| Welcome to Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce
Greetings!
Thank you for letting me be your executive director for the last two years. It's been an honor and privilege. We, in the Okemo Valley, are fortunate to have such a vibrant place to live and to work. Visitors who come to the Chamber office often say "you are so lucky to live here." Sometimes I think we take it for granted. Your Board of Directors and I look forward to moving our Valley forward maintaining our vision and mission for years to come.
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Congratulations to Pleasant Valley Foods for winning the 1st Prize from the recent Business Plan Competition from the Southern Windsor County Incubator program.
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We
had a very busy June! It began on
June 9th with an energy efficiency panel discussion by our members,
for our members. We all left with
at least one tip we could implement immediately in our home and business.
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Bonnie's
Bundles Dolls and The Hugging Bear Inn in Chester hosted the Little Big Wedding
on June 26th. This
event came from our members working together to create events and promote each
others' businesses.
Other
member-driven events include:
July 10-12
Build
Your Own Heirloom Rocker at Clear Lake Furniture in Ludlow
August 14
Zucchini
Festival in Ludlow
September 10-12
Mini
Cooper Scavenger Hunt throughout the Okemo Valley
September 15th
1pm
OVRCC Golf Tournament at Okemo Valley Golf Club
September 22
Okemo
Valley Business Showcase at Fletcher Farm School-Ludlow 5:30-7:30pm
September 23
& 24
Big
E - Come with me to represent the Okemo Valley and your business. Hours 9a-3p, 3p-9p, both days.
September
27-October 2
The
Big Buzz Chainsaw Carving Festival - Chester
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The
Chamber has a display case in the Guilford & Fair Haven Welcome Centers for the busiest
month-July-showcasing Okemo Valley member businesses.
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We
have 1st quarter 2010 Okemo Valley numbers from the State vs. 2009 -
Lodging was up in February and March from 2009, Meals and Alcohol were up in
all 3 months over 2009.
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SPECIAL PROGRAM:
You
are invited to come to our mixer on August 11 from 5:30-7:30pm at the NEW
President Calvin Coolidge Museum and Education Center. Christine Werneke, Chief Marketing
Officer from the State of Vermont will be sharing the results of the State's branding
study. We are also welcoming the
surrounding areas to join us.
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Our guest on lpctv.org last month was Lisa Curry Mair of Canvasworks Floor Cloths in Weathersfield.
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SAVE
THE DATE: Our Chamber Golf Tournament is scheduled for
Wednesday, September 15th at 1p. Call Mary Knight 228-2260.
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Please check your enhanced listings, category pages, banner ads and videos on our website: Your Place In Vermont for accuracy.
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Okemo Valley Welcomes Governor Douglas
Governor Douglas, Commissioner Hyde & Ambassadors  |
Governor
Jim Douglas and Commissioner Bruce Hyde visited the Chamber Office to
launch
the New Information Ambassador Program on June 14th. "This is among
the first efforts
of its kind in the country to sanction private sector establishments to
be
sanctioned as state information centers," said VDTM Commissioner Bruce
Hyde. We're proud the Okemo Valley
could be the test market for this program.
Our participation will put
us in the national spotlight.
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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 Mixers are from 5:30-7:30pm
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 - guest speaker Christine Wenecke, Chief Marketing Officer, State of Vermont. She will be sharing the results of the State's branding study.
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. $99 table and can be shared.
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:
7/3 Craft Festival at Fletcher Farm School for the Arts & Crafts, Ludlow
7/3 Cavendish Old Home Day, Cavendish
7/4 President Calvin Coolidge Birthday Celebration, Plymouth
7/4 Old Vermont 4th at Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock
7/4 The Weston Playhouse Theater Company's Young Company takes to the road and brings Seussical the musical to Okemo, Ludlow
7/10-12 Build your own Heirloom Rocker weekend at Clear Lake Furniture, Ludlow
7/10-11 8th Annual Race for the Cure Benefit at Motel In the Meadow, Chester
7/19-23 Pottery Camp at Endless Creations Studio, Chester
Please view our website for a complete list of events and times.
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Membership Committee News
The membership committee met on June 29. The membership surveys were reviewed. We had a great cross section of membership participating from services, lodging, dining, and different Towns. Congratulations to our dinner for 2 winners;
Patty Greenwood of The Book Nook won dinner for 2 at the Stone Hearth Inn in Chester; Patrice Johnson of Calm Moments Spa Services won dinner for 2 at The Killarney in Ludlow; and Jim Fuller of Black River Good Neighbors won dinner for 2 at The Inn at Weston or Cafe at the Falls in Weston.
Consensus is people liked our advertising, especially the inside front and back covers of the Vermont Vacation Guides. 75% of respondents have not taken advantage of our free educational programs and 65% of you have not used your M2M Benefit card. Those that did saved between $25 and $250. If you need a card let us know. 64% did not want an additional morning mixer and 92% do not want to go to Tuscany. (We'll plan on Ireland for May 2011). 47% said business was up 1st quarter 2010 vs. 1st quarter 2009, 25% down and 20% flat. That corresponds to the State's numbers for our 7 Okemo Valley towns in which Lodging was up in both February and March over 2009, Alcohol was up in all 3 months over 2009 and meals were up in all 3 months over 2009.
*Don't forget to refer a new member to the Chamber to get your FREE 6-month banner ad!
* 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 or to add a benefit, please call or email the chamber.
Don't forget to come to our next mixer on July 14th at 5:30p at Good Commons in Plymouth. Feel free to bring a guest. RSVP the Chamber office.
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Marketing Committee News
The marketing committee met on June 29th. We reviewed the website and are constantly updating and making it better. If you have an enhanced listing, you can now add more text and pictures. See this Example. Every member now has their own page. Send Marji pictures and text. You can even put your restaurant menu up. Lodging, for $50/year you can have your property listed on the top of our Check Availability page through Availability Online. Call Julie at 802-774-1124.
Have you seen our Media Page?
We are working on a "2011Taste for every season dining calendar" from the Okemo Valley. Restaurants can choose a month, choose a seasonal dish, recipe and possible wine pairing. Call the Chamber office to reserve your month today.
We also reviewed 2011 trade shows. We're looking at the NY Times Travel Show and the Boston Globe trade show in February as well as the Big E. Let us know if you would like to participate.
The lodging committee is reviewing a presentation from Orbitz...more to come.
We need more blog writers. Call the Chamber if you can write something on our blog once or twice a month.
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Advertising/Media update
We're taking reservations NOW for the Summer 2011 Vermont Vacation Guide inside front and back covers. This is to get business into the State and into our area. 200,000 distribution.
Deadline August 13, 2010. $606.25
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Welcome New Members
CoZi Repro - Rutland
Farm & Wilderness Foundation - Plymouth
Deborah Habicht LLC - Mount Holly (you can visit Deborah and Armand at the Ludlow Farmer's Market on Friday.
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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!!!
DID YOU KNOW? Individuals who are enrolled in both our CIGNA Healthcare program and our Northeast Delta Dental program by July 31 will receive a $50 reward check at the end of the year. That's basically a free month of dental coverage for a single-person plan. What do you, the employer, have to do to make them eligible? Just fill out a form. No cost, no obligation.
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 3, Issue 1
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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