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Sedona Chamber of Commerce e-News
April 15, 2013
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USFS scoping period for 2014 Sedona Marathon Event
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The US Forest Service has begun their process to review the Sedona Marathon Event request for increasing capacity on the Sedona Marathon event.
In order to achieve success, we are asking that you to send a letter/email of support by April 28. To make it easier for you, we have created a template that can be used to make comments directly to Heather Provencio, the Red Rock District Ranger. The more positive comments we have about the event, the more likely we will have success with our request.
Please email your comments to comments-southwestern-coconino-redrock@fs.fed.us by April 28. The items in red in the template letter should be customized based on your interests. Feel free to use your own words, this is just a sample.
The comment period ends on April 28. Please make your comments as soon possible and be sure to include your name and address.
Thank you!
Jennifer Wesselhoff, President/CEO
jwess@sedonachamber.com
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April 17: Strategies for Success: Social Media Integration
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Wednesday, April 17 brings another Strategies for Success program when Lisa Bravo and Steve Sharp present "SEO & Social Media Marketing Integration Strategies." This presentation will be in three parts:
- Online Marketing - Discovering What is Right for Your Business
- Social Media Revolution - What Does It Mean to Your Business?
- Integration of SEO and Social Media with Ease
Each section will provide an overview, explanation of online services, and tips for success on both SEO and social media marketing. Lisa Bravo, owner of LisaBravo.com specializes in Internet marketing and consulting, and Steve Sharp of SEO Internet Marketing Results has provided coaching on internet marketing and business start ups. As a special enticement, bring your business card and enter the drawing to be on the "Big Screen". Lisa and Steve will be selecting three businesses to showcase as their model for their PowerPoint presentation on how to effectively integrate SEO (search engine optimization) and the revolutionary Social Media platforms.
The program includes lunch; $15 for Chamber members, and $20 for non-members. The program runs from 11:30 am - 1:15 pm. Please call the Chamber at 204-1123 by 12:00 pm on Tuesday, April 16, to reserve your seat and order your lunch. |
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April 25: Only Five Tables at Tradeshow Mixer are Available
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The Tradeshow Networking Mixer is scheduled for Thursday, April 25 at the Sedona Elks Lodge and there are only five (5) tables left available. Tradeshow Networking Mixers allow our members the opportunity to purchase an exhibition table on which to promote their products and services to potential new customers. Each mixer attracts between 175 - 250 attendees. There are only two Tradeshow Networking Mixers this year, so don't miss out!
Call Catherine at 204-1123 if you would like to reserve one of the five remaining Tradeshow mixer tables for your business for $100. Admission to the mixers is $10 for members, and $15 for non-members, which includes food and two drink tickets. No reservations are required to attend the mixers.
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April 26: West Sedona Businesses Meeting
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West Sedona Businesses are again invited to attend a meeting on Friday, April 26 from 8:30 - 10:00 am. A previous meeting brought together 25 representatives from a variety of businesses on the west side to discuss their concerns and ideas with Chamber President/CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff. The result of that meeting was a follow up gathering during which City of Sedona representatives discussed the sign ordinance and received member input on the topic.
This next meeting will be held at the Olde Sedona Bar & Grill, 1405 W State Route 89A (across from New Frontiers Market). Please RSVP to the Chamber by 12:00 pm Thursday by calling 204-1123. The meeting is free and we encourage you to attend and make your voice be heard! |
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Green Business Affinity Groups Holds Kickoff Meeting
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On Monday, April 8, Green Business Team, a new Chamber Affinity Group held its initial meeting in response to interest expressed by respondents to the Chamber's recent survey on green business practices among its members. A draft white paper developed by the Chamber and Sustainable Arizona to suggest a Mission, group organization, projects and "next steps" was reviewed by those attending. Affinity Groups of the Chamber are typically like-type businesses who work together to develop a common voice and ideas by which the Chamber can work to assist those businesses. This Green Business Affinity Group is a bit different in that it is not like-type businesses, but businesses employing sustainable practices such as recycling, efficient energy use and much more.
Sedona Chamber sees opportunities to promote members who employ green practices. More and more travelers and local shoppers, when given the option of patronizing a green business will do so. The Chamber is interested in expanding listing information to identify such members so shoppers can identify and choose those. This adds value to membership with the Chamber.
Another meeting is scheduled on May 16, so if you have an interest in participating or just learning more, call David at the Chamber at 928-204-1123.
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You Can Help Welcome New Chamber Members
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New members to the Sedona Chamber of Commerce are given a Gift Bag that contains welcoming items from you, their fellow Chamber members. It is a great way to make a fun first impression and be among the first to network with that business owner.
If you would like to be among the Chamber members who are the first to greet a new member, you can provide us with small items for the Gift Bags. We ask that the item(s) be a true gift with some value, and not just a flyer about your business. Some businesses have given gifts like a logo pen or note pad, other have given certificates for massages or readings. The choice is yours.
We distribute 15 bags to new members each month, so if you plan on contributing, please provide at least six months worth of items. Questions? Call us at 204-1123, or just drop off your items at the Administration Office at 45 Sunset Dr. in West Sedona.
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Help Honor the Best Businesses in Arizona, Nominate Your Favorite for a
Spirit of Enterprise Award
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Want to help honor your favorite Arizona company? Nominate it for a 2013 Spirit of Enterprise Award. The awards from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University recognize some of Arizona's best businesses for creating jobs, boosting our economy and treating customers right.
You can nominate any company that is:
- A for-profit enterprise in business for at least four years;
- Incorporated, headquartered or having a majority of its business operations in Arizona;
- Employing at least three or more full-time workers;
- Able to demonstrate profitability over the last three years combined.
In addition, one minority-owned business will receive the Gary L. Trujillo Minority Enterprise Award sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.
Once a company is nominated, it will have until July 31 to complete an awards application.
The winners of the 17th Annual Spirit of Enterprise Awards will be announced at a luncheon at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix on November 22. Hundreds of Arizona business and community leaders attend this annual event.
For more information on nominating a company, applying for the awards, or attending the luncheon, call (480) 965-0474 or visit spiritofenterprise.org.
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Announcing the New Experience Sedona Guide & Membership Directory |
The Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau is pleased to announce our 2013/2014 Membership Directory and 2013/2014 Experience Sedona Guide. Special thanks to Madden Media, official publisher of the Membership Directory and the Experience Sedona Guide, for their diligent and creative work in developing these issues.
Published every spring, these four-color magazines sustain our Sedona brand, and include valuable information that will serve the local community as well as our visitors.
You will find that this year's Membership Directory is in full color and offers expanded community information. Be sure to check out the two page map inside the back cover. Please use this directory as a tool to do business locally and with other Chamber members. Local businesses play a vital role in our community.
Just under 60 pages, our Experience Sedona Guide contains new editorial information on outdoor recreation, sightseeing, tours, arts and culture, shopping, dining, and lodging; as well as information on the spa experience, weddings, and spiritual and personal enrichment. You'll also find a calendar of our wonderful events, and listings or grids of our various Tourism Bureau members, all followed by various Sedona and surrounding area maps.
If you're a Tourism Bureau member, you are automatically listed in the Experience Sedona Guide, which is distributed to statewide visitor information centers, AAA offices, airport kiosks in Phoenix, and Phoenix Valley concierge desks. The guide is sent to hundreds of travel writers in the U.S. and abroad, and is mailed to thousands of visitors each year. You'll find the guide online at VisitSedona.com utilizing turnpage technology, and will also find it as an app in the iTunes store. This is just one of the many points of great marketing exposure for Tourism Bureau members. And while this year's guide has already been printed, it still makes sense to join the Tourism Bureau today. As a Tourism Bureau member, you'll immediately get listed on VisitSedona.com, our official tourism website which sees 1.2 million visitors a year.
To pick up additional copies of these Chamber of Commerce publications, or to learn more about being included in the Experience Sedona Guide and Tourism Bureau membership, please contact us at 204-1123.
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ADOT Seeks Input on Five Year Plan
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The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) continues to gather public comments on the 2014-2018 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. Please visit the ADOT website to take review the tentative plan and for public hearing details.
If you can't make it to the public hearings, don't worry - there are plenty of other ways to comment, including:
The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received or postmarked by May 17, before adopting the final 2014-2018 Five-Year Program at its June 14 meeting in Pinetop-Lakeside.
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The Sedona Chamber of Commerce has a Facebook page JUST FOR YOU!
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Did you know that we have a Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/SedonaChamberofCommerce?ref=ts&fref=ts dedicated to our members and the entire community?
Please visit, LIKE, and share your business posts with Kegn Hall, Public Relations & Events Manager. The criteria is very easy to follow:
FacebookMembers can submit their content for posting on the Sedona Chamber Facebook page. If you have your own Facebook business page, our 6,700 fans, can become your fans. - The event must take place at a member's location or be hosted by a member
- Submissions should be 40 words or less
- Submissions must include a link and/or photo
- Please write in the third person -avoid I, we, ours, me, my, etc.
- Submissions are limited to two (2) per month, per member
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Marketing Opportunities for Members... |
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2013-2014 Sedona Destination Event Planner Advertising Opportunity
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New this year, the Chamber is excited to partner with Madden Media to produce a Sedona Destination Event Planner! This will be a primary response piece used to fulfill meeting, group, event, and wedding inquiries. It will reflect the "My Sedona" brand and supplement the 2013-2014 Experience Sedona Guide that Madden Media has just produced with a vibrant new look.
The circulation of 2013-2014 Sedona Destination Event Planner will be 2,500 copies, which will be amplified through an online turn-page version easily accessed on our meetings website, MySedonaMeeting.com. In addition to fulfilling inquiries, the guide will be distributed through our Meeting Planners Mailing Program and at various trade-shows.
With your advertising support, we will be able to market Sedona as a premier small meeting, event and wedding destination. Our success depends on your participation.
Dan Carter, Account Executive, will be back again in Sedona from Wednesday, April 24 to Friday, April 26. To schedule a brief and informal meeting with him or to learn more about the new advertising opportunities in the 2013-2014 Sedona Destination Event Planner, contact him at (480) 638-3774 or dcarter@maddenmedia.com.
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"Culinary & Wine Escapes" Email Blast |
Please send your materials to Michelle Conway by Monday, 4/29.
We have our own list of potential Sedona visitors who have requested Sedona information specific to Sedona's culinary and wine scene.
We are creating an attractive email, in full-color, with professional photographs. The email will begin with a short introduction to Sedona, and will be complete with a description of your business and your offer! This email will blast to approximately 15,000 contacts in May.
Provide us with 75 words or less, a photo/logo (JPG files only), a short title (up to five words) and a website address for a live link to your site for only $125! Limited to the first ten participants. Must be a Tourism Bureau Member to participate.
Contact Michelle Conway, Director of Marketing, at 204-1123 or at mconway@sedonachamber.com.
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Reach Grand Canyon Visitors |
Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau is partnering once again with Grand Canyon Journal, a leading vacation planning media company, which reaches over 500,000 consumers planning a trip to the Grand Canyon region. They've extended a special 20% discount offer for members to participate. The program showcases Sedona and your business through an integrated media program. Your ad and bonus editorial will run in the Sedona Section, along with the Sedona Chamber, in the 2014 edition of Grand Canyon Journal; in their tablet editions (iPad, Nook); and, featured on MyGrandCanyonPark.com. You'll also receive a map link and call-out on MyGrandCanyonPark.com and consumer leads for nine months. For more information, please contact David Krause at dkrause@aimmedia.com or Michelle Conway at mconway@sedonachamber.com. |
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Foreign Language "Lure" Brochures Available |
The Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau's English, French, German and Japanese lure brochures are available for your use. These beautiful, branded lure brochures highlight key Sedona information with the purpose of enticing visitors to Sedona. Consider including this brochure in your mailings or use them at your tradeshows. Keep them handy for your international customers to make them feel welcomed to our community. There are a number of ways to utilize these brochures. Pick up a bundle today at the Chamber Administrative Office located at 45 Sunset Drive. Contact Michelle Conway for more information at 204-1123.
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Introducing the "Transportation Deals" Category on VisitSedona.com |
"You can't enjoy all that Sedona has to offer unless you have a way to get here! There are a number of businesses who will make sure you arrive to Sedona safely and comfortably. Plus, once you're here, they will also be able to escort you to all Sedona area attractions, restaurants and sights." That's our message to consumers on VisitSedona.com, under the new "Transportation Deals" category. Now is the time for relevant Tourism Bureau members to post their travel and transportation deal to our site by completing this form. Be sure to select the "Transportation Deals" category from the drop-down. Contact Michelle Conway for more information at 204-1123.
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Tourism Spots in Northern Arizona Remain Open Despite US 89 Closure |
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In Page, Marble Canyon and the Lake Powell region, tourism is a major contributor to the economy with more than two million visitors annually - and tourism season is beginning to ramp up. Read more... |
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Recent Clippings assisted with or provided by the Sedona Chamber
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Helpful Information and Other Tools
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