American Pickers Winthrop Episode to Air December 10th

The moment we all have been waiting for.....

The Winthrop episode of American Pickers that was filmed at the White Buck Trading Post will air Monday, December 10th on the History Channel. The premiere times are at 6pm and 9pm depending upon your cable provider.

A community showing of the episode will be at the Twisp River Suites. This is where the American Pickers and film crew stayed while they were in the Methow. The episode will be show at 6pm on a HUGE screen TV.  A buffet dinner and refreshments will be served for a cost of $17.50 per person.  Reservations are required and space is limited to 40 people.  To make a reservation contact the Twisp River Suites.  Come as early as 5pm to socialize before the show.

If you have a business that is also interested in hosting a community showing please contact Kristen and I'll post the information here.

Don't miss the show, Monday December 10th.

Fantastic Christmas at the End of the Road Celebration

Another fantastic Christmas at the End of the Road Celebration has passed.  So many people contributed to this great event and celebration of 40 years of Westernization. Below are some photos from the event and the touching tribute that Rick Lewis and Julie Muyllaert presented to our community.

Santa Arrives By Snowmobile!  

Free 5k Run had it's largest attendance yet!  

Marti Darling, John Lester, June Gatewood, Herb Gatewood and Carol Lester all in attendance to be recognized for their contributions to our town's westernization

92 year old Bill Imes cut all the firewood for the Snowmobile Association burn barrels 

We were able to surprise Georgia with some recognition 

The recognition included Udell who led the wagon rides all day. 

Marti Darling was thrilled to be recognized for all her incredible artwork.  

The lone firework display was supposed to say "40" but "4U" worked just as well :) 

Despite the canceled fireworks show town was packed and people had a great time! 

Christmas at the End of the Road was started by Chamber of Commerce members Karen Patterson and Karen Lundgren many years ago as a way for the Winthrop business community to thank the local community for their support. A lot of people and businesses have contributed to making this year’s event a success and we want to take a moment to recognize the following individuals and organizations for their contributions:

The Methow Valley Snowmobile Association for cutting and providing the evergreen boughs used to decorate the business storefronts, and providing and staffing the burn barrels to keep us all warm this evening. (Bob Adams, president of mvsa accepted the certificate.)

We’d like to extend a special thanks to Bill Imes, an active Methow Valley Snowmobile Association member, who at 92 years of age, chopped all the wood for the barrels that are keeping our hands warm tonight. Bill’s involvement in the community goes back decades. In 1932 he and his brother started the building of the auditorium and park (barn) in 1932. Since then, Bill has been the main care taker of the cemetery and every weekend of the winter pulls the weenie wagon to provide lunch to all snowmobilers in the valley. (Bill was present to accept certificate)

Georgia Sanders, affectionately known as Grandma Winthrop, and her husband Udell Sanders. Georgia is the friendly face in the Visitor’s Center, served on the Christmas at the End of the Road committee and reads children’s holiday stories during the holiday weekend. And Udell is perennially roped into service to the Winthrop community, this year conducting the tractor rides for children and their parents between downtown and the Winthrop Barn for the Santa Photos and the Children’s Winter Fest. (Georgia and Udell were present to accept gifts and certificates).

J&D Outfitters and Craig Boesel who provided the wagon and tractor.

Jerry Palm of Palm Construction who provided the big rig and Rich and Dolly Stahl  who provided the ‘snowdeers’ for Santa’s grand arrival to Winthrop this year. Dolly also served on the Christmas at the End of the Road planning committee.

The Winthrop Kiwanis for all their service to our community and for this celebration, their leadership in making a lot of children happy by creating the Kid’s Winter Fest at the Winthrop Barn. (Bob Stone, president of the Winthrop Kiwanis, accepted the certificate). The Women’s Auxillary for the abundance of cookies and hot chocolate for the little ones at the Winter Fest. The Barn Auditorium Association for providing hot dogs and beverages and Methow Arts for facilitating the holiday arts project.

Doug Mohre, co-owner of Sheri’s Sweet Shoppe, for his seemingly endless enthusiasm for and commitment to bringing a spectacular fireworks show to Winthrop. Every year Doug raises approximately $15,000 to treat us to the best little fireworks show in the West.

We’d also like to thank Mike Walker, owner of the Winthrop Red Apple Market, for his corporate level sponsorship of the fireworks this year and North Village properties for providing the launch site for this year’s firework show.

The theme of this year’s event is Celebrating 40 Years of Western Spirit. 

Turning Winthrop into an 1880s western theme town was the dream of Otto Wagner. Wagner owned the Wagner Lumber Company sawmill in Twisp, a major valley employer. After Otto’s death in 1967, his wife Kathryn took up Otto’s dream. She hired architect Robert Jorgensen, who had transformed Leavenworth into a Bavarian theme town, and by the fall of 1969 the plans and materials started coming together. Each business or property owner was to put in $2,000 and Mrs. Wagner would put in the rest. The project was overseen by the Kiwanis Foundation with Howard Weller as project superintendent.

100 percent participation of downtown property owners was required for the project to go forward but there were three holdouts. Representatives of the Kiwanis Foundation negotiated with the three owners and bought them out to meet the 100 percent requirement.

I’d like to invite Carl Miller from the Winthrop Kiwanis up to accept a certificate of our appreciation for the commitment of the Kiwanis to the project.

Larry Higbee, whose Higbee Cabinet Works was located where Almquist's Old Time Pottery Shop is today, was construction foreman for the Westernization project. In a recent presentation at the Winthrop Barn, Larry shared he had about 20 employees working on five-man crews and that every building had to be rebuilt according to the strict specifications of the architect. The power and phone lines had to be put underground and the sidewalks torn up and replaced with boardwalks. They couldn’t use any finish nails; only headed nails. His construction crews started on what was then the Trail’s End Motel building and worked down the street. 

Chet Endrizzi was the project painter. Endrizzi researched paints used in the late 1800s/early 1900s and spent an entire winter painting on boards to make them look old. Marti Darling took over the brush from Chet and created many of the murals that we see throughout town today. Marti was recently coaxed out of retirement and is currently restoring several of the town’s murals. Marti, thank you for your contributions. (Marti accepted her certificate).

We have a family with us this evening that played a pivotal role in advocating for the westernization of Winthrop. John Lester, who was born in a house behind the Duck Brand Saloon, and his father-in-law Herb Gatewood, owned Herb and John's Inc, a hardware, dry goods-and-more store that extended from the corner of Sam’s Place to the corner where the Emporium now sits. John was one of the youngest businessmen in town at that time and went on to serve 14 years on the Winthrop Town Council and 12 years on the Westernization Committee. He and his wife Carol still own several building in Winthrop today, including the White Buck Trading Co. (Herb and June Gatewood and John and Carol Lester accepted their certificates)

There are several people who could either not join us today or who are no longer with us that we’d like to acknowledge:

Otto and Kay Wagner
Robert Jorgensen
Chet Endrizzi
Hugh Glassburn
John Husselton
Bill Walker
Elanor Drake
Janet Burkel
Washington State Department of Transportation
Okanogan County Commissioners
Winthrop Town Council
Congressman Tom Foley
Governor Dan Evans

That is it for our program for the evening. Don’t forget to contribute to the time capsule, which will be un-earthed in 40 years. Sign your name on the scroll or write a letter to a friend or family member. We invite you to enjoy some anniversary cake and enjoy the Fireworks Extravaganza, sponsored by the Winthrop Red Apple Market and dozens of individuals and businesses. 

Wenatchee World Article

The Sunday, November 25th Wenatchee World did a story on Winthrop...and winter.

Request for Proposal: New Winthrop Website

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
WINTHROP WASHINGTON WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

The Winthrop Chamber of Commerce seeks an independent contractor or website design firm to perform the design services described below and possible hosting. 

DEADLINE

If interested, please send a proposal by December 15, 2012  to winthrop.marketing@gmail.com

SCOPE OF WORK

The bid should be itemized to reflect these project elements.

1.  Create a new winthropwashington.com website

·        Design a new, compelling Winthrop, Washington website which highlights the uniqueness of our town, especially the westernization, with visually stunning images and useful, engaging content (which will be provided)

·        Basic web architecture will be similar to current Winthrop Washington site, with additional sub pages under some categories.

o       Total of approx 20 pages

o       Some of the existing pages of the website maybe incorporated into the new website

·        Site should also include:

o       Content Management system which easily allows updates by Winthrop staff

o       4-Season Photo Gallery with large imagery to be easily viewed (on all devices)

o       Display existing blog feed as a teaser with image

o       Social media connectivity

o       Opt-in forms

o       Mobile device friendly design

o       Embedded videos

·        Designer should anticipate one planning meeting and subsequent rounds of client feedback.

·        Client can add content to site once basic architecture has been established.

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

·        Submit an electronic proposal as a single PDF file, including the following elements:

o       Project approach

o       Relevant experience for contractor and any anticipated subcontractors

o       3-5 web design samples. Links to online portfolios accepted.

o       Itemized anticipated costs including web development costs, and any ongoing cost such as site hosting or content management system.

·        A portion of this contract may be sub-contracted.

·        The anticipated timeline for the RFP process is approximately as follows:

o       December 15, 2012  responses due by 5:00 p.m.

o       January 1, 2013 Contractor selection

o       January 7, 2013 Project launch meeting

o       March 1, 2013 Project completion

If selected, the contractor will be required to be a member of the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce.

QUESTIONS

Questions about this project should be directed to:

Kristen Smith

Winthrop.marketing@gmail.com

509-996-8179

Cascadia Holiday Concert Opportunity

The Cascadia Chorale Choir and Pipestone Orchestra will be holding their annual Holiday Concerts December 11 and 12 in the Methow Valley Community Center gym.  Admittance to the concert is by donation.

The donations raised by the concerts help but do not cover the costs required to put on the performances. Cascadia relies on sponsors to help hots the shows. Sponsorships are available for $100 and $200 dollars.

If your business would like to be involved with the Cascadia/Pipestone organization please contact Mike Harvey at 997-0276 or mikeandbarbara@yahoo.com

More information on Cascadia and the Pipestone School of Music can be found at cascadiamusic.org

Christmas at the End of the Road Schedule of Events

November Meeting Not to be Missed

On behalf of the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce, please join us for a special event 6:00 pm, Tuesday November 13^th at the Barn for a “fireside chat.” This event will help kick off Winthrop’s celebration of forty years of western spirit and will continue through Christmas at the End of the Road, where we celebrate and honor the individuals, businesses and organizations that brought “western” to Winthrop. 

At the fireside chat, guests John Lester and Larry Higbee will provide engaging, interesting and informative perspectives on the pivotal chapter forty years ago, that made Winthrop what it is today.

Refreshments will be available beginning at 6pm and the fireside chat will start at 6:30 and conclude at 8:00 pm.

Join us for a celebration and a piece of Winthrop history!

This event will replace our normally scheduled November membership meeting on Thursday morning, November 8.

Meet and Greet Cary Condotta Oct. 24 at Lost River Winery

Lost River Winery will be hosting a meet and greet for State Representative Cary Condotta on Wednesday October 24^th at our tasting room.  The purpose of Cary’s visit is to talk with and hear from local business owners about their concerns.  He has been very helpful to us and our small winery association in Olympia and I am pleased to be able to host the event.

Thanks!

John Morgan

State Representative Cary Condotta meet and greet, October 24th.

Association of Washington Business “Legislator of the year”, 42^nd District State Representative Cary Condotta will be at the Lost River Winery Tasting room, 26 Highway 20 Winthrop, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM Wednesday October 24th. Representative Condotta is particularly interested in hearing from local business owners and discussing their concerns as well as legislative and regulatory policies that affect their businesses. Complimentary refreshments and wine tasting will be provided. Please contact John Morgan (509)429-1834for more information.

Summer! and the momentum keeps on going...

Apparently people of every size are coming to town along with those bikes.....3% Hotel Motel Tax for July was just posted and Winthrop again has broken a record.  This makes at least  4 of the past 9 months Winthrop has set record-breaking hotel motel tax gains.  Year-to-date Winthrop is poised to have it's best accommodation season in history.  3% revenue for Okanogan County hotels was also very strong for July and for the year-to-date.

We've got a good thing going

Our Winthrop Town Planner got this email the other day. It got us thinking...

How many of us really do know the history and events behind the Westernization?
And, it looks like every town struggles with change!  

Here's the email with a photo of our town "before" attached.....

Hi there: 

My husband and I were very fortunate to visit your fantastic town, quite unexpectedly, while driving from Seattle to Christina Lake, British Columbia, to visit our new grandson a couple of weeks ago.  We were very surprised by the fantastic planning and implementation of your Western-themed community, more so because my husband is a town councillor here in Bancroft, Ontario and involved in the active pursuit and often daunting challenge of promoting economic development in a rural area.   We are in a prime tourist area, with spectacular scenery, 100's of clean lakes and many adventure activities, at the crossroads of 2 busy highways leading to "cottage country", just one hour away from the well-renowned Algonquin Park. We have a very expanded population in the summer and on winter weekends (due to the popularity of snowmobiling in the area). Our history is based in mining and lumber, in fact we are the Mineral Capital of Canada, having more indigenous minerals than any other area in the country, so the area is very popular with rockhounds.  We were also voted in a national television contest as Ontario's Most Talented Town, which indicates the variety of artisans and musicians who call this place home. 

Both my husband and I have been actively involved in streetscaping and other projects in our community - as volunteers during an ambitious revitalization program last year and as an ongoing initiative, on the restoration of our historic Train Station (my husband, Don, continues in his role as the Project Manager), and in many other projects and events. 

Don would like to do a presentation to Council next week that would include some photos we have taken of Winthrop, to illustrate what some vision, foresight and hard work on the part of volunteers and administration, can do for a struggling community, with a carefully-planned stategy to effect change. Many of our residents, business owners and even some councillors, are quite averse to change, but that is what is needed in our community to "make the cars stop". We actually have some government funding in place for facade upgrades at 0% interest, but it has been a very difficult task to convince property owners to avail themselves of that opportunity. We know that your model is a bit too ambitious for us right now, but it should serve as an example, along with several other communities that we have researched both here and in the U.S. 

If you have any information that you could provide us with that you think could be helpful in this regard, such as photos of the town just before it's restoration, and the process for revitalizing the town, we would greatly appreciate that.  We did drop into the Town Office and spoke with the Clerk there, who was very helpful, but she wasn't sure of a few facts - such as how the restoration funding and process worked, so if anyone on the volunteer committee is willing to speak with Don, that would be great.  If you let us know by email of a contact phone number, we would be happy to call you; we are 3 hours behind your time.   Thank you so much.  We'll be back to Winthrop soon; an overnight stay and a morning to browse was definitely not enough. 

Victoria Koppin
Marketing and Selections Coordinator
Don Koppin General Contractor

New Winthrop Video

Have you seen the new Winthrop promotional video?

Created by Steven Foreman the video has been a big hit.

Look for more Winthrop videos coming in the future!

Marti Darling - Sign Painter Extraordinaire is Back!

Marti Darling, who is the painter of many of Winthrop's murals is going to be doing some touch-up work on many of the murals in town. The 3% marketing funds will help pay for this work along with the buildings business owners.  We are excited to give the town murals some much needed TLC.

Speaking of murals, years ago Michelle Gains saved these fantastic signs (photo above) from being discarded.  These too are original signs that used to advertise the Visitor Center when it was at what is now the town Library.  The color and condition of these signs is great. We hope to have these re-installed by the Visitor Center next summer.

2 Winthrop Media Stories

Here are two recent media stories about Winthrop:

The Seattle Times:
The icy joys of fall and winter steelheading on the Methow River
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2019269734_odsteelhead30.html

The Travel Channel:
Why Bikers Love Highway 20
http://www.travelchannel.com/video/see-why-bikers-love-route-20?affiliate=blocker&omnisource=SEM&c1=Video_Computer&c2=Outbrain&c3=Video&c4=See-Why-Bikers-Love-Route-20

Cascade Loop Meeting in Mazama Sept. 17

Public Input Sought on Future Plans for the Cascade Loop Scenic Highway

(Sept. 7, 2012)—The Cascade Loop Association will hold a series of public meetings asking residents for their input on future communications and projects associated with the Cascade Loop Scenic Hi­­ghway. Guests will be asked for their feedback regarding potential tourism marketing, wayfinding signage, historic markers, informational kiosks, and gateway features. There is no cost to attend the workshops.

Information gathered at the workshops will be included in the Cascade Loop Scenic Highway Corridor Management Plan (CMP), a document that will be compiled by Mandi Roberts, project consultant with local firm, OTAK. The CMP will help guide future Loop marketing and development activities. The completed CMP will potentially allow the Cascade Loop Association to apply for grants to fund select projects identified in the public workshops. The completed CMP may also qualify the Cascade Loop Association to apply for either National Scenic Byway or All-American Road status, designations that carry tangible international marketing benefits for communities along the Loop.

The Cascade Loop Scenic Highway Public Workshop schedule:

Monday, September 17

10:30 a.m. - noon

Freestone Inn

31 Early Winters Drive, Mazama, WA 98833

Please RSVP to info@cascadeloop.com.

The Cascade Loop Association is a 501C6 non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing, protecting, and promoting our stunning scenic byway.

Annette Pitts
Executive Director
Cascade Loop Scenic Highway
PO Box 3245, Wenatchee, WA  98807
(509) 662-3888, FAX (815) 301 8773

cascadeloop.com
Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/CascadeLoopScenicHighway
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/#!/washcascadeloop

"One of America's grandest, most spectacular drives" National Geographic Traveler

One visitor's experience

Everyone loves to tell stories about their vacation and in today's world that means writing about it on a blog.  I set a Google alert for "Winthrop" and get emails every time someone writes about Winthrop. I would recommend that businesses also consider setting up a Goggle alert every time someone mentions your business as well as Winthrop.  You can certainly learn a lot.

Here is a recent blog post from a visitor.  Notice the mentions of the very issues the Chamber been discussing recently:

• Neat Western theme although a bit tired looking in places
• Trucks parked in front of buildings they would love to photograph
• Coveted public seating places
• Highlight locally made items

-Kristen

September Chamber Meeting: 9/13 with Julie Tate-Libby

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Winthrop's September 13th Chamber Meeting will include a fascinating talk by Julie Tate-Libby on "amenity migration and the effects of tourism on our community."

Julie is an anthropologist who has conducted fieldwork on tourism and amenity migration in places as diverse as Nepal, New Zealand, Hawaii and the Methow Valley. She studied the effects of rural  tourism in her Master's thesis: Tourism and the Methow Dream: Living in Paradise.  Julie and her husband Ken own Trails End Bookstore. 

Julie gave this same talk this past winter for the Methow Conservancy and it was received with rave reviews. You can get a preview of her talk via an article that Solveig Torvik wrote for Methow Grist.  That article can be found here. 

Another great program for September's meeting. Meeting starts at 8:30am but come as early as 8:00am for coffee and baked goods. We are really looking forward to this talk!  

July Marketing Report

Will it be a record breaking summer?  All signs are pointing that way!
Georgia reports that visits to the information center are up over last year and our Winthrop 3% tax revenue has been breaking all previous records.
Methow Grist did a good job of covering my July Marketing report.  You can read it here.
Kristen

Are you asleep at the Social Media wheel?

I thought this was a good article from Social Media Today to share with you all.

Kristen 

If your company is dropping the ball when it comes to social media promotion, gather the troops and spread the word about the benefits of social media, among which include:

* Building your brand - One of the if not the most important reasons to be engaged on social media is building your company's brand. Let's face it, today's consumer wishes there were 25 or more hours in a day to get done all they have staring them in the face. How many times have you walked in a busy parking lot, crowded mall or sporting venue and seen people on their cell phones? The bottom line is not all of them are talking. Many area browsing companies and products, some are purchasing items, others are making travel plans. Whatever they are doing, they are using different apps to access countless companies that are engaged in social media. What better way to build your brand and bring eyes to your company than by using social media? Brands are not built overnight, but through constantly sending a message, a message that can be delivered free of cost via social media;

* Avoiding expensive advertising - While just about every business has to do some form of advertising in order to get the word out and remain competitive, social media is a great way to talk to the people and save money at the same time. The biggest cost as it relates to social media is the time element, something that some company heads feel is too expensive. Unfortunately for them and their companies, that is a major gaffe in thinking. You can reach far more people and at much less the cost by being active on social media. Have a Facebook fan page as an example. Update it regularly with information about your company, details on your respective industry as a whole, contests for visitors, deals and specials, etc. Social media is there for your business 24/7, so there is no excuse to be caught on the sidelines;

* Being there today and not tomorrow - One of the other many advantages to having a solid presence on social media is that your business can be there 24/7 as mentioned a moment ago. Consumers want quick action when it comes to their questions and/or problems, not a feeling of we'll get to you when we have time mentality. Social media allows you the business owner to reach out to the consumer and assist them as quickly as or even faster than the competition can;

* Viewed as a leader, not a follower - Yes, followers are important when it comes to Twitter, but that should be one of the few times as a business that you encourage following. Your goal when it comes to social media is to be a leader, doing things with your SM profiles that the competition could only dream of. In the event your company has been slow to get to the social media dance, there is still time to get there, make your presence known, and become the talk of the Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or whatever SM medium you choose. Companies that are benefiting from social media are those that are not afraid to be a little edgy, push the envelope, and roll the dice from time to time. If your social media existence is bland and not engaging, your online traffic will show just that.

Be a leader in social media; set the standard so that the competition is the one following.

5 Ways to Turn your Chamber Membership into Sales

Five Ways to Turn Your Chamber of Commerce Membership Into Sales

by Mike Bowman  

Published on August 3, 2012     

In this article you'll learn...

• That many businesses are not taking full advantage of their chamber of commerce membership and losing sales leads and brand awareness as a result.
• Five benefits of chamber of commerce membership that are often forgotten, but have the power to create additional sales revenue for your company.

Many business owners join their local chamber of commerce because they recognize that their customers associate chamber affiliation with ethics, professionalism, and commitment to the community.

One study on consumer preferences found that 63% of consumers prefer to shop and do business with chamber members. So it is no surprise that business owners gladly pay membership dues and place the chamber logo on their websites and front doors.

But many of those businesses are not taking advantage of opportunities to increase sales and brand awareness. Yes, their chamber membership boosts their credibility in consumers' eyes, but a chamber membership potentially offers a lot more.

Here are five ways business owners can derive value from their chamber membership.

1. Get on the chamber's site

One of the very first challenges new business owners face is quickly spreading the word about their venture. Did you know that many chambers offer their members space on the chamber's website for a nominal fee or even free? Aligning your company with the chamber website is a strategic move that allows you to share in the large number of community visits it generates.

At the Monroeville Chamber of Commerce in Pennsylvania, membership includes your own profile page on the organization's website. Debbie Iszauk, membership services director, says, "Our members frequently use their online profile page on the chamber's website to give their customers a convenient point of reference to learn more about the services they offer. Members can post coupons, share company news, and communicate with our community at large through their profile page."

2. Let the chamber promote your news

Most "how to" articles regarding free publicity tell you to ingratiate yourself with local reporters so that they will publish news about your company. At the chamber, no such effort is needed. One of its services is publishing news about its members’ companies and promoting their events—on its website, in a weekly email, or in a newsletter. Inform your local chamber of what's new at your company.

3. Demonstrate your industry expertise via writing

As already mentioned, most chambers are eager to publish their members' news and events. However, an even better way of using print to get in front of potential sales leads is to write an article that other business owners will find useful and relevant. Chambers are very willing to post well-written articles submitted by members in their newsletter, on their website, or in their LinkedIn group.

"We've found that members who provide educational content are able to promote themselves as experts instead of salespersons," says Matthew DiLallo, director of operations at The Chamber of Commerce. "Readers can contact them for their expert advice, which then becomes a very easy sales lead to convert."

Ask your local chamber for guidance on what is an appropriate format and then take the time to write a professional article that adds value to other members' businesses.

4. Talk about your business

Many local chambers of commerce offer ample opportunities for members to give presentations that introduce themselves and their businesses to fellow members and the community.

Speaking formats vary from one-minute "commercials" you give about yourself to 30-minute presentations that allow you to provide in-depth information about your company. Other opportunities can include serving on expert panels at seminars or serving as an emcee for a chamber conference.

One of the benefits of these speaking opportunities is that they are in front of "safe" audiences. That means the room is full of people just like you, and they will be supportive. As businesspeople, they appreciate the pressure of giving a presentation, and they understand that everyone is there to network and pitch their services.

5. Host an after-hours event

You spend a large part of your day chasing down sales leads. Why not entice them to come right to your front door? Hosting an after-hours chamber networking event is an excellent way to attract throngs of potential sales leads right to your own office. After-hours functions are typically more social than strictly sales-oriented daytime events, but the acquaintances you make can be invaluable.

Don't have adequate space for guests or you work out of a home office? Not a problem. Many small businesses partner with another chamber member to host after-hours gatherings. That still gives you the desirable host privileges. Hosts of after-hours networking typically get advertising signage, recognition by the chamber, and an opportunity to address attendees directly and share some information about their company.

Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2012/8609/five-ways-to-turn-your-chamber-of-commerce-membership-into-sales#ixzz22VCbu4dp

August Winthrop Chamber Meeting Thursday, August 9 at 8:30am at the Barn

The next Winthrop Chamber of Commerce membership meeting is Thursday August 9 starting at 8:30am at the Winthrop Barn.  This month we have another incredible guest speaker. Patrick Walker is a Transportation Planner with the Wenatchee Valley Transportation Council. His talk is entitled " Fitting everyone into a small downtown streetscape"

Winthrop Chamber General Membership Meeting

August 9, 2012

Winthrop Barn 

8:00 - 9:30 am

Time	Topic	Lead
8:00 am	Social, Refreshments and Baked Goods	All
8:30 am	Welcome and Agenda Review	Joe
8:35 am	Fitting everyone into a small downtown streetscape	Patrick Walker  Transportation Planner Wenatchee Valley Transportation Council
9:05 am	Marketing Report	Kristen Smith  Winthrop Marketing Director
9:15 am	Chamber Members Summer Highlights	All
9:30 am	Adjourn	All

Advertising Opportunity

Hello,
Our next edition of Foothills Magazine for September/October is our annual wine issue.  We will also be featuring a story on places to stay, play and eat in the Methow Valley!  I invite you to advertise your business in this edition where focus is on the Methow Valley.  If you aren't familiar with Foothills, it is a full color, glossy lifestyle magazine published bi-monthly by The Wenatchee World.  We have #15,000 copies that go to Wenatchee World subscribers, rack copies and just recently placed in wine shops and bistros along the I-5 corridor- spreading your information to the West Side.  Also, since it is our wine issue, we will also be mailing an extra approximately #2,000 copies to all Washington subscribers of Wine Press NW.   Foothills is the perfect place to feature your business not only in North Central Washington, but across the state with this issue.  You can see an online version of Foothills at http://ncwfoothills.com/ .
You can reach all of the above starting at just $290.  Deadline is Thursday, August 2nd.  Please let me know if you have any questions, or would like to place an advertisment.  We offer complimentary ad design.
Thank you for your consideration!

Andrea Andrus- Multi-Media Consultant
We Engage, Inform and Inspire our NCW Communities - wenatcheeworld.com
(o) 509-664-7136 (c) 509-387-0929 email: andrus@wenatcheeworld.com
The Wenatchee World. Foothills Magazine. Wenatchee Valley Business World.

YOU award the winner!

Last call for trophy sponsors for this year's Winthrop Auto Rallye .
.  
New this year, your business can sponsor by simply purchasing a trophy at a cost of $50. At the event on Saturday, September 8th, you get to pick your favorite vehicle in the show and award the owner your trophy that has your business name engraved on it.  Cool huh!  We will also take your photo with the car and the owner which you can then use for all kinds of promo for your business.  Those interested please contact Kristen at 996-8179 by Monday, July 30th.  


Big thanks to these businesses that are trophy sponsors: 

White Buck Trading Company
Riverbend RV Park
Winthrop Inn
KOZI
Red Hen Trading Company
Cougar Creek Timber Frame
E&M Automotive Repair
Backcountry Coffee
Chewuch Inn
Hotel Rio Vista
Old School House Brewery
Rocking Horse Bakery
Winthrop Chamber of Commerce 
Methow Time
Pine Near RV Park
J.A. Wright Construction
Retro Pony
Robins Egg Bleu
Northstar Automotive
Les Schwab
Napa Auto Parts Twisp
Daily Business
Winthrop Motors
Inside Out Home and Garden
Methow Cycle and Sport
Methow River Cabins
Rockauto.com

Even from day #1 Blues Festival hasn't always been supported

Methow Grist just published a great story on the 25 year history of the Rhythm and Blues Festival.

It's interesting to note (no pun intended) that the Blues Festival has always struggled with acceptance by the community.

While the large economic impact to local business is obvious what many people do not realize is that  many local non-profits such as The Cove, Little Star Montessori School and the Methow Valley School District's Music Program are also receive donations from the Festival promoters. That's music to many peoples ears!

Enjoy the weekend.

MVSTA seeking partners for new trailhead shelters

MVSTA is seeking partnerships from local architects, builders and contractors to help create new, compelling trailhead kiosks or shelters.  MVSTA has issued a Request for Proposals which outlines the project which can be found here.  This is a great opportunity for the building community to showcase their work at the major recreational access points in the Valley.  The hope is to have new incredible trailhead features which add to the visitor experience. MVSTA envisions people wanting to visit all the trailheads in the Valley in order to experience each of the cool, new kiosks or shelters.  Our gateway to the trails deserve a feature that better represents the Methow Valley than a weathered wooden sign!  Again the full proposal with deadlines can be found here.

Our new best friend indeed!

Doug Mohre is featured on Methow Grist as "our new best friend".  For those who don't know, 10 years ago Doug stared the fireworks celebration in November known as "Christmas at the end of the Road".  He single-handily raises the funds for our incredible fireworks show.  If your business appreciates the show please consider donating to the fireworks fund by stopping by and thanking Doug with your donation or by sending it to the Winthrop Chamber at PO Box 39.  As Doug shares " I guarantee that 100% of your donation will go up in smoke".   Thanks Doug for this incredible gift to our community and thank you all for supporting it!

Great story about booking hotels on line

A short, interesting NPR story about PC versus MAC prices when booking a hotel on line!  
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=155751297&m=155751331

NEW DATE for the JULY WINTHROP CHAMBER MEETING: Monday July 9th

Winthrop Marketing Committee 6 month Accomplishements

The Winthrop Marketing Committee composed of Gene Westland, Lucinda McAllister, Lori Loomis, Laura Ruud, Mike Pruett, Joseph Weaver, Kristen Smith and Craig Herily (just resigned from the committee) completed an assessment of our Year To Date marketing accomplishments.  The list includes:

Winthrop Marketing 6 month YTD accomplishments:

• Groundhog Day- tv news coverage KOMO News 4 in Seattle
  KREM News in Spokane, KHQ News in Spokane
• New mobile Winthrop website
• New motorcycle webpage
• New year-long Event poster
• AAA Journey renegotiated contract with additional Winthrop sweepstakes
• NEW KUOW radio contract with more coverage for same price as past radio contracts
• Balloon Festival- big crowds, 4 new YouTube videos, great ideas for next year
• New Winthrop YouTube Channel
• 2 Winthrop Marketing presentations at Winthrop Chamber meetings
• New Winthrop Chamber Blog
• New Winthrop Visitor Blog
• Enhanced Winthrop Photos
• Facebook fans growing (1193 fans Jan. 1, current 1573)
• Ag Tourism Seminar
• Winthrop Tourism Training free to businesses
• Summer Map enhancements
• Summer Maps now free to businesses
• RACK CARDS free to businesses
• Tumbleweed contact and support
• Blues Festival contact and support
• Dedicated Winthrop contact for people and press in Marketing Director
• Marketing assistance to all local events
• 2 great new additions to the Marketing Committee (Jenni and Joseph)
• Craig’s contributions over the years
• Best 3% Winter ever
• New collaborations with the Winthrop Chamber Board
• Grown Winthrop email list from 186 to 1156 YTD
• New email opt-ins on website and Facebook page
• Monthly email newsletters
• New FB, Twitter, Blog icons on website
• Monthly marketing reports