Economic Development: September 2005 Economic Development Report

September 2005 Economic Development Report

Nelson County Department of Economic Development and Tourism
September 2005 Report

Economic Development Update
Projects
•   Lovingston historic district project – the VA Dept. of Historic Resources state review board and the National Park Services board recommend the district at their 9/14 meeting
•   Re-designing the county web site
•   Developing Small Business Development Center seminars and coordinating monthly onsite sessions (9/13 is the first seminar)
•   Facilitating the Nellysford Planning process – 9/26 is the community meeting
•   Working on the online business directory
•   Facilitating Schuyler historic district project – community meeting is 9/21
•   Managing Lovingston Revitalization planning grant project
•   Managing market analysis for Lovingston and Nellysford
•   Working with the Economic Development Authority on broadband initiatives and business retention visits
•   Working with Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development to develop a forum on workforce development

Meetings
August 2 – Explore Nelson Wine
August 4 – Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development
August 4 – Economic Development Authority
August 5 – Virginia Tech eCorridors
August 9 – business retention
August 10 – Department of Historic Resources – Lovingston Historic District
August 11 - Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development
August 12 – Nellysford Community Planning Project
August 16 – Amherst Economic Development
August 18 - Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development
August 19 – Lovingston Revitalization Project
August 23 – Explore Nelson Wine
August 24 – business retention
August 25 – business retention
August 26 – 310 Limited
August 29 – Schuyler historic district
August 31 – Virginia Economic Development Partnership

Recruitment and Retention
Working with 3 new prospects and 6 ongoing relationships

Tourism Update

Projects
•   Listed all eligible attractions and businesses on Virginia 511 website (67 listings)
•   Working with Amherst County and Lynchburg on the August 2007 Dixie Youth Sports event
•   Nominated Friends of the Rockfish Watershed for the Scenic Virginia program – best preservation of a scenic river corridor
•   Entered 83 events and updates to Virginia Tourism Corporation’s
- from this data, the Virginia Travel Guide is published and the online calendar of events posted
•   Distributing the new tourism brochure
•   Working with Virginia Tourism Corporation on Travel South February 2006 Showcase (Richmond)
•   Developing a framework for the 2007 Nelson County Bicentennial
•   Working with Explore Nelson Wine on marketing to Wintergreen Resort
•   Planning Jamestown 2007 events
•   Working with Lynchburg CVB and 7 other localities on a tourism attraction passport program

Marketing and Promotion
•   4 media leads distributed to Nelson County tourism businesses
•   Crabtree Falls featured in the August issue of Southern Living
•   Saunders Brothers featured in the September issue of Southern Living
•   Oakmoor Country Inn featured in the August issue of Blue Ridge Country
•   The next version of the Virginia state map (spring 2006) will feature the commemoration of America's 400th Anniversary as a theme. The map will highlight the 124+ official Virginia 2007 Communities located across the
Commonwealth – including Nelson County

Montebello Fish Hatchery
478 paid visitors in August 2005

Meetings
August 1 – Virginia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau
August 2 – Explore Nelson Wine
August 8 – Nelson County Summer Festival
August 11 – Lynchburg Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau
August 11 – Nelson County Hospitality and Travel Association
August 13 – Book signing and events for Earl Hamner’s biography
August 23 – Explore Nelson Wine

Tourism Statistics
                August 2005   YTD 2005   August 2004   YTD 2004
Phone       398              2,415              115                1,370
Labels       624              4,973           180                7,180
Internet    60,123         423,452       32,099            87,335
Walk In      1,479           8,708           1,234             8,264

Taxes       July 2005     YTD 2005   July 2004   YTD 2004
Lodging   $15,242        101,843        22,527       114,328
Meals       $40,644         279,008      49,359          292,803

Media Coverage
Nelson County Times, News Advance, Daily Progress, News Virginian, magazines    Column Inches –   729 Number of articles - 30
Average open rate is $23.67 per column inch for regional papers –
Nelson County received $17,255 in advertising through print media sources