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Please do not reply
to this e-mail.
Comments, Questions or requests to be removed or added to this
list should be sent to Phil Berndt at:
phil@doorcounty.com
Strengthening Our Community Though Communication
Dear Stakeholder,
In
2004, we introduced a simple e-mail communication to our business
community that really took off, and we wanted to make sure you had
received an invitation to be included.
While we have nicknamed it the “Chamber e-Reminder”, to remind our
members of important deadlines, business alerts and upcoming
events, the program has evolved into a dynamic tool which includes
the distribution of educational and promotional opportunities,
posters and flyers, schedules of community events (so everyone
feels more comfortable answering guest questions), environmental
concerns and solutions, as well as rallying resources to meet an
urgent need – when the American Red Cross realized it would need
to increase the area evacuated after the Ellison Bay explosions,
we sent out an e-mail on their behalf to find additional laptop
computers to meet their needs. Within 8 minutes, the American Red
Cross had their answer.
This simple step to keep everyone “in the loop” caught on so fast
that, within a couple months, we went from 125 subscribers to over
1,000 - and member participation began to soar! Recently, word of
our program caught the attention of the editors at “the Membership
Management Report”, a national trade publication -
A copy of the article can be accessed HERE
While it’s nothing fancy, you are encouraged to give it a try.
You do not need to be a Chamber member to be included.
To
sign up, simply send an e-mail to me, Phil Berndt, at:
phil@doorcounty.com
and I’ll add you to the list. To protect your privacy, we utilize
a secured, password protected list server to distribute messages.
To cancel your subscription, simply e-mail your request to be
removed to the same address.
We’ve extended an open invitation to everyone in our community to
sign up by every means possible (radio, mailings, newspaper,
Internet, etc.) so, if we haven’t reached you until now, please
know that it wasn’t because we didn’t try – because we have been
actively asking.
Our main mission at the Chamber is this: To promote the whole of
Door County to the traveling public as a single premier travel
destination and, to use our collective resources to offer benefits
to our members. If you thought we were something different, I
invite you to contact me with questions. We are the only
designated marketing organization working to promote the whole
County – from southern edge to the tip of Rock Island. We are a
volunteer non-profit association, funded exclusively by the
collection of dues and program fees. More members = more
advertising dollars = more business. Less members = less
advertising dollars = less business. It’s that easy. While our
rate of new members has continued to grow, (+80 members since
08/01/05) we need to increase that rate to move past the rate of
inflation.
It’s obvious the cost of competitively promoting the County is too
much for the 736 dues paying members to carry so, while we
actively work to find another viable funding source, your
participation will help build the marketing dollars we have to
work with. Membership and business information is available on
our organizational site:
www.DoorCountyChamber.org
I
welcome your questions and comments anytime:
phil@doorcounty.com
If
you haven’t done so already, please check out our new website at:
www.DoorCounty.com
I’m here to help in anyway I can.
Sincerely,
Phil
phil@doorcounty.com
Philip Berndt
Membership Director
Door County Chamber of Commerce
(920)746-6663 or 868-3521 ext. 809
A Little History:
In
my office hangs the original declarations of association of the
Business Men’s Association of the City of Sturgeon Bay (BMACSB?)
signed on April 8th, 1891. In 1915, they changed
their name to the Sturgeon Bay Commercial Club. On April 21st,
1916, the Club discussed the need to advertise in the City Papers
and it was decided to spend $20 in the Chicago Tribune and $50 in
the Chicago Herald. In 1921, the name was changed to the
Sturgeon Bay Chamber of Commerce and on May 26th, 1924, the
organization voted to change the name to The Door County Chamber
of Commerce. And, another signed on the 16th of June,
1952, acknowledging the creation of the Door County Chamber of
Commerce for the “Purpose of securing the cooperation of all
classes of people in the community for the promotion of the
commercial, industrial and public interests; etc.” 1969 – Door
County is featured in The National Geographic Magazine – normal
mail was 20 letters a day received…after the article, 1,416
letters came in…587 in one day alone. 1993 – Chamber begins
selling daffodil bulbs to begin the Festival of Blossoms promotion
in May 1994 – The First Annual Festival of Blossoms features
month long activities through the county to celebrate Spring.
(note: prior to this, most businesses didn’t open before Memorial
Day week-end and the season started in July) 1994 – Launch of
the “Capture the Spirit of Door County Christmas encourages
residents and visitors to Christmas shop in Door County. 1995 –
Chamber hosts the first Sustainable Tourism Forum. 1998 – The
Chamber founds the Door County Green Fund. 1999 – The Nature of
Romance winter get-a-way package promotion begins to build our
Winter Season. 1999 – The old Chamber building is destroyed by
fire and new Welcome Center is built in its place. And, so much
more.
Subscribing and Unsubscribing
You are a
member of the Door County Chamber’s, member e-mail list. This
service is secured and password protected to prevent abuse. We
will not release your e-mail address to anyone.
If you want to
be on this list, no action is required.
If you would
like to be removed, please send an email to
imailsrv@doorcountychamber.org with "unsubscribe members" in
the body.
To subscribe,
please e-mail Phil Berndt with the address(es) you would like to
have added to:
phil@doorcounty.com
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