Prince Edward County Chamber of Tourism and Commerce

NEWSLETTER

January - February 2007

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members a happy and prosperous new year. Getting ready for the trade show season occupies a good deal of my time this month and the travel begins in the first week of February and continues through mid March. The response from the visitors to these shows allows me to judge fairly well what kind of a tourist season we will have in the County. After it is all done with I hope to have an opportunity to pass along to the members my thoughts on the upcoming year. Ian Scrimshaw, President

Mini Trade Show at the December Meet & Greet
Wow what a great success. Thanks to everyone that participated. PECCTAC’s mini-trade show was so successful we have planned another one – only BIGGER!
PECCTAC’s 2007 Market Place Trade Show!	Dorothy Mitchell of County Gift Baskets and a display of her husband’s beautiful notecards.	Norma Rehel of The Linen Press
Date: Saturday, October 6th – 10 am to 5pm Where: Picton Community Centre Call us to book your space ASAP.
		Kathy of Kathy’s Collections. Lots of Christmas Gift Ideas!

2007 Annual General Meeting

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

We have a great evening planned for PECCTAC’s 2007 AGM. Our feature Guest Speaker is Alison Davies, highly-demanded marketing & business consultant and president of More Business Advantages.	Date: Friday March 16th , starting at 6pm Place: Carmela Estates Winery Banquet Hall. See the insert of your printed newsletter for details.

IT’S HERE! The New Member-to-Member Benefit Card

Your member-to-member benefit card is enclosed with the printed Newsletter.

Start using it today to take advantage of the great local shopping benefits in our County.
A list of the participating businesses is enclosed, with more to come.

For more information on this program and how you can participate
give Jan a call at 613.476.2421

Bridges to Better Business –
Retail & Main Street Summit for Small Business

Mark your calendars for:
March 7, 2007, 7:30 am – 2:30 pm
Location: Belleville, Ramada Inn

Bridges to Better Business – Retail & Main Street Summit
will provide business owners with the opportunity to learn about the following:

+ the changing Canadian economy and what it means to the retail industry, specific focus allocated to eastern Ontario communities
+ retail store design and product placement,
+ how specialty stores can compete with big businesses,
+ successful downtown revitalization strategies,
+ business strategies for main street businesses – local success stories.

THE SPEAKERS ARE:
Ms. Kennedy Smith
Ms. Kennedy Smith is one of the foremost experts on downtown revitalization and development. She directed the USA National Main Street Center for 13 years and is considered one of the world’s leading experts on downtowns, downtown economics, independent business development and the economic impact of sprawl, with a career in downtown revitalization spanning 23 years.
Kennedy’s downtown revitalization and small business development work has been featured in news media ranging from the New York Times,
Business Week, Forbes, Governing Red Herring to “Donahue”, “CBS Sunday Morning,” and Public Radio International’s “Marketplace.”
In 2005, Kennedy received a Loeb Fellowship, an annual post professional award for independent study, from Harvard University.

Ms. Barbara Crowhurst
Barbara Crowhurst, renowned Canadian retail business coach, will tell you how to improve your storefront/window displays, buy and display a more effective mix of merchandise, and convert browsers into buyers with tips to improve your store layout and traffic flow. Barbara will speak to the retailers assembled about why customers love to shop at Specialty Retail Stores and how to compete with The Big Guys.

Mr. Derek Nighbor
Derek Nighbor, Vice-President (National Affairs) with Retail Council of Canada will discuss what the changing Canadian economy means to the retail industry. Specific focus will be allocated to the concerns of rural Eastern Ontario communities.

For more information and sign-up sheet please see the enclosure with your printed Newsletter.
Call today to book your space – there is limited seating – at $35.00 pp and this includes lunch. You cannot afford to miss it.

AAPEC UPDATE
I want to wish all members a very happy and prosperous New Year for 2007. We have 55 members in our association as of Jan.1 2007. We have gained several new members and lost some old members for various reasons. Your AAPEC executive is looking at advertising venues for the 2007 season. From our AAPEC fees we pay for the Webervation system and the balance of the fees are used to promote our AAPEC association. To date we have taken out advertising in the following, Taste the County 2007 Visitors Guide book, Breakaway magazine, banner ad on www.pec.on.ca and a web site ad, our PECCTAC red map has our web site and 800 number. For the third year I have booked a booth for the Bridal Show on Feb.18/07 at the community centre. As members of the Bay of Quinte Tourist Council we are also represented at several travel and trade shows (12) in Ontario, Quebec and the USA. We are also checking prices in various magazines such as Kingston Life, Good Times and CARP.	If any members have any suggestions for advertising for our association for 2007 please contact me. I am having signs made up with our association logo, web site and 800 number on them. I will be mounting them on the outside of the two information booths which the County provides. Member input into our association is always welcome. Members that have a copy of the 2006 SOJOURNER are asked to return them to the PECCTAC office. Lynne McMullan will them update them for 2007 and return them to you. All the best Rick Caruso-- Chairman AAPEC Vice President--- PECCTAC

What Did The Partnership with The Bay of Quinte Tourist Council provide in 2006?
The Bay of Quinte Tourist Council had a very busy year promoting the Bay of Quinte Area in the following initiatives: + Travel & Trade Shows in Ontario, Quebec and the USA.+ Distribution of brochures and maps throughout Ontario, and Canada (see attached distribution list). + Publication of the Bay of Quinte Guide Book. 80,000 guide books were printed and distributed throughout Ontario, Quebec, U.S.A. and Germany. + Feature article in the September Fifty-Five Plus magazine. + Featured in the Eastern Ontario Travel Guide and Ontario East Map. The Bay of Quinte has some of the best fishing anywhere in the province bringing in over $72 million a year. The Bay of Quinte Tourist Council was instrumental in garnering the funding through the Prince Edward/Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation - Local Initiatives program to provide a comprehensive Fishing Map of all of the Bay of Quinte.	In 2006 The Bay of Quinte Tourist Council participated in 12 Travel & Trade Shows throughout Ontario, Canada and the U.S. to further tap into this lucrative tourist market. Ron Broadbridge, a founding member of The Bay of Quinte Tourist Council, retired in October 2006. The Council Directors thank him for his 24 years of service on the Bay of Quinte Tourist Council. In 2006 we also said goodbye to Angie McConkey of Market High Advertising. Angie and Market High have played a vital role in creating and printing of The Bay of Quinte Travel Guide for 24 years. Our thanks to Angie and to Market High for their support.

Whats ahead in 2007:
In 2007 The Bay of Quinte Tourist Council will participate in: + Eastern Sports, Boat, Camping & Travel Show – Harrisburg, PA - February 3-11 + Montreal Outfitters Show - February 15-18 + Ottawa Boat Cottage & Fishing Show – Feb 22-25 + Gatineau Outfitters Show - March 1-4 + Toronto Star Golf & Travel Show - March 9-11 + Toronto Sportsmen’s Show - March 14-18 + National Women’s Show – Montreal - May 4-6 + Toronto Women’s Show – October 2007	Participation at the Trades Shows is very much appreciated. Please give us a call if you can help out. It is a great way to promote your own business as well. A per diem is provided to help out with the travel costs. A new brochure has been designed and printed for The Bay of Quinte area that will be included in all tourist information packages plus handed out at all Travel & Trade shows. A Bay of Quinte Golf brochure will be developed and marketed at the Golf Travel shows. With the strong partnerships in the Bay of Quinte region, The Bay of Quinte Tourist Council will continue to play an active role in the marketing of our beautiful area in 2007. Together we are stronger!
Your Bay of Quinte Tourist Council Representatives are: Kathy Medd – President (Greater Napanee) Lawrie Ackerman, Vice President (Prince Edward County) Enid Stewart, Treasurer (Quinte West) Angela Genereaux (Belleville & District) Bill Rutland & Jeni Hewitt (Brighton & District) George Lucus (Brighton & District) Jan Demille (Prince Edward County) Nell Davidson (Brighton & District) Cindy Cassidy (Eastern Ontario Trails) Norm Clark (Deseronto) Anne VanVlack (InfoLink Website)

Welcome New Members!

+ ABC Cottages
+ Bailey’s Place Cottage
+ Copper Kettle Chocolate Company
+ Golden Grape B&B
+ Hadherway Farms
+ Indulgence Spa & Salon
+ JD Tire and Automotive Services
+ Milford Bistro
+ Milford Gingerbread House
+ Rose Haven Farm Store
+ Sweet Stuff Inc.
+ The Eckhart House
+ Vagabond Cove Cottages
+ Whispering Falls B&B

Meet & Greet Schedule 2007

(always 5-7pm)	Date	Host Location
	February 13	Farm Mutual Financial Services, 13379 Loyalist Parkway, Picton
	March 16	PECCTAC AGM – Carmela Estates Winery 1186 Greer Rd, Wellington
	April 10	Devonshire Inn on the Lake, 24 Wharf St., Wellington
	May 8	Bloomfield Carriage House Restaurant, 260 Main Street
	June 12	Elliott Sage Design & Construction, 13360 Loyalist Parkway
	July 10	Hadherway Farms - Equestrian Centre 251 Swamp College Rd. Hillier
	August 14	Turret House B&B, 20809 Loyalist Parkway, Consecon
	September 11	Sandbanks Estate Winery,17598 Loyalist Parkway, R.R. #1, Wellington
	October 6	PECCTAC Market Place Trade Show
	November 6	Harvest, 106 Bridge St., Picton.
	December 4