CHAMBER CHATTER
Issue 2, February 2008
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CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP
New members to welcome 2008
Andersen Log Homes Co.- Returning Chamber Member
Cabin Retreat
Chase on the Lake
Emery Pro Guides
Fishy Gifts/Signs & Designs
Green Scene
Muskies Inc.
Norseland Mini Storage-Returning Chamber Member
North Woods Log Homes-Returning Chamber Member
Pine Creek RV Park
Picket Fence
Runquist Guide Service
Shot Guide Service
Sons of Norway
Total Mercant Services
Trails RV Park
Up North T-Shirt Shop
Walker Area Fine Arts League
Walker Building Center
The Ambassadors will be out to welcome these new members and take a photo with them. The chamber membership is still growing strong.
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BUISNESS AFTER HOURS
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21
Lucky Moose Bar & Grill
&
AmericInn
Will be our Hosts at the Lucky Moose
5-7 P.M.
$2.00 and a Business Card
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WEB-SITE HIT STATISTICS
Month of January 2008
Number of requests-318,679
Number of Page requests-5,206
Chamber Master Report
Home Page views
3677
Vacancy Calendar Views
974
Links to External web-site
2815
Moondance Jammin Country Fest
97
"Sizzling 17" Moondance Jam
142
33rd Annual Resort, Retail & Restaurant Buyers Show
74
International Eelpout Festival
193
Polar Plunge
71
The two different reports are taken from Yahoo & Chamber Master Programs
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February 2008 Meetings
Feb. 5 Walker Rotary- 12noon@ WACC
Feb. 6 Retail Advertising Committee 8A.M. @ Walker Bay Coffee
Feb. 12 Retail Service Meeting
Feb. 18 Chamber Board Advertising Committee 8A.M. @ Walker Bay Coffee
Feb. 19 Ambassador Meeting 8A.M. Chamber Building
Feb. 19 Walker Bay Days Meeting 4P.M. Minnesota Log Homes
Feb. 20 Annual Resort, Retail & Restaurant Buyers Show Set up 5p.m. Northern Lights Event Center
Feb. 28 Board Meeting 8a.m. Chamber Board Room
Feb. 29 Internet Committee Meeting- 8a.m. Chamber Board Room
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MEMBER SPECIAL EVENTS
Feb. 7 Business Appreciation Night 6P.M. Walker American Legion
Feb. 9 Leech Lake Riders Snowmobile Club- Chili & Soup Feed
Feb. 9 Hiawatha Beach Resort Murder among the Matey's
Feb.10 WACC Cabin Fever Day 9a.m.-5p.m.
Feb.15-17 EEL-Pout Festival
Feb. 16 WACC Polar Plunge
Feb. 16 EELPOUT PEELOUT
Feb.21-22 Annual Resort, Retail & Restaurant Buyers Show
Feb.21 Business After Hours- Lucky Moose & AmericInn 5-7 p.m. @ Lucky Moose
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EXPLORE MN. TOURISM CONFERENCE
Cindy attended the Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference on January 22nd-24.
Over 300 people who are involved in the tourism trade attended the conference that was held at the Mankato Civic Center.
The conference was kicked off with a Legislative Hearing. At this hearing EMT Director John Edman presented the importance of tourism to the panel of representatives. Others from our area that presented to the panel were Dana Pitt representing Congress of MN. Resorters and Gayle Quistguard from Visit Bemidji. It was interesting to see this process in person.
Each day there were General Sessions that includes speakers who had innovative ideas about marketing your product whether it was a hotel, a resort or an area of the state. Throughout the days there was a variety of breakout sessions to choose from: you could learn how to recruit volunteers, ust the internet to reach your customer, or to analyze the latest research on economic impact of tourism.
The days were busy and well organized; we hope to use many of the new ideas and connections from this conference during the upcoming year.
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SPECIAL CHAMBER SERVICE
If you are interested in advertising anything in the Chamber Chatter Newsletter, for example, special event or sale, open house etc. you may do so for a small sum of $35.00. Send me an e-mail attachment or hard copy of what your special occasion is about and we can make this an addition to our next Chamber Chatter.
Char
walker@eot.com
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GUIDELINES FOR READER BOARD ON HWY. 371
Priority will be given to Chamber sponsored events and events that involve the community as a whole.
After that it will be deceided on a weekly basis (not daily) as to what events have been submitted, and which of those events are of interest to the largest number of visitors. The Reader Board can not be used to advertise individual business activities.
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The Chamber will forward information that is of broad interest to it's membership. We will be unable to send out e-mails that are direct solicitation of it's members even if it is from other chamber members. This will be a slightly different from what we have done in the past.
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LEECH LAKE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2008 BOARD RETREAT
JANUARY 31ST
We would like to thank our 2008 Board of Directors for taking time from there busy schudule's for the 2008 board retreat. These Board members spend lots of hours at meetings for the Chamber and volunteer time at different events. Thank you Board for your efforts in making the Chamber stronger.
The retreat consisted of Setting goals & priorities for 2008. Fundraising for 2008.
Events for 2008, advertising & internet. Review of the current Bylaws, policy for reader board and e-mails.
Misc, odds & ends.
A big THANK YOU to Hiawatha Beach for hosting this afternoon.
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WEB-SITE COMMITTEE
The web-site committee met on Thursday January 31st.
The plan for 2008 is to recreate the web-site and make the Leech Lake Area Chamber of Commerce more user friendly. The many visitors and leads we get from the web-site is very valuable for our members and there business.
If anyone has any suggestions please let us know at the office.
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