2011

Annual Report Annual Grand Bend & Area Chamber of of Chamber Commerce Area Bend Grand &

Year-end review of activities, highlights and accomplishments of the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and summer students of the Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce.

Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce 1-81 Crescent St., PO Box 248, Grand Bend 519-238-2001 [email protected]

Table of Contents 2011 Board of Directors ...... 4 President: Brianne Haist ...... 4 Vice-President: Mike Burgess ...... 4 Treasurer: Vacant ...... 5 Secretary: Glen Baillie ...... 5 Director: Joan Karstens ...... 5 Director: Barry Richman ...... 6 Pat Powers ...... 6 Director: Nancy Starek ...... 7 Director: Bramwell Steele ...... 7 Our Volunteers ...... 7 Ruth Dunlap (Years Served: 15+) ...... 7 Phyllis Statchuk (Years Served: 7+) ...... 8 Carole MacDougall (Years Served: 4) ...... 8 The Manager ...... 9 Susan Mills ...... 9 New Members in 2011 ...... 9 About The Chamber ...... 10 Mission Statement ...... 10 Core Principles ...... 10 Now & in the Future ...... 10 Welcome Centre’s 10th Anniversary – September 21, 2011 ...... 10 2011 In Review ...... 11 Events & Community Groups Supported in 2011 ...... 11 Advertising / Promotion / Marketing ...... 12 Wordpressing GrandBendTourism.com ...... 13 Parking Summit ...... 13 Member Services ...... 14 Year-End Statistics ...... 16

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Welcome Centre ...... 16 Website Traffic ...... 16 Presentation to Council in Support of Tourism Services ...... 16 Other ...... 17 New For 2012 ...... 17 Webervations for 2012 ...... 18

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2011 Board of Directors

President: Brianne Haist Brianne manages The House of Flags in Grand Bend, which is still owned by her parents. Prior to joining the family business, she worked for almost 10 years at Aunt Gussie’s Restaurant. Born and raised in Grand Bend, Brianne states she will always call it her home. Brianne has served on the board of directors for The Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce for four years. During the first two years she served as secretary, during the last two years as President and now looks forward to the role of Past-President in 2012 while hopefully focusing her energy on the golf tournament. “I have enjoyed my time on the board, and have formed great business relationships with so many people. I come away knowing this was a great experience for me.”

Vice-President: Mike Burgess Mike Burgess is co-owner of Foodies of Grand Bend with his wife of 38 years Christine. Foodies of Grand Bend has been in operation on Main Street West for 3 years. Mike and Chris’s two daughters live in London. Before setting up the specialty food and kitchenware store in Grand Bend, Mike worked for 25 years in the IT Department of TD/ Trust and 6 years in auto sales for Huron Motor Products and Toyota in Exeter. Mike is a graduate of Fanshawe College’s Computer Science program. Mike’s two-year contribution to the Board has focused mainly on event planning and marketing, being instrumental in the Fall Escape Campaign, Christmas Comes Early in Grand Bend and the Grand Bend Arts & Eats event.

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Treasurer: Vacant Sadly, George Appel passed away December 2010. Despite Board and staff efforts to find another treasurer this fiscal year, to date we have had no one step forward. In the absence of a Treasurer, all Board members have been actively involved in reviewing invoices, bank statements and becoming intimately aware of the financial position of the Chamber.

Secretary: Glen Baillie Glen Baillie operates Baillie's Picture Framing, a full service commercial framing operation. Glen started framing while studying for his economics degree at the University of Western and has not stopped since. In operation since 1988, the business moved to Grand Bend in 2004. In addition to his wife, Janette, he has two full time employees working all year. Glen and Janette have four children, one still at home. He is active in the Lions club of Ailsa Craig and still plays men's softball. He cheers for hockey and baseball teams, as it builds character. Glen is founder of the annual Grand Bend & Area Studio Tour (“Arts & Eats”), was instrumental in getting Grand Bend’s first Sidewalk Sale segment of our annual Thanksgiving Market event up and running, and also initiated discussion with Council relative to garnering financial support for tourism services performed by the Chamber.

Director: Joan Karstens Joan Karstens, along with her husband Peter, own and operate Brentwood on the Beach Bed & Breakfast, which has been in operation for more than 20 years and in 2011 achieved FOBBA’s 4-Star rating. In addition to the bed and breakfast, they also own and operate two lake-front, luxury cottages – Bayview Cottage and Upper Beach Cottage. Joan grew up in Exeter and is a well-recognized contributor to a number of tourism-related organizations, including the Huron Tourism Association and the St. Joseph Historical Society, the latter group playing a key role in helping to bring Paul Ciufo’s most recent theatrical success Narcisse to life.

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Joan’s contribution to the Board includes the building of partnerships with key tourist organizations, identifying and finding individuals and businesses that help further the Chamber’s tourist activities and an extensive memory and knowledge-base of Huron County, with special focus on tourist-related businesses throughout a geographic stretch from Bayfield south to the and inland to Exeter.

Director: Barry Richman Canadian artist, local gallery owner and Paint Ontario art show founder, host and organizer - Barry Richman joined the Board of Directors for a repeat performance this time last year. Barry served on the Board a number of years ago and was a welcome return member to the 2011 Board. Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Barry's art gallery and studio have been located in Grand Bend for many years. Apart from a formal fine arts education and background, which now contribute to his reputation as one of 's foremost representation artists, Barry also had a career in advertising. His experience as an artist, advertising executive, gallery business owner and founder of the highly successful annual Paint Ontario Juried Art Show contribute a much-needed perspective and knowledgebase to the Chamber's promotional activities.Director:

Pat Powers Patrick, along with his wife LeeAnn, loves living and raising their family in Grand Bend. They own and operate Aunt Gussie's Country Dinning & Delectables. Originally from Waterloo Patrick, LeeAnn (of Grand Bend) and their three children Mallory, Eddie and Ethan moved to Grand Bend 8 years ago. Their family has long ties to the business community as LeeAnn is the fourth generation to do business here in Grand Bend. Patrick has spent the past twenty years in the hospitality industry and joined the chamber to take part in assisting in the further development of the Grand Bend business community.

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Director: Nancy Starek Currently an Investment Advisor with RBC Dominion Securities, Nancy brings with her over 35 years’ experience in the financial services industry. Nancy has completed the "Elder Planning Counselor" (EPC) designation which enables her to provide a higher standard of service with a deeper understanding of senior issues. Nancy has demonstrated proficiency in all relevant programs about seniors' issues, including aging, health issues, financial planning considerations, long-term care, as well as end-of-life issues. Nancy enjoys working in the Grand Bend area and for over 15 years has supported various fund raisers.

Director: Bramwell Steele Bramwell Steele joined the Board at our last Annual General Meeting held November 2010. He owns/operates BJ’s Diner and Accommodation on Main Street, Grand Bend.

Our Volunteers Many of you may not know it, but our volunteers handle much of the Chamber’s daily activities. Together, their long years of service to the Chamber combine to provide the manager with much- needed community memory and support. Their valuable input and efforts make the manager’s job possible and enable the Chamber to offer tourism services year-round and to a greater extent than we could accomplish with just one person. Please join the Board of Directors and Manager in thanking our terrific volunteers!

Ruth Dunlap (Years Served: 15+) Ruth and husband Malcolm (Mac) moved to Grand Bend in 1976 and ran the Patio Motel. They ran this business for 10 years, before selling it and moving back to London, Ontario – only to return to Grand Bend in 1992 to retire. Ruth has a long history of volunteering, including with the Lionesses, Huron Country Playhouse Guild, Meals on Wheels, Grand Bend Horticultural Society and the Canadian Blood Services clinics. She first became involved with the Chamber as a volunteer in 1996.

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“Since we owned a business and were Chamber members, and Mac was actually President for 2 years, I thought it would be fun to get involved. I enjoy meeting and talking to the visitors to Grand Bend as they come here from all different places in Canada and other countries, plus it keeps me busy!”

Phyllis Statchuk (Years Served: 7+) We retired in Grand Bend in 2000. However, I still drove to London and worked for 2-1/2 years. I had always wanted to volunteer, but raising four children, sports and working never left time for volunteering. I thought the Chamber would be a good place to volunteer – you get to meet and help people (which I enjoy). I started in 2005 and am going into my eighth year at the Chamber. There have been a lot of changes along the way, but I have enjoyed every moment. I also have joined Probus and the Guild, where I also do some volunteering work. I enjoy being near the water and every chance I get I am at the Pinery Beach. We have nine beautiful grandchildren. One married and another one will be married next August. A great-grandchild is on the way. We love when they come and visit us and we can take them to the beach with us. We have done some travelling since retiring and enjoy two months in as well.

Carole MacDougall (Years Served: 4) I have always tried to be involved in my community. When I moved to Grand Bend seven years ago, I became a Lioness member. Then, four years ago, I heard that the Chamber needed volunteers and began a new challenge. The work at the Chamber is diverse and no two days are the same. Visitors from all parts of the world come to the Welcome Centre for information and are very interesting; assisting them to get to know the community also helps me to realize how lucky we are to live here. It is rewarding and I enjoy being an ambassador for the Grand Bend area wherever I go. During the past three years, I have organized the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life event to raise funds for cancer research and assistance to local cancer patients. My husband and I spend as much time with our family as possible. Elder care is a high priority in our lives at this time. NOTE: At the recent Grand Bend Community Foundation’s October 28 Gala, Carole MacDougall was recognized as one of this community’s “exceptional volunteer leaders”. Congratulations Carole! We’re very proud of you.

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The Manager

Susan Mills Susan Mills first arrived in Grand Bend as a teenage tourist and in the succeeding 30 years visited Grand Bend & Area annually on vacation. In 2008, Susan made her escape from the Greater Toronto Area to Grand Bend permanently by starting her own business and joining the Chamber as a member. In November 2010, Susan became the new General Manager of the Chamber. Susan graduated from Toronto’s Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts in 1983 and from York University in 1990 (Honours B.A. in Mass Communications & English). Her marketing and communications career includes stints at The Canadian Red Cross Society, Allstate Insurance and York University. In 1996, Susan helped pave the Internet superhighway with her contribution towards Allstate Canada’s first website. In the succeeding 10 years, she played a key role in the ongoing branding, marketing and innovation of Allstate online (Canada’s first fully e- commerce insurance website).

New Members in 2011 The following businesses joined the Chamber during our 2011 fiscal year (November 1, 2010 through to October 31, 2011). Currently, the Chamber boasts 208 members. A warm welcome to all of our 18 new members!

 All About Horses – Jane Rombouts  Denny's Drive-In Ltd – Valerie Boland  Do It For You Cleaning Service – Julie Forrest  Grand Bend Optometry Clinic – Dr. Gerry Day  Huckleberries Gift Boutique – Janet Carter & Doug Smaill  Lakeshore Painteriors – Jim Dekker  Oke Woodsmith - Brad, Wayne, Randall & Kevin  Piper Enterprises – Ben & Sharon Piper  Quality Trees Service – Paul & Susan Horton  REACH (Regional Equine & Agricultural Centre of Huron) – Richard Harding  Retire-At-Home – Landa Colleta  Rivers Edge Apartments - Gail & Eric Johnson  Rotary Club of Grand Bend  Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership – George Mallay  Sunglass Shore – David Amar  Sunset House Café – David Giroux  Welcome Wagon – Faye Vanoss

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About The Chamber Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce was incorporated October 31, 1975 as a corporate not-for- profit organization. The first Board Directors were George Kadlecik, Peter Haist and Donald Southcott.

Mission Statement The objectives of the Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce are to promote and improve trade and commerce; and the economic, civic and social welfare of the district.

Core Principles

 Competition in a free market  Excellence in customer service and satisfaction  Broad economic and social community prosperity  Law and order  Reasonable profit  Private ownership  Individual integrity and responsibility  Efficient and effective government  Public policy framework that supports economic progress and fosters business success

Now & in the Future The Chamber is committed to being actively involved with:

 All businesses, small and large  Developing and implementing a strong membership benefit package  Future economic development issues  Local and provincial government  Providing a unified voice for local issues  Addressing businesses concerns and seeking workable solutions  Community initiatives that could impact members  Promotion of sound, balanced tourism efforts  Stimulating future infrastructure enhancements  Planning and implementing special events that satisfy the needs and wants of businesses, residents and visitors  Promoting the area as a great place to live, work and play

Welcome Centre’s 10th Anniversary – September 21, 2011 The Welcome Centre was built with the donations and personal efforts of 180 people and businesses. Although the Chamber owns the Welcome Centre building, the land on which it sits is leased from the Municipality of Lambton Shores at a much reduced rate.

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The Welcome Centre opened September 21, 2001 and this year turns 10-years young!

2011 In Review The Chamber supports community events and groups in various ways, mostly through in-kind donation of staff and Board Director time (as committee members, organizational role, community point-of- contact, promotion assistance etc) and administrative services (email, photocopying, government document submissions, development of advertising materials – print and web etc). The goal of our involvement is to promote Grand Bend and area to visitors in a way that raises our community’s profile as a place to visit year round, supports the financial health of our local businesses and helps to promote this area as a family-friendly place to visit.

Events & Community Groups Supported in 2011

 Winter Carnival – committee member; email communications; develop and host event webpage; photocopying; develop radio announcement scripts; signatory on draw licence; event passport & draw sales; parade time change poll;  Grand Bend “Arts & Eats” Studio Tour – committee member; organizational & coordinating role, email communications; design and launch website; design and print promotional brochure; distribution of promotional materials; photograph studios/exhibitions; host meetings;  Drive ‘N Jive – act as point-of-contact for general inquiries; develop and host event webpage; sold event tickets; email communications; distribution of event information;  Canada Day Celebrations & Fireworks – committee members (secretary and treasurer); create and print promotional materials; email communications; develop and distribute sponsorship and donation solicitation packages; receive/record donations; obtain, complete and submit two separate grant applications to garner financial support- Federal and Municipal; accounting/bill payments; develop and place print advertising promoting the event; coordinate and staff children’s activity centre (giant mural on the Beach House); work with other committee members to assist in planning and implementation of the parade, dog- show and entertainment; obtain, complete and submit all permits, host meetings;  Thanksgiving Market & Sidewalk Sale – key organizational role; co- sponsor of the event with the Grand Bend Women’s Institute; contact/invite market vendors and sidewalk sale participants; promotions (print & radio); organize vendor placement and setup; obtain, complete and submit permit; work with the Municipality to

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arrange for banner display, open washrooms, hydro availability and traffic control on parking lot.  Christmas Comes Early in Grand Bend – key organizational role; contact/invite participants; handle all print and radio promotion; work with 104.9 the Beach and local print media (Lakeshore Advance, Times Advocate, Hayter Walden) to generate a cost-effective promotional program for merchant participants, create print ad and flyer artwork; distribute promotional materials; email communications;

Advertising / Promotion / Marketing  Grand Bend & Area Visitors’ Guide – Produced 30,000 guides and distributed them throughout our local area and to 50+ travel centres and tourism booths in Ontario. This year a photo contest was held to garner a great photo for the cover and we received just under 200 photo entries as a result. The winner was Jodi Van Kasteren.  Chamber Facebook Page – Maintain and update the Grand Bend facebook page with local events and news. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grand- Bend-Tourism/140889865923731)  Tourism Partnerships - Grand Bend is geographically situated at the juncture of two counties (Lambton County & Huron County) and three municipalities (Lambton Shores, Bluewater and South Huron). Promoting our area and coordinating our efforts with those of others nearby is key to our success. The Chamber’s Manager sits on the boards of both Tourism Sarnia Lambton (TSL) and Huron Tourism Association (HTA). Both hold monthly meetings.  Travel Writer Visit – In March, travel writer Sherri Tolenko visited Grand Bend (courtesy of our partnership with Huron Tourism Association and Huron County) to research our area in preparation for developing a travelogue article. With the help of Board members (Mike Burgess, Barry Richman and Joan Karstens), community volunteers (Drayton Entertainment President Bryan Beattie and Director Mary Cardiff) and local businesses (Oakwood Resort, Aunt Gussie’s, and F.I.N.E. A Restaurant), we were able to show Sherri the wide range of vacation possibilities open to tourists – places to stay, eat, shop and visit. As a result of these efforts, we garnered two articles focusing on Grand Bend – one in Fifty-Five Plus Magazine, the other in the Mom & Caregiver Magazine. This type of public relations/promotional work results in a far greater dollar value of promotional coverage than any advertising budget could buy. Thank you to all who made this happen!  Homes & Land Real Estate Magazine – Negotiated with publisher Jim Lalonde to have a double-page spread focus on Grand Bend and area. The special two-page promotion was made possible with specially-priced advertising sold by Lalonde on our behalf. The Grand Bend and area focused issues were June/July and August/September 2011.  Co-op Advertising efforts – Participants in any of the Chamber’s sponsored events, like the Grand Bend & Area Studio Tour, Thanksgiving Market & Sidewalk Sale or Christmas Comes Early benefit from specially priced group advertising rates negotiated with local media. These

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opportunities provide local business with a bigger bang for their advertising dollar and help the Chamber promote the event itself.  Advertising Exchanges – Annually, we exchange print advertising space with TSL and HTA to promote Grand Bend and area in the Sarnia & Lambton County Visitors’ Guide and the Ontario’s West Coast Visitors’ Guide.  GrandBendTourism.com – The Chamber website promotes area events and businesses. Until the end of July 2011, our online calendar listed all events in the area, from Port Franks Camera Club and Seniors Club to events like Canada Day. The online calendar was achieved through subscription software called Trumba at a cost of $99 USD per month. Due to financial restrictions, we the account was cancelled at the end of July in a decision to cut-down on expenses and divert funds to a hosting account capable of enabling increased functionality on the website. A new online calendar system will be implemented on the website within the next 6 months.  Online Marketing/Advertising – As much as possible, we make use of free listings (web and print), here’s a few websites on which Grand Bend & Area events are annually listed: SummerFunGuide.ca, CountryCottage.com, OntarioTravel.net and various online community event listings (such as London Free Press).

Wordpressing GrandBendTourism.com Technology inevitably moves forward and GrandBendTourism.com – re- designed and re-launched in 2009 was already showing technological aging effects. One of the critical challenges we faced was the hosting account – which, although provided at no-cost to the Chamber, also prevented the implementation of much requested functionality – like a Search function. This year, the website moved to a new hosting company with full access to server-based software that makes a search function possible and enabled us to transfer the site into Wordpress. The “Wordpressing” of the site means non-technical volunteers and summer students are able to update member listings, photographs and information.

Parking Summit Held August 29, 2011, the Chamber hosted three parking discussion sessions. The invitation to attend and talk about potential solutions to parking and traffic in Grand Bend was extended to the entire community. Our facilitation generated feedback from a wide mix of residents, municipal politicians, and business owners of the issues of 1 - Congestion; 2 - Parking Difficulties; and 3 - Pay in Lieu parking. Approximately 60 people participated in round table discussions. The concerns, complaints, and suggestions were documented and

Page | 13 summarized in a report entitled Parking and Congestion in Grand Bend authored by Board Director Glen Baillie. Copies are available from the Chamber. Contact Susan Mills at 519-238-2001 or email [email protected].

Member Services  Brochure Warehousing & Display - Re-organized member promotional material according to type of business (Stay, Play, Dine, Shop & Services) and within each category organized in alphabetical order; setup brochure warehousing system to match Regional Tourism Organizational structure in Ontario – now easier and more efficient means of housing and finding promotional materials  “Welcome Package” for new members – creation of a “Master” package that includes key informational materials and Welcome Letter from the Chamber means welcoming a new member is now more consistent and timely  Accommodation Code of Ethics – although the Code came into effect in 2008 (as per that year’s Annual General Meeting ratification), we still have accommodation members who have not yet signed the document. We managed to garner a few more signatures this summer and continue the effort to bring all accommodation providers into compliance.  Provision of Chamber business data to Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership – the Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP) maintains a website on which ALL businesses in Lambton County are listed for FREE. To ensure all of our members benefit from this free listing service, we shared member business listing data with SLEP (business name, operating address of the business, phone, email and website address – no personal data was shared!)  Canadian Tire Website – early this year Canadian Tire started a listing of campgrounds on their website in map format. We noted several of our member campground businesses were located incorrectly and brought this to Canadian Tire’s attention. Corrected mapping data has been submitted.  Chamber Member Survey / Results – This summer we conducted a checkpoint survey with members to determine how satisfactorily we are performing as a Chamber, are we doing want members want, are there activities members would like us to undertake. The invitation was distributed by email and completed online. o Out of our 208 members, we had 59 responses o 37% had been members for 10 or more years o 81% said the top reason they were a member was to be listed in the Chamber’s directories (print and web) / 60% said it was the opportunity to support the community o 58% said they had now or in the past promoted their business through the display of promotional material in the Welcome Centre o 56% said they had now or in the past opted to advertise in the Visitors’ Guide

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o 52% said they used the Chamber’s website as a reference to locate other services and information When asked what services/functions members would like the Chamber to do: o 41% said they would like to see the Chamber hold Business-After-Hours events o 40% would like a printed business directory o 38% would like to see events with guest speakers o 36% would like to see a Chamber eNews o 33% want Co-Op Advertising opportunities to continue and/or grow (i.e. Christmas Comes Early, Grand Bend Studio Tour etc) o 33% would like to see additional discount affiliation programs The survey had several questions that asked members to provide a rating on a 5-point scale. Below are the questions with the top 5 rated services/functions: o Indicate HOW IMPORTANT the following Chamber services are to you: . Have my promotional material at the Welcome Centre (rating score 3.9) . Chamber website (rating score 3.7) . Chamber print advertising – Visitors’ Guide (rating score 3.5) . Access to business information (rating score 3.5) . Chamber website advertising – web badge, upgraded member listing, mini-sites (rating score 3.3) o Indicate HOW WELL the Chamber is doing in providing the following services/functions: . Annual General Meeting (rating score 3.7) . Chamber website overall (rating score 3.6) . Access to business information (rating score 3.5) . Access to government and community information (rating score 3.5) . Brochure swap (rating score 3.4) o Indicate HOW WELL the Chamber is doing in providing the following marketing services/functions: . Chamber print advertising – Visitors’ Guide (rating score 4.0) . Have my promotional material at the Welcome Centre (rating score 3.7) The following three responses were all rated equally at 3.6 . Chamber electronic advertising (email blasts) . Chamber website advertising (web badge, upgraded member listings, mini-sites) . Grand Bend Studio Tour  Early Bird Membership Renewal Contest – As a means to encourage members to remit membership dues on-time a contest was held to reward one member with a free 2012 membership for early payment. Perry Potofsky of Perry’s Cottages won the Early Bird contest.

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Year-End Statistics Our statistics are collected on a calendar year basis versus the Chamber’s fiscal year and as a result we are still in the process of tracking. The following statistics are therefore incomplete until the end of December 31, 2011.

Welcome Centre  In-person visits: 3,160 (this figure is down from this time last year – 4,173 people)  Email inquiries: 6,224 (this figure is up significantly in comparison to this time last year – 2,679 emails)  Phone inquiries: 2,753 (down slightly from this time last year - 3,162 phone calls)

Website Traffic  Number of pages viewed: 1,595,374 (2010 year-end total: 1,200,222)  Number of unique visitors to the website: 74,719 (2010 year-end total: 55,028)  Most viewed areas of the website: “Stay” section with the Cottages and Motels & Hotels webpages ranking first and second respectively. The third most viewed page was the “Dine” section. This ranking was the same as in 2010.

Presentation to Council in Support of Tourism Services Background: At last year’s Annual General Meeting (held November 10, 2010), one of the resolutions ratified by the Membership was to seek financial support for Visitor Services from the Municipality of Lambton Shores. Following up on this resolution, the Chamber made two presentations to the Municipality of Lambton Shores regarding the financial cost of providing tourism services to Lambton Shores (February and August) with the hope of garnering some immediate and ongoing financial support. Action & Context: As per our August presentation, we provided some context for the Chamber’s involvement in tourism services:

 In 1995, the Chamber’s Board of Directors developed a business plan with one of the goals being to tackle a sagging local economy through the provision of tourism promotion outside the local area. This activity was undertaken for the good of the entire community in a climate of reduced government support and funding cut-backs.  Various promotional and marketing efforts began, including an annual Visitors’ Guide.  September 21, 2001 – The Welcome Centre was open with the support of donated funds from local business, residents and service clubs. Initially designed to be a seasonal tourist information centre, the Welcome Centre is now open year-round.  Over the past 15 years and in the absence of any other promotional activities by other organizations, tourism services have become almost the entire focus of Chamber staff and volunteers.  The Chamber receives no government financial support for tourism services.

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 Due to the time and effort involved in tourism services, the Chamber found itself out of resources to pursue traditional Chamber member services that simultaneously garner revenue for the Chamber and benefits for members (i.e. golf tournament, professional and business workshops, member-to-member networking events, member-to-member discount programs etc).  Without the ability to continue traditional Chamber activities, the Chamber lost money for several years in a row and in 2011 found itself in a precarious financial position, unable to pay its bills and restricted to only fulfilling payroll.  Almost the entirety of Chamber membership dues finances tourism services.  Research by the Board highlighted the fact that local government financially supports destination marketing organizations in other areas of Ontario. For example, Goderich funds their tourist kiosk to the tune of $400,000 annually; Saugeen Shores provides $130,000 to their local Chamber for the provision of tourism services. Result: We presented our case for Municipal financial support for tourism services to Council on August 16, 2011. Happily, Lambton Shores Municipal Council unanimously voted in favour of providing the Chamber with an immediate $13,000 towards 2011 tourism marketing and Welcome Centre operational costs. This injection of financial support enabled the Chamber to keep the Welcome Centre doors open for the remainder of the 2011 year. Moving Forward: Continued talks with Council will hopefully garner an ongoing financial commitment from the Municipality in support of tourism services in Lambton Shores.

Other  New Software - Financial challenges during the last several years have constrained the Chamber’s ability to keep our computers and software up-to-date. With the help of Rick Sickinger, Cultural Development Officer for County of Huron, we learned about TechSoup.ca – a not-for-profit organization that helps other not-for-profit organizations garner donated software and hardware from major technology firms. As a result, we have obtained Windows 7 operating software and Office 2007 for all three computers and QuickBooks. Total cost to the Chamber - $150; total value of this software - $2,500 – a saving of $2000!  New desk – we registered with HuronFreecycle (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HuronFreecycle/) and were able to obtain - for FREE - a used, but in excellent condition, wooden computer desk with six draws.  Looking for donations of – vacuum cleaner (1), office typist-type chairs (3), regular visitor chair (1), fireproof filing cabinets (3), fireproof safe box (1), coffee maker (1) and electric kettle (1). If you are able to donate any of these items, please contact Susan Mills at 519-238-2001 or email [email protected].

New For 2012

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 QR Codes – QR codes are barcode-like squares you’ve probably seen in many places over the last year or so. Using a downloaded application on a smartphone, the smartphone can scan the QR Code and get various pieces of information depending on what the author/originator encoded into the QR code. QR codes can be used to redirect someone to a website or be used for business card contact information or even an image. We have created a number of QR codes for promotional use in 2012, including for our website, special event webpages and websites (i.e. www.grandbendtourism.com/canadaday; www.grandbendstudiotour.com etc).  Golf Tournament – Years ago the Chamber had a golf tournament. We’ve not held one for a while and miss it! During 2012 we will be holding a members golf tournament – perhaps in June. Stay tuned to your email inbox for further announcements. If you would like to get involved in some way, perhaps helping to plan the event or simply volunteering on the day, please contact Susan Mills at 519-238-2001 or email [email protected].  Member-To-Member Events – We will be holding several member networking and professional development events in the coming year. Some will be as simple as meeting fellow members in a social setting and learning how together we can strengthen the mutual economic ties of our community. Other events may cover subjects such as Google Adwords, online marketing, social media, business continuity and succession planning. Stay tuned to your email inbox!

Webervations for 2012 What Is Webervations - Webervations is a new web-based system that provides visitors with an easy-to-use means of determining accommodation availability. It’s a third-party, independently-hosted system that can be integrated with a website – such as GrandBendTourism.com. Webervations displays a small thumbnail image, contact information and basic availability information for any registered accommodation provider. Webervations can handle any type of accommodation – campground site, hotel room, cottage, cabin or bed and breakfast room, because it is based on “unit” availability (rather than the traditional “standard hotel room” type of systems). Availability information – booked or available – is displayed by date and visitors can scroll through from week to week and month to month. Why Webervations? - More and more, visitors expect centralized accommodation availability information. Whether they call or visit the Welcome Centre, they expect Chamber staff/volunteers to be able to name and describe what accommodation is available for a specific time or that would match their accommodation criteria (i.e. pet friendly, lakefront, 8 bedrooms, close to “downtown”, inexpensive). We simply do not have this type of data or functionality at our fingertips.

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In addition, despite a well-defined and impartial process of promoting accommodation providers to visitors, Chamber staff and volunteers receive criticism from some providers who believe we are not being impartial or are not actively promoting their business. To respond to growing expectations of visitors and accommodation providers alike, we will be bringing in Webervations in time for the 2012 summer season. Cost - Approximately $150 per accommodation provider, with in-kind administrative support from the Chamber.

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