Voice of Business

Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce

Welcome

New Members

Encompass Benefits & HR Solutions

Quick Links

General Manager's Report by Erin Hanson

BUSINESS LUNCHEON, TUESDAY APRIL 5, 2011

Mark your calendars for this timely speaker luncheon and get your tickets early! Not only great food but also a chance to hear first hand from TD Bank Financial Group Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist for Canada, Derek Burleton, his take on the medium-term outlook for financial markets and our local area economy. Join us in the Riverside Room at the Days Inn from 11:45am to 1:30pm on April 5th. Tickets are $30+HST for members; $40+HST for non-members. Pre-registration is required. Call the Chamber at 250.492.4103 or email admin@penticton.org

MEMBERSHIP SURVEY RESULTS

Last month, we posed the question "Are you planning this year's summer holidays in the South Okanagan?" Seventy-six of you (53%) indicated Yes; while 59 ($41%) chose No. The results are not surprising considering we have such a beautiful valley in which to live and work, and this sentiment was essentially echoed by the 43% of respondents that provided additional comments. For those of you that aren't going to vacation here, many of you indicated you are going outside to visit friends and family, and some just weren't going to take a summer holiday.

BC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The 2011 BC Chamber annual general meeting and conference is being held in Prince George May 29^th - 31^st. Any local Chamber member can attend and there is also a trade show opportunity for Chamber members. I encourage our members to consider attending to network and hear the great speaker line-up. Check the Upcoming Events section of the BC Chamber website at www.bcchamber.org for more details.

Erin can be reached by calling 250.492.4103 or via email at ehanson@penticton.org.

Visitor Centre Report by Sherrie Burechailo

The Penticton & Wine Country Visitor Centre is gearing up for another busy spring season!

· Our total visitor numbers were down 13.3% in our location, but we still manage to shine in the Thompson-Okanagan, whose region marked a 19.3% reduction in visitor numbers in January and February of 2011 over 2010.

· Ticket sales to local events this month include Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, Many Hats Theatre, Louisiana Hayride and all events at the South Okanagan Events Centre. We are really excited about the 8 shows of the Cirque du Soleil coming this summer!

· Our 2011 Penticton & Wine Country Visitor Guide is here, be sure to pick some up for your business or office! There are 117 wineries listed on the wine map, and we are encouraging more wineries to sign up for the racking services that we offer in the Visitor Centre. With so many people coming through our doors, and so many wineries to choose from, it really makes sense for wineries to showcase what they offer and rack cards are a sure way to keep their name top-of-mind as visitors exit the building with their minds reeling from all the information they have just received from us!

· Each spring, the staff of the visitor centre takes time to visit as many of the operators and accommodators that we can in order to offer a personal recommendation of these local services to our visitors. If you are interested in having our staff take a tour of your location, please contact Sherrie at supervic@penticton.org or 250.493.4055.

This next month will be a time for us to be finalizing our summer staffing needs and making final decisions about what we will offer in the retail section of the visitor centre. As always, we continue to be busy updating listings on the www.tourismpenticton.com website to ensure our information is up-to-date and accurate. We are excited about this coming year and look forward to offering our community and our visitors the best service and information we can offer!

Sherrie Burechailo, Manager Penticton & Wine Country Visitor Centre.

Sherrie can be reached by calling 250.493.4055 or via email at supervic@penticton.org

Literacy Now

Literacy Now South Okanagan Similkameen actively supports members of our communities and helps people find out about literacy activities, services and programs across the region.

One of Literacy Now's priorities is Workplace Literacy. Check out this month's Buzz to find out how local businesses have been rewarded for supporting their employees.

Workplace Literacy Recognition Program

Do you know of a business that puts its employees first? Literacy Now wishes to recognize businesses that support a learning environment for staff. Are staff encouraged to increase their basic skills? Are schedules flexible to allow for upgrading or essential skills training? If you know of a business that supports employees in this way, please fill in the nomination form and let us provide the recognition the business deserves.

Nomination Form

Please click on the link below to view "The Buzz on Literacy" monthly newsletter.

March newsletter

The Wisdom of a People

How does one reconcile these two famous proverbs?

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

That first platitude would argue that pre-emptive action is a waste of time and resources; "Leave well-enough alone." The second platitude says quite the opposite; "A stitch in time, saves nine."

Which is true?

Want to Contact Us?

Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce l 553 Railway Street l Penticton, BC

Phone: 250.492.4103 l Fax: 492.6119 l admin@penticton.org l www.penticton.org