Karen Avery, president of the Ouray Chamber Resort Association, will present the 2009 marketing plan. Ouray has different visitors in the summer and the winter, as well as in the fall and spring. The 2009 marketing plan describes the efforts to reach these visitors, along with efforts to reach more people in the regional market. By knowing in advance the clientele that OCRA is marketing to, business owners and event planners can adjust their own marketing, merchandising and staffing to complement those efforts and to best accommodate the needs and interests of visitors to Ouray.
Early in 2008, Avery initiated a community-wide committee to analyze Ouray’s assets and to research potential new markets as well as the media and collaborative efforts most appropriate to direct Ouray’s advertising dollars.
The estimated budget for 2009 is approximately $150,000, depending on revenue collected by the lodging occupancy tax during 2008. The increase of this tax could potentially add 50 percent to the budget designated for marketing Ouray.
Statistics for the year-to-date lodging activity and sales tax receipts, compared to prior years, will be distributed at the meeting. The marketing plan and budget are subject to Ouray City Council approval.
The calendar of Ouray’s Christmas season special events will also be available at this meeting.
There will be no Business Round Table in December; meetings will resume on Jan. 15 (third Thursday). Topics for future series are under discussion and the committee is seeking direction about the most helpful information and issues to be presented. Rick Noll, City of Ouray Director of Community Resources, said there would be some time allocated in next week’s Business Round Table for that discussion.
“We hope participants will come with their own ideas for programming and/or discussions we could plan which would enable the business and nonprofit communities, and Ouray in general, to be as successful as possible,” said Noll.
The Business Round Tables are sponsored by the City of Ouray Community Development Committee and are open to all residents to discuss economic issues affecting the future of Ouray. Committee members include Noll; Susan Lander, Ouray Gallery owner; and Joyce Linn, CDC Chair. For more information, contact any of them.
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