Exec Bits
First I want to thank all of the Park County residents who voted to renew the lodging tax. The strong support for it showed that that people understand the value of the marketing program executed by the Park County Travel Council to bring visitors to our area. For the Chamber, the lodging tax funds our visitor center, which is one of the most important services we offer to members.
If your business or organization is interested in having a float or entry in the annual Lighted Christmas Parade, the DEADLINE to register is next Friday, November 16th. You can find the application here.Be part of this 20 year Cody tradition!
The parade will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 24th capping a great day downtown starting with the "Bathrobe Brigade" shopping promotion in the morning, the "Christmas Stroll", complete with music, marshmallow roasting, ice sculptures, giveaways and shopping specials by our merchants in the afternoon. You can also enjoy the "Old Trail Town Christmas" from 2-8 p.m. that day.
The recent business turnover downtown highlights the importance of shopping locally, especially during the Christmas season. The Chamber is putting nearly $1,500 into "shop local" holiday advertising between now and Christmas in hopes that shoppers will remember that they can find everything on their list right here in Cody.
Next, I am very excited to announce a new event the Chamber will be coordinating in partnership with a large consortium of local organizations and agencies. The inaugural "Spring into Yellowstone: Cody Birding and Wildlife Festival" will take place May 15-19th, 2013 in and around Cody and will feature top-notch speakers, exclusive tours, forums, a trade show and other events celebrating the wealth of birds and wildlife the Greater Yellowstone Region has.
We feel that this event will be very popular and comes at an excellent time of year. Current partners include the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Shoshone National Forest, National Park Service, BLM, US Fish and Wildlife, FOAL and others. Our goal will be to promote this area as a world-class destination for birding and wildlife viewing.
We welcome others who want to volunteer or serve on a committee (opportunities exist in content development, finance, marketing, registration, hospitality, trade shows and sponsorship generation), to contact the Chamber's event coordinator, Jill Osiecki Gleich at 587-2777 or events@codychamber.org. As this event takes shape, I'll continue to update you on our progress.
Finally, Cody will be hosting the annual "GRO-Biz Conference & Idea Expo" February 19-21 at the Holiday Inn. The conference is gives businesses the opportunity to meet with more than 50 federal government procurement representatives as well as learn about current trends to help grow your business. For more information or to register, go here.
Have a great weekend!
Scott Balyo
Executive Director
