Posts
Here’s my plan of attack against the “I’m boreds”
By Anne Hassler
CVB Director
Like a ninja ready for battle, I’ve done my research to combat the inevitable chorus of “I’m bored…” that emanates from my kids right around the end of May.
It’s a five-pronged approach:
Community Activities
This town has never been short on kid-friendly activities. Case in point: the McPherson Opera House is hosting a free children’s show “Billy Goats Gruff” performed by the Wichita Children’s Theatre at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sat., June 9. The McPherson CVB will host five free movies in the park this summer: The Muppets, June 2; Pride of the Yankees, July 7; Enchanted, July 21; Back to the Future, Aug. 4 and Local Hero, Sept. 21 at Lakeside Park San Romani band shell.
The CVB will also host the Basketball Traditions Celebration Aug. 10-11. Kids’ games, alumni scrimmage and slam-dunk entertainment will rock the Roundhouse once again.
The McPherson Museum and Arts Foundation will host its Summer Music Series. Live music is scheduled every other Friday beginning June 22 at the band shell. Look for a full schedule soon.
Sports
While some parents have their kids wrapped up in competitive traveling teams (and more power to them), I just try to get my kids to part company with the couch whenever I can. We have a fine rec league offered through the McPherson Recreation Commission for soccer, baseball and softball. I also insist my kids make regular excursions to the McPherson Water Park and take swim lessons or compete on the swim team. My family is getting to be a regular fixture at Starlite Lanes on Friday nights where you can bowl for $8/person for two hours.
Camps
My biggest fear is that my children’s brains will turn to mush over the summer from too much exposure to video games and not enough social interaction. So I try to pick at least one camp for them to attend each summer. My favorite local camp is Camp Invention (July 16-20 at St. Joseph Catholic School). They have a great scholarship program and my kids are really engaged by the activities. Be warned though, my youngest now thinks he is qualified to disassemble most small appliances. Another science-y camp I’ve found that won’t break the budget is the Kansas Starbase summer academies in Salina and Wichita. Kids learn about the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields at this free camp funded by the Department of Defense. kansasstarbase.org
Books
Thankfully we live in a town that’s blessed with a first-rate public library. The McPherson Public Library has great children’s activities year-round but I’m particularly excited about this summer’s “Dream Big … Read!” reading program kick-off June 1. The list of activities for the kick-off which runs from 5:30-10:30 p.m. in Wickersham Park is extensive (let me just say free hot dogs and the Cosmosphere is bringing a telescope) so go online to check it out. macpl.org. But the fun doesn’t end with the kick-off. Thad Beach and Dan Dan the Magic Man will perform at the library this summer as well.
Paid Entertainment
The list of festivals and concerts in Central Kansas is long but my favorite festivals always seem to cluster around the month of June. The Wichita River Fest is June 1-9 and a $5 button will get you into most events. Listening to the Wichita Symphony play Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and watching fireworks on the bank of the banks of the Arkansas River is well worth the price. We plan to see the geektastic “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” at Exploration Place during River Fest and save some money with our buttons (wichitafestivals.com).
My favorite art festival is held June 7-10 in Salina. The Smoky Hill River Festival was a pleasant surprise the first time I went with its giant sand sculpture, ribbon-wrapped trees and kid-friendly entertainment. Buttons are $10 and there are some very unique, make-and-take, hands-on art activities you don’t find at most large-scale festivals.
Whatever your summer has in store for you, I hope it’s filled with memorable moments.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
A little cooperation goes a long way
Last year we added an event planner/ convention coordinator to the CVB staff and she's been great assistance in getting the word out and attracting new groups to town. But as anyone in this business will tell you, it’s frustrating to lose out on bid simply because the facility you need is not available.
One such case almost occurred in 2011 when we hosted Biking Across Kansas for an overnight stop. There were 800+ cyclists and their support crew in town for one night each buying lunch, dinner and breakfast, many staying in hotels and stocking up at local stores. It’s tough to measure the economic impact of groups like this but conservative estimates would put the BAK stopover at $40,000. Finding a facility that could accommodate the cyclists was the real challenge. Both colleges were not interested and following the example of other towns that host BAK, I put in requests to the school district to use the high school. At first we were told air conditioning would not be on in early June at the schools per an agreement with BPU. After some checking I found out the AC really wouldn’t be turned off until July. The administration told us we couldn’t use the Roundhouse because volleyball practice was scheduled in the morning but we could use the middle school. Everything seemed to be working out but since the middle school was having its HVAC system redone, the area we could use kept shrinking until it became unfeasible. So after much begging and pleading and some intercession by the mayor it was agreed we could use the high school after all.
Since then I’ve racked my brain trying to figure out how to make relations with the school district go more smoothly. The truth is there has to be a spirit of cooperation present by all parties and a desire to see the community as a whole succeed. While I can understand that students are the priority for school administration, they need to realize the value of being flexible with scheduling. The truth of the matter is all school facilities are built with taxpayer money and when an opportunity to help the community economically comes along, the district should show more cooperation.
We are currently bidding on another conference for 2013 that would bring between 600 and 800 people to town plus their spouses for a three-day barbershop quartet convention. While many may come for just a day, past attendance shows 250 hotel rooms have been booked. This could mean close to $80,000 pumped into the McPherson community for meals and hotel alone. Hopefully we’ll entice many of them to our local retailers to do some shopping too.
But again we are faced with the challenge of finding appropriate facilities. The group needs an auditorium that will seat 800 people which limits it to McPherson College or the high school auditorium. To be able to use the high school we asked them to schedule prom on the same day as the ACT next spring. It’s not ideal but it’s been done before. Unfortunately, our request was denied and here we sit with a golden egg and nowhere to hatch it.
One such case almost occurred in 2011 when we hosted Biking Across Kansas for an overnight stop. There were 800+ cyclists and their support crew in town for one night each buying lunch, dinner and breakfast, many staying in hotels and stocking up at local stores. It’s tough to measure the economic impact of groups like this but conservative estimates would put the BAK stopover at $40,000. Finding a facility that could accommodate the cyclists was the real challenge. Both colleges were not interested and following the example of other towns that host BAK, I put in requests to the school district to use the high school. At first we were told air conditioning would not be on in early June at the schools per an agreement with BPU. After some checking I found out the AC really wouldn’t be turned off until July. The administration told us we couldn’t use the Roundhouse because volleyball practice was scheduled in the morning but we could use the middle school. Everything seemed to be working out but since the middle school was having its HVAC system redone, the area we could use kept shrinking until it became unfeasible. So after much begging and pleading and some intercession by the mayor it was agreed we could use the high school after all.
Since then I’ve racked my brain trying to figure out how to make relations with the school district go more smoothly. The truth is there has to be a spirit of cooperation present by all parties and a desire to see the community as a whole succeed. While I can understand that students are the priority for school administration, they need to realize the value of being flexible with scheduling. The truth of the matter is all school facilities are built with taxpayer money and when an opportunity to help the community economically comes along, the district should show more cooperation.
We are currently bidding on another conference for 2013 that would bring between 600 and 800 people to town plus their spouses for a three-day barbershop quartet convention. While many may come for just a day, past attendance shows 250 hotel rooms have been booked. This could mean close to $80,000 pumped into the McPherson community for meals and hotel alone. Hopefully we’ll entice many of them to our local retailers to do some shopping too.
But again we are faced with the challenge of finding appropriate facilities. The group needs an auditorium that will seat 800 people which limits it to McPherson College or the high school auditorium. To be able to use the high school we asked them to schedule prom on the same day as the ACT next spring. It’s not ideal but it’s been done before. Unfortunately, our request was denied and here we sit with a golden egg and nowhere to hatch it.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Community Building deserves our attention
Well the women’s show is over and considering it was our first year, things went fairly smoothly. Hopefully we can tweak things and have an even better show next year.
While cleaning up the community building from the show, I was shooting baskets with wads of paper into the trash can. After sinking a particularly long shot, my arms shot straight up in the air and a deep-throated “Yes!” shot out of my mouth. I looked around to see if anyone had seen my moment of triumph but the only onlookers were the faces of the Refiners from the photos we’ve put up in the balcony.
I had to laugh at the thought of the Refiners cheering me on. The Community Building saw more than its fair share of amazing basketball courtesy of Coach Johnson and his helter-skelter players.
The Community Building has seen quite a few amazing things over the years – games, musicals, pancake feeds, trick-or-treaters, school dances. I didn’t grow up here and as I’m sometimes reminded I’m not a true “McPhersonite” but I imagine the Community Building is the backdrop for many a happy childhood memory.
There’s been talk off and on the last several years about what to do with this aging building. I, of course, have ideas but in the interest of staying employed, have kept them to myself lately. Now there’s talk of renovating the building again and since I got to sit in on a meeting I’m going to go out on a limb and say what I’d like to see happen.
First I’d like to see the gymnasium restored to have balconies on all four sides that are secure and safe for fans to sit in. I’d like the exhibit we’ve put in about the Refiners and local basketball history expanded and protected with plexi-glass.
The floor could be put back to wood and the drop ceiling removed to show the beams above.
It would be great to make the whole building into a basketball center. This could be done by converting the auditorium to a basketball court giving the Rec Commission additional courts to work with. I know Mayor Tom Brown has also looked into funding to make the Community Building a community storm shelter.
I’d like to see the kitchen expanded and made into something more useable. I’d like it better maintained with a new roof, heating and add an air conditioning system.
At one time the building was called Convention Hall and I think if proper sound and A/V were installed it could be a more usable facility for meetings of all sizes.
Any changes though will be a little while in coming to fruition. I hope McPhersonites – both native and adopted -- support efforts to preserve this cornerstone of our community.
While cleaning up the community building from the show, I was shooting baskets with wads of paper into the trash can. After sinking a particularly long shot, my arms shot straight up in the air and a deep-throated “Yes!” shot out of my mouth. I looked around to see if anyone had seen my moment of triumph but the only onlookers were the faces of the Refiners from the photos we’ve put up in the balcony.
I had to laugh at the thought of the Refiners cheering me on. The Community Building saw more than its fair share of amazing basketball courtesy of Coach Johnson and his helter-skelter players.
The Community Building has seen quite a few amazing things over the years – games, musicals, pancake feeds, trick-or-treaters, school dances. I didn’t grow up here and as I’m sometimes reminded I’m not a true “McPhersonite” but I imagine the Community Building is the backdrop for many a happy childhood memory.
There’s been talk off and on the last several years about what to do with this aging building. I, of course, have ideas but in the interest of staying employed, have kept them to myself lately. Now there’s talk of renovating the building again and since I got to sit in on a meeting I’m going to go out on a limb and say what I’d like to see happen.
First I’d like to see the gymnasium restored to have balconies on all four sides that are secure and safe for fans to sit in. I’d like the exhibit we’ve put in about the Refiners and local basketball history expanded and protected with plexi-glass.
The floor could be put back to wood and the drop ceiling removed to show the beams above.
It would be great to make the whole building into a basketball center. This could be done by converting the auditorium to a basketball court giving the Rec Commission additional courts to work with. I know Mayor Tom Brown has also looked into funding to make the Community Building a community storm shelter.
I’d like to see the kitchen expanded and made into something more useable. I’d like it better maintained with a new roof, heating and add an air conditioning system.
At one time the building was called Convention Hall and I think if proper sound and A/V were installed it could be a more usable facility for meetings of all sizes.
Any changes though will be a little while in coming to fruition. I hope McPhersonites – both native and adopted -- support efforts to preserve this cornerstone of our community.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Art and government: not an unheard of match
I’ve been working on plans for our latest mural that will celebrate the 100th anniversary of McPherson County All Schools Day in 2013. We’ll have the mural up in late 2012, hopefully well in advance of May Day. Luckily, local artist R. Bolton Smith has agreed to create an original painting for us to base the mural on. The tricky part is now finding a location for it.
Using guest tax to support the arts seems like a natural way of enhancing our community’s culture. With the recent actions of our governor to dissolve the Kansas Arts Council and his new plan to combine it with the Kansas Film Commission and seriously underfund it, I have to wonder if arts and government ever coexisted in a mutually supportive way.
My investigation of the topic on the Internet quickly led me to the murals and statues funded through the New Deal of the 1930s. As a country struggling to recover from the Great Depression, it would have been easy to get tunnel-vision and funnel all recovery funds into infrastructure and agriculture, but as Roosevelt’s relief administrator Harry Hopkins said “[artists] have got to eat just like other people.”
The result is we now have more than 225,000 government–funded works of public art available for every American to enjoy.
The majority of murals created through the New Deal were actually funded through the Section of Fine Arts of the U.S. Treasury Department (not the WPA). As new courthouses and post offices were built, 1% of the building budget was earmarked for artwork. There are 38 such post office murals in Kansas with the nearest one located in Lindsborg. For a list of murals go to www.wpamurals.com.
Also going on at the CVB, we’re set to host our “Leap into a New You” women’s show at the community building Feb. 25-26. To spice things up a little we added a Charity Cookoff competition with six competitors facing off on the auditorium stage. This is a great example of how we are delving more and more into event planning at the CVB. Tickets are available for the women’s show from participating vendors (free) or from the CVB for $2, or $3 the day of the show. Cook-off tickets are $10, available from the CVB, with the proceeds split between the six charities involved.
Using guest tax to support the arts seems like a natural way of enhancing our community’s culture. With the recent actions of our governor to dissolve the Kansas Arts Council and his new plan to combine it with the Kansas Film Commission and seriously underfund it, I have to wonder if arts and government ever coexisted in a mutually supportive way.
My investigation of the topic on the Internet quickly led me to the murals and statues funded through the New Deal of the 1930s. As a country struggling to recover from the Great Depression, it would have been easy to get tunnel-vision and funnel all recovery funds into infrastructure and agriculture, but as Roosevelt’s relief administrator Harry Hopkins said “[artists] have got to eat just like other people.”
The result is we now have more than 225,000 government–funded works of public art available for every American to enjoy.
The majority of murals created through the New Deal were actually funded through the Section of Fine Arts of the U.S. Treasury Department (not the WPA). As new courthouses and post offices were built, 1% of the building budget was earmarked for artwork. There are 38 such post office murals in Kansas with the nearest one located in Lindsborg. For a list of murals go to www.wpamurals.com.
Also going on at the CVB, we’re set to host our “Leap into a New You” women’s show at the community building Feb. 25-26. To spice things up a little we added a Charity Cookoff competition with six competitors facing off on the auditorium stage. This is a great example of how we are delving more and more into event planning at the CVB. Tickets are available for the women’s show from participating vendors (free) or from the CVB for $2, or $3 the day of the show. Cook-off tickets are $10, available from the CVB, with the proceeds split between the six charities involved.
Bad service experience? Here’s what to do
Why is it that bad experiences stick in our mind much more prominently than good ones? I could go to the grocery store 100 times and have no problems, but the one time my Diet Pepsi doesn’t ring up at the sale price and, man, this store stinks.
The same could be said of bad service experiences. I hear from travelers who have had a bad experience at a McPherson business. Having gotten nowhere dealing with the business directly they will contact the CVB or the Chamber to file a complaint.
If only I had some sort of “be good” enforcement power to make businesses give better customer service. The steps I usually follow are to document the complaint, write a letter to the business, copy it to the owner of the business and if necessary, send a letter to the franchise offices. I can’t say it’s been terribly effective. For one, since I’m a third party to the disagreement, I’m not able to lodge a formal complaint with most franchises. Secondly, most of the complaints I receive are for the same few businesses. They’re used to my letters.
So I’ve decided to put together a list of steps for people to take if they have a bad service experience. One thing to remember though is, if the business makes an honest effort to correct a situation, stop at that step. Don’t pursue the matter further if you’ve received a sincere apology and/or refund for any overcharges.
1. Talk to the manager. Give them a chance to make things right before you “go public.” Any manager worth his/her salt will appreciate the opportunity.
2. Put it in writing. Send letters to the business, the franchise, Better Business Bureau and local Chamber of Commerce or CVB. Follow up with the business to see if they received it and if they plan to take steps to correct the situation. Allow reasonable time for a response.
3. Go public. There are a myriad of different travel sites that let you review a business. (tripadvisor.com; expedia.com, orbitz.com, priceline.com just to name a few) Objectively document your experience and save future travelers from having a similar bad experience. Use social media to let people know about your experience. Most chains have a Facebook page; try posting on their wall. Start a Twitter hash tag like #badservice if you want to Tweet about it.
Some other useful information:
To file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau go to bbb.org and click the “File a Complaint” link.
To report a business for health code violations go to the Kansas Department of Agriculture – Food Safety Division website ksda.gov/food_safety/. KDA also handles lodging complaints.
My email is cvb@mcphersonks.org, phone (800) 324-8022. If you’re planning a visit, meeting or convention in McPherson, start with the CVB office. We know the facilities in McPherson and can help you find the one that will work best for you.
The same could be said of bad service experiences. I hear from travelers who have had a bad experience at a McPherson business. Having gotten nowhere dealing with the business directly they will contact the CVB or the Chamber to file a complaint.
If only I had some sort of “be good” enforcement power to make businesses give better customer service. The steps I usually follow are to document the complaint, write a letter to the business, copy it to the owner of the business and if necessary, send a letter to the franchise offices. I can’t say it’s been terribly effective. For one, since I’m a third party to the disagreement, I’m not able to lodge a formal complaint with most franchises. Secondly, most of the complaints I receive are for the same few businesses. They’re used to my letters.
So I’ve decided to put together a list of steps for people to take if they have a bad service experience. One thing to remember though is, if the business makes an honest effort to correct a situation, stop at that step. Don’t pursue the matter further if you’ve received a sincere apology and/or refund for any overcharges.
1. Talk to the manager. Give them a chance to make things right before you “go public.” Any manager worth his/her salt will appreciate the opportunity.
2. Put it in writing. Send letters to the business, the franchise, Better Business Bureau and local Chamber of Commerce or CVB. Follow up with the business to see if they received it and if they plan to take steps to correct the situation. Allow reasonable time for a response.
3. Go public. There are a myriad of different travel sites that let you review a business. (tripadvisor.com; expedia.com, orbitz.com, priceline.com just to name a few) Objectively document your experience and save future travelers from having a similar bad experience. Use social media to let people know about your experience. Most chains have a Facebook page; try posting on their wall. Start a Twitter hash tag like #badservice if you want to Tweet about it.
Some other useful information:
To file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau go to bbb.org and click the “File a Complaint” link.
To report a business for health code violations go to the Kansas Department of Agriculture – Food Safety Division website ksda.gov/food_safety/. KDA also handles lodging complaints.
My email is cvb@mcphersonks.org, phone (800) 324-8022. If you’re planning a visit, meeting or convention in McPherson, start with the CVB office. We know the facilities in McPherson and can help you find the one that will work best for you.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
To Do Lists
At the very top of my to-do list is to hire someone to help me get some things done on my to-do list. The CVB is interviewing for an event planner/convention sales person. This is a good sign although it took some convincing by the mayor that we needed to add to our staff. I have a tendency to think I can do it all myself but the CVB has taken some big steps into event planning, something not traditionally done by this office. The truth is, one person can't put on a multi-day festival. It takes many, many volunteers and helpers to make an event happen. If you've ever been in McPherson for All Schools Day or the McPherson Scottish Festival you'll see some of the best organized celebrations in the state.
We have one event coming up in June that will help us get our feet wet on events -- Biking Across Kansas will stop in McPherson June 7. It will be great to have 900+ guests on bicycles visit our city and it's a great opportunity to roll out the red carpet. We plan on having live music at the bandshell beginning at 5 p.m. including the McPherson Community Band, McPherson Pipe Band and Celtic band Raging Sea. The concert isn't just for BAK guests, the whole town is invited! We'll also have a great variety of food booths set up in the park too so grab your lawn chair and come on down.
Once we've recovered from that we'll be going full steam planning the first-ever McPherson Basketball Traditions Celebration Aug. 12-14. Here's the schedule for that.
Friday, Aug. 12 at Roundhouse
5 p.m. Free barbecue for first 300 people sponsored by Midway Motors
Kids contests 25-cents per game to benefit WACCC, plenty of prizes!:
peach basket toss
free throw, 3-point contest
half court shot
Slam Dunk tank
Bungee hoops
Pop-a-Shot
dribble obstacle course
7 p.m. Alumni of past state champ teams scrimmage
Half-time entertainment TBA
Sponsorship: NCRA
Saturday, Aug. 13
9 a.m. 3-on-3 tournament--- 5 divisions, $30 entry fee, shirts additional $, sign up your team!
Volunteers: McPherson Chamber of Commerce
7 p.m. movie at Opera House “Fast Break: Breaking Social Barriers Through Basketball” documentary by Keith Zimmerman, Eric Monder presenting “Olympiad” clips from 1936 Olympics, Stuart Naismith, grandson of James Naismith
Sponsorship: CVB
Sunday, Aug. 14
3 p.m. Reception at Community building
Basketball historians giving short speeches
Rich Hughes, author
Steve Farney, author & basketball Historian
Stuart Naismith, keynote sponsored by Wise and Reber
We have one event coming up in June that will help us get our feet wet on events -- Biking Across Kansas will stop in McPherson June 7. It will be great to have 900+ guests on bicycles visit our city and it's a great opportunity to roll out the red carpet. We plan on having live music at the bandshell beginning at 5 p.m. including the McPherson Community Band, McPherson Pipe Band and Celtic band Raging Sea. The concert isn't just for BAK guests, the whole town is invited! We'll also have a great variety of food booths set up in the park too so grab your lawn chair and come on down.
Once we've recovered from that we'll be going full steam planning the first-ever McPherson Basketball Traditions Celebration Aug. 12-14. Here's the schedule for that.
Friday, Aug. 12 at Roundhouse
5 p.m. Free barbecue for first 300 people sponsored by Midway Motors
Kids contests 25-cents per game to benefit WACCC, plenty of prizes!:
peach basket toss
free throw, 3-point contest
half court shot
Slam Dunk tank
Bungee hoops
Pop-a-Shot
dribble obstacle course
7 p.m. Alumni of past state champ teams scrimmage
Half-time entertainment TBA
Sponsorship: NCRA
Saturday, Aug. 13
9 a.m. 3-on-3 tournament--- 5 divisions, $30 entry fee, shirts additional $, sign up your team!
Volunteers: McPherson Chamber of Commerce
7 p.m. movie at Opera House “Fast Break: Breaking Social Barriers Through Basketball” documentary by Keith Zimmerman, Eric Monder presenting “Olympiad” clips from 1936 Olympics, Stuart Naismith, grandson of James Naismith
Sponsorship: CVB
Sunday, Aug. 14
3 p.m. Reception at Community building
Basketball historians giving short speeches
Rich Hughes, author
Steve Farney, author & basketball Historian
Stuart Naismith, keynote sponsored by Wise and Reber
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Promoting your business? The CVB can help!
Are you struggling with how to best promote your business without spending a fortune? There are many opportunities available through the Convention and Visitors Bureau for free or at minimal cost.
For instance, this last month I attended two shows geared to consumers looking for weekend getaways and day trips. Attractions like the water park, opera house and festivals always grab their interests but many are also interested in our shopping and dining. Ann Engel, Main Street director, has helped me keep an updated map and directory of the downtown area marked with shopping, businesses, restaurants, ATM locations and available buildings. I hand out hundreds at every show that I go to, as well as, at local hotels, restaurants and shops. This is a free service of the Convention and Visitors Bureau we provide to local businesses.
Another free service we offer is our Visitor Coupon Book that we print and hand out to visiting groups and conventions and hand out at shows. We currently have 35 merchants participating in this book for free. We handed out 1,200 at the Taste of Home Show in Hutchinson alone last week. Our criteria to participate is that businesses offer a percent discount or BOGO offer, have no expiration date, and keep a tally to turn in to our office every quarter of coupons turned in. Anyone in McPherson that can meet the criteria can participate.
There are also online opportunities where you can list your business with the state’s tourism website via the CVB and even include a picture at no charge. Additionally we can list you in their printed official visitors guide for the state at a nominal charge. Close to 800,000 of these guides are distributed to potential visitors. The more listings we can get for McPherson, the more these potential customers will want to plan a trip to our town.
Often when I go to travel shows there are opportunities for door prizes or to have us hand out a brochure about your business. All of the names we collect through our prize drawings are entered into a database that we will share with any business that provides giveaways or decorations for our booth.
Another great inexpensive way to promote your business is to join organizations like McPherson Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce. The amount of promotional opportunities and networking opportunities you get for your membership is invaluable. A strong Main Street and Chamber that plan community events certainly make my job easier. The CVB tries to support both organizations with marketing grants and partnerships like I listed above.
One project that we are all three partnering on is an update to our official visitor guide and community profile magazine. This publication will be distributed at all the travel information centers and locally at hotels, restaurants, shops and at our office. When you get a call to support this guide I hope you’re able to help us put out a quality publication that represents our fine community.
For instance, this last month I attended two shows geared to consumers looking for weekend getaways and day trips. Attractions like the water park, opera house and festivals always grab their interests but many are also interested in our shopping and dining. Ann Engel, Main Street director, has helped me keep an updated map and directory of the downtown area marked with shopping, businesses, restaurants, ATM locations and available buildings. I hand out hundreds at every show that I go to, as well as, at local hotels, restaurants and shops. This is a free service of the Convention and Visitors Bureau we provide to local businesses.
Another free service we offer is our Visitor Coupon Book that we print and hand out to visiting groups and conventions and hand out at shows. We currently have 35 merchants participating in this book for free. We handed out 1,200 at the Taste of Home Show in Hutchinson alone last week. Our criteria to participate is that businesses offer a percent discount or BOGO offer, have no expiration date, and keep a tally to turn in to our office every quarter of coupons turned in. Anyone in McPherson that can meet the criteria can participate.
There are also online opportunities where you can list your business with the state’s tourism website via the CVB and even include a picture at no charge. Additionally we can list you in their printed official visitors guide for the state at a nominal charge. Close to 800,000 of these guides are distributed to potential visitors. The more listings we can get for McPherson, the more these potential customers will want to plan a trip to our town.
Often when I go to travel shows there are opportunities for door prizes or to have us hand out a brochure about your business. All of the names we collect through our prize drawings are entered into a database that we will share with any business that provides giveaways or decorations for our booth.
Another great inexpensive way to promote your business is to join organizations like McPherson Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce. The amount of promotional opportunities and networking opportunities you get for your membership is invaluable. A strong Main Street and Chamber that plan community events certainly make my job easier. The CVB tries to support both organizations with marketing grants and partnerships like I listed above.
One project that we are all three partnering on is an update to our official visitor guide and community profile magazine. This publication will be distributed at all the travel information centers and locally at hotels, restaurants, shops and at our office. When you get a call to support this guide I hope you’re able to help us put out a quality publication that represents our fine community.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)