St. J Chamber of Commerce to Host Travel and Tourism Discussion on Monday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2012
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeff Moore, jmoore@stjchamber.com
(802) 748-7121
The St. Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce will host a special travel-and-tourism marketing presentation Monday, May 7, at 11 a.m. at Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury. The event is free and open to the public.
Steve Cook, Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing, will present “Vermont’s Brand and Marketing” and cover four-season attributes, research, and upcoming programs related to marketing the Green Mountain State. The talk is scheduled to last about an hour, with opportunities for questions and further discussion.
This is the first community-information series by the Chamber on travel-and-tourism marketing; the next will feature Megan Smith, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing, in June. Details on that event will be announced soon.
“Vermont’s tourism sector is a driving force of our state’s economy,” said Deputy Commissioner Cook. “With more than 36,000 jobs directly supported by tourism spending, it is critical that businesses become aware of who our key visitors are and work collectively within our communities to support further tourism development.”
Cook is a resident of Montpelier and was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Tourism & Marketing in September 2006. Since then Cook was also assigned as Publisher of the State of Vermont’s official magazine, Vermont Life. Cook has served the State of Vermont for 10 years, previously under the Department of Buildings and General Services, as the Marketing and Information Technology manager. Cook has also worked in Vermont’s ski industry, holding sales and promotional positions for both Smugglers’ Notch and Jay Peak ski resorts. Cook is a graduate of Champlain College with a degree in Business Administration, and Johnson State College with a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Cook currently serves on a number ofboards and councils, including the Johnson State College Business and Economics advisory council, the Vermont Travel and Recreation Council, and the Vermont Travel Industry Conference board.
For more information on the St. Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce, including volunteer-service and business-promotion opportunities and membership, please go to www.stjchamber.com, call (802) 748-7121, or send email to stjchamber@stjchamber.com. The Chamber’s mission is to stimulate and promote the vitality of Downtown St. Johnsbury’s commercial, cultural and community resources.
Catamount Arts is located on Eastern Avenue in downtown St. Johnsbury; go to catamountarts.org.