BCA FYI

BCA FYI

Entries from November 2009

SEEN & HEARD

November 19th, 2009

Christine Maguire and wooly friends.

Christine Maguire and wooly friends.

Sunset Magazine went looking for the West’s “best farm stay for lovers of wine and cheese” and anointed SLO County’s own Rinconada Dairy top dog. The honors are well earned by owners Jim and Christine Maguire, whose farm is described in inviting detail: “…Try your hand at milking a goat, then taste one of the dairy’s three award-winning cheeses. Whatever you do, get up in time to have breakfast: Everything, from eggs to bacon to plum jam, comes off the Maguires’ 92 acres.” No wonder ag tourism has such appeal … And aw shucks, speaking of home grown delights, try the oysters of Morro Bay Oyster Company … Black Friday, the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping phenomenon, is more than a one-day sales sensation to Cal Poly fifth-year student Mike Brim. In 2005, Brim capitalized on Black Friday interest and created a Web site, www.BFAds.net that captures offers and opportunities from retailers nationwide. Brim’s wildly successful venture has been covered in a New York Times front page story and on NBC’s Today Show. The site has millions of visitors each year. Add to the traffic by clicking here … San Luis Art Supply is making a colorful splash on Morro Street in SLO (Between Higuera and March). Owner Neal Breton’s store is open seven days a week, and, in the spirit of creativity, notes that hours are “10ish to 6ish.”

Categories — Awards, Business Successes, Tourism

LOCAL BEAT

November 19th, 2009

A jewel of an idea: PAN Jewelers is placing gifts around downtown Paso every Friday through Christmas. Keep an eye out for small blue and gold boxes that announce “finders keepers” and hold gifts of up to $100 in value, provided by PAN to help make the season bright … Don’t end the year without taking time to think ahead. Mission Community Services Corporation‘s Dec. 4 brown bag session features Lynn Krammich discussing “Emergency Preparedness for Small Business.” Sessions are free … Born at Sierra Vista anytime in the last fifty years? Party on with some of the many who called SV their first home. Sierra Vista’s 50th Anniversary party is Sunday, Dec. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the hospital’s auditorium … Pacific Air Taxi is a SLO company offering flight service to 30 West Coast cities including big daddies like Sacramento, SF, LA and San Diego, and, hallelujah, direct service to Chico, Temecula, Fresno and others.

Categories — Business Workshops, Celebrations, Good Press

BRAGGING RIGHTS

November 19th, 2009

kris-kington-professional-photo2

Kris Kington, new executive director of Hospice of SLO County.

Kris Kington is taking her extensive healthcare and community service background and tying them together in a fabulous new assignment. She has just been named executive director of Hospice of SLO County, replacing longtime exec Donna Keane, who is retiring after 13 dedicated years. Kris has had a big year: she is a small business owner (Central Coast Wigs & More in Templeton) and a newlywed whose husband, Bill Barker, is a familiar member of the local construction industry. Congratulations all around … Local company with extensive roots:  kudos to SLO-based Parable Group, whose nationwide network of 300 member stores creates a big brand presence. A 24-billboard campaign is set to decorate the countryside and promote holiday sales … Collaboration, LLC and the EVC ’s recent program to assist small businesses in Grover Beach was by all accounts a huge success. Forty business owners clamored for seats at the innovative program funded by City-obtained stimulus dollars. A group of eager students is on a waiting list for the next round and similar efforts are anticipated in other SLO County cities … Local consultant Jim Seybert has completed training in the Marcus Buckingham SimplyStrengths™ Immersion Workshop. The training focuses on principles developed in Buckingham’s popular “Now, Discover Your Strengths” book on business management. Seybert specializes in strategy retreats and executive coaching … BCA’s Teri Conklin recently taught a group of talented regional volunteers top fundraising tips for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. In 2009, Relay for Life raised $29.3 million in California, and $6.7 million in the region that includes San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

Categories — Business Successes, Celebrations, Good Press, Promotions, Uncategorized

BCA BLURB

November 19th, 2009

Jennie Saxon, BCA Account Manager and tourism expert.

Jennie Saxon, BCA Account Manager and tourism expert.

Confession: I’m a tourism junkie – the topic actually puts a spring in my step. So nothing could keep me from the California Sustainable Tourism Summit where 25 industry experts and 200 attendees shared tips on converting sustainability into tourism dollars.

Apparently, the travel plans of over 45 percent of U.S. travelers are influenced by a destination’s authenticity and the measures in place to minimize a traveler’s impact on the local environment and culture. Sounds like something our region should be able to offer with its eyes closed, right?  Surprisingly, a recent BCA audit of this region’s online promotions revealed very little green travel info available to would-be tourists.

Now, it can’t be that SLO businesses aren’t sustainable. So…promote yourselves! Tell those travelers how visiting SLO will not only save them money – but save the environment as well. And if you’d like a little help spreading the word…give us a call!

Editor’s Note: Jennie Saxon is BCA’s resident tourism expert and public relations account manager. She comes by her love of the biz honestly, working powerhouse posts at Mount Vernon, the National Academy of Science’s Koshland Museum, and the International Spy Museum in Washington DC, where she managed razzle dazzle PR for the opening of our nation’s hottest tourist stop.

Categories — Tourism