‘T’ for Tourism
Downtown rolls out the red carpet
Crown Point Chamber Office Manager Diane Kemp (left) and Executive Director Gayle Van Sessen say tourism is a simple way for the city to make money.
Too often, suburban economic growth can spell fatal neglect for historic downtowns. But if chamber and city officials have their way, Crown Point’s history-rich downtown will remain a vital economic center. With the eastern border of the community experiencing rapid expansion, downtown Crown Point has become the focus of an initiative designed to expand and enhance tourism and economic opportunity. “Our idea is to make the city better known and give people a reason to get in their cars and drive here,” says Gayle Van Sessen, executive director of the Greater Crown Point Chamber of Commerce. “Downtown has always been our center because of our wonderful old buildings, and we hope to ensure that it stays that way.” The city and the chamber hired Chicago marketing consultant Phyllis Barlow to help devise a campaign to raise Crown Point’s visibility. The plan includes upgrading the chamber’s Web site and linking it more effectively to the city’s site. Roadside billboards will give the city more presence among travelers, as will print advertising in magazines such as Midwest Living, Home and Away and Chicago. Prospective visitors may use a special toll-free number in the chamber’s office to request more information or new brochures that will target specific areas of interest in downtown. All the marketing efforts will be wrapped up in a yet-to-be-determined theme, or brand, and logo. “Tourism is the best thing in the world in terms of economic development,” Van Sessen says. “We bring people in who buy gas, eat, shop, spend some money in an art gallery – and leave. Studies say people, depending on the community, spend between $75 and $150 a day on these visits.”
Revenues, in turn, will hopefully fuel local interest in the continuing revitalization and expansion of downtown businesses. “The timing is just right for this,” Van Sessen says. “It’s important to be a little ahead of the game or on top of it so we don’t have to go back and fix things later. We want to make this something that both the city and the chamber can be proud to say we worked on together – something that will be good for the whole community.” Story by Laura Hill
Photo by Brian McCord
History Repeats Itself
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Downtown rolls out the red carpet
Crown Point Chamber Office Manager Diane Kemp (left) and Executive Director Gayle Van Sessen say tourism is a simple way for the city to make money.
Too often, suburban economic growth can spell fatal neglect for historic downtowns. But if chamber and city officials have their way, Crown Point’s history-rich downtown will remain a vital economic center. With the eastern border of the community experiencing rapid expansion, downtown Crown Point has become the focus of an initiative designed to expand and enhance tourism and economic opportunity. “Our idea is to make the city better known and give people a reason to get in their cars and drive here,” says Gayle Van Sessen, executive director of the Greater Crown Point Chamber of Commerce. “Downtown has always been our center because of our wonderful old buildings, and we hope to ensure that it stays that way.” The city and the chamber hired Chicago marketing consultant Phyllis Barlow to help devise a campaign to raise Crown Point’s visibility. The plan includes upgrading the chamber’s Web site and linking it more effectively to the city’s site. Roadside billboards will give the city more presence among travelers, as will print advertising in magazines such as Midwest Living, Home and Away and Chicago. Prospective visitors may use a special toll-free number in the chamber’s office to request more information or new brochures that will target specific areas of interest in downtown. All the marketing efforts will be wrapped up in a yet-to-be-determined theme, or brand, and logo. “Tourism is the best thing in the world in terms of economic development,” Van Sessen says. “We bring people in who buy gas, eat, shop, spend some money in an art gallery – and leave. Studies say people, depending on the community, spend between $75 and $150 a day on these visits.”
Revenues, in turn, will hopefully fuel local interest in the continuing revitalization and expansion of downtown businesses. “The timing is just right for this,” Van Sessen says. “It’s important to be a little ahead of the game or on top of it so we don’t have to go back and fix things later. We want to make this something that both the city and the chamber can be proud to say we worked on together – something that will be good for the whole community.” Story by Laura Hill
Photo by Brian McCord
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History Repeats Itself
Biz Briefs