Economic Development: October 2004 Economic Development Report

October 2004 Economic Development Report

Nelson County Department of Economic Development and Tourism
October 2004 Report

Economic Development Update

Projects
Received notification from Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development that our initial planning grant activities for the Lovingston revitalization project were approved and that we are eligible for $25-30,000 in additional planning grant funds
The State Board of the Department of Historic Resources approved the historic district application and has issued request for proposals for the official nomination to be written

Montebello Fish Hatchery Visitation
September 2004 ö 782 visitors

Recruitment and Retention
Working with 5 new prospects and 3 ongoing relationships

Referrals from the Economic Development Directory http://www.ecodevdirectory.com/virginia.htm
Month              Virginia section Viewers           Nelson County Viewers
June                  812                                            50
July                   747                                            75
August              837                                            67

Web Site Update
The new site was launched in July 2004
Average monthly views in 2003 ö 5000
July 2004 views ö 14,558
August 2004 views ö 32,099
September 2004 view - 43,865
There have been more than 1200 downloads of the zoning ordinance information

Highlights of Page Views Per Month by Department
Department:                                            8-04                     9-04
Government Agencies                           603                       769
Animal Control                                      258                       231
Doing Business in Nelson County         1898                    1775
What's Happening in Nelson                 2001                    3055
Commissioner of Revenue                    393                       427
Living in Nelson County                      1751                     1632
Nelson County Administrator               380                        440
Convention & Visitors Bureau             344                        406
Nelson County Web Directory             1214                     1597
E-911 and Mapping                              24                           56
Economic Development                       309                         380
Emergency Services                             671                         535
Explore Nelson Wine                           483                          458
Finance & Human Resources         563                          920
Nelson County Government                1826                       3235
Nelson County Home                          8362                       10669
Inspections                                           375                          406
Keep Nelson Beautiful                         225                          553
Courts & Law Enforcement                 530                           552
Nelson Memorial Library                     248                            248
Site Title                                              233                            280
Parks & Recreation                             1551                          1171
Planning                                             1235                         4206
Transfer Station                                  220                            232
Treasurer                                            403                            415
Visit Nelson County                          5999                         9214
Totals                                                 32099                        43865

Meetings
September 2 ö web site training for 3 Nelson County staff
September 7 ö prospective business visit
September 7-9 ö target business study
September 9 ö Board of Supervisors and Economic Development Authority meeting with target business study consultants
September 14 ö Charlottesville Regional Chamber economic development update
September 14-15 ö Department of Business Assistance conference on Tourism
September 15 ö prospective business visit
September 16 ö Rosewood Village presentation to Stoney Creek residents
September 17 ö Department of Historic Resources ö Lovingston district
September 20 ö Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development
September 20 ö (2) prospective businesses
September 21 ö business retention visit
September 22 ö business retention visit
September 24 ö business retention visit
September 28 ö Louisa County Economic Development
September 30 ö Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development Symposium

Tourism Update

Projects
Working with Virginia Logo company on the Tourist Oriented Directional Signage program
On September 30th, with the opening of the Piedmont phase of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, Virginia becomes the only US state to have a statewide system. Outdoor travel writers attended the opening ceremony at Monticello and then traveled to Schuyler to tour the Waltonâs Mountain Museum and the Alberene Soapstone Company with Allen Hale as our watchable wildlife tour guide
Planning a Virginia Tourism Corporation customer service training seminar with Amherst October 15
Submitted information for the The Virginia Handbook for Hunter Publishing - third edition.
Taste of Nelson Updateö more than 500 visitors toured Swannanoa Palace; Oak Ridge Estate hosted 23 tours (2 of which were Taste of Nelson); the Farmerâs Market afternoon event was successful; Alberene Soapstone Company hosted 5 tours; several B & B owners mentioned that their guests had a great time.

Marketing and Promotion
Tourism staff man the Rockfish Gap Tourist Information Center (Afton-Route 250-Interstate 64-Blue Ridge Parkway-Skyline Drive) on Fridays and Saturdays in September and October. Thanks to the Nelson County orchards who provided apples and peaches: Dickie Brothers, Drumhellerâs Orchard, Mountain Cove Orchards and Saunders Brothers
10 media leads distributed to Nelson County tourism businesses
Worked with the wineries on a cooperative ad in the new wine section in the Virginia Travel Guide
Placed ad in December 2004 Gourmet magazine with Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau
Submitted Crabtree Falls to See Americaâs Treasure Hunt Game
Wintergreen Resort cited in Virginia Business Meeting and Conference Planner section

Meetings
September 1 ö Virginia Tourism Corporation commercial filmed at Veritas Winery
September 10 ö WLNI radio interview about Taste of Nelson
September 11-19 ö Taste of Nelson
September 22 ö Jamestown 2007
September 23 ö Slow Food USA
September 27 ö Wintergreen Resort golf and ski group sales
September 30 ö Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries Piedmont Region Birding Trail kick off celebration and travel writer tour

Tourism Statistics
               September 2004   YTD 2004   September 2003   YTD 2003
Phone       161                      1,531             135                      1,599
Labels       403                     7,583              3,578           8,777
Internet    43,865                131,200          7,600                   58,430
Walk In   818                      9,082              669           7,109

Taxes       August 2004       YTD 2004   August 2003       YTD 2003
Lodging   $16,127                131,794         18,450                 127,788
Meals       $38,502                327,675          38,243                295,938

Media Coverage
Nelson County Times, News Advance, Daily Progress, News Virginian, magazines    Column Inches ö 1102 Number of articles - 50
Average open rate is $23.67 per column inch for regional papers ö
Nelson County received $26,084 in advertising through print media sources