Economic Development: August 2007 Monthly Report

August 2007 Monthly Report

Nelson County Department of Economic Development and Tourism
August 2007 Report

Economic Development Update

Project
•   Updating the online business directory with Commissioner of the Revenue business license information
•   Managing the VA Dept. of Housing and Community Development Rural Broadband grant process
•   Working with the prospective buyer for the Callohill property
•   Coordinating the 2007 bicentennial celebration marketing efforts

July Meetings
July 4 – Nelson County Parade
July 5 – Installed landscaping at Route 29 gateway signs
July 10 – Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development
July 11- Explore Nelson Wine
July 12 – Dixie Youth World Series
July 15 – National Association of Counties – Jamestown
July 17 – Monticello
July 17 – Virginia Association of Society Executives
July 18 – Broadband Management Team
July 19 - Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development
July 26-28 – Camp Jeep
July 31 – Virginia Consumer Travel Shows

Tourism Update
Projects
Submitted information about Crabtree Falls for The New York Times its twice-yearly “Explore the 50 States” section for its “T-Style” magazine

•   Camp Jeep returned to Oak Ridge Estate July 26-28, 2007
•   VA Association of Society Executives meeting at Wintergreen Resort April 2008
•   Dixie Youth World Series - August 5-8, 2007
•   Virginia Planning Association meeting at Wintergreen Resort - July 2007

Montebello Fish Hatchery
972 visitors in July 2007

Tourism Statistics
                   Fiscal                   Fiscal
July 2007       YTD 2007   July 2006       YTD 2006
Phone       306           306       165           165
Internet    323,422       323,422   105,750       105,750
Walk In   1,604           1,604       1,444           1,444


Taxes       June 2007       YTD 2007   June 2006       YTD 2006
Lodging   $22,868       286,217   15,129       200,560
Meals       $44,889       510,870   42,128       494,198

Media Coverage
Nelson County Times, News Advance, Daily Progress, News Virginian, magazines    Column Inches – 1,066 Number of articles - 27
Average open rate is $23.67 per column inch for regional papers –
Nelson County received $25,232 in advertising through print media sources.

Broadband Planning Grant Report
The Commonwealth of Virginia is committed to expanding rural access to broadband technology. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development is providing community broadband planning assistance through The Virginia Rural Broadband Planning Initiative. Nelson County was the first of six localities to receive a Phase 1 planning grant.

The primary objective of the Virginia Rural Broadband Planning Initiative is to ensure community sustainability and competitiveness in the global marketplace via comprehensive planning for broadband deployment. Community sustainability requires the availability of adequate health care, quality education, reliable emergency services, competitive service-sector businesses (banks, insurance, etc.), and connectivity at speeds necessary for entrepreneurs to engage and compete globally.

Part of the planning process includes assessing the needs of businesses and residents in these rural communities. Spotts, Stevens and McCoy and Icon Broadband Technologies are pleased to support the Broadband Planning Initiative in Nelson County. Residential and business surveys are currently in progress. The survey can also be completed online: http://www.vabroadbandstudy.com/

Camp Jeep
2,850 vehicles and 12,570 people registered for Camp Jeep 2007. 1,000 suppliers and vendors were also registered and approximately 700 staff and crew; population associated with the event totaled 14,270. Those 14,270 people required approximately 7,000 rooms. The formula for lodging revenue: 7,000 rooms x 4 nights x $90 per night = $2,520,000

Additional retail sales (based on Virginia Tourism’s figure of $50 per person per day for the Outdoor traveler) is $2,854,000. These visitors enjoy our restaurants, shops, recreational amenities and entertainment outlets. The combined expenditures total $5,374,000, an increase of 16% over the last time the event was held in 2004. DaimlerChrysler also spends approximately $450,000 in marketing to attract attendance at the event. This marketing exposure benefits Nelson County and the region as well.

The Sunrise Side of the Blue Ridge Tourism Alliance tent welcomed 1,766 visitors during the 3 day event.