Welcome to Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce
Greetings!
We're off to a great Summer season in the Okemo Valley. We had two exciting programs in May from the opening of the Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts (VTICA) in Chester, to our Home, Energy and Business Expo in Ludlow.
Our Summer/Fall Okemo Valley Regional Guidebook features:
2012 Regional Events Calendar;
2012 Regional Music Calendar;
Farmers Markets;
Scenic Route 100 Byway;
Our Towns;
Hops to it! Ludlow Event;
Weston Playhouse editorial, Weston Events;
Sweet Earth Farm, Mount Holly editorial;
Chester Fall Festival, Chester event
Winter activity cross sell
Lovin Ludlow Winter Carnival, Ludlow event
I want to thank Lisa Curry Mair of Canvasworks Floorcloths for donating our cover picture for the guidebook and map. Read about Lisa on Page 4 of our guidebook.
I would like to thank Kasia from Green Mountain Marketing and Advertising and the Chamber staff for an excellent job on our 2012 Okemo Valley Summer/Fall Regional Guidebook. We hope you like it.
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Our Home, Energy & Business Expo was held on Saturday, May 12 from 10am-3pm at Jackson Gore Inn. It was a great event with educational speakers from HB Energy Solutions and Efficiency Vermont. You can see pictures from the expo on our facebook page.
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We're hosting a dinner for the Top 10 ABA Tour Operators on Saturday June 2nd at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site to talk about our Towns.
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Americade will be in our Towns June 4-8. They are planning a scavenger hunt in Weston. Please put out the welcome mats!!
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On July 27-29 the Okemo Valley will be hosting the Windsor Connecticut Chamber for our first Historic Chamber-to-Chamber Tourism Exchange. Wave to them as they travel around on The Good Bus!
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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. Would you like a table at their event? Contact Janet Bumstead, jbumstead@vtchallenge.com 914-420-8805.
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Our golf tournament has been changed to September 12th.
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The Okemo Valley has two days at the Big E this year: Thursday, September 20 and Friday September 21. Last year we were telling people that "We were open for business" after Storm Irene. Let me know what days/shifts you would like to attend. Either 9a-3p or 3p-11p or both days.
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Our next Travel with the Chamber program will be going to the National Parks from November 6-13, 2012. All inclusive for $1500. Boston to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon National Park, Monument Valley, Page, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park and back to Las Vegas to Boston. Open to the public. At our next mixer on June 13 at the Weston Playhouse you will hear more details about this trip.
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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
June 6 - 8:30 Educational breakfast at Newsbank Conference Center in Chester. Learn how to use our mobile app efficiently and effectively. Plus, disaster preparedness talk by the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission & VtSBDC.
June 13 - Weston Playhouse, Weston
July 11 - WaterMusicArt and Hugging Bear Inn-Chester
August 8 - Stone Hearth Inn - Chester
September 12 - OVRCC Golf Tournament - Ludlow
September 19 - Heritage Family Credit Union - Ludlow
October 10 - The Richards Group - Ludlow
November 14 - Jackson Gore Inn - Ludlow
December 12 - Annual Meeting & Holiday Party at Echo Lake Inn - Plymouth. Tentative speaker Lt. Governor Phil Scott.
Only 5 2013 mixer dates available. Call soon.
January 9 -
February 13 - Country Girl Diner - Chester
March 13 -
April 10 - Outback Pizza - Ludlow
May 8 -
June 12 - President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site
July 10 - Route 103 Auto Repair - Chester
August 14 - Inn Victoria - Chester
September 11 -
October 9 -
November 13- Jackson Gore Inn - Ludlow
December 11 - Annual Meeting tbd
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Membership Committee News
The membership committee met on May 18th at 1pm at Javas. We welcomed 6 new members into our chamber.We are looking for a new Membership Assistant. Donna is leaving June 15th. View our website, under About Us, Employment for the job description. Let Marji know if you know of someone who would like to work part-time, Wednesday and Fridays. The new Okemo Valley Guide Book is done and being distributed! The new book is bigger and better, with over a dozen more pages and professional photography and copy-writing. Grab your copy today, and pass a few along to your friends! As we move towards developing a much more comprehensive and interactive presence on the Internet, the marketing mission of the chamber will help all of its members by promoting the region as a four-season destination for tourists, as well as a source for local information in support of local shopping. We are discussing many ideas regarding local shopping initiatives, and more will be revealed over the next few months. The Energy & Business Expo at Jackson Gore was successful, despite a lower than expected turnout. The quality of attendees was higher than normal, and many of the vendors were able to successfully engage with those who visited. Plans are already in the works for next year. We have two events coming up in June. A good attendance at both would be awesome! On June 6th we'll be hosting an Educational Training session at the Newsbank Conference Center. The session will begin at 8:30 a.m. and we'll have coffee and breakfast ready. First up will be Marji Graf who will provide training on the new Mobile Application and how it can be best used for marketing your business. Next up will be SWCRPC to share a presentation regarding Disaster Recovery and how to protect your business. Next will be your contact person from the VtSBDC for any disaster recovery assistance. On June 13th the Weston Playhouse will be the host of our mixer, starting at 5:30 p.m. After the Weston Playhouse presentation, we will learn about the Fall Trip to the Canyonlands, the next in our series of the "Traveling with the Chamber" program. We have been filling both the Ludlow and Chester Info Booths with your summer/fall brochures and could also use menus. Please take advantage of the Chamber benefits you receive as part of your membership:
*FREE listing in our Regional Guidebook (distribution of 25,000); Next year we will producing one guidebook from May to May;
*FREE listing on our mobile application;
*FREE listing on our website;
*SAVINGS using your M2M Benefit card,
*SAVINGS "Just Between Us" deals,
*FREE educational programs,
*FREE and fun mixers,
*Referrals
*Being part of a bigger community. |
Welcome New Members
The Chamber welcomes the following 6 new members in May:
Hathaway Farms - RutlandWe are a 3rd generation family farm that raises all natural beef for retail sales and maple syrup. We operate the largest corn maze in Vermont. For 3 months we have PYO pumpkins, wagon rides, livestock barn, field trips, special events. By early 2013 will have a Farmstay to offer.
Call 775-2624
Hounds Folly B&B- Mount HollyBuilt in 1810, the Hounds Folly Bed and Breakfast stands on 20 acres of beautiful open meadowland, surrounded by grazing sheep and mountain peaks. 3 rooms, shared bath. Call 259-2718
Best Septic - WestminsterWe offer handwash stations for organic farms, weddings or events. We have a larger stock of portable toilets. Free estimates, we now take credit cards! Call 463-9444
G. W. Savage - RutlandG.W. Savage Corporation is the largest and most experienced full service restoration company servicing Vermont, Northern New York and Western New Hampshire doing business since 1977. We are a proud member of the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration (IICRC).Call 660-8900
Mr. Darcy's Bar & Grill (formerly Panarellos) - Ludlownew website is coming. Anticipated opening 6/15.
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Marketing Committee News:
The marketing committee met on May 17th at Cool Moose Cafe in Ludlow.
Gabrielle has been uploading pictures from the Okemo Valley on pinterest. If you have any great pictures from our area, please send them to Gabrielle.
We listened to you. After input from our members and discussion in both the Marketing and Membership committees, our Board has approved creating one 4-season guidebook beginning in 2013 (from May-May). We are finishing off our contract for this Summer and Winter guidebooks and will move forward with 1 guidebook for next year.
The development of our new web site is underway!
The marketing committee met with Kasia Karazim of Green Mountain Advertising & Marketing, Inc., to discuss and finalize the features and layout of the new site. The development of the new site is now underway. We are getting a new, robust WordPress platform that will provide us will a myriad of opportunities going forward including sophisticated search engine optimization, ability to leverage the latest in social media, additional advertising opportunities, a blog on the site, a customized weather widget, a managed area for contests like the photo contest and much, much, more. Much of the initial content for the launch of the site will come from the content that was developed for the new Guide Book. Special thanks to Kasia and the Chamber staff for getting the guide book done and published on time, and for kicking it up a few notches in terms of quality and size. And a big thanks to all those members who supported the guide book with their ads and listings.
Okemo Valley Mobile app
This year we have seen approximately 2000 user downloads of the mobile app, this continual gain of new users tells us that people are increasingly relying on their smartphones to give them current and relevant local information. Remember these are people who actively went to a mobile app marketplace and downloaded our Okemo Valley Mobile App.
NEW THIS JUNE: We now have the ability to offer special offers and coupons to users in exchange for their contact (email) information; this update has been submitted to the app store. You can track these offers to know which customers have come in to redeem them. And, this tracking system will also ensure that these offers are single use and are only redeemed one time per user. In the future, you will also be able to offer subsequent offers to only the individuals who have redeemed the first offer; keeps your customers coming back! Overall we believe this will create a more engaging experience for our mobile app users and allow Okemo Valley Chamber members to participate in emerging trends with mobile technology. Learn about how to use our app at our next educational seminar on Wednesday, June 6 at 8:30am at Newsbank Conference Center in Chester.
Now is the time to upgrade your basic listing to a premium one. For just $249 per year you will have a featured listing for your business that includes a slide show with up to 5 images, links to your website, facebook, or u-tube and 3 pages to describe your business, feature what you sell and list events and/or specials. Your business will also get a pin on the GPS enabled map within the app that will guide customers right to your door.
The next committee meeting is set for June 14 at 3 at Cool Moose Cafe in Ludlow.
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Celebrations:
 Congratulations Clear Lake Furniture! Celebrating 20 years in business!
Also celebrating 20 years is Clover Knoll Crafters & Cooks Cupboard. Congratulations!!!
Please let us know of your 1, 5 or 10 year celebrations. (or increments of 5). We would like to promote that for you!!
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News From our Members
Join Route 103 Auto on their 2nd year Anniversary.
Party is on Saturday, June 16 from 10am-3pm. BQue and ipad giveaway. ###
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Upcoming Events:
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
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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
Donna Thomas
Membership Assistant
dthomas@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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