Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce

Committee Minutes Form

 

The regular/special meeting of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee was held on Tuesday, May 5th at 9:00 am/pm at The Howard Johnson’s on Route 28.

 

Present: Marc Kingsley (Chair), Susan O’Handley, Marcy Birch, Peter Bissell, Bob Ghegan, Lonetta Swartout, Jonathan Ullman, Marianne Bez, Skip Endress, Deb Taylor.

 

The following was presented, discussed and action items for the Board of Directors and/or Committee

noted:

  1. This was the first meeting for the Tourism Committee.  Open session to brain storm ideas for the

      direction the committee should head in.

  1. Deb Taylor explained her position as the Otsego County Tourism Director and how her office works. 

      Explained the partner program as well.

  1. Bob Ghegan expressed that we should have more diversity on Main Street, Cooperstown.
  2. One item that everyone in attendance agreed on is that we shouldn’t be duplicating efforts already in

      place and that we should work with the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce and Deb’s office to help

      support an increase of bed tax money to the Otsego County Tourism program and the continued

      education of the County Reps and population of Otsego County on the importance tourism plays for

      this county.

  1. Everyone agreed the main focus of this committee should be to help direct visitors to the area, mainly

      Cooperstown, to the surrounding areas and attractions with in the county.

    1. Utilizing the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce as the focal point for information and

      materials to help visitors with the area

                                                              i.      Attractions

                                                            ii.      Directions

                                                          iii.      General information – hours of operation, prices, specials, etc.

    1. Work with the local businesses to:

                                                              i.      Stop believing that we are only a one season destination.

                                                            ii.      Develop a welcoming atmosphere for our visitors.

                                                          iii.      Develop materials to help promote our businesses to the visitors.

                                                          iv.      Develop a reciprocal system with the attractions and local businesses for rack cards,

   brochures, or other display materials.

                                                            v.      Develop a system for window displays (at merchant locations) to welcome: Dreams

   Park visitors, Conference groups, other groups or visitors to Cooperstown.

 

Action Items:

  1. Look at what resource materials we currently have.
  2. Talk with Deb’s office and the Otsego County Chamber to see how we can work together and what

      they need from us.

  1. Marcy talked about having Cornell do a seminar on window displays.  We need to follow up on this.
  2. Discuss how to gather and disseminate window display information.

 

Meeting date, time, and location: Third Wednesday of each month, 9:00 am at the Howard Johnson’s.

 

Next meeting – Wednesday, May 20th, 9:00 am at the Howard Johnson’s, Route 28

 

Minutes recorded by: Marc Kingsley