 1p.
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Chamber Mixers & Special Programs
Join us for our monthly Chamber Mixers on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Please mark your calendars NOW!
All mixer times are from 5:30pm-7:30pm
We need door prizes!!!!
March 10 - Constant Contact training at the Hawk Inn and Mountain Resort in Plymouth. YOU MUST RSVP. We need 50 people to participate. You can always learn something new!!
April 13 - Ambassador training 9-12n Green Mountain Banquet & Conference Center- Learn how Okemo Valley is a "test" market for this program.
April 14 - Mixer at William Austin Antiques in Chester
May 12 - Bella Luna mixer with Collette Tours
Click on link for information re: our Tuscany trip 11/4-13/2010
www.collettevacations.com/group-page/index.cfm?ID=388736
June 9th - Efficiency Vermont panel discussion Cornerstone Room at Jackson Gore Inn-Ludlow
Do you have a story to share???
July 14 - Social Media mixer at Good Commons
How to facebook, twitter - bring your laptops
August 11 - President Calvin Coolidge Museum and Education Center in Plymouth Notch
September 8 - Bryant House in Weston
September 15 - OVRCC Golf Tournament - Okemo Valley Golf Course - 1pm shot gun start
September 22 - Business Showcase at Fletcher Farm School for the Arts & Crafts. Call the Chamber office to reserve your booth space. Now accepting spaces.
September 23 & 24 - Big E in Springfield, MA
October 13 - Stone Hearth Inn & Tavern, Chester
November 10 - Okemo Mountain Resort - date not confirmed yet
December 8 - Annual Meeting at The Fullerton Inn in Chester
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Upcoming Events:
3/2 Maple Sugar Tours begin with Vermont Backroad Tours
www.vermontbackroadtours.com
3/5-7 Quilter's Workshops & Retreats at Waterwheel House Quilt Shop www.waterwheelhouse.typepad.com
3/6 No Sales Tax Day
3/6 Spring Demo Day at Okemo www.okemo.com
3/6 Green Mountain Festival Series - Ignat Solzhenitsyn @ 7:30pm
www.greenmountainfestivalseries.com
3/7 VerMardigras Night at Okemo Mountain Resort
7pm-11pm www.okemo.com
3/9 Day of Giving at The Wellness Center
Call Debra at 228-1270
3/10 Chamber mixer at Hawk Inn & Mountain Resort
Program begins at 5:30pm Email marketing with constant contact
RSVP Chamber office 228-5830
3/12 - 14 Cheese Makers Weekend at Inn at Weathersfield www.weathersfieldinn.com
3/17 The Killarney St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Scavenger Hunt & Apres Ski Party
www.killarneyludlow.com
3/26-28 Maple Open House weekend 9am-5pm
Green Mountain Sugar House www.gmsh.com in Ludlow;
Mitch's Maples in Chester 228-5242 and
Sugarbush Farm www.sugarbushfarm.com in Woodstock
for a complete list and more details go our our event calendar http://yourplaceinvermont.com/weddings-and-events/calendar-of-events.aspx
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Membership Committee News
The membership committee met on February 19th at 8:30p at Java Baba's in Ludlow. We discussed the benefits of the Chamber to its existing members as well as recruiting new members. Okemo Valley Chamber is a membership driven organization and we need to increase membership in order to increase benefits. We would like to start a new Business Breakfast group meeting once a month possibly on a Tuesday morning. Some members cannot make our 5:30-7:30pm mixers, so this is another way for members to network.
Anyone interested in a breakfast "mixer" should call Laura at 802-738-5556 or email calmmoments@yahoo.com with thoughts and suggestions.
DID YOU KNOW???
* We have a year of NEW education programs available for all members? Please look under Chamber Mixers below.
* Our Website is being changed to become more user friendly. Launching April 2010.
* Any Chamber member that is new to advertising with The Message will get 2 FREE ads within a 3 month period!
* If you refer a new business to become a chamber member YOUR business gets a FREE banner ad on the chamber website for 6 months.
* We have new videos available on the website.
* You can SAVE hundreds of dollars by using your M2M benefit card at local Okemo Valley businesses!
To get more information about any of these benefits please call or email the chamber.
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Marketing Committee News
A meeting of the marketing committee was held on February 23. Last minute preparations were made for the NY TImes Travel Show. We reviewed our strategic plan and are looking at more ways to make our new website user friendly - interactive maps, reciprocal links, pdf menus, video blogs, reciprocal banners, media page with magazine covers and links to our members ads.
We are also looking into the VT Route 100 Byway program and would like to know if you would like to be on this committee. For more information click on this link.
We are also excited about Okemo Valley being a 'test market' for the VT Info signs program. Come to the Ambassador training on 4/13 at the Green Mountain Banquet & Conference Center in Chester from 9-12n to learn more.
We need pictures for our Chamber website and guidebooks. Please email to sgregg@yourplaceinvermont.com
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Legislative Update
While most legislative leaders have pledged to focus on job creation, the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs heard testimony again this week on H.382, a bill to mandate the accrual of time so that workers can take paid leave from work to address issues related to health care or safety for themselves or a family member.
Entitled "paid health care time" the bill as introduced would allow employees to accrue one hour of "paid health care time" for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 56 hours annually to be carried over from year to year. Employees could use this leave for a wide range of physical or mental health care needs as well as for caring for a sick or injured child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, spouse, stepchild, foster child, or ward of the employee who lives with the employee. Additionally, it could be used to obtain services for the employee or relative who is a victim of domestic or sexual violence, when the absence is directly related to social or legal services.
We are developing the letter below to submit to the legislature on behalf of Vermont businesses. If you are interested in signing your name, please email libey@vtchamber.com with the name of your business and the county in which you are located.
Here's the letter:
"We, the undersigned businesses and organizations, oppose H.382, the proposal to provide paid health care time to employees.
During these uncertain economic times, employers are facing many challenges as we try to maintain employment levels. We appreciate the statements in press reports about the Legislature's focus on job retention and creation however, H.382 will not help in that endeavor. In fact, this bill sends a message to the job providers of this state that there is little understanding of the difficulty Vermont businesses are experiencing.
Many of the businesses listed below already have paid time off and/or sick leave policies to cover the circumstances listed in H.382. Adding this additional mandate will cause us to revisit these policies so as not to have a negative impact on our businesses. Currently, as employers who value their workers, we accommodate their needs within the parameters of our business needs and therefore oppose H.38."
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Welcome New Members
The Mountain Times - Killington
www.mountaintimes.info
Timeshare Resale Rental - Dover, NH
www.sellmytimesharenow.com
Vermont Wedding Association - Procter
www.vermontweddingassociation.com
Got2Web, LLC - Rutland
www.got2web.com
The Message For The Week - Chester
802-875-4790
New Member Benefit:
Any new Chamber member as of 3/1/2010 or new advertiser to The Message, receives 2 free 1/8 page ads.
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NEWS:
Congratulations to Allen Pools & Spas. They received the Highest Retail Honor From Hot Springs Spas in February.
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Okemo Valley towns of Plymouth and Ludlow aired on the tv show Chronicles out of Boston on 2/15 at 7:30pm
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The 27th Annual Vermont Travel Industry
Conference will be held on April 7 &
8, 2010 at the Stoweflake Resort in Stowe, Vermont. The event will feature
compelling keynote speakers, pertinent workshops on industry topics and trends,
and a trade show featuring over 30 exhibitors who sell products or services to
the tourism industry. For more
information on participating in the event and to register, please visit the
Vermont Travel Industry Conference website at www.vtic.org
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2010 Business Plan Competition is underway. The current or proposed business must be physically located within the municipalities of Cavendish, Chester, Ludlow, Springfield, Weathersfield and Windsor, VT. Executive Summary is due April 15th at 4pm. For more information, please contact:
Southern Windsor County Incubator (SWCI)
14 Clinton Street, Springfield, VT 05156
Tel (802) 885-3061 ~ Fax (802) 885-3027
www.SWCIncubator.org
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Wedding Committee:
The wedding committee met on February 12 at 1:30p at Cool Moose Cafe. We discussed the wedding and meeting section of our website, what we want it to look like and what features we could add for our new website. Please check it out www.yourplaceinvermont.com
Member Benefit: Judy from the Vermont Wedding Association is planning a wedding event at the Jackson Gore Inn on Sunday, October 24th. Doors open 11:30am. Tables for chamber members are 10% off and The Chamber will have a table for small businesses to share.
www.vermontweddingassociation.com
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Our Customer Promise:
Our guiding coalition met on 2/11 at 1:30p at the Cool Moose Cafe to give feedback to Guy Payne on the Customer Service Program. We reviewed the role of the Coalition and potential areas to develop and expand beyond training initiatives. For example, "What can be done to raise the customers' expectations with regard to our Promise? Also, sharing of new small signs of success. What are you seeing that can be shared and talked about. Let us know your thoughts. We'd love to hear from you.
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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 Vision Statement:
The Okemo Valley region, consisting of the Towns of Andover, Cavendish, Chester, Ludlow, Mount Holly, Plymouth and Weston, is recognized as a four-season sustainable Vermont destination to be enjoyed by all.
The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce is recognized as an organization providing leadership, support and services vital to the health and future growth of the member businesses in the communities that we serve.
Chamber members are ambassadors for the Okemo Valley region, promoting the area as a vibrant place to live and to visit.
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 8
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:
President
William Dakin
Dakin & Benelli
Vice President
Lynne Reed
Misty Valley Books
Treasurer
Maria Tomaselli
Bovine Bookeeping
Secretary
Barb Lemire
Chittenden Bank
Board Members
Jessica Alberty
Hawk Inn & Mountain Resort
Michael Alon
DaVallia Art & Accents
Tesha Buss
Good Commons
Liz Crowley
CZ Construction Management
Annie Fuji'i
The Village Green Gallery
Sheldon Ghetler
Stone Heath Inn & Tavern
Brian Halligan
Okemo Mountain Resort
Laurie Marechaux
Fletcher Farm School
Laura Tuttle-Williams
Calm Moments Spa Services
Mark Verespy
The Killarney
Past President
Jim Kubec
The Governor's Inn
Your Chamber at work for you!
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