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Minutes of the Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee
November 29, 2007
Committee members present: Stan Moore, Arline Borchers, Rose
Anne Huck, Ken Yowell, Bill Riggins and Cynthia Crawford
Reporter: Rachel Harper
Arline Borchers moved and it was seconded that the minutes from October
be approved. Motion passed.
Rose Ann reviewed the 2008 brochure and the next Missouri Life ad with
the group. The group helped with fine tuning details. 10,000 brochures
should be in hand about the 1st of the year.
To support the ExCEED work on tourism, a list of locally owned businesses
and those with an interest in regional tourism development is being developed.
Angie and Rose Anne are working on this.
Stan announced the full grant application was funded by the Tourism Commission.
The group expressed appreciation to Stan for his leadership in pulling
the application together.
Bill emphasized that the Martin Community Center will be an important
factor for 2008 to increase the number of people coming in for overnight
stays. Lucy Fletcher is working on a brochure for the center. The website
development will need to be a priority too in anticipation of the Center
opening. Bill will talk with John about website development and then discuss
with Rose Anne.
DMO application with the state is being considered. A letter of notification
will be received before the end of the week. It will go to the Chamber
office and Ken was alerted to watch for it.
Stan attended a workshop on DMO’s. The parameters for funding seem
to indicate brochure development, websites and ads in Missouri Life may
be the highest probability of success. There focus is county-wide tourism
development. Quarterly reporting is required. The forms used at the state
level are consistent with forms at the Saline County level.
Measuring outcomes is something to keep in mind continually in 2008. The
state has a form and we appreciate Angie has done some work on a measure,
as well. Cues need to be taken from the state form. Stan will work to
combine the two and send it out for review. We must be intentional about
quantifying and qualifying outcomes. This is absolutely key in seeking
future funding.
The MFA Oil Foundation grant dollars have been stretched to accomplish
a great deal of education. The final event that the dollars will be used
to support will be March 14, 2008, at the Lutheran Church in Marshall.
Drs. John Shopland and Carla Barbariri will be presenting seminars in
the morning followed by a luncheon. After lunch Don Borgman will chair
a working/sharing session with the morning speakers serving as resources.
Please save the date on your calendar now. The agri-tourism track will
be part of the Women in Ag/Ag Landowners regional conference on the 14th.
The MFA Oil Foundation was recognized by the Saline County Extension Council
at the Century Farms event. Mary Ellen McVicker did an excellent job keynoting
at the event as she spoke about the Barns and Quilts project in Saline,
Howard and Cooper Counties. There are 72 barns in Saline County, alone,
that are well located for this project. Thank you to Arline Borchers for
serving on this project.
The Marshall Mental Health Association has asked to show and offer the
Saline County throw for sale on the tourism website. Cynthia moved, and
it was seconded to allow the Marshall Mental Health Association to show
and offer the Saline County throw for sale on the coupon page of the tourism
website for 2008 with the fee being waived because they are a nonprofit
organization. Motion passed.
Rose Anne moved and it was seconded to consider waiving coupon page fees
for non profit organizations on a case by case basis by this committee.
Motion passed.
January 20 is an open house for the Community Center announced Bill. Please
come.
Stan adjourned the meeting by thanking committee members for their work.
Much has been accomplished as we go in to the third year of work. There
is an average of 16,000 hits on the website each month.
Go Tigers!
No meeting in December.
Next meeting third Thursday in January, 9 a.m., Saline County Extension
Center.
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