Feb. 2011 Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

What a great start to the year!! We launched our FREE Okemo Valley Mobile app. Now guests can find us in our Okemo Valley Regional Guidebook, our website, and now on their mobile devices!!! It's not too late to get your business on the app at the introductory rate of $100/year. We need a lot more special offers!!!!


Our next mixer is February 9 at The Message for the Week in Chester at 5:30-7:30pm. Please join us, meet new members, network with one another and bring plenty of business cards. Feel free to bring a door prize too. Don't forget about our 50/50 raffle!


An exciting February is planned with two winter carnivals. February 10-13 in Ludlow and February 18-20 in Chester. WCAX-tv will be in Ludlow on February 10 to participate in the scavenger hunt. Both winter carnivals made it into Yankee Magazine and AAA New England. Be sure to check our Calendar of Events for schedules.


The Chamber will be in NY and Boston for the travel shows in February marketing the Okemo Valley with our Regional Guidebook and app.

Be sure to watch LPC-TV this month for my interview with Frederick M. Glover of the Law Firm of Frederick M. Glover, PLLC.


As part of Ludlow's e-vermont grant, there will be 2 training programs this month. February 3rd on Basic Computer Skills and February 10th Social Media for Beginners. These will be held at the Fletcher Memorial Library in Ludlow from 5:30-7pm. Please rsvp the Chamber if you would like to attend.

It's not too late to sign up for our Ireland trip May 1-10, 2011. You do not have to be a Chamber member to travel with us.

It's a great and exciting time for our Region!!

Chamber Mixers
Join us for our monthly Chamber Mixers on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Bring a door prize if you can.

All Mixers are from 5:30-7:30pm

2011 MIXER LINE UP

February 9- The Message For The Week-Chester

March 9- Endless Creations Pottery Studio - Chester

April 13- Bonnie's Bundles Dolls - Chester

May 11- Outback Pizza - Ludlow

June 8- Canvasworks Floor Cloths - Weathersfield

July 13 - Fletcher Farm School for the Arts & Crafts - Ludlow

August 10- 3rd Annual Okemo Valley Expo at Green Mountain Banquet and Conference Center - Chester

September 14- The Village Green Gallery - Weston

October 12- Berkshire Bank - Ludlow

November 9- Jackson Gore Inn - Ludlow

December 14- Annual Meeting at Stone Hearth Inn & Tavern - Chester

Membership Committee News
The membership committee met on January 21st at 8:30am at Java Babas.

The committee elected Laura Tuttle to be the Chairperson. We approved new member applications and reviewed the committee goals for 2011.

Increase benefits of membership
1. Offer additional new member benefits;
a. free notary service
b. certificates of origin
2. increase membership by 50.

We look forward to seeing you at our next mixer on February 9th at The Message For The Week in Chester. Feel free to bring a door prize.

NEW MEMBER BENEFITS:
Okemo Snowmobile Tours is offering members 50% off 2 hour mid-week snowmobile tours. Available non holiday, show your M2M card and reservations a must.

Green Mountain Outlook is offering buy one ad and get one ad FREE. Free ad must be used the week after the paid ad.

Be sure to check all Member Benefits on our website. Please call or email Denise to add or update your M2M Benefit. Let's all do business with each other at a discount. Keep it local and support one another.

Welcome New Members

Chester House Inn - Welcome new owners Jan & Robert Francis - Chester

Maintenance Magic - Mount Holly

Yankee Publishing - New Hampshire

Sherwin-Williams Paints - Springfield

Saddle Mountain Kennel - Shrewsbury

Barrett & Valley Associates, Inc. - Chester

Peace of Paradise - Chester

Lilypad Properties - Chester

Golden Stage Inn - Welcome new owners Julie-Lynn and Michael Wood - Proctorsville

River Valley Tech Center - Springfield


Marketing Committee News
The marketing committee met on January 11th at 3pm at the Cool Moose Cafe in Ludlow. We welcome Gary Barto to the committee.

We discussed the launch of the mobile app and brand ads to advertise our app and events. Co-op advertising includes: So VT Arts & Living wedding section, Travelhost Magazine, May issue of Yankee Magazine and our inside front and back covers of the Vermont Vacation Guide.

Brand ads include the May issue of Connecticut Magazine with a bar code that will go to our mobile app.

The goals for the marketing committee in 2011 are:
1. Review strategic plan, update as necessary and continue to implement.
2. Continue co-op advertising opportunities
3. Continue Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on website pay per click, increased keywords.
4. Attend the NY Times Travel Show, Boston Globe Travel Show, and the Big E to increase Okemo Valley visibility.
5. Continue marketing "A Taste of Every Season" 2011 dining calendars at the above-mentioned trade shows.

Legislative Day, February 17th
Our Chamber Legislative Day is combined this year with Vermont Employer Day on February 17th at the Statehouse. We will have breakfast with our legislators at 8am in the Statehouse cafeteria, 10am meeting in Room 11 with House Speaker, Senate President Pro Tempore and Minority Leaders; 11am joint hearing and discussion with key economic committees in Room 11; and 12 noon lunch at the Capitol Plaza Hotel with Megan Smith, Commissioner of Tourism and Marketing. Call the Chamber asap if you would like to take The Good Bus to Montpelier. We will leave the Chamber office by 6:30am and return by 3pm.

Upcoming Events:
Please submit your events to us 2 weeks in advance. If you don't see your event in the calendar, please call us.
www.YourPlaceInVermont.com

Scholarship Given
The Chamber was happy to give a $2,000 check to the River Valley Technical Center scholarship fund from sales of its "A Taste For Every Season" 2011 dining calendar.

Scenic Route 100 Byway Update
The proposed Vermont Byway Designation of Route 100 is a joint effort of town representatives from Pittsfield, Killington, Bridgewater, Plymouth, Ludlow and Andover; Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, Office of Killington Economic Development and Tourism, local businesses, and the Southern Windsor County and Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commissions. This designation offers travelers historic, cultural, scenic and recreational information and waypoint centers about the towns and villages along the Byway. The Committee has finalized their Corridor Management Plan that identifies these resources along the Route 100 Byway. This Plan also includes a vision for the future of the Byway and strategies to improve and enhance the resources and destinations along the way.

The hearing with the Vermont Scenery Preservation Council is on March 24 at 7pm at the President Calvin Coolidge Museum and Education Center, 3780 VT 100a, Plymouth, Vermont. Please attend to support this byway.

Businesses along Route 100 and 103 are invited to an informational lunch at Clear Lake Furniture on February 16 at 12noon to learn more about this project.

Small Business Tax Provisions
As a member of the small business community in Vermont, Peter Welch wants to make you aware of several tax provisions passed by Congress that take effect in 2011. During these challenging economic times, it is critical that Vermont's small businesses have access to resources to help them grow, create jobs, and restore our economy.

These tax credits include:

o Health Care Tax Credit: employers with fewer than 25 employees and less than $50,000 in averages wages may qualify for a credit worth up to 35 percent of premiums paid in 2010;

o Health Insurance Deduction for Self-Employed Individuals: self-employed taxpayers who pay their own health insurance costs can now reduce their net earnings from self-employment by these costs. Previously, the self-employed health insurance deduction was allowed only for income tax purposes;

o Bonus Depreciation Extension: businesses that acquire and place qualified property into service after September 8, 2010 can now claim a depreciation allowance of 100 percent of the cost of the property. Businesses that purchased this property prior to September 8, 2010 can claim a depreciation allowance of 50 percent of the cost of the property;

o General Business Credit: the general business credits of eligible small businesses in 2010 are not subject to alternative minimum tax. General business credits may be offset by both regular income tax and alternative minimum tax of eligible small businesses;

o Depreciation on a business car or truck: the total depreciation deduction you can take for a passenger automobile you use in your business is increased to $11,060. The maximum deduction you can take for a truck or van you use in your business is increased to $11,160. In 2009, the limit for business automobiles was $10,960, while the limit for trucks and vans as $11,060;

o Higher Expensing / Depreciation Limits: for tax years beginning in 2010 and 2011, small businesses can expense up to $500,000 of the first $2 million of certain business property placed in service during the year. In general, businesses can choose to treat the cost of certain property as an expense and deduct it in the year the property is placed in service instead of depreciating it over several years.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and an important component of the economic recovery. Please contact Peter Welch to provide more information on these provisions, or assistance with any other federal matter.

News from our Members/Congratulations

Congratulations to Inn Victoria on their 1 year anniversary!

About Our Organization

Our Chamber provides the following member benefits:
*Health Insurance provided by Cigna,
*Dental Insurance provided by Delta Dental,
*Free listing on our website with web link,
*Free listing in our regional guidebook,
*Free placement of your business brochures in our welcome centers in Ludlow and Chester,
*Free monthly chamber mixers,
*Free educational programs,
*Member to member discounts,
*Referrals,
*Co-op advertising,
*Marketing and Promotion
*Events publicized,
*And much, much more!!!

Our Vision Statement:
The Okemo Valley region, consisting of the Towns of Andover, Cavendish, Chester, Ludlow, Mount Holly, Plymouth and Weston, is recognized as a four-season sustainable Vermont destination to be enjoyed by all.

The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce is recognized as an organization providing leadership, support and services vital to the health and future growth of the member businesses in the communities that we serve.

Chamber members are ambassadors for the Okemo Valley region, promoting the area as a vibrant place to live and to visit.

Our Mission Statement:
The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit, member-driven organization. It is the voice of its members and the business communities in the Towns of Andover, Cavendish, Chester, Ludlow, Mount Holly, Plymouth and Weston, Vermont. It provides advocacy, support and unified regional marketing to promote and enhance our regional businesses and four-season economy.