Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce

November, 2011  
Welcome to Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce

 

Greetings!

 

What a great October we had!   It was great to see so many visitors around all of our Columbus Day events.  I would like to think it had a lot to do with our successful google adword campaign and promotion around these events!

 

Route 131 will be re-opened on Saturday, November 5 at 1pm.  Please join Governor Shumlin and dignitaries as we celebrate the re-opening of this road.  After the ribbon cutting(s), there will be a parade of cars and trucks traveling down to the Cavendish Elementary School for a pot luck lunch.  Please join in the celebration! And bring a dish, if you can. 

 

We were pleased to be able to raise $2,659.00 from our golf tournament and matching company donations, which we donated to Ludlow, Plymouth and Cavendish designated relief funds.

 

Sales continue to grow from our "2012 Women of Okemo Valley" calendar.  A portion of the sales from this calendar will be going to VT/NH Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure charity for breast cancer.  You may purchase the calendar online on our website, at the Jackson Gore Inn mixer on November 9th, or at various retail outlets.  Please support these brave women who modeled for this great cause.  

 

Thank you to the Bryant House Restaurant for hosting our October 24th Coffee with the Chamber.  Our last Coffee with the Chamber is scheduled for November 2nd at the Wilder House Restaurant in Plymouth at 8am. This is free and open to the public. The Chamber wants to share with each community what we're doing and find out what resources we can bring to each community that we serve. Please join us and invite a guest or two.  

 

Thank you Berkshire Bank for hosting our October mixer. Our next mixer is November 9th at the Jackson Gore Inn in Ludlow from 5:30-7:30pm.

 

Want to learn more about the Chambers health and dental plans?  Please join us for a free informational seminar by Mary Rita Batesole of Northern Benefits on Thursday morning, November 10th from 8:30-9:30am at the Fletcher Memorial Library in Ludlow.  

 

We have 6 more spots available for our upcoming trip to China on March 26-April 3, 2012!!  For $2200, it includes transportation to and from the Chamber office to JFK airport, all flights, 3 meals/day, tips, transfers in between 4 cities.  All you need is shopping money!  It was a great trip and a price you can't beat!!! 

 

My guests this month on lpctv.org were Brian Smithmeyer of Postage Ink and Patrick Cody of LPC-tv.  

We would like to congratulate our own Tesha Buss of Good Commons and The Good Bus for winning the under 40 Rising Star Award.   

 

Save the date for our Annual Meeting/Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 14 at the Stone Hearth Inn and Tavern.  We will be having a sit down dinner with wine pairing and music by Gypsy Reel.  

 

Watch your email for our 2012 Board of Directors ballot. 

 

Be sure to check our extensive calendar of events on our website.  
Chamber Mixers  
Join us for our monthly Chamber Mixers on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Bring a door prize if you can.

                     All Mixers are from 5:30-7:30pm  
                             2011 MIXER LINE UP
 

November 9-  Jackson Gore Inn  - Ludlow


December 14- Annual Meeting and Holiday Party at Stone Hearth Inn & Tavern - Chester.  Music by Gypsy Reel.

Membership Committee News

The membership committee met on October 21st.
We would like to thank Berkshire Bank for hosting our October mixer.  Our next mixer is Wednesday, November 9th at Jackson Gore Inn from 5:30-7:30PM.  This is one not to be missed!!
 
We had a great golf tournament on October 6, raising $2,659 for flood relief charities in Ludlow, Cavendish and Plymouth.
 
Our member benefit this winter is the addition of AAA offices for our Okemo Valley Regional Guidebooks!
 
People can now buy the 2012 Women of Okemo Valley calendars online on the Chambers homepage or at participating retail businesses.
 
The committee welcomed the following new members:
 
Green Mountain Rock Climbing & VT Adventure Tours-Rutland
CTM Media Sales - Chester
Shaw's Supermarket - Ludlow
Chamber Processing - Dorset
Jamie Townsend Art - Springfield
WaterMusicArt Gallery & Studio - Chester
Yankee Village Motel - Ascutney
 
 
Be sure to watch our Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce monthly program on lpctv. 
We interview new members and review upcoming calendar of events.  
 
Did you know......past newsletters are on our homepage under "
 
Our next committee meeting is scheduled for Friday, December 2 at 9am at Java Baba.  Feel free to join us. 
Welcome New Members

The Chamber welcomes the following new members:

 

Marketing Committee News:

 

The marketing committee met on October  27th.  I'm so excited about our upcoming 2012 goals.  A sneak peak:

 

We're incorporating online co-ops to go along with our existing print (Vermont Vacation Guide and May issue of Yankee Magazine) co-ops.

 

We're investing in search engine optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) as well as paid search.

 

We're investing in social media marketing to include our blog.

 

We'll have downloadable coupons on our event landing pages as well as banner ads. 

 

Mobile app users will be able to "push out" live offers. 

 

We're going to have a photo contest of favorite things to do in the Okemo Valley.  The winners will have their photos on the website, mobile app, 2013 Calendar and post cards.

 

We're continuing our attendance at trade shows:

February 10-12, Boston Globe Travel Show;

March 2-4, New York Times Travel Show;

September, Big E in Agawam MA;

October, Vermont Wedding Associations bridal show.

 

Many educational programs will include the following topics: 

*social media marketing

*google analytics

*google adword campaigns 

*how to use our mobile app and benefits for the end user 

*credit card processing

*postage meters and ink

*how to use the Chamber website

*email marketing with Constant Contact  

*how to promote your business in our Okemo Valley Guidebook and Map

*and many more.

 

Do you have an interest in a special topic?  Please let Marji know and we can schedule a program around that topic.

 

The marketing committee has been working really hard to make sure our members and region benefit from all of our marketing efforts. 

Upcoming Events:

Please submit your events to us 2 weeks in advance.
If you don't see your event in the calendar, please call us.
 
 
www.YourPlaceInVermont.com 
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 listing on our mobile app,
*Free placement of your business brochures in our welcome centers in Ludlow and Chester,
*Free monthly chamber mixers,
*Free educational programs,
*Member to member discounts,
*Referrals,
*Co-op advertising opportunities
*Marketing and Promotion
*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.

We are not affiliated with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 
Volume 4, Issue 5
www.YourPlaceInVermont.com  
In This Issue
Chamber Mixers
Membership Committee News
Welcome New Members
Marketing Committee News
Upcoming Events
About Our Organization

OKEMO VALLEY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE  

 

Executive Director

Marji Graf  

mgraf@yourplaceinvermont.com

   

Staff

Danielle Lillard

Marketing Assistant  

dlillard@yourplaceinvermont.com

 

Andi Smithmeyer  

Membership Assistant  

andi@yourplaceinvermont.com

 

 

2011 EXECUTIVE BOARD

   

William Dakin  

Dakin & Benelli  

President

   

Lynne Reed  

Misty Valley Books

Vice President

   

Barbara LeMire  

People's United Bank  

Treasurer

 

Mark Verespy

The Killarney  

Secretary

 

 

REGULAR BOARD

   

Michael Alon  

DaVallia Art & Accents

   

Tesha Buss  

Good Commons

   

Dan Cote  

Inn Victoria

 

Liz Crowley  

CZ Construction Management  

 

Donald Dill  

Images by Donald Dill

   

Sheldon Ghetler

Stone Hearth Inn & Tavern  

 

Brian Halligan  

Okemo Mountain Resort

   

Jim Szabo  

THe Vermont Counry Store

   

Laura Williams  

Calm Moments Spa

   

Past President

 

Jim Kubec  

The Governor's Inn

 

 

 

Join Our Mailing List
Marji Graf, Executive Director
Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce
802-228-5830
www.yourplaceinvermont.com