MRV Chamber Work Plan FY2023

Our strategy:

Destination Marketing
Create and execute an integrated, year-round marketing plan, to: increase visibility of the Mad River Valley in the destination marketplace; attract new visitors; and keep repeat visitors engaged.

Brand Equity
Be the champions of the Mad River Valley brand, to: develop and foster a recognizable brand image for the Mad River Valley; proliferate and manage its use by Valley businesses, towns, and organizations.

Unity
Create an engaged community culture of aligned goals, shared responsibility, and unified efforts among organizations, to: demonstrate and inspire a Mad River Valley ethos of optimism and enthusiasm.

On-going Efforts

Communications

  • Email Updates for Visitors
  • Email Update for Members
  • Weekly Lodging Meetings
  • Periodic Sector Meetings

Programming

  • Business Education Seminars
  • Community Conversation
  • Mad Mingles

Marketing  – Core Marketing Focus


Website Content – Updating content and navigation.

  • Collaboarting with the Valley Reporter,  the MRV Rotary and the MRV Community Fund on the development of a single community-wide shared calendar.
  • Things To Do – Experiences overhaul. Designed to provide; better, more usable content for visitors, improved SEO, tangible member benefit, increased membership.
  • Continued focus on the MRV’s “neighborhoods” as a theme it’s clear that many people don’t know about all the “ ’hoods” around the Valley.
  • Reinvigorate Wedding Page and Relocation Page appreciating the renewed interest in moving to the MRV.

Marketing Initiatives

  • Develop Coordinated Retail focused Marketing Effort and Co-op Advertising Program
  • Continued collaboration with neighboring communities of Stowe and Waterbury as part of the “Best of Route 100” initiative to promote our stretch of Route 100 as a destination. Initially cross linking web content and public relations effort. This may open up some grant opportunities for cooperative marketing
  • Develop avenues for cross sector promotions, e.g. between restaurants and retail.

Visitor Center

  • Move to our new home at the MRV Recreation Hub – November 2022
  • Work with partnering VOREEC organizations to re-imagine the space and improve the Visitor’s Center guest experience.
  • Improve staffing and training of volunteers.

Inititaives

Finance & Management

  • Migrate systmems to a new Cutomer Relations Managment platform.
  • Improved financial reporting with emphasis on cash flow and monthly reporting to board

Membership

  • Fulfill membership level requirements
  • A particular focus will be on bringing in new members in emerging sectors and ones that have typically been underrepresented,

New Initiatives

  • Implement the Vermont Outdoor Recreation and Economic Collaborative (VOREC) grant funds plan. Create new Trail Hub/Visitors Center,  build the predestrian bridge over the Mill Brook linking the Dana Hill trail system with the downtown and the Mad River Path, new public parking and public rest room facilities.
  • Further refinement of the stewardMRV initiative and development of a long-term sustainability plan for this vital project.