Welcome to Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce
Greetings! We had an exciting February promoting both Lovin' Ludlow Winter Carnival and Chester Winter Carnival. We placed facebook ads and bought google ad words to promote both of these events. I would like to acknowledge Julie Pollard of Chester and Liz Crowley of Ludlow (and their teams) for all the hard work they put into planning and executing these events.
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We handed out Okemo Valley Regional Guidebooks and maps at the Boston Globe Travel Show. As you read this we're at the New York Times Travel Show and are scheduled to be at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut on March 22-25. These shows allow us to talk about our region, highlight our member businesses, and answer the many questions people have. I was amazed in Boston we were asked if the roads were still closed! It's imperative that we get the right information out there.### Be sure to watch your email tomorrow for "Just Between Us" March deals. We would need your offer, discount, or promotion to your fellow business owners on the 25th of the month to be included in April 2 e-blast.### Thursday, March 8 at 7pm is an alternatives presentation meeting for the Main Street Bridge No 25 over the Black River in Ludlow. The replacement project is presented by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. and VTRANS.
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March 21- is our next educational program re: google analytics and google adword campaigns at the Village Green Gallery in Weston 8:30-9:30am. You don't want to miss this presentation! Free for members and $10 for non-members. ### April 13-15 we are hosting a history exchange throughout our Okemo Valley. We've invited the Windsor Connecticut Chamber of Commerce to visit us and have a special weekend planned for them. ### On May 12 the Chamber will be co-hosting a Home, Energy & Business Expo from 10am-3pm at the Jackson Gore Inn in Ludlow. We are combining the 2nd Annual Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission Home and Energy Show with the 4th Annual Chambers Business Expo. We will have the latest in home and energy savings as well as speakers, food, music. Please mark your calendars now. Sponsorships are available and tables are $99. We urge you to reserve today if you want to be included in the advertising of this event. You must fill out an application. Call the Chamber office and we'll fax it to you! ### The ABA Top 100 Committee meeting is being held in Vermont June 3-6. Fifteen decision-making tour operators will be in our State for 3 days (meeting to select the Top 100 Events in North America for 2013) and have been invited to a pre-meeting FAM tour. The committee is being hosted by Linda Edelman of Custom Tours, Karen Ballard of Vermont Tourism Network and Christiane Skinner of VDTM. I am catering a dinner for the group on June 2 to speak about the Okemo Valley and recommending President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site 4th of July event be recognized as a Top 100 event. ### On August 17 & 18, the VT Challenge will be in Ludlow.(www.vtchallenge.com). The Vermont Challenge is the only bicycle Challenge that circumvents Southern and Central Vermont over 3 or 4 days and draws upon the creative energy of local businesses and people of Vermont, key ski resorts, restaurants and farms in each local community that they visit. We would like to be able to offer discounted dining options. Please email Marji if you are interested. You will be mentioned on the vtchallenge.com website. They are also looking for sponsors and volunteers for the event. Call me for more information. ### |
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Chamber Mixers
Join us for our monthly Chamber Mixers on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Bring a door prize if you can.
2012 MIXER LINE UP
All Mixers are from 5:30-7:30pm
March 14 - Six Loose Ladies - Proctorsville
April 11 - Papa Johns Sugar House - Mount Holly
May 9 - Good Commons - Plymouth
May 12 - Home, Energy & Business Expo - Jackson Gore Inn 10am - 3pm. Tables are $99 and sponsorships are available. (SWCRPC 2nd Home & Energy Show combined with OVRCC's 4th Annual Business Expo) Ludlow
June 13 - WestonVT & VT Country Store, Weston
July 11 - WaterMusicArt and Hugging Bear Inn-Chester
August 8 - Stone Hearth Inn - Chester
September 12 - Heritage Family Credit Union - Ludlow
September 19 - OVRCC Golf Tournament - Ludlow
October 10 - The Richards Group - Ludlow
November 14 - Jackson Gore Inn - Ludlow
December 12 - Annual Meeting & Holiday Party at Echo Lake Inn - Plymouth
Already reserving 2013 dates. Call soon.
July 2013 - Route 103 Auto Repair - Chester
November 2013 - Jackson Gore Inn - Ludlow
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Membership Committee News!
We understand that times are tough and Mother Nature has not been good to us. When you're looking to cut expenses, the one thing you do not want to cut is advertising, marketing and promotion. Your chamber membership is invaluable for the $20/mo dues charged for the exposure, help and support you receive. Think about the price of one newspaper ad vs. a year's worth of promotion and support.
It is the Chamber policy that half your dues must be paid, or a payment plan is in place, BEFORE getting in the summer edition of our Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce guidebook.
All members receive a FREE listing in our Regional Guidebook twice/year with a distribution of 20,000; a FREE listing on our mobile application; a FREE listing on our website; SAVINGS using your M2M Benefit card, FREE educational programs, FREE "Just Between Us" deals, FREE and fun mixers, referrals and being part of a bigger community.
Notes from the membership committee meeting:
Discussed was our co-event with the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission's Home, Energy and Business Expo regarding the Sponsor/Exhibitor Invitation. This event is scheduled for May 12th, 2012 at Jackson Gore in Ludlow, VT * Focus was put on the number of tables for exhibitors for this event. * We announced January's three new members; Robert Sydorowich, HeadNorth Plymouth, and Fifty-Six Main Street Restaurant, and February's new members; Strategic Payment Systems and Efficiency Vermont. * We discussed our new Business to Business member benefit, "Just Between Us", and is requesting all members participating in this benefit program have their offer to us by the 25th of each month. Our newsletter will go out on the 1st of each month and "Just Between Us" will go out on the 2nd. The stats were mentioned for the test done by Marji in February. They were as followed: 433 email blasts went out, 10 bounces, 139 opened. * The next chamber mixer is March 13th at Six Loose Ladies in Proctorsville. * We reviewed the February newsletter. Also discussed was the next member educational program, being held at Village Green Gallery in Weston from 8:30 to 9:30 am; the speaker is Kasia Karazim from Green Mountain Marketing and Advertising. * We discussed removing from the website the pay your dues online option which currently is not being utilized and the additional cost to the members. Thank you to Inn at Weston for hosting our February mixer. March 14 is our next mixer at Six Loose Ladies. Hope you can join us.
Our next membership committee meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 16th at 9am at Java Babas. |
Welcome New Members
The Chamber welcomes the following new members in February:
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Marketing Committee News:
The marketing committee met twice in February at the Cool Moose Cafe in Ludlow.
We reviewed the results from both our facebook ads and google ad word campaigns that we ran for both winter carnivals.
Website Stats:
- There has been a 14% increase in visits to our website from Nov. 1st - Feb 22nd 2011 to Nov. 1st - Feb. 22nd 2012.
- There has been a 120% increase in visitors using our mobile app.
- The most popular pages have been (1) homepage, (2) Calendar of Events, and (3) Ludlow and Chester Winter Carnival event landing pages.
- Since the Calendar of Events is such a popular page, we added the button/link to it on more of the Chamber's webpages.
- Google was the top referral site, sending people to our website.
- Most of our web visitors are from Vermont.
- There was a spike in the amount of visitors when we ran Facebook ads. Lovin' Ludlow Winter Carnival created 122,199 impressions and 134 clicks. Chester Winter Carnival created 153,176 impressions and 84 clicks.
- We spent $500 on Google Adwords ($250 for Ludlow Carnival/ $250 for Chester Carnival). Ludlow Carnival generated 168,491 impressions and 458 clicks.
- Overall, the campaigns went well, especially considering the lack of snow and competing winter carnivals in the area.
We're still working out the bugs for our on-line, interactive 2013 calendar contest which will be May-August. As soon as it's in place, we'll send out an e-mail blast so you can forward it out to your list.
We will have a half page in this May's Yankee Magazine,
"Best of New England" issue.
Our committee is working on some exciting marketing ideas and will share with you next month! Stay tuned!!!
Our next marketing committee meeting is scheduled on Thursday, March 29 at 3:30 at Cool Moose Cafe.
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Deadlines for Advertising:
April 12 deadline for the Summer edition of the Okemo Valley Regional Guide. An expanded listing is only $90 and display ads start at $265. For a little more, your expanded listing and/or ad can also be placed on our website. Spring River Marketing will be sending more details in March. May 9 deadline for inside front or inside back cover of the Winter 2013 Vermont Vacation Guide. Distribution is 100,000 and ad cost is $370. We fill inside front cover first, so first come, first served. |
Upcoming Events:
Please let us know of your 1, 5 or 10 year celebrations. (or increments of 5). We would like to promote that for you!!
Congratulations to Crown Point Builders on their
20th Anniversary!
Do you have an event that would qualify for Vermont's Top 10 Summer or Winter Event? Let us know so we can nominate your event.
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 |
News From our Members
Congratulations to Inn Victoria for being named the Best Afternoon Tea in North America and Best for Winter Sports by LanierBB.com
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Become a 2012 LPCTV Underwriter Underwriting is about building a mutually-beneficial relationships between local businesses and our non-profit local media outlet.Your financial support will help keep local programming alive on LPCTV and LPCTV will, in turn, give exposure to your business. For more information or to sign-up please visit www.LPCTV.org/underwriting-opportunities###Spring into Savings at Okemo:
Pre-buy Online:
When skiers and riders purchase lift tickets at least 48 hours in advance, online at okemo.com, they can save a sap bucket full of cash.
Kids Rock FREE
When parents buy a regularly priced adult lift ticket, valid Monday through Friday in March, they get a FREE lift ticket (valid that same day) for their 7-18 year-old child. Children 6 and under ski free every day with a complimentary child's lift ticket. Tickets must be purchased online, at least 48 hours in advance and children must be present at ticket window for redemption of print-at-home ticket.
Two-Day Weekend Warrior
When skiers and riders of all ages purchase select-weekend, two-day lift tickets online, at least 48 hours in advance, they can get Okemo's best weekend rates.
$119 for a two-day weekend ticket, March 10-11
$109 for a two-day weekend ticket, March 17-18
Just show up - no pre-purchase necessary:
April Fools Food Drive
Skiers and riders who donate at least five non-perishable food items on Sunday, April 1, will receive a coupon to purchase a $39 lift ticket valid that same day. All food items collected will be distributed to Black River Good Neighbors Food Pantry and benefit needy families of the Okemo Valley. |
About Our Organization
Our Chamber provides the following member benefits:
*Health Insurance provided by Blue Cross/Blue Shield *Dental Insurance provided by Delta Dental, *Free listing on our website with web link, *Free listing in our (twice/year) 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, *Google adword campaigns
*Facebook ads *Story ideas submitted to news outlets *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. |
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OKEMO VALLEY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Marji Graf
CEO
mgraf@yourplaceinvermont.com
Staff
Gabrielle Macklin
Marketing Assistant
gmacklin@yourplaceinvermont.com
Andi Smithmeyer
Membership Assistant
andi@yourplaceinvermont.com
2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Board:
President
Mark Verespy
The Killarney
Vice-President
Dan Cote
Inn Victoria
Treasurer
Barbara LeMire
People's United Bank
Secretary
Jim Szabo
The Vermont Counry Store
Regular Board:
Tesha Buss
Good Commons
Patrick Ciriello
Hawks Mountain Consulting
Liz Crowley
CZ Construction Management
Donald Dill
Images by Donald Dill
Sheldon Ghetler
Stone Hearth Inn & Tavern
Brian Halligan
Okemo Mountain Resort
Mary Knight
Knight Tubs, Pools & Spas
Ken Saccardo
Spring River Marketing
Laura Williams
Calm Moments Spa
Past President
William Dakin
Dakin & Benelli
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