Economic Development: January 2007 Economic Development Monthly Report

January 2007 Economic Development Monthly Report

Nelson County Department of Economic Development and Tourism
January 2007 Report

Economic Development Update

Project
•   Facilitating the marketing and branding strategy – onsite meeting is December 20-22, 2006
•   Submitted application for Dept. of Housing and Community Development Rural Broadband grant application
•   Working with the prospective buyer for the Callohill property
•   Coordinating the 2007 bicentennial celebration marketing efforts

December Meetings
December 5 – Community Development Block Grant workshop
December 7 – Albemarle County Economic Development
December 12 – Bicentennial Committee
December 13 – Central Virginia Electric Cooperative
December 14 –Charlottesville-Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau
December 15 – Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development
December 19 – Nelson County Veterans Celebration
December 20-22 – Branding and Marketing

Recruitment and Retention
Working with 2 new prospects and 4 ongoing relationships

Tourism Update
Projects
•   Contributed to Virginia Tourism Corporation Low Down will focus on major anniversaries in 2007
•   Submitted culinary events to Virginia.org

Tourism Statistics
                   Fiscal                   Fiscal
December 2006   YTD 2007   December 2005   YTD 2006
Phone       328           2,099       176           1,628
Internet    137,548       797,285   50,207       351,589
Walk In   769           6,595       483           6,971

Taxes       November 2006   YTD 2006   November 2005   YTD 2005
Lodging   $14,385       121,447   11,568       77,003
Meals       $33,331       213,913   32,235       194,965

Media Coverage
Nelson County Times, News Advance, Daily Progress, News Virginian, magazines    Column Inches – 7,906 334 Number of articles - 17
Average open rate is $23.67 per column inch for regional papers –
Nelson County received $ in advertising through print media sources.