Welcome to Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce
Greetings! Here we grow again!!! After a year and one month we received our Scenic Route 100 Byway designation! Our byway runs 38 miles from Andover to Pittsfield. Scenic Route 100 Byway passes through several scenic, natural, historic, cultural, and recreational opportunities. Along this route people can enjoy Vermont mountains and valleys, rivers and streams, ponds and lakes, and historic village centers. Having a byway pass through several towns in and around the Okemo Valley will not only create more recreational activities, but will also help promote business for our local economy. Byway maps will be presented at trade shows and welcome centers for both locals and visitors to enjoy. Our next step is to obtain a grant to help create a logo, marketing materials, brochures, website and signage. Our phase 2 goal is to continue it north to hook up with the Mad River Byway and south to connect with the Molly Stark Byway. ### Village designations - Both Ludlow and Chester are finalizing their applications for Village Center designation. Our next step would be to make them wireless zones. Ludlow is being done as part of the e-vermont grant and we're working with the SWCRPC to help our other communities, in developing a broadband plan, identifying needs, and strategies to address those needs. ### We are creating an economic development video for the Okemo Valley. The goal is to interview existing businesses to identify why it's fun to live and work here. We want to attract like-minded businesses to our area. We will run this video loop on our website, at trade shows and fairs, and have on hand to send to interested parties. ### Chester Bridge update: The Chamber has been working with our legislators over the last two years, the State of Vermont, the Town of Chester, the business community, other Chambers, and ChesterUnited, to coordinate signage, brochure, and map distribution, so we have a coordinated marketing effort for when the bridges close. The State, along with the Town of Chester are having signs and maps made for the Interstate and exit ramps of Exits 6 and 7. The Chamber will push the information out on our mobile app, website, and other Chamber sites. We secured a display case for Chester businesses at the Guilford Welcome Center for the month of July. The Vermont Country Store is handling press releases and will be building and staffing a Visitor Information Center at their Rockingham location for dissemination of information. ChesterUnited is having maps, posters and flags made. Businesses and residents can display them to give the town a visual unity. ChesterUnited is asking for a $10 donation towards the costs. Gallery 103 is forming a committee to plan a bridge reopening party. We have all been working really hard to minimize the effects of the bridge closings. ### Coffee with the Chamber. We are hosting free continental breakfasts in each town, to share with the community what the Chamber is doing, and how we might be able to help in each community that we serve. Please join us at 8am. May 19th - Crows Bakery and Opera House Cafe Proctorsville June tbd - Mount Holly Community Center Belmont July 12 - Fullerton Inn - Chester August 15 - Java Baba - Ludlow September 15 - Wilder House Restaurant at President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth October 24 - Bryant House - Weston SHOWS & FAIRS the Chamber will be attending: May 26, VT Business & Industry Conference in Burlington. June 25, Fair Haven Welcome Center Sept 9 - 11, Made in Vermont Festival in Burlington Sept 22 & 23, Big E in Agawam Mass. The Chamber took tables at these events so our members can showcase their products and services at no charge. We will be handing out our new Summer/Fall Regional Guidebooks at these events. ### Other member benefits include: 1. LaValley Building Supply invites Chamber members to become an Okemo Valley/LaValley Retail Member. Show your M2M card and fill out a LaValley/Middleton member form. Currently this program is to provide a standard 5% discount, however, if you also sign up for the e-member program, you will receive additional savings and the latest specials on products and services. Yard items are not included in this program. Call Ron Godfrey for details 228-4665 or stop in today!! 2. Staples invites Chamber members to join our group discount. We have a master account offering a core list of product savings. Every member will have the opportunity to customize their products for their specific business needs. Call AnnMarie Conklin at 877-482-8027 or email annmarie.conklin@staples.com to sign up for the program. ### See us in the News: Okemo Valley advertising includes: May issue of Yankee Magazine (print, online, email) May - August issue of Connecticut Magazine (print, online) May-July Travelhost of Vermont Magazine (in state hotel rooms) Summer Southern VT Arts & Living Magazine (highlighting festivals, music) Winter & Summer Vermont Vacation Guides (inside front and inside back covers) December/January 2012 USA Travel Guide Okemo Valley Summer/Fall Regional Guidebook Will be out by May 24th New this year: We are doing a Google Ad Campaign around events in our Valley. Beginning June 21 - July 4 highlighting our July events & end of August - September highlighting our September/October events. For Service Companies, we are renewing ChamberMail which is a year-long direct mail and internet marketing program targeting new residents in all cities and towns in both Rutland and Windsor counties. Ad pricing starts at $199/year. This monthly mailer is a professionally printed, full-color, digital 9 x 12 inch bi-fold publication emblazoned with our Chamber's logo. New residents are greeted with pictures of local attractions and historic sites from our area, and a warm welcome letter from me, encouraging our new neighbors to take advantage of the member offers inside. With your Okemo Valley ChamberMail ad space, you also receive: Quality New Resident Database, a 94% Guaranteed Deliverable USPS, Free Online Advertising. For more information, or to save time and buy online, visit Chamber Mail or call Jen Maxwell at 888-531-6775 x6 This will be a May - May program. ### August 10 Okemo Valley Business Expo at Green Mountain Banquet & Conference Center in Chester from 5:30-7:30pm. Call the chamber to reserve your booth. The expo will highlight dining, shopping, services, health and wellness and green technologies. This will be a retail event where people can "shop the Valley" under one roof. ### Our next mixer is May 11 at Outback Pizza in Ludlow at 5:30p. Please join us. Great door prizes!! ### Be sure to watch our show on lpctv or online at www.lpctv.org. Our guests include Tisha & Paul Chevalier of Mountain Leather Design in Chester and Shannon Porter of Aromatherapy Designs of Ludlow. ### Chamber Golf Tournament is Thursday, September 15 at Okemo Valley Golf Club. Please call Mary Knight of Knight Tubs to be on the committee. ### China trip - SAVE THE DATE - We have an orientation scheduled on May 16 at 5:30pm with Citslink, the tour operator, in the Cornerstone room at the Jackson Gore Inn in Ludlow. Everyone is welcome; chamber members and non-members alike. It's a 9-day all inclusive trip for $2200 leaving on March 26, 2012. This is the trip of a lifetime that I took in March and I highly recommend. ### Thank you to Bonnie's Bundles for hosting our April mixer. The food was great and was much fun! ### | 
