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Proud to Be a Cheerleader

Fri, 04 May 2012 17:35:04 -0400

Weekly Newspaper Columns by Executive Director, Chris Romer

It recently came to my attention that I’m a cheerleader. I’m not sure the context, but for the record, I take that comment as a huge compliment.

I’m happy to be an advocate and a “cheerleader” for tourism and to beat the drum for tourism-related improvements, which help increase our sales tax base, increase our market share, increase our guest service levels and increase our tourism-related infrastructure. All of these things facilitate an environment for small business and entrepreneurs to succeed in our community.

Why am I a cheerleader for tourism? At the risk of preaching to the choir, tourism pays.

Tourism is the second largest industry in the State of Colorado. Visitors stimulate the local economy and this benefit hotels, meeting facilities, attractions, restaurants, cultural institutions, tour companies, transportation providers, local farmers and countless other businesses. Did you know:

Overnight visitors to Colorado spent $8.8 billion in 2010. [1]

Colorado welcomed a record 55.1 million visitors in 2010, a 6.1% increase over 2009 and the highest total number ever reported [1]

Colorado's travel industry generated $750 million in local and state tax revenues during the 2010 calendar year. [2]

This represents approximately $395 of tax revenue per household in the state. [2]

[1] Source: Longwood International, 2011

[2] Source: Dean Runyan Associates, September 2011

As head cheerleader for the Vail Valley Partnership, we work closely with state agencies including the Colorado Tourism Office and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade to ensure the Eagle River valley voice is heard in various state-wide efforts. The Governor’s office has highlighted tourism as one of 15 focus areas to increase our economic development – which certainly benefits our community. And if you follow the news, tourism funding was almost slashed by a third in the recent state budget cycle.

The Vail Valley Partnership also works closely with regional entities, such as the Northwest Council of Governments, Eagle County, Vail Resorts, the Vail Local Marketing District, Beaver Creek Resort Company and others to help drive tourism-related projects and event recruiting efforts to increase our overnight visitation and sales tax collections.

The Vail Valley Partnership works closely with entities including the Vail Valley Jet Center and the EGE Air Alliance to increase flight service to our airport, providing increased access for second homeowners and destination guests as well as added convenience to our locals. And don’t discount the importance of a future international terminal to better serve our Mexican and South American guests. A busier airport helps increase our sales tax coffers from Gypsum to Vail (and points between) in addition to the numerous jobs created at the airport.

In addition to our tourism efforts, the Vail Valley Partnership works collaboratively with a variety of groups and associations to better serve the business community. Our Platinum Service Program is dedicated to increasing the levels of guest service. Our Merchant Alliance is dedicated to increasing the collaboration amongst various local business groups and chambers. And our other signature programs serve to increase the communication and collaboration among various segments of our business community.

As I consistently tell the Partnership team, we are relentlessly collaborative in everything we do. If being relentless in our pursuit of tourism growth and supporting the business community in the Vail Valley is considered a cheerleader, consider me guilty.

Other than being really ugly in a skirt, I’m proud to be a cheerleader for this community.

What can your business do to help? If you benefit from the Partnership’s efforts to drive tourism and increase local and regional collaboration, then get off the sidelines and join the Partnership. If you are already a member, tell your neighbors to join and help us do more here in the valley.

As always, I encourage all member businesses to get engaged with the Partnership and to contact us with any suggestions you may have to help us better serve you and for non-members to join the Partnership. Call us at (970) 476-1000 or stop by our offices in Avon at Traer Creek Plaza to share your feedback.

A Personal Note and a Thank You to the Community

Fri, 04 May 2012 17:32:42 -0400

Weekly Newspaper Columns by Executive Director, Chris Romer

As we wrap up another season, some advanced warning that this column isn’t focused on business issues, tourism trends or economic topics. Rather, it’s a reminder to take a moment and appreciate our community and the people around you.

We are blessed with a wonderful central location in Colorado, scenic beauty around us, unique towns and neighborhoods and of course our mountain recreation is hard to top. But lots of places have those things, to some extent. What really makes the Vail Valley a special place is the people that make up our community.

The prompt for this reminder is that my life changed two & a half years ago. Because almost exactly two and a half years ago, my brother was murdered.

My brother Craig was a good guy. A character. Was the life of the party, the guy who would walk in a room knowing no one and leave with a roomful of new friends. Everyone knows someone like Craig – and wonder how in the world all that personality can be wrapped into one person. He was far from perfect; he got in his fair share of trouble. But he always had a smile and he was a good soul.

As we drove to the airport after finding out the news of his untimely death, no words were exchanged due to the shock. As we reached Frisco, my wife Stacey looked at me and said "you know we are leaving as two, but coming home as three."

The saddest part of the entire situation was that my brother was a single dad.

Kylah was 2.5 years old when her dad, my brother, was murdered. She was everything to him, and he to her. It’s a much more detailed story, but the short story is that Craig was killed by Kylah’s birth mother’s boyfriend, hiding in the bushes waiting for Craig to pick up Kylah after spending the day with her birth mother.

I hope no one ever has to explain to a two year old that her daddy now lives in heaven. It probably won't be any easier to tell her the entire story when she's older. But you make due. And despite the kind words we often receive from friends and acquaintances, we are not heroes. This community is the hero.

We are all part of a community. The Vail Valley community, where together we are stronger than the sum of our parts. It’s a great thing, something not easily explained. We can (and do) disagree on projects and we can (and do) disagree on issues. But let’s agree that this community is a wonderful place in large part due to the people.

Frankly, it’s because of the community that this family story has a happy ending.

We couldn’t do it without the community of people that make up the Vail Valley. The community here continues to amaze me with good spirits, good people giving back, people thinking of others before they think of themselves. That’s the magic of our community and it’s what helps make this a special place. So many people, too many to list, have assisted in our transition to provide a loving home to a young child. Special thanks to each of them. You know who you are.

Our family would have gotten lost many times on this journey if it were not for the great support from our “Vail family.” During this off-season, please take the time to appreciate the wonderful community we are lucky to call home. Personally, we have too many people to thank in this small space, but know that the community spirit is alive and well and serves as a beacon of light in an otherwise troubling time (and to be fair, we have received great support from outside the valley as well).

Don’t miss the opportunity during this slower season to call your siblings. Call your parents. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Call your children. Thank a neighbor. Shop at a local business. Get involved in the community. Take a moment to appreciate the little things, as there are no guarantees in life.

Postscript: our adoption of Kylah was finalized on Tuesday of this past week. It changes nothing, yet changes everything. On to the next chapter....knowing the theme of community and blessings to be surrounded on a daily basis by such wonderful people will continue to stay with us, and with all who are fortunate enough to call the Vail Valley home. And there is no place in the world I’d rather raise my daughter than in this community.

Future Business Leaders of America coming back to Vail

Fri, 04 May 2012 17:27:07 -0400

Weekly Newspaper Columns by Executive Director, Chris Romer

You’ve probably seen them in the past and wondered why there were so many students walking through Vail after the ski season. We’re happy to welcome the Future Business Leaders of America back to Vail.

Starting on April 22nd the Colorado Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) will once again host their 48th Annual Colorado FBLA State Leadership Conference in the Vail Valley. This Conference is designed to bring all the Colorado High School FBLA members (who are enrolled in an approved business program in their school) together to compete in business related events and attend leadership activities. This is a step to qualify for National FBLA Leadership Conference to be held in Orlando in June.

Students will be participating in leadership workshops, general sessions, and competitive events such as Accounting, Public Speaking, Community Service projects, Web Site Design, Computer Related projects, Job Interview, team events, etc. They will also have the opportunity to attend leadership workshops

FBLA’s mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs.

FBLA facilitates the transition from school to work. The goals include building character and confidence, creating an interest in and understanding of business, developing business leadership skills and practicing and encouraging money management. FBLA goals related to the personal development needs include public speaking, decision-making, team building, community service, job search skills, and business partnership.

FBLA has been coming to Vail for over 25 years and brings over 2,500 students to our community, during a time of year we would otherwise historically be rather slow (after the closing of Vail Mountain for the season).

These students have qualified for this state conference through their District Leadership Conference, held in February. There are nine FBLA Districts, representing the entire State. Over 5,000 competed at this District Conference. 197 schools will be attending the State Conference. The students receive either certificates or plaques. Those receiving plaques qualify for the national conference. In addition, they help raise money for worthy non-profit organizations such as March of Dimes and the Colorado Relief Fund.

Special recognition to the following lodging properties for helping host this group program: Antlers at Vail, Evergreen Lodge, Vail Marriott Mountain Resort, Manor Vail Lodge, The Sebastian Vail, Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, Lodge at Vail, Arrabelle at Vail Square, The Landmark and the Sitzmark Lodge. And of course recognition to the Town of Vail for their continued support.

Vail Valley Partnership member businesses are encouraged to load special offers to Trippons.com (a free member benefit). Trippons.com will be promoted to Future Business Leaders of America attendees as a resource for local dining and retail promotions – we encourage our members to use this free tool to reach this audience.

Groups, meetings and programs such as the Future Business Leaders of America (and the dozens of other medical meetings, corporate retreats and association business recruited by the Partnership and directly by lodging properties) make up a huge portion of our spring, summer and fall business. It’s important for the business community to support these programs by offering the same wonderful customer service as we do our winter and peak summer season guests.

What can your business do to help? If you benefit from our group sales & destination marketing efforts, get off the sidelines and join the Partnership. If you are already a member, tell your neighbors to join to help us do more here in the valley. Your membership helps support our destination & group sales efforts.

What Exactly is TBD Colorado?

Fri, 04 May 2012 17:23:54 -0400

Weekly Newspaper Columns by Executive Director, Chris Romer

You may have heard about a new effort titled “TBD Colorado”. And if you have heard of it, you likely wondered what in the world is TBD Colorado?

TBD (“To Be Determined”) Colorado is a nonpartisan, collaborative effort designed to create informed and constructive conversations among Coloradans about some of the biggest issues facing the state. TBD Colorado will begin hosting community meetings throughout Colorado in April and May (including Eagle County meetings on April 18 and May 23 at the EagleVail Pavilion). Several additional public summits will be held in June. Importantly, no state dollars will be spent on TBD Colorado.

From their website: "TBD Colorado" is a project which Governor Hickenlooper launched as part of his recent "State of the State" address. TBD Colorado is an unprecedented effort to engage citizens across the state in a non-partisan conversation to find common-sense solutions to some of the biggest public policy challenges facing our state.

The long-term goals of the project include:

Develop pragmatic, realistic solutions and consensus on big issues facing Colorado

Develop a credible, enduring mechanism for non-partisan deliberation and consideration of public policy issues

Determine policy outcomes, based on broadly-shared perspectives on the future and not by short-term political agendas or ideological conflicts.

Promote widespread public participation that includes an array of interests, geographically, culturally, professionally and age in determining what Colorado will look like in the future.

The Economic Council of Eagle County and the Vail Valley Partnership will be representing our community at these important regional meetings. We have done a variety of outreach via last years Eagle County Development Plan as well as this years Workforce Report and the Partnership’s membership survey to help gauge what’s important to our members and what trends our business community are seeing.

TBD Colorado is a unique approach in both its size and structure. By hosting meetings in over 30 communities throughout the state, TBD will be one of the largest and most inclusive civic engagement efforts in our state’s history. And, by targeting and empowering a balanced spectrum of individuals within each community to engage in this conversation, TBD will promote constructive dialogue on these important issues instead of competing rhetoric.

Ultimately, the goal of this statewide TBD effort is to identify good public policy solutions that Colorado can implement to improve our quality of life and enhance our economic competitiveness. An additional important note is that this is a non-partisan effort designed to include folks from a variety of industries throughout the state to have a voice in the future. The meeting on April 18 at the EagleVail Pavilion is open to the public should you be interested in attending.

On a related note, the Economic Council and the Partnership are also involved in the Colorado Blueprint, through the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Throughout the year, their office will continue to meet with business leaders from key industries, including Electronics, Energy & Natural Resources, Bioscience, Food & Agriculture, Defense & Homeland Security, Aerospace, Information, Health & Wellness, Creative Industries, Tourism & Outdoor Recreation, Transportation and Logistics, Infrastructure Engineering & Construction, and Financial & Business Services. Rest assured that we’ll be working closely to ensure that Eagle County has a seat at the table to help drive our regional growth and to explore future opportunities for our community.

What can your business do to help? If you benefit from these regional and statewide efforts, get off the sidelines and join the Partnership to ensure your voice is heard. If you are already a member, tell your neighbors to join to help us do more here in the valley.

Vail Valley Blogsite | Visit Vail Valley Blog

Proud to Be a Cheerleader

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A Personal Note and a Thank You to the Community

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Future Business Leaders of America coming back to Vail

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What Exactly is TBD Colorado?

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