THIS ARTICLE APPEARS IN THE RED ROCK NEWS

June 23, 2023

 

 

Last week, the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau met with various business sectors in the community to discuss our overarching direction with membership and marketing for this upcoming fiscal year. It was an opportunity to address the needs of Sedona’s businesses while sharing our goals. A lot of questions were asked and answered. It was great to have such open dialogue. We will be holding meetings like this again in the year ahead to ensure that communications and collaboration continue.

This is just the beginning of the SCC&TB’s new phase of development.

In May, [Phase I] we sent out a Partner Survey to garner feedback from our membership roster. This survey serves as a barometer to find out how our organization is performing and what our businesses need.

While the majority felt that SCC&TB was doing an excellent job, we are more challenged than ever to look for innovative ways to enhance our business community and bring fresh new ideas and concepts to the table. Our respondents to the survey mentioned that it was important to have their place of business listed on Sedonachamber.com and VisitSedona.com, in addition to advertising opportunities and social media submissions. We asked, you responded, and our team has worked quickly to address your needs by developing several programs that will immediately benefit our members.

Erin Bruce, our partner services director, is working on ways to enhance our membership campaign through connecting and brainstorming with our business peers.

“I am working with business leaders to help them get more business exposure. We regularly share opportunities in our newsletters to remind members of all the options to increase visibility. We also work to bring people together at mixers and ribbon cuttings. There are many ways a business can collaborate with other partners, so connecting and brainstorming with our peers is important,” Erin said.

Eric Nguyen, our social media manager, has developed a digital menu whereby our members can choose a la carte items to enhance their business.

“As a social media manager and content creator for the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau, I drive business community growth by crafting compelling monthly email campaigns reaching nearly 160,000 opted-in subscribers, strategically tailored to engage, drive click-throughs and promote unique local businesses. Additionally, I amplify our partners’ online presence by curating and scheduling impactful social media posts across multiple channels, ensuring maximum reach and engagement for their targeted audience,” Eric said.

Carol Kahn, our communications manager has been working with media pitching story ideas to garner attention for our members while creating co-op programs, sponsorship initiatives, as well as marketing programs that invite consumers into a place of business. She also updated our Sedona Secret 7 brochure adding a more refined Arts & Culture section as well as adding Ancient Trails of Heritage sites.

It’s fascinating to watch the results of our work come to fruition when our local businesses appear on the History Channel’s two-part series “Beyond Skinwalker Ranch” or a full-page article is written by a journalist for the Arizona Republic touting our new luxury resorts, Ambiente and Mii Amo.” It makes us proud of the work we do,” she said.

Sachiko Sado, our director of tourism development offers exceptional service to our travel partners by attending travel shows, partnering with the Arizona Office of Tourism regionally and hosting FAM tours for those visiting.

“I have been involved in hosting international and national media, travel trade and meeting industry professionals. I feel I have helped the community grow economically and responsibly, which is very rewarding … I consider myself an ultimate matchmaker, connecting travel industry professionals with our business partners in the community,” Sachi said.

And the look of our brand is due to the talent of our graphics designer James Mogensen. Whether it’s creating attention-getting brochures or logo designs, we are proud to have James’s expertise to make everything we do look exceptional.

While our team is working hard for our Chamber and Tourism Bureau, we reiterate our commitment and core values: To be community-minded, exude professionalism, create lasting partnerships, be innovative, dedicated and accountable to our businesses while providing exceptional service.

It is a team effort at the SCC&TB and one that we are equally proud of.

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–Michelle Conway, President/CEO
Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau

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