Dear Members,

October's newsletter is chock-full of important information.  Please take time to read it to stay updated on chamber happenings & dates.

Happy Fall!
Maria, your Membership Services Director

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WPFVCC & BWB Business Expo
Wednesday, October 24, 4:30 –6:30pm
Free at the Winter Park Station 

Send your front-house staff to familiarize themselves about community businesses.  This way they may be better educated about the community for guests this winter.  Over 50 businesses are participating!

Booth spaces are all taken. Don't have a booth?  Don't worry, you can still advertise your business by coming and passing out your business cards while networking with fellow businesses at the event.

Thank you to our sponsors:  Winter Park Station, Centeral Reservations, Party Time Rentals, Sky Hi Daily News

Click Here for more info.  Otherwise we'll just see you there....

Election Season is HERE! by Catherine Ross

It is that time of year to voice our opinion and vote. There are several ballot questions to be decided in a mail-in election that closes on November 6. The Chamber encourages everyone to be informed and vote your mind in this off year election.

The Grand County Newspapers have done a great job reporting the issues so we are choosing to re-pint their article that ran in the September 26 Winter Park Manifest. Remember to check with the Grand County Clerk’s Office in Hot Sulphur Springs to be sure you will be receiving a ballot.

Ballots & Voting by Stephanie Miller

Four districts will place questions on the ballot this fall. Those districts are: The East Grand School District, the Fraser Valley Metropolitan Recreation District, the Winter Park Water and Sanitation District and the Hot Sulphur Springs/Parshall Fire Protection District.

This fall is a mail ballot. The Grand County Clerk and Recorder¹s Office is allowed to do a mail ballot in a non-partisan election year. Grand County Clerk and Recorder Sara Rosene says a mail ballot is easier to manage, and the office does not have the "difficult job" of finding a large number of election judges, she added. It is also cheaper than a polling place election.

Mail ballots automatically are mailed to all active registered voters. An "active" registered voter is someone who has voted in the last general election or has registered to vote since that election, explained Rosene. Inactive voters must apply for a mail-in ballot, formerly known as an absentee ballot, by Oct. 30. Even if a voter registered in Grand County, they are considered "inactive" if they did not vote in the last election, and they will not have a ballot mailed to them if they do not contact the Grand County Clerk and Recorder officer by Oct. 30. Voters who know they will be away can also apply for an mail in ballot by Oct. 30.

Nonresident property owners who are registered voters in Colorado must apply for the mail-in ballot by Oct. 30 in order to vote this fall. Mail ballots must be requested in writing. An application can be downloaded from the Web site, www.co.grand.co.us, under the Clerk and Recorder department, or one can call the office and request an application in the mail. Once the application is filled out, it must be mailed or faxed to the Clerk and Recorder¹s office. The fax number is 970-725-0100. The mailing address is: P.O. Box 120, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO, 80451-120. Mail ballots must be received by the clerk and recorder¹s office by Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. Tabor notices, or Pro-Con notices, will be mailed out no later than Oct. 5 to households of every active registered voter, Rosene said. They can also be on Grand County¹s Web site sometime next week.
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Chamber Board Election to Be Held in November

The Chamber Board will hold elections at the Annual Meeting held at the Annual Dinner on November 16. Please contact Catherine at 726-4221 ext. 201 or Robin Wirsing at 726-8822 if you are interested in running. The nominating committee will bring a slate of candidates forward on November 1.

Holiday Decoration Contest

Mountain Family Center Food Drive & Tab Benoit Blues Show
Saturday, November 3rd
Smokin' Moe's  9pm  $20

On November 3, the Grand County Blues Society and The Mountain Family Center are joining forces with Tab Benoit, KCMV, Safeway, Winter Park Market, Rudi's Deli,Cooper Creek Square, WPFV Chamber and Smokin' Moe's to collect food and cash for the Mountain FamilyCenter Food bank.  (You may drop-off goods at anytime at the Chamber between now and then).

Thanksgiving is a hard time for supplies to hold in the face of demand.  Please go to one of the collection spots and give the most you can. Remember that you can't have dinner with all can goods. Any cash will be used for fresh veggies and meat.

9:00pm that evening, enjoy Tab Benoit at Smokin' Moe's.  Bring can goods and nonperishables and $20 to get in. Remember, you don't have to wait till then to donate to this long standing (since 79') GrandCounty non-profit.  They need help all year around. We need to feed our kids and their families in time of need.

GCBS "Check Out The Music" Wins State Award

The Colorado Association of Libraries has recognized the Grand County Blues Society for the “2007 Partner of the Year” due to its Blues In The Schools (BITS) special project, "Check Out the Music."  This program has placed variety of instruments in all of Grand County Library’s including free group music lessons.  It allows people to check out instruments just like they would a book.

Congratulations to the blues society for truly being Blues On The Top! Click Here for the whole story. If you believe in the Blues In The Schools and would like to donate or help, contact the BITS director, Maria Chavez at 303.921.3316.

PS. Gold plaques have been placed on all pianos donated to the libraries under this program in dedication to lost musician and friend, Craig Thomason "Craigy T".

DENVER POST-NEWS Job Fair!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
10am-3pm at Invesco Field

ATTENTION GRAND COUNTY EMPLOYERS!  Do You Need Employees?  Are you willing to recruit in Denver?  You may want to consider advertising in DENVER this OCTOBER at INVESCO FIELD!  Sponosored by:  Grand County Human Resources Group.  Have your business represented at the DENVER POST-NEWS Job Fair!  Wednesday, October 17.  Click Here for more information or call 887-1857. 

By Joyce Burford

Chamber Photo Library Now Online!

Photography from the Chamber’s last two photo shoots is now online and available to Chamber members at no charge.   Digital Dawgs out of Longmont shot all the photography.   If you are interested in using any of the photography, please contact me for a user name and password.  726-4221, ext. 3 or jburford@playwinterpark.com
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Please Send Those Listing Sheets Back In!
All the Visitor Guide listing sheets were mailed out on September 24, and are due back on October 8.  Please check your mail and make sure you fill yours out and get it back to us – even if you don’t have any changes!
Don’t make us come after you!

Sales Council Update: By Heather Lopez, Sales Director

For more information or if you have questions on the Sales Council, please contact Heather at 970-726-4221, Ext. 207, 970-509-0059 cell or hlopez@winterpark-info.com. 
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SYTA Convention

The Student & Youth Travel Association is a non-profit, professional trade association that promotes student & youth travel. SYTA’s annual conference provides the opportunity for suppliers and student group tour operators to meet one-on-one in pre-scheduled appointments. I attended this year’s conference in Whistler, BC on September 7-11, 2007. The 2007 conference had 237 tour operators representing more than 80 tour and travel companies and more than 600 suppliers representing destinations, lodging and attractions. I had a total of 43 contacts for members. This is a large travel segment within the tour and travel market. Some factors that are associated with the student and youth market include: easy to identify niche, shoulder travel times for most suppliers (March through June) and high repeat business and large groups. Almost all tours are custom and are at the request of a group leader or teacher. 
    
Student & Youth Travel Facts:
        · Fastest growing major market in the travel industry.
        · SYTA membership serves over 1.5 million youth travelers annually resulting in over $2 billion.
        · Student & Youth travel represents over 20% of the total North American travel market.

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Sales Council Leads Databases:

If you are interested in targeting a specific market then I have databases for the following:
    · 2007 Consumer Tradeshows (New York, LA and Dallas)
    · Mountain Bike Promotion
    · POW WOW International Convention
    · Tour Operator 
    · Wholesalers
    · Chamber Direct Group Leads
If you are interested in contacting these companies directly please contact me for the excel database with contact info, and meeting notes for each company.

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MTRIP Report
This report summarizes selected results of the Winter Park Reservations Activity Report as of August 31, 2007.  to last year’s historical actual bookings, allowing an understanding of the degree of “fill” achieved to date for occupancy in upcoming months. 
 
Occupancy results:
 
Winter Park occupancy pacing:  This period’s occupancy pacing is trending up over the same period last year. August ended up slightly (9.4 percent) from the prior year and looking into the upcoming six months, occupancy during September is up 30.0 percent, October is down 5.5 percent, November is up 32.9 percent, December is up 6.1 percent, January is up 21.6 percent, and February is flat 

Winter Park absolute occupancy rates:  Based on 2006 results, Winter Park tends to experience its highest summer occupancy rates during July (34 percent), followed by August (26 percent), June (16 percent), September (16 percent), October (12 percent), and May (6 percent).  Winter Park’s highest winter occupancy rates are typically experienced in March (68 percent), February (63 percent), January (52 percent), December (50 percent), April (27 percent), and November (23 percent).

Winter Park fill patterns:  Historical fill patterns for upcoming months provide an indication of the degree to which future business can likely be stimulated.  Based on last season’s patterns, as of August 31, it is estimated that 31 percent of September room nights had yet to be booked, followed by 68 percent for October, 85 percent for November, 66 percent for December, 72 percent for January, and 77 percent for February.

Winter Park average nightly rate:  Average nightly room rates in Winter Park for the remainder of the summer are similar to last year, but are trending slightly down in the winter months.  Room rates vary from approximately $70 to $110 during the summer months and $105 to $215 during the winter months.
For the full report please click here. 

Fall is the time to plan for your 2008 marketing by becoming a Special Event Sponsor!

Events & Meetings in October

CLICK HERE for a the complete calendar and details of community events.  Is your event not listed on the web site and you would like it to be? If so, please email Tamara Davis

Membership 101 – How the chamber works for you!
Thursday, October 18
8:00-9:15am
Free at the Pinnacle Lodge in Fraser.

Refresh yourself on Chamber benefits & opportunities while enjoying a complimentary continental breakfast & coffee provided by Winter Park Coffee Shop.  

      

Click Here to RSVP by Oct. 15. Space is limited!

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Chamber & O2 Creative Halloweenie Martini Party
Friday, October 26
5:30 – 7:30pm
In the Chamber Visitor Center. 

Costumes encouraged, but not required.   Appetizers will be served. Click Here to RSVP so we know how much BOOverage to order.  
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2007 Chamber Annual Dinner
Friday, November 16
Devil’s Thumb Ranch. 

Members recieve 20% off lodging if you stay the night of the dinner. Call 726-5632 to make your reservation.

Presented by Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties & Mountain Parks Electric

Keep your eyes open for your invitation in the mail. Click Here for Annual Dinner sponsorship opportunities.

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Chamber Holiday Mixer
Thursday, December 13
 5:30 - 7:30pm
Hosted at and by Elk Horn Art Gallery.