Visit McPherson!

To Do Lists

2011-05-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

At the very top of my to-do list is to hire someone to help me get some things done on my to-do list. The CVB is interviewing for an event planner/convention sales person. This is a good sign although it took some convincing by the mayor that we needed to add to our staff. I have a tendency to think I can do it all myself but the CVB has taken some big steps into event planning, something not traditionally done by this office. The truth is, one person can't put on a multi-day festival. It takes many, many volunteers and helpers to make an event happen. If you've ever been in McPherson for All Schools Day or the McPherson Scottish Festival you'll see some of the best organized celebrations in the state.
We have one event coming up in June that will help us get our feet wet on events -- Biking Across Kansas will stop in McPherson June 7. It will be great to have 900+ guests on bicycles visit our city and it's a great opportunity to roll out the red carpet. We plan on having live music at the bandshell beginning at 5 p.m. including the McPherson Community Band, McPherson Pipe Band and Celtic band Raging Sea. The concert isn't just for BAK guests, the whole town is invited! We'll also have a great variety of food booths set up in the park too so grab your lawn chair and come on down.
Once we've recovered from that we'll be going full steam planning the first-ever McPherson Basketball Traditions Celebration Aug. 12-14. Here's the schedule for that.
Friday, Aug. 12 at Roundhouse
5 p.m. Free barbecue for first 300 people sponsored by Midway Motors
Kids contests 25-cents per game to benefit WACCC, plenty of prizes!:
peach basket toss
free throw, 3-point contest
half court shot
Slam Dunk tank
Bungee hoops
Pop-a-Shot
dribble obstacle course
7 p.m. Alumni of past state champ teams scrimmage
Half-time entertainment TBA
Sponsorship: NCRA

Saturday, Aug. 13
9 a.m. 3-on-3 tournament--- 5 divisions, $30 entry fee, shirts additional $, sign up your team!
Volunteers: McPherson Chamber of Commerce

7 p.m. movie at Opera House “Fast Break: Breaking Social Barriers Through Basketball” documentary by Keith Zimmerman, Eric Monder presenting “Olympiad” clips from 1936 Olympics, Stuart Naismith, grandson of James Naismith
Sponsorship: CVB

Sunday, Aug. 14
3 p.m. Reception at Community building
Basketball historians giving short speeches
Rich Hughes, author
Steve Farney, author & basketball Historian
Stuart Naismith, keynote sponsored by Wise and Reber

Promoting your business? The CVB can help!

2011-04-26T14:55:00.001-07:00

Are you struggling with how to best promote your business without spending a fortune? There are many opportunities available through the Convention and Visitors Bureau for free or at minimal cost.
For instance, this last month I attended two shows geared to consumers looking for weekend getaways and day trips. Attractions like the water park, opera house and festivals always grab their interests but many are also interested in our shopping and dining. Ann Engel, Main Street director, has helped me keep an updated map and directory of the downtown area marked with shopping, businesses, restaurants, ATM locations and available buildings. I hand out hundreds at every show that I go to, as well as, at local hotels, restaurants and shops. This is a free service of the Convention and Visitors Bureau we provide to local businesses.
Another free service we offer is our Visitor Coupon Book that we print and hand out to visiting groups and conventions and hand out at shows. We currently have 35 merchants participating in this book for free. We handed out 1,200 at the Taste of Home Show in Hutchinson alone last week. Our criteria to participate is that businesses offer a percent discount or BOGO offer, have no expiration date, and keep a tally to turn in to our office every quarter of coupons turned in. Anyone in McPherson that can meet the criteria can participate.
There are also online opportunities where you can list your business with the state’s tourism website via the CVB and even include a picture at no charge. Additionally we can list you in their printed official visitors guide for the state at a nominal charge. Close to 800,000 of these guides are distributed to potential visitors. The more listings we can get for McPherson, the more these potential customers will want to plan a trip to our town.
Often when I go to travel shows there are opportunities for door prizes or to have us hand out a brochure about your business. All of the names we collect through our prize drawings are entered into a database that we will share with any business that provides giveaways or decorations for our booth.
Another great inexpensive way to promote your business is to join organizations like McPherson Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce. The amount of promotional opportunities and networking opportunities you get for your membership is invaluable. A strong Main Street and Chamber that plan community events certainly make my job easier. The CVB tries to support both organizations with marketing grants and partnerships like I listed above.
One project that we are all three partnering on is an update to our official visitor guide and community profile magazine. This publication will be distributed at all the travel information centers and locally at hotels, restaurants, shops and at our office. When you get a call to support this guide I hope you’re able to help us put out a quality publication that represents our fine community.

What I've learned since Topeka

2011-03-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

It never fails that before an article is even published, some of the information becomes questionable or out-of-date.
While giving a TIAK report to the members of the South Central Kansas Tourism Region last week I mentioned what was discussed at the TIAK Day on the Hill. All reports then indicated that the governor's decision to dissolve the arts commission would not jeopardize federal funding for the arts in Kansas.
In a release from Governor Sam Brownback's office he stated "As a state agency, the historical society will be eligible to receive federal matching funds for the purpose of advancing the arts in the State of Kansas."
It was this statement that made me think arts would not suffer from a loss of funding and perhaps a private non-profit was a viable option much like the Humanities Council.
It was brought to my attention by Christine Downey Schmidt that this is not necessarily the case.
Here is a summary of what the National Endowment for the Arts had to say in response to Gov. Brownback's ERO.

The National Endowment for the Arts’ investment in a state is predicated on a significant financial and programmatic commitment from state government to its arts council. In each case, state and federal funds are combined to support local programs and priorities. The National Endowment for the Arts stated in an email to the Kansas Legislative Research Department on February 14, 2011:
Federal Match
· Kansas may forfeit its ability to receive federal funding depending on how the new entity is structured and how this restructure addresses the NEA requirements for a fully functioning state arts agency.
· The funds utilized for the 1:1 match to the NEA Partnership Agreement must be directly controlled and managed by the state and may include state appropriated, donated or trust funds.
· If the state does not provide state controlled funds for support of the state arts agency, all federal funds are at risk.
Kansas Arts Foundation / Kansas Historical Society
· It is unclear which agency, the Kansas Historical Society or the 501(c3), is controlling the funds.
It is unclear as to who will be the applicant to the NEA and who will be responsible for performing the responsibilities of the NEA Partnership Agreement; the Kansas Historical Society or the Kansas Arts Foundation.
· Continued federal investment is contingent on the State of Kansas providing financial support to its designated state arts agency. The agency must have the capacity to carry out the significant responsibilities of the NEA Partnership Agreement, including:
· The implementation of an NEA-approved state arts plan, developed as a result of a comprehensive and inclusive planning process that addresses the state’s cultural priorities and those of the NEA, as stipulated in the Endowment’s strategic plan.
· Fair funding decisions based on criteria that take into account artistic excellence and merit, as determined primarily through a panel process.
· Maintenance of sound fiscal and administrative procedures.
· Demonstration of leadership in arts education and in strategies for making the arts available and accessible to those in underserved communities throughout the state.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, currently provides $778,200 in funding to the KansasArts Commission, a state agency, for grants, programs and services to artists and organizations of Kansas.

If nothing else this outlines some criteria for how the new arts council should be structured, funded and administered and I, for one, would like to see some reassurances from the governor's office on these points.

What I learned in Topeka

2011-03-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

Last week I attended two days of meetings as part of the Tourism Industry Association of Kansas’ Day on the Hill. I don’t know what it is about politics, but I find it fascinating. Maybe it’s the implied power of being a lawmaker or the historic statehouse with its five floors of marble and ornate woodwork. I don’t know but it sure was a rush.
Our group heard from Parks and Wildlife Secretary Robin Jennison about the recent addition of Tourism to his department. Sec. Jennison is a big outdoorsman and hosted a radio show all about the outdoors for four years. This new alignment of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism will put more of an emphasis on our outdoor recreation when marketing the Sunflower State. While a few larger metros have expressed some concern their attractions will get overlooked, the consensus by Director Becky Blake and those in the industry is that it is a good move. I myself like the switch but I’m a little confused as to why it was necessary to add a third undersecretary to the department if the Governor’s ideology has always been one of smaller government.
The other major issue discussed was the executive reorganization order to eliminate the Arts Commission and make it a non-profit funded by private donors. The state is facing a $500 million shortfall and comparatively the Arts Commission $592,000 budget is just a drop in the bucket.
Arts supporters are concerned the loss of state agency status will mean a loss in federal arts funding but the Historical Society is able to accept federal funds and funnel them on to a private Arts Council. There is also concern that not having a state agency dedicated to the arts will give the stigma that Kansas is not arts-friendly.
My two cents are that this is not a necessary action by Governor Brownback. On the other hand, if arts supporters truly believe in supporting the arts, hopefully they will support it with their wallets when necessary.
By far the best meeting I had in Topeka was the time I spent with Rep. Clark Shultz talking about McPherson. I’m hoping he will support some kind of resolution to make McPherson the Olympic Basketball Capital of Kansas in time for the 75th anniversary of the Globe Refiners 1936 Olympic victory in August. If you agree, mention it the next time you see Rep. Shultz, Sen. Jay Emler or Rep. Don Schroeder. Or just thank them for all of their hard work.

Talent

2011-01-31T08:02:00.000-08:00

Every year I try to make time to watch the Academy Awards. I love films. I studied them in college and have watched more than my fair share in my life. I always wondered why you never see a category for Best Producer? I guess that just defaults to the best picture winner. I also think being a good producer means recognizing good talent, giving them an opportunity to perform and basically getting the heck out of their way.
It's funny that in my job I've done a fair amount of producing (and Mom said my film degree was useless). I look for others with talent, enlist them in a task and then stand back and enjoy their work. Talent is a gift. Recognizing it in others is a skill. Seeing others develop their talent is a blessing.
One of the first "discoveries" I made as CVB director was to happen upon the Flickr photostreams of James Bruntz(sicklittlemonkey) and Jessi Bruntz (jessi). I loved their individual style but I loved even more how once these two got together their collective work improved. James and Jessi feed off each other and it's cool they're also madly in love. I'm in love with their work and if you look at any of the downtown photos James shot, you'll see his talent. James, Jessi and I judged last year's photo contest and it was one of the funnest half hours of my life.
Another photography talent I've been blessed to befriend is Jim Griggs, the winner of last year's photo contest. I can't claim to have given Jim a leg up when he really did me a HUGE favor in submitting to our contest last year. Jim's been published in National Geographic and his photos of wildlife at Maxwell Wildlife Refuge are, in a word, breathtaking. To see more of his work, go here: http://selective-focus.com
My most recent project is to put together a McPherson DVD and I was lucky enough to come across Keith Cantrell. Actually, Keith first came to me wanting to show the movie he'd made "Listening" as one of our Movies in the Park. I was happy to do it, mainly because I'd heard good things about Keith but also because he didn't charge any royalties ;). Keith has since shot some great videos of families in McPherson that you can find on our YouTube channel
I'd be lost without the enormous talent and organizational skills of our mural artist Naomi Ullum. Naomi has been decorative painting and creating murals for years. She teaches art classes at Central Christian College of Kansas. Naomi and three of her students spent weeks putting together our Globe Refiners mural last year based on a drawing Naomi created herself. She's amazing. Stop by the Wesley Black Fine Arts Center at CCCK to see what Naomi and her students are working on. Even better, volunteer to work on one of our upcoming murals and learn from Naomi first-hand.
This is only the tip of the iceberg of talent I get to work with. I hope you enjoy the products of our combined efforts.

A slow time of year

2011-01-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

The bad thing about January is that it’s cold and no one is traveling north of Florida, or at least not to places without a ski lift. The nice thing is you get a clean slate – a fresh budget to work with and a brand new calendar to fill with dates and appointments.
I’ve already booked several travel shows and conferences to attend in 2011, including the Great Escapes Expo at Fort Riley, the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson and a conference in Topeka where we get to hear about all the issues before the legislature that affect tourism.
I am also planning several events right here in McPherson. Traditionally, CVBs are meant to assist organizations and attractions promote their events, not to stage events on our own. Last year I got my feet wet with the Scottish Evening at the McPherson Opera House. This year we’re looking at several activities to promote the 75th anniversary of the 1936 Olympic victory in August. We might also have a large number of guests pouring in June for another event but I’ll go into that more another time.
Planning events is a large amount of work but also a fun way to work with volunteers and meet visitors that come to town.
If you’re thinking of planning an event, why not stop by the CVB office and find out how we can help? The CVB has grants, promotional information, welcome bags and will help publicize your event.
Please contact Pam or myself at the CVB for all of your tourism questions – (620) 241-3340 or follow the CVB on Facebook: www.facebook.com/visitmac

Poking at beehives

2010-12-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

Common sense would tell you to let sleeping dogs lie or not go stirring up trouble. But sometimes it's fun to poke at beehives even if you know you might get stung.

We've been working on making some modifications to our city welcome signs on I-135. While researching the "Signs" file I came across some great correspondence from when the city adopted its new logo in 1998. Apparently, it was not popular with several people and many wrote lengthy diatribes to the editor of the Sentinel. The logo was called an "exploding ice cream cone" and the lettering we affectionately call "the confetti logo."
In my naivete, one of the first things I did as CVB director was ask a graphic designer to come up with a new logo for the CVB to use. Talk about wading into a pool of alligators. He did come up with a cool line art logo using the courthouse, Gen. McPherson Statue and the trolley. As an afterthought we added a one-color version of the confetti logo. Maybe not everyone's choice of iconic figures but they worked well for the CVB's purpose. We put it on t-shirts, visitor bags, our letterhead. Most city agencies still use the 1998 logo which is great. I don't use it much, especially when printing because it's a four-color artwork. Our new CVB artwork is one-color and cheaper to print. I haven't heard much feedback on the CVB logo because we've sort of quietly put it out there. We didn't put it to a public vote or have a large committee help shape it. I probably stepped on some toes, but no disrespect was meant.
Trying to find a logo that makes every entity in town is impossible. Should it be Scottish? Should it be industrial? Feature historic buildings like the Opera House? We don't have an iconic symbol like the dala horse so it's doubtful we'll find one unifying logo.
I did come up with an "it" for the Kansas Sampler last year. It's about the closest thing we'll probably ever have to an icon.

Forecasting for 2011

2010-12-17T06:37:00.001-08:00

I recently received a charm bracelet as a gift for my birthday and among the many funny charms my friend had picked out there was a crystal ball. Knowing her sense of humor I was a little hesitant to ask what it symbolized.
“You know how you have to predict the future when you’re putting together budgets and stuff,” she said.
I wish I had a gift for divination to figure out what the coming year will hold for tourism in McPherson. We really don’t fit the mold when it comes to attracting visitors. Hotels are busier during the week than the weekend and many visitors stay for a week or longer. It’s that strong industrial base we have again.
If I had to make a prediction for 2011 it would be that most leisure travelers are still taking smaller, more modest vacations. They roll in a weekend activity like their kid’s soccer tournament with a short family getaway. They plan their fun on the way to or from a family event. I’ve been to Disneyland once since my daughter was born 11 years ago. I’ve seen every zoo, botanical park, children’s museum, semi-pro sports team, water park, drive-in theater and outdoor festival in central and eastern Kansas several times though.
People still like to have fun even if their resources are limited. If you have family that’s planning to visit in 2011, why not point out some of the fun activities going on in McPherson next year – the water park, Opera House, All Schools Day, trolley rides, museum, Scottish Festival and golf course come to mind.
The group tour industry has a term I find interesting – a hub-and-spoke tour. Pick a central location and take day trips out from there to all the interesting sites. From Mac you can do day trips to Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, Little Sweden, the Kansas Motorcycle Museum, Cosmosphere, Underground Salt Mines, Kansas State Fair or drive a scenic byway to the lake or wetlands.
Keeping an eye on business traveler trends is a little tougher. Most association leaders I spoke to at a recent convention are starting to weigh their loyalty to a certain meeting place against more economical alternatives like McPherson. Hopefully we’ll see an increase in this type of traveler to town too.
There’s my slightly rosy outlook for 2011. I hope you have a great year.
Please contact Pam or myself at the CVB for all of your tourism questions – (620) 241-3340

Look back at 2010

2010-11-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

Now that the Globe Refiners mural is up and dedicated it’s time to be thinking of new projects for the CVB.
Before we do that, I want to take a minute to reflect on 2010. We’ve had a great year and accomplished several things in addition to the mural. Movies in the park are still going strong. We published our second calendar using photos from our annual “What’s Your McPherson?” contest. We’re making many contacts for conventions and group tours and our guest tax revenue for the year is up. We’ve partnered with the Chamber and Main Street on a number of projects this year. (Don’t miss all the fun activities this holiday season.) The ASD parade had a great attendance this year. We added a Saturday night event with the McPherson Scottish Festival and had about 100 people attend. Things aren’t happening overnight but they are happening. I don’t mean to take credit for the success of any of these events because everything we do is in cooperation with other organizations or volunteers in McPherson. That’s the CVB’s role, to assist others in being successful and helping market and enhance attractions and events to attract visitors to our community.
In an effort to do just that, next year we’ll start two new types of grants through the CVB – sports tournament grants and event/attraction grants. Our existing grant program has been limited to assisting with marketing and we saw this as a great way to encourage community members to have activities that would bring visitors to town. If you’re interested in either type of grant, call me at 241-3340 or go to www.mcphersonks.org/visit.
I’m excited for all that there is to look forward to in 2011. It will be the 75th anniversary of the Globe Refiners win of the national AAU tournament and participation on the gold medal Olympic basketball team. We have the 98th annual ASD, a great line-up at the Opera House, and many contests and festivals coming up. But first we have all the great holiday activities. Be sure to catch one of our holiday trolley light tours on Dec. 9, 16, 23 beginning at the Opera House. Or go ahead and purchase tickets now for the Dec. 20-22 tours beginning from the Mid-Kansas Model Railroad display at 1111 E. Kansas Ave.
Are you on Facebook? Check out our Visit McPherson page at www.facebook.com/visitmac for updates on upcoming community activities.

The same thing year after year?

2010-09-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a meeting of group travel leaders in Kansas City that was very interesting. I think I made some solid contacts but I also heard some thought-provoking comments.
One veteran planner responded to my comment that our Scottish Festival just celebrated its 17th year this year that it must be the same thing year after year and then pretended to fall asleep. I had to point out to him how untrue that assumption was -- this year alone we tried two new components for the first time -- a Scotch tasting hosted by the McPherson Museum (which sold out) and A Scottish Evening at the McPherson Opera House with a buffet, live entertainment and a Scottish country dance that more than 100 people attended.
The festival has been so successful because the mainstays are consistent from one year to the next. The big events like entertainment, clan tents, Highland athletics, dancing and drum and pipe competitions are well run. I've only been to the last three festivals but I've seen new offerings every year like the Highland cow exhibit and a rugby match.
I've been thinking of the whole reinvention idea. Performers like Madonna will reinvent themselves with each new song. Web sites like eBay are constantly tweaking and improving their business model. If you don't hone your act you become dated, kitsch and stale. Basically Madonna is still a singer and eBay is still an auction web site, but they manage to stay relevant.
The Scottish Festival has some of the most dedicated volunteers in McPherson and trust me they don't like it when you tinker with their proven formula for success. This year we tried something different and it worked. I think everyone was pleased with the Opera House event. Hopefully the festival will continue to embrace new ideas and stay fresh for years to come.

What makes a town cool?

2010-09-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

I recently read an interesting article at budgettravel.com about the coolest small towns in America. Budget Travel has run this feature on the top 10 small towns under 10,000 in population for the last five years. The towns are nominated and voted on by readers. After perusing the lists I’ve noticed some recurring features that make these towns “cool.”
• Scenery: Beautiful beaches, tall pine trees, lakes, mountains and rivers can be found in most every “cool” town. What’s cool about this scenery is not simply that the town is conveniently located in a scenic area, the town has taken steps to make the scenery accessible. Parks have been built along waterways, wildlife centers funded in natural areas, biking and hiking paths explore the great outdoors. These small towns haven’t just built large hotels to take advantage of the scenic views, they’ve made the scenery an integral part of their identity.
• Culture: Outdoor music festivals, buildings repurposed as art galleries, paintings on the sides of barns and building for the public to view and renovated theaters all help distinguish these towns as culture-friendly communities.
• Food: Sea salt cookie bakeries, regional barbecue, wines from local vineyards – the food is as unique as the towns themselves.
• Shopping: Nearly every cool town boasted a vibrant downtown with unusual locally owned businesses. Stores that sell locally made products and cater to visitors that yearn for originality stand out like the goat cheese shop in Waitsburg, Wash., or a gift shop celebrating Kennett Square’s top agriculture export – mushrooms.
• Imported locals: Nearly every cool town story has a transplant from the big city that fell in love with the town, sold their successful business or cashed in their stock portfolio to open a gallery/bed and breakfast/café. I take this as a sign that many Americans are looking for a better quality experience when it comes to choosing where they live or vacation.

If you look at the list of what makes a town cool, you can see McPherson has many of those qualities. It takes nature to provide you with great scenery or agriculture opportunities but it really requires forward-thinking and innovative individuals to create a town that is interesting enough to draw new residents and visitors.

Civic Tourism

2010-07-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

This quote from Dan Shilling, keynote speaker for the Civic Tourism conference I plan to attend in Colorado in August, gave me quite a bit to think about lately.
"...tourism, as the largest industry in many states and communities, has an obligation to partner with political, cultural, environmental, and economic sectors to help craft a healthy quality of life – for residents as well as visitors. That means more than 'heads in beds' or lavish websites; it means acting as a responsible corporate citizen, socially and politically. It means leadership."
As I wrestle with the mission of what the CVB is for McPherson, I like to think my job is about more than putting heads in beds and helping build up the hotel business in McPherson. After all, visitors come to McPherson to conduct business, play sports, visit relatives, enjoy leisure activities and not to specifically stay in a certain hotel. Hotels are the byproduct of a vibrant community and not the other way around.
I had the good fortune to run into Bob Workman at two meetings I attended this week. Bob is the director of the Discovery Flint Hills Center in Manhattan that will open in 2012. Bob has a unique vision for the center to be primarily a place to tell the story of the Flint Hills and to be a non-collecting museum. He plans to have staff that is more geared to marketing and no curator. The center is being built with Star Bonds money and once built, will receive 1 percent of the 6.25 percent guest tax in Manhattan. The center will be a true draw for visitors and be adjacent to a hotel, convention center and public park that are also part of the project.
The more I talked with Bob, the more I liked his project. It is being backed by the city, works closely with the local university as a place for faculty to share their research, has a public area that benefits the citizens of Manhattan. It is a place to bring in traveling displays, artists, and host events in the community. It brings more traffic to the downtown shopping area and creates new jobs. I like it because it does as much for the residents as it does for visitors.
I also recently visited Dodge City and the Boot Hill center for the first time. Dodge has had a sales tax in place for a number of years called the "Why Not Dodge?" tax. Proceeds from the sales tax have helped complete the Boot Hill Visitor Center, a raceway and now a convention center. These projects are primarily geared to tourist but they do create jobs and help preserve a part of Dodge City's history.
Juxtapose this with the privately owned casino facility with its state-owned gaming equipment on the outskirts of town and I wonder who, if anyone, receives a benefit from it.

Celebrating others' talents

2010-07-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today I stood mid-stage at Greer Auditorium at Central Christian College. My focus wasn't on an audience but the black box theater stage right. What I saw there was just as breath-taking and full of drama as any theater production -- our 16 by 32-foot mural was coming into shape under the steady hands of Naomi Ullum and her students. I'd sat with Naomi and brainstormed and looked at her sketches but seeing the Globe Refiner mural materialize and come together so beautifully made me very happy. I don't think it's a stretch to say when the mural goes up at Kansas and Ash in August it will stop traffic.
Tonight we announced the winners of our 2010 photo contest. We'll use all 12 winners in our 2011 calendar that we publish with the McPherson Sentinel. Choosing just 12 photos out of the 285 submitted was incredibly tough. When I look at the images of McPherson seen through the eyes of so many talented people I feel really proud.
It's this part of my job that I love the most -- finding ways to celebrate others' talents and sharing it with visitors and residents alike.
Most days I love my job but today, I really loved it.

Walk in the park

2010-06-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's Friday afternoon and I'm excited for the weekend to get here. I don't have any grand plans but a few things to do at home this weekend. Tonight I'll walk in Relay For Life on my friend Amy's team at Wall Park. Tomorrow we will show a free movie in the park at Lakeside Park. Sunday I hope to go swimming at the McPherson Water Park with my kids. I guess my weekend is centering around parks.
When I first visited McPherson in 2006 we drove around town and I was struck by the beauty and the quantity of McPherson's parks. I've lived in 13 different communities in my life and the parks here are by far the most beautiful of any town I've lived in. It says much about the city's commitment to the quality of life for its citizens. But beautiful parks don't just happen.
Consider this from the city's Web site www.mcpcity.com:
The City of McPherson Park Department employees 6 full-time workers who maintain 14 city parks and public rights-of-way totaling approximately 300 acres. A wide range of activities are available in our city parks. Activities include fishing, swimming, picnicking, tennis, raquetball, basketball, and ice skating. There are also batting cages, baseball and softball fields, frisbee golf, jogging, fitness trails and a skateboard facility.
I know the parks department also takes care of the planters and the plaza downtown. They do hire additional summer help, but I'm telling you it's all I can do to keep my little yard mowed. I can't imagine 300 acres.
Get out to the park this weekend. Take a pic of your family in one of our parks, send it to me, and I'll give you a free McPherson Frisbee. Have a great weekend!

You are our best marketing tool

2010-05-12T12:59:00.001-07:00

Nothing speaks louder to the benefits of a community than a person who lives there, who loves their hometown and is excited to welcome visitors to it.
We recently worked with Perkins, EconoLodge and Best Western to successfully bid for the 2012 Kansas State Firefighters Association annual convention. KSFFA has held their convention in McPherson before in 2003 but the whole bid would not have happened if a local member of the organization had not stepped forward and asked for our help in bidding on the convention.
The McPherson Fire Department and Capt. Wade Hall in particular worked with us to bid for the 250 plus person convention. To make it work we’ll use convention facilities at Perkins and Best Western that are just across the parking lot from each other.
We have other convention and meeting facilities as well at The Cedars and the McPherson Opera House that can accommodate large groups.
I know McPherson has a wide and varied workforce and population and many of us are members of one or more associations or organizations that hold district, regional or statewide meetings.
In April alone we saw five groups – American Legion, Optimist Club, County Treasurers and Registers of Deed, Kansas Twins Association and the Wordfest Writers Conference – hold meetings in McPherson. The CVB worked with each of those to provide gift bags, door prizes, name tags and printed information to assist with their event. We are here to help and if you would like to bid on a convention for your organization, we are the best place to start. The CVB can be a go-between the organization and convention centers, hotels, entertainment venues and caterers when pulling your bid together. If you are successful, there are many ways we can help as I mentioned before.
Finding local members is the best way for us to make a connection with an organization. Conventions can pump thousands of dollars into a local economy, boosting guest and sales tax. A favorable impression of our town can create return business, possibly even future residents.
Here’s a few talking points when considering why you should hold your meeting in McPherson:
• Centrally located: If you’re tired of driving to the eastern portion of the state, centralize your meeting in McPherson. We are less than 300 miles from every city in Kansas.
• Affordability: Convention room rates are consistently under $80 and when blocking large blocks of rooms you can save even more.
• Top-notch service: I’ve personally worked with the staff at all of our convention facilities and customer satisfaction is their No. 1 priority. If you don’t have a great experience, come talk to me and I’ll pass your concerns on to the right person.

• Modern equipment: Best Western recently upgraded its A/V system and The Cedars is a new facility with modern equipment. The sound and projection at the Opera House, as John Holecek will tell you, are superb.
• Activities: No matter what the interest of your group is, we can find outside activities to suit them – hunting, shopping, sports, art, historical tours – you name it.

Give Pam and I a call at the CVB, 241-3340 or check out our group meeting planner online at www.visitmcpherson.com.

Changing plans

2010-04-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

Nobody likes to hear the word “no.” Rejection can be a tough pill to swallow and I’ve had my share of both big and small rejections since I started this job. “No” can seem like the end or can simply be the catalyst to make you try a different path and eventually accomplish the goal in a different and better way.
Take for example my recent application to get the 1936 Olympic Gold Medal Globe Refiners Basketball Team honored as an 8 Wonders of Kansas History. I was really excited because I think it’s the best shot we’ve had in any of the categories, but we didn’t make the cut for the top 24. Does that mean the story of this history-making team isn’t worthy of being told? Absolutely not. So instead of using the publicity from 8 Wonders, McPherson has just got to work harder at getting our story out on our own.
Another project I’m working on that has been meeting with some challenges lately is to paint a mural downtown this summer. I’ve been lucky to work with some great people on this project, but the site we selected has presented some real logistical challenges and the subject matter – industrial history – has been a surprisingly hard nut to crack outside of the history of the plastics industry. I still like the idea and the location but it is a much bigger project than I can pull off successfully in the next two months.
The two disappointments have got me thinking – why not do a more manageable mural about the Globe Refiners this year and shelve the other until next year? Let’s create our own publicity, toot our own horn and move forward. There will be more information available in the next month about how you can get involved and help with this project.
Another great McPherson event that’s coming up is our 97th Annual All Schools Day week of activities. I have a child who will participate in the Madathon for the first time this year and I can’t wait. During the week I’m sure we’ll hit the carnival and go to the May Fete activities. We’ll of course go to the parade and finish the week off at the free movie in the park Saturday night. Friendship and Memories seems like the perfect theme for this year’s event. I have buttons and T-shirts for sale at my office if you’d like to get a souvenir. Buttons are required at all ASD activities so be sure you have yours. You can find more information about All Schools Day at www.allschoolsday.com.

The Cherry on Top Department (& whatnot)

2010-03-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

I attended a talk by Creative Cities Founder Peter Kageyama to day at the McPherson Opera House. There were about 90 people there -- a pretty good turnout for 7:30 on a rainy day I thought.
Peter, I'm gonna call him that because that's how he introduced himself to me not because we're close friends or anything, spoke about how creativity and innovation are the natural resources of the 21st Century, similar to how oil was THE natural resource of the 20th Century.
Creativity is standardly associated with artists while innovation is more linked to business and science. Creativity is a divergent process that begins a project. Innovation is a convergent process that creates an end product. Peter feels creativity and innovation are really two sides of the same coin and Apple is the best example of blurring the lines between the two.
It's the responsibility of all citizens to share their ideas and participate in the creative process.
Creative Cities will do their best to attract and retain talent and fight "brain drain." But who's job is it to attract talent to a city? The mayor can be a community's best salesman but very few people but company's don't traditionally have a director of talent.
The competition for talent has become a "shooting war," according to Peter. He gave the example of Louisville, KY's mayor who will hold Kentucky meet-ups in other states to try and attract Kentucky natives to return home. Brains don't drain, they circulate and tend to come back to the community they grew up in.
Cities looking for talent should not focus on just one age group. Recent grads, young professionals, marrieds with children, empty nesters and retirees all tend to look for the same things in a community -- namely affordable housing, entertainment opportunities, transportation options beyond a car and green spaces.
Then he talked about growing your own elephants, fostering krill as well as whales. Despite the mixed metaphors I think his point was to encourage young talent to develop and someday create a large successful company as opposed to going after a whale-sized company in another community.
Ways of appealing to young talent are to appeal to their tribal tendencies, seek out and connect with an influential member of their group and let him or her spread the word. Young talent does not believe advertising and are much more likely to believe what their friends have to say via social media.
My favorite part had to be the Love Notes to a City portion of his speech. He said the reasons we tend to hate a city are that it has problems with its infrastructure -- potholes, lack of parking. The reasons we love a city are the little touches like murals, parks, green spaces -- the cherries on top. Great quote: "Art and culture are what make a city fall in love with itself." Pier Giorgio Dicicco. It's important we take an expansive view of arts and culture -- it's not always packaged in the traditional forms of symphony, opera and ballet. Another good quote: "Museums are the mausoleums where art goes to die." I was sitting next to the McPherson Museum Director Carla Barber who got a chuckle out of that.
What did I take away from the lecture? I found it very helpful that Peter reinforced some of the sentiments and initiatives I've been working hard on this last year. I am a city department and while I can't improve the infrastructure I can help improve the quality of life with the small projects I take on like movies in the park, grants to help others market or stage events, hanging banners around town, holding photo contests and more. In the past the CVB adopted the stance that its job was strictly to promote and market events already taking place. I want to get more involved in hosting festivals and other events that would draw visitors to town. To do this, I need a healthy guest tax revenue, a supportive commission and the creativity and innovation necessary to think of new ideas and opportunities. Having those things is why I love my job so much.

volunteermcpherson.com offers a chance to help

2010-02-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

I’ve often marveled after a big meal, how much quicker things get cleaned up when everyone pitches in and helps. It reminds me of that saying “Many hands make light work.”

One of the biggest challenges of putting on any event whether it be Sunday dinner or a two-day festival is finding enough volunteers to help with all that needs to be done.

Local organizers of sports tournaments have told me finding volunteers is always a hurdle to putting on a tournament.

When I worked at the Sentinel, I would hear from readers that were looking for volunteer opportunities. At the CVB we look for volunteers for different activities all year and rely on the goodwill of the local newspaper and radio station to help get the word out.

It’s a struggle on both ends and I’ve kept my eye out for a way to bring the two groups together. Finally the solution came to me a few months ago. As a member of the Optimist Club I was introduced to a wonderful online tool for organizing sign-ups – mysignup.com. It’s free and anyone can use it, they just need access to a computer.

The catch is it’s not always easy to search out opportunities in your community so my office has created a Web site that is meant to act as a clearinghouse for organizations needing volunteer help. That site, called volunteermcpherson.com, simply lists and links to different sign-ups.

If your organization is in need of volunteers from the general public, I encourage you to use the Web sites.

Here’s how it works

· Go to mysignup.com and create an account

· Create as many volunteer sign-ups as you like.

· Then e-mail me the links for your sign-ups and I’ll add it to volunteermcpherson.com. My e-mail is cvb@mcphersonks.org.

Have questions? Contact me at the CVB, 241-3340, and remember, April is National Volunteer month.

Tough times for some, opportunities for others

2010-01-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

One of the first things I did after starting this job last year was attend the Kansas City Travel and Culinary Expo in Overland Park. It was the first time the show had been offered in KC and I got a last minute deal on a booth so I thought "Hey, why not?"
The show was aimed at consumers looking for vacation ideas and, for my first show, I thought it was well attended and I met many other CVBs.
So when the chance to attend it again this year came up, I jumped on board and have been looking forward to it. Unfortunately the show was recently canceled based on poor attendance at a similar show in Louisville. I only found this out by combing the internet trying to see why my confirmation had never arrived, but I was intrigued by the lengthy explanation from the show's organizers as to why they canceled the show that was posted on their Web site. Here's a few snippets:
"tourism, like many industries, is being hurt by the global economic crisis. State revenue from transportation, sales and hotel taxes have plummeted and many companies and government agencies, have been forced to lay off workers."
This statement may hold true in many parts of the country, but I wondered if this was the case in Kansas. I pulled up reports on guest tax collected in 2008 and compared them to similar reports for 2009 in search of the plummeting hotel taxes. For fiscal year 2008 (July through June), $31.2 million was collected in guest tax. For fiscal year 2009, $30.8 million was collected statewide. That's about a one percent decrease. The previous two years saw gains of 19.7 percent and 10.1 percent. So while revenue isn't growing at the same rate as previous years, it is holding fairly steady. McPherson has been fortunate to see an increase each of the last three fiscal years -- partly due to an increase in the number of hotel rooms available after Holiday Inn Express was built.
My foray into statistics has convinced me that 1) I didn't major in math for a reason and 2) people are still traveling, just maybe not as far. While that's bad news for Disney, it's good news for places like McPherson.
Here's another snippet:
"the emotional impact of living through the worst recession many consumers had experienced, continuing high unemployment and the fact that our economic bubbles have all burst -- will create a new consumer who spends money more conscientiously."
Sounds like a gloomy forecast or maybe the forecaster just needs a vacation. McPherson has many family-friendly activities and weekend getaway options. Swimming, golf, music venues, fun festivals like All Schools Day and the Scottish Festival, a beautiful downtown with unique shopping are all part of our affordable charm.
One great source for finding affordable local travel in Kansas is through the Kansas Sampler Foundation's new rural travel initiative Web site www.getruralkansas.org. Each participating town posts information about what there is to explore in their town. Locals always know the best places to go and this gives them a platform to get that information out to the world.
I've recently had the opportunity to work with the Sampler ladies on their most recent 8 Wonders contest. Maxwell Wildlife Refuge near Canton has been nominated as one of the top 24 finalist in the 8 Wonders of Kansas Geography. You can vote for Maxwell and learn something about the other 23 finalists at 8wonders.org.
You may have heard about the city's recent acquisition of Turkey Creek Golf Course. If you'd like to find out about the 2010 rates, current specials or see some great pictures of our fine course, visit www.golfturkeycreek.com or www.facebook.com/turkeycreek.

Opera House opening creates excitement

2010-01-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

Can you feel the excitement in the air? It’s not from a post-holiday giving buzz but I’m incredibly excited about the upcoming opening of the McPherson Opera House at the end of this month.
First the fact the Opera House will bring in many new visitors to town makes me a happy CVB director. I’m lucky to get to work with my predecessor Judy Casey on marketing the first season of shows at the Opera House. Judy is just one of the many volunteers that has brought the Opera House back to life. I’d love to run through a list of them all but I’m afraid I’d overlook someone. You can volunteer at the Opera House too by calling 241-1952.
Second, I’m anxious to see a show in the remodeled auditorium. Though the grand opening will be for private donors, there will be ample opportunity in the coming months to see a show. Here’s the most recent list I have of scheduled shows for 2010.

Jan. 30 Free movies

Feb. 14 Tap Kids

Mar. 9 David Munnelly Band

Mar. 12-13 Cats Off Broadway

Mar. 20 Comedian James Gregory

Apr. 23 Brasil Guitar Duo

May 15 The Eric Vaughn Magic Review

June 12 The Three Little Pigs, Wichita Children’s Theater

June 19, 20, 25, 26, & 27 The Wizard of Oz, McPherson Community Theatre

Sept. 18 The Glenn Miller Orchestra

Oct. 2 Galactic Cowboy Orchestra

Keep up-to-date on the latest shows at mcphersonoperahouse.org.

January through March is typically a slow time of year for tourism in McPherson. We are firing up the trolley during those months for historical trolley tours for elementary, middle and high school classes. If you’d like to sponsor a tour for your child’s class at an extremely affordable rate, give me a call at (620) 241-3340.

JANUARY CONVENTIONS, REUNIONS, & TOURS

14-17 VFW Mid Winter Conference, Holiday Inn Express, 25 rooms

21-23 Sunflower Chapter NAIFA, Holiday Inn Express, 20 rooms

29 Days Inn, 20 rooms

The best reward

2009-10-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

In every community I visit I always make a point of stopping and looking at murals that I see painted on the sides of buildings. As a tourism promoter, my job is to get people to come to town, not just pass through it, but stop and stay a while. So it wasn't a big stretch to see the opportunity for murals in downtown McPherson. There is no shortage of big blank walls downtown and we are fortunate enough to have a mural painting class at Central Christian College. I love when the opportunity to use a local resource to create something that is not only a draw for tourists but something that can improve the quality of life of the residents comes up. It's the best reward of my job.
Keep your eyes peeled for a new downtown mural next summer. If you own a building and would like to participate in our mural program, give me a call at 620-241-3340.

It takes a village to promote a village

2009-10-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

I’ve been diligently trying to get my house ready to sell, fixing all the little things that I’ve ignored since we moved in. My four-year-old Jake, with the best intentions, decided to help me out by peeling the wallpaper on the stairway last week. While I’m sure Jake’s heart was in the right place, he wasn’t all that helpful, especially since peeling the wallpaper was not on my fix-up list.

As we sought out volunteers to cover the McPherson booth for 10 days at the State Fair in Hutchinson (check out Kelsey and Jo from KBBE, just two of our volunteers), I came across that same helpful spirit in many members of our community. It got me thinking how it really does take a village to promote a village.

Many of the events I attend to promote McPherson require the cooperation of many businesses and individuals. Here’s just a few examples:

· Holiday group tour planner in Oklahoma: Graber’s Ace Hardware loaned us Christmas lights and a Christmas village lighthouse, Cook’s Nook loaned us painted snowman plates, mugs and bowls, The Bookshelf let us use brass courthouse ornaments to decorate our tree and Artshirt had some great KU and K-State snowmen to set out.

· Great Bend Women’s Expo: The list is long here as we tried to pamper the ladies at this event and entice them to come to Mac for a ladies day out trip. Cook’s Nook gift basket for a door prize, Integrity Salon, Java John’s, Courtyard on Main, Rural Rooster, Stone Chimney, Brushes N Bling, Sassy Bags, The Cake Lady and Creative Hairlines.

What is great about businesses helping the CVB with donations is that we are able to distribute information for them to a group they might otherwise be unable to reach.

There are plenty of opportunities in the near future to partner with the CVB on events. The trolley holiday lights tours are coming up in December. We plan to have public tours on Thursdays starting from the Opera House again this year, but we’d also like to add another night during the week for tours since they sold out so quickly last year. If your business, group, church or school would like to host one of these tours and provide refreshments and possibly entertainment, let me know. We plan to continue our movies in the park next summer. If you’d like to sponsor a movie, give me a call. If you have an idea of your own for a community event – be it entertainment or sports-related, I’m always open to new ideas.

Remember, no man is an island, and if he was, good luck promoting it without a little help from the natives.

Become a fan of Visit McPherson on Facebook -- Facebook.com/visitmac

Overheard at the State Fair

2009-09-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

We like our volunteers to write down comments from the people that stop by the booth at the State Fair. Here's a few of them and some commentary.

Compliment McPherson on being progressive Thank You!

McPherson is a nice town

Miss the The Button Hole

Chamber needs better signage directing visitors to downtown from the interstate. Actually, the CVB put up signs just this year directing visitors to several local attractions from the east and west entry points of town.

Miss the The Button Hole. We heard this a bunch!

Like Krehbiels Meat

Love McPherson – great community

Love the Italian restaurant by the bowling alley

Miss The Button Hole – pretty town Go Pups!

McPherson – Clean town and friendly people

The Scottish Festival is too much money and it doesn’t change. Heartily disagree. There are many ways to volunteer and get free tickets and every year they add something new!

It would be nice to open & make safe the underground town like the Opera House. This is interesting. I wonder where the tunnels are?

RV Park is expensive. ?

Is Trolley wheelchair accessible YES

Miss The Button Hole

Best give-away table. Thanks for noticing! We gave away frisbees, hand fans, pens, pads of paper and 2010 calendars.

A lot of interest in the Opera House. Grand opening is the end of Jan. 2010.

Need info on Central Christian College as well as Mac College.

Are they done with the Opera House?

There are no holes in Calendars to hang on the wall. This one cracks me up! Use a thumb tack!

Lots and lots of questions whether or not we will get another quilt shop. I've not heard anything.

Many disappointments about The Button Hole closing!

Surprised McPherson has a Trolley! Holiday light tours 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 Tues. and Thurs. nights Dec. 1-22.

Excited about The Well and all it will offer. I saw Pastor Neufeld-Dunn hanging flyers for a performance there later this month. Can't wait to see what all goes on in this new business.

Drove down from Manhattan to go to the fair. Signed up for Scottish Festival & said “you always have good things going on in McPherson.” :)

Couple from K. City. Stayed all night in McPherson last night at Best Western & heard trains all night !!!! Don't they have trains in KC?

Does McPherson have an RV Park? Showed him on a map. Said that would be a good place to camp.

Many nice compliments on the City of McPherson

One said housing was too high in McPherson would have liked to live there but couldn’t afford it.

Hated to see the quilt shop close

Love McPherson CVB Really? Thanks!

Loves the Opera House! Wants to attend Grand Opening

Water Park Flyers? Didn't think to send any since it's closed for the year.

Love McPherson’s Backdrop (in the booth)

You guys have a great diner Neighbor’s Café has the best cinnamon rolls in the world. I totally agree!!

Excited about Haunted Forest. Making a trip to visit the Deli, Cooks Nook & Stone Chimney.

Enjoyed the Opera House

Is $1 off Festival coupon just good at gate or also for advanced ticketing? Just the gate.

From Derby – McPherson is a great place! Knows MAC football player & brother minister in town.

Used to have the best fabric store ever

Were we called the “Light Capital”? In the 60’s . . . . had most street lights in town. Yes, we were known as the Light Capital because downtown lights could be seen on interstate.

2 women from Great Bend are now planning to attend Scottish Festival & stay 2 nights based on the brochures. Excellent!

Thanks for the calendar & welcome book!

Sad to see The Button Hole close Wow, someone really needs to open another quilt shop!!

Info for Central Christian College? We had McPherson College information because they volunteered to work three shifts in the booth. It wasn't a deliberate oversight. We'll bring some next year.

Is it a Scottish town? The fourth weekend of every Sept. it sure is.

You have to have a ticket for the Scottish Festival?

Terrible that The Button Hole went out of business.

Need bags for all the give a ways! They were under the table ;).

Great Calendars!

Several People wanted to know dates & times for Trolley rides.

Some interesting stats about McPherson

2009-09-01T12:21:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you, but I find statistics very interesting. The Institute for Policy & Social Research has just released the 43rd edition of the Kansas Statistical Abstract.
Here's some facts about McPherson County
McPherson Count population in 2000 was 29,554.
It dropped by 510 to 29,044 in 2008.
Population is projected to grow to 30, 592 by 2020.
There are approximately 604K acres of land in McPherson County and 93.7% of that land is farmland.
McPherson County (212,105) is second only to Reno County (232,736) in the total number of acres of wheat harvested (and that's just because there are 200k more acres of land in Reno County). Kansas exported over $1B in wheat and products in 2007.

So, who cares? Statistics are fun but they are also easily manipulated. Some newspapers might proclaim population in McPherson County to be plummeting. For the purposes of tourism, I can see in what areas McPherson stands out. The fact that we are tops in wheat production gives me ideas for marketing.
The full abstract is at http://www.ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/KSA43.pdf if you'd like to look at it further. Take from it what you will. It's a fascinating read.

Sour grapes lead to sweet ideas

2009-08-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

I’ve got to tell you, I’ve been a little grumpy at work lately. All my grousing to anyone within earshot was beginning to sound like sour grapes.

Then it dawned on me that I was approaching my 6-month mark at work and would be able to officially take my first vacation day. Thoughts of escaping for a long weekend with my sweetie perked me up considerably.

At Charlie’s suggestion we drove to the Missouri wine country and visited the wineries in and around Hermann, Mo. One of the funny things about being in the tourism business is even when you’re on vacation, you’re gathering ideas and thinking of ways to incorporate them into your job.

Here’s a few ideas that resulted from my vacation:

· Hermann had a staffed visitors center open – on a Saturday. We could really use a visitors center and a much more visible CVB office here in McPherson.

· When we ventured into St. Charles for dinner on Saturday night we were able to go to the historic downtown area and have dinner after 9 p.m. While this was a predominantly tourist retail area, it was still bustling with activity long after the shops closed.

· On our way home, we stopped at the Bourgeois Winery near Rocheport, Mo. This little town was full of unique stores and antique shops. I’m told its recent revival is largely thanks to the Katy Trail that runs along the Missouri River. Since returning home, I spoke with a representative of the Central Kansas Conservancy that is part of the Rails to Trails movement. Some exciting developments in connecting the trail from Marion to Herington are underway. Hopefully the stretch of the trail connecting McPherson to Lindsborg will be traversable soon and can help bring more visitors to town.

· The Stone Hill Winery in Hermann hosts a grape stomp competition every year, drawing in visitors from as far away as, well, McPherson, Kan. While the McPherson Main Street, McPherson Museum and Chamber of Commerce put on many events in McPherson, and volunteers coordinate our two biggest events – All Schools Day and the Scottish Festival – maybe businesses could host their own events. How about a Krehbiel’s/Cook’s Nook grilling competition? An Orscheln’s/Tractor Supply Co./Prairieland Partners harvest festival? A Neighbors Café cinnamon roll contest?

One other epiphany I had while sitting on the deck overlooking the Missouri River, nibbling cheese and sipping wine is that Catawba grapes make the best wine, according to my palette. No sour grapes on this little trip!

Ideas don’t go far if they’re just left on paper so it’s time to get back to work for me. Become a fan of Visit McPherson on Facebook and let me know your ideas! Facebook.com/visitmac

SEPTEMBER CONVENTIONS, REUNIONS, & TOUR

4 Family Reunion, 11 rooms, Best Western

10-13 Wedding, 8 rooms, Best Western

16 HydroChem, 21 rooms, Best Western

17 KS Claims Association, 39 rooms, Best Western

17 Cenex, 60 rooms, Best Western

18-19 American Legion Auxiliary, 20 rooms, Best Western

18-20 Wedding, 30 rooms, Holiday Inn Express

22-24 KS Animal Control, 19 rooms, Best Western

25-27 Scottish Festival, 19 rooms, Best Western

25-27 Turlach UR Pipe Band, 12 rooms, Holiday Inn Express

The Community Building

2009-08-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

I recently had a man stop by my office and ask me what the vision for McPherson is. By the pleased look on his face I could tell he felt he stumped me.

The problem with such an open-ended question as that is there are as many visions for the future of McPherson as there are people in McPherson.

Mr. X went on to tell me his vision for the community building -- he'd like to see a large post office/arena/office space.

Truth be told my vision for the future of the CVB has much to do with the future of the community building.

It's no secret the latest budget session left the city commission looking for areas to cut and one place it looked was the community building. The two part-time staff members were cut with one going to work for the park department and the other retiring. The building is now "closed" but is still available for rent.

Earlier this year, the commission looked at using a half-percent sales tax to raise money to renovate the community building. Then the Opera House line-jumped and got the half-percent sales tax to complete the auditorium and the commission pulled the community building question off the ballot. I'm tickled pink the Opera House has found the funds to finish its renovation, but I hope no one forgets about the community building which has an interesting history of its own.

I've been churning over ideas in my head about ways to use the building and the one I keep coming back to is for it to be a visitors center.

I've stopped at the visitors center in Lawrence which is in a rehabilitated train station. The LVC has a large room that is available for rental for meetings and other functions in one end and visitor center with information from all across Kansas in the other end. The building is beautiful and the grounds around it are gorgeous.

The community building in McPherson serves an important function as a place for the annual Community Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners. The annual book sales, train shows and plant sales are all held there plus many more community events.

I would love to see the basketball court area used as a visitor center and Globe Refiners Museum and the auditorium turned into space that could be rented for public functions or basketball games. If my offices were located there I could pursue bringing in home and garden shows, family movie nights during the winter, and a variety of other activities geared at bringing visitors to town as well as improve the quality of life for McPherson residents.

There does not appear to be any immediate plans to tear down the building or renovate it so I think I will continue to let my plans churn over in my head, dropping suggestions, seeking input. Send me yours at cvb@mcphersonks.org

Courting the sporty

2009-07-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

Heads in beds. That is the criteria the CVB uses to judge whether an event is something we want to promote. It's kind of self-serving since we get our funds from the transient guest tax charged to hotel guests.
One area I think we've neglected is all of the sporting events that go on in McPherson. Already I know of at least three large tournaments that have come to McPherson this summer. I suspect there are a great many more out there.
What does the CVB have to do with sports you might wonder. Here's a few of the ways we can help:
· Marketing Grants – If your event is open to the public and brings overnight guests to town, you could qualify for a marketing matching grant from the CVB. The Mid America Classic girls basketball tournament has received funds to help pay for programs in the past. An easy-to-follow fillable grant application is available on our Web site http://www.mcphersonks.org/ or a paper copy can be picked up at our offices at 306 N. Main St. Please contact me for more information if you are interested.
· Information dissemination – The CVB can let stores and restaurants know if a large group is coming to town to help them better prepare and staff for the event. This advance notice helps McPherson businesses put their best foot forward.
· Welcome bags – The CVB has bags with community information, coupons and giveaways to help welcome teams to town. Information on local attractions, shopping and dining options let visitors take advantage of the recreation opportunities in McPherson.

If you are an organizer of a sport tournament or competition I'd like to hear from you about your event and how the CVB can help. Call me at 620-241-3340.

Anne

Ding ding

2009-07-13T11:24:00.001-07:00

To say every job comes with its challenges is not an inaccurate statement. Even in my job promoting McPherson, which is the best job I've ever had, I have days where I wonder "What next?"

One of the particular challenges of my job is managing our trolley. You gotta love the trolley. It's green and red and festive. It turns heads going down the street. You feel like you're stepping back in history about 80 years when you get on board. It's more fun than riding a school bus. It goes "ding-ding" when you pull the cord.
The bigger the vehicle, I've discovered, the more problems crop up. Right out of the shoot, my second week on the job, the battery died. That wouldn't have been a big deal but the door to get into the trolley runs off the battery and the keys to open the battery compartment were locked inside. Thankfully Gerry Tillett at the street dept. lent me some help to crawl around underneath the trolley and connect jumper cables the hard way. The street guys have saved my butt on a number of occasions with the trolley.
Then there was the driver's seat saga which began way before I took the job. We had to have it swapped out at least three times so far this year. I couldn't get the manufacturer to believe me the new seat belt did not fit in the old seat belt receptacle until I videotaped it and put it on Youtube for them to see. They finally sent the right part, paid our expenses and we rolled on down the road.
One ongoing challenge I have with the trolley is parking it by the Opera House to load for our tours. The curb along the south side of the Opera House is a bus loading zone. It's marked with two signs but people still park there. We're looking into better signage and marking but please keep in mind the police will ticket you if you park there. We like to pull right up to the curb because some of our riders have a little trouble getting around and we want to make it easier and safer for them.
This last week was a particularly busy week for the trolley. We had four private rentals booked, two public tours and shuttle service Friday night for Shop the Night Away. Our driver tells me more than 200 people rode the trolley Friday night.
Our trolley wouldn't get far without all of its drivers. Jeannie and John Werner, Ralph Barringer, Sam Stuckey and Jerry Fithian take great care of her. We also have a wonderful group of volunteer tour guides -- Virginia Luty, Bev Nye, Verla Thomasen, Phillipa Read, Trevor Wilson, Judy Carson, Veryl Leach and a few others I'm sorry I've forgotten. Even my predescessor Judy Casey fills in in a pinch. All of these drivers and volunteers are coordinated by Pam Jumonville, my ace assistant.
I hope my grousing hasn't turned you off the trolley. It is a wonderful way to see McPherson, a one-of-a-kind way to get to your wedding reception (she's very photogenic) or a fun way to shuttle around town for an event. Call me at 800-324-8022 to book the trolley. We'll have her washed and polished and fueled up for you.

Friday afternoon blog

2009-07-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start blogging on Friday afternoons. My fiance just rolled into town so my urge to scoot out the door is pretty strong today!
We just had a lady from southwest Kansas stop in to pay for a trolley rental for her son's wedding this weekend. She commented on how wonderful our downtown is. Many of the Main Streets in her neck of the woods are dying out and she liked how our downtown is bustling with activity.
It's always interesting for me to hear an outsider's take on McPherson.
We're, well mostly Ann Engel, Main Street director, prepping for tonight's downtown sidewalk sales. The theme for Shop the Night Away this year is Shop, Rattle and Roll! The plaza area will host food vendors, music and later tonight a free screening of American Graffiti. The Mac Cruisers car club will display restored automobiles.
Hopefully many people will come to town and shop at our downtown stores.
I love occassions like this where so many people work together to make something happen. I think that's why you see so much right in McPherson -- there's a spirit of cooperation and generosity in the community. We really can accomplish more together. That's not to say folks don't have their disagreements, but in the end we all want the same thing -- a vibrant and thriving community.
Have a great weekend!

A visitor's view of McPherson

2009-06-02T07:18:00.001-07:00

We recently gave a one-night stay (Best Western) and free dinner (Bella Casa) at a travel show. The winner came to McPherson over Memorial Day weekend and had this to say about her stay.

Dear Anne,

We had a very lovely stay in McPherson. It was a beautiful drive, and we were treated with care and friendliness at both the hotel and the restaurant. I am glad that you provided us with a gift certificate to someplace that was unique to McPherson. The calamari and the pizza was incredible! Our room was well appointed and we had a restful nights sleep. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful as well. We will be back for the Scottish festival, we saw many little stores downtown that were unfortunately closed for Sunday or the holiday, that I would like to spend some money in. As well as the gallery at the Opera House. We thought also about bringing our bikes next time as well. You might suggest that, you have a lovely little town for riding around in.We also stopped in Lindborg on the way back. What a fun place! Its nice to see that the Swedes and the Scotts get along well in Kansas. :)

Thank you again,

Charlotte and Peter Neukirch

What Charlotte wrote reassures many of the ideas that have been kicking around in my head lately.

It would be nice if the downtown businesses stayed open all weekend and for later hours. No one wants to drive to McPherson to see a closed sign.-We have some wonderful hotels and unique dining opportunities.
Visitors to McPherson are likely to stop at another nearby community if they come for a weekend. It makes sense to try and partner with towns like Lindsborg, Canton, Marquette and the like to bring people to the county.
We need to develop walking and biking trails throughout McPherson. Paul Katzer has done a wonderful job with this in Lakeside and Wall Parks. Jim Boyer has formed a committee to develop better sidewalks throughout town. I would love to see the bike trail from McPherson to Lindsborg developed so we can attract more cyclists. A dog park at Hess Park at the trail head would also be a draw.
Like it or not, McPherson is seen as a Scottish town. Better to embrace it than deny it. I'm a Scot and proud!

An afternoon in Marquette

2009-05-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a road trip to Marquette to see the Kansas Motorcycle Museum. Wow. I was greeted at the door by LaVona Engdahl, widow of "Stan the Man" Engdahl -- the museum's founder and racing legend.

In what has to be one of the more touching stories I've heard, LaVona is at the museum 7 days a week keeping Stan's dream going. Stan passed away in 2007 and LaVona has worked as the museum curator ever since.

A little bio on Stan: Marquette's own motorcycle racing legend and FIVE TIME National Racing Champion, "Stan the Man" Engdahl. On display at the museum are more than 600 trophies Stan won and his legendary Harley Davidson custom-built racing motorcycle he rode during his motorcycle racing career which spanned six decades from the 1940s to the 1990s.

The museum first opened in Stan's old TV repair shop where he also worked on Harley Davidson motorcycles in the back.

Jerry Jones, one of the museum board members, was working on setting up displays and tidying up with other volunteers in preparation for this weekend's Thunder in the Valley motorcycle ralley.

According to Jones, the streets of Marquette are completely filled with motorcyclists for this annual event that began in 2005.

There are more than 100 motorcycles on display at the museum which is open 10-5 Monday- Saturday and 11-5 Sunday. It is entirely supported by free-will donations.

Trip to Mo's Place

2009-05-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

Well Marci Penner would be proud that I took a little side trip to a place off the beaten path last week. The fact I squeezed in a road trip during All Schools Day week is impressive in and of itself, but it was a dear friend's birthday, so I found the time.
My friend, Fr. Laird, is a real beer connoisseur and I enlisted the help of two mutual friends -- Scott and Kristi Fowler -- to surprise him with a trip to Mo's Place Brewpub in Beaver, KS (pop. 30). It wasn't much of a surprise because he suggested we go there anyway.
Mo is short for the brewpub's owners' last name, Len and Linda Moeder. They gave up the corporate life and moved to Beaver from California in 1999. They opened Mo's shortly thereafter but had to wait until 2004 to get a microbrewery license.
Len was nice enough to sit down and answer all Laird's brewing questions. (Laird makes homebrew in his basement.) He prefers beer from oats or barley over beer from wheat. (I personally liked the Harvest Moon Wheat the best.) Len has even put in a field to grow his own hops catty-cornered from the brewpub. Mo's has had visitors from all over the U.S. and even from as far away as Scotland.
Here's a list of Len's brews:
Lights Out Stout
A legendary and almost forgotten oatmeal stout, smooth, with medium bitterness, a chocolaty finish, a hint of roasted barley, and oatmeal for a silky texture. Drinking a glass of oatmeal stout gives one the feeling of nourishment.
Elm Street Porter
A dark, full-bodied, smooth beer, similar to the famous Anchor Porter of San Fransisco. Made with a blend of 5 different kinds of malted barley and both Perle hops and Cascade hops.
Beaver Creek Brown
A real crowd pleaser, with just the right blend of 2 row malted barley, crystal malt barley, and black patent barley makes a luscious, mildly sweet brown ale. We use Fuggle hops to complete the flavor profile of this ale.
Crazy Hawk" Red
A rich tasting "bitter ale" with excellent body and malt aroma from 2 row malted barley. The deep garnet color is contributed by the addition of roasted barley. The use of American Cascade hops and German Hallertauer hops brings this beer to its refreshing flavor.
"Purple Cat" Pale
An excellent and authentic "ordinary bitter" served in London & Southern England. Our beer is distinctly hopped using a blend of Cascade and Willamette hops. As an authentic "bitter ale", it is traditionally lightly carbonated.
Harvest Moon Wheat
Our fine golden wheat beer features 35% wheat malt and 65% 2 row malted barley. We've brought the flavor of the beer to completion by using German Hallertauer hops for authentic German character. A delightfully light beer!
We ordered the sampler which was a small glass of each beer for 50-cents each.
Len invites anyone interested in watching beer being made to drop in on Tuesdays (call first). Here's some info. on how he does it: http://www.mosbrewpub.com/howitsmade.htm
The whole operation is done by Len and Linda including cooking, brewing and waiting tables. Definitely worth the trip.
So if a brewpub can make a go of it in a little town like Beaver, why not in McPherson? Hays, Manhattan and Lawrence all have successful microbreweries. Any entrepreneurs out there?

Sampler Fest wrap-up

2009-05-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a release from the Kansas Sampler Foundation. We noticed some of the most common feedback we heard about McPherson was "Sorry to hear the Button Hole closed" and "Wow, cool water park!"
KANSAS SAMPLER FESTIVAL RECAP
Concordia.
The 20th annual Kansas Sampler Festival in Concordia's city park came to a close just before the rain started. Local festival director Susie Haver reported that more than five thousand people attended the May 2-3 event.The Kansas celebration showcased 135 communities promoting Kansas day trips, entertainment, food, products, and historical performances. The festival is a project of the Kansas Sampler Foundation. Director Marci Penner said, "Exhibitors were very pleased with the steady flow of interested people and, as it is every year, the most familiar audience reaction was surprise to all that Kansas has to offer." "One of the most rewarding aspects of the festival is seeing a first-time community exhibitor react to the interest from the public and to being a part of this collective education about Kansas." Penner continued, "There is a vitality to the event, a bond among those that participate. We'd love every city in Kansas to be part of the showcase."Concordia, population 5,171, was the smallest city and the first community north of I-70 to host the event. Every motel room in the city was taken and area restaurants were busy with exhibitors. Festival-goers had the opportunity to take shuttles to visit the Orphan Train Museum, the Brown Grand Theatre, the Nazareth Motherhouse, and other downtown attractions. Leavenworth County will be the host for the 2010 and 2011 event.

McPherson needs an art festival

2009-05-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

As I pack up to head to the Kansas Sampler Festival in Concordia, I'm overwhelmed by the amount of preparation it takes to exhibit at a festival of that magnitude let alone plan and coordinate it.

I'm sure the festival will be great fun even if the weather doesn't cooperate and that it will run smoothly. Marci Penner, Wendy LaPlante, and all the staff at the Concordia CVB have got it down to a science.

This week I received flyers and posters from the Smoky Hill River Festival in Salina. I'm a huge fan of this festival because it celebrates the arts and is extremely kid-friendly. My kids and I love to go to the art project tent and be creative, listen to children's bands or watch puppet shows on the children's stage or pig out at all the food vendors. The giant sand sculptures never cease to amaze me. The festival planners seem to come up with new ideas every year.

You have to wonder though at the sheer number of manhours that go into planning something like this. I know from the few hours I've volunteered for the Scottish Festival here in McPherson it takes many volunteers and many hours to put the festival on.

Of course this has all got me thinking. With Art in the Garden cancelled and the art walk not taking place for a couple of years and the news the school district will not exhibit its art collection for alumni weekend as it has in the past, there's a real gap in access to the arts. Don't get me wrong, VAAM does have events planned like the multi-media event May 9, but given what an artistic community we live in, why can't McPherson have an art festival? It doesn't have to be just like Salina's art festival but we could start with a small festival with local artists displaying their work. Goodness knows we have parks every bit as nice as Salina. McPherson definitely is not lacking in volunteer spirit either.

I'm not writing this to criticize but to start a dialog and get some feedback. The CVB would help in whatever capacity possible because events like the art walk and art in the garden bring visitors to town.

What do you think?

How would good walking and biking trails contribute to Mac?

2009-04-21T06:07:00.000-07:00

I attended a meeting last night led by Jim Boyer about walking and biking trails in McPherson. Jim is a member of the city planning and zoning commission (p&z). The p&z have officially taken the stance in favor of developing better walking and biking trails through out McPherson.
My initial interest in attending was the idea of developing the biking trail between Lindsborg and McPherson because I get calls at the CVB about biking trails in the area -- not a ton of calls but enough to get me wishing we had one. The trail, the Meadowlark Trail, apparently already does exist and begins near Northview and Hwy 81 Bypass on the northwest edge of town. The path is still pretty primitive and can only be hiked and not biked yet. Brad Hall who has worked with the group trying to develop Meadowlark Trail was at the meeting last night.
Here's a little info. and history on the project from hutchnews.com http://www.hutchnews.com/Print/giftfran
At the trailhead in McPherson is Hess Park, which in my opinion is the perfect location for a dog park. More on that later.
The meeting last night focused more on sidewalks inside the city. The consensus on the top two priorities was putting in sidewalks along Ave. A and Northview. Some other areas noted were the area around the middle school north along Hartup to First Street and continuing on north to N. High Drive. At least three of McPherson's six schools would be hit on this path. All of Euclid Street and the streets around McPherson College, particulary Sharp were singled out as needing either better sidewalks or sidewalks period. If you've ever gone to a Bullpups football game at McPherson Stadium you'll know firsthand what a nightmare parking and walking is in that part of town.
I wish Jim and his group good luck in pursuing better walking corridors throughout McPherson and hope the Meadowlark Trail becomes a viable bike route. I'm told there is a work day on the trail this Saturday. If I find out any more information, I'll let you know.

Tree City, USA

2009-04-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

If you've spent any time in McPherson you won't be surprised to know McPherson is a Tree City USA and it has been for 30 years.

To become a Tree City, USA, a distinction given by the Arbor Day Foundation, a city must:

Your city must have a Tree Board or Forestry Department . This only means that if your city can't afford a department for tree care and management, you can create a board of volunteers. This is the only way to go in smaller communities.
Your city must have a local tree ordinance. Every community should have an annual work and action plan. This tree ordinance helps define the action plan. It will provide clear guidance for planting, maintaining and removing trees from streets, parks and other public places.

Your city must spend $2 per capita. In most cases this amount, and probably much more, is being spent by city work crews. If not, you may need the Tree City USA program more than you know.

Your city must promote Arbor Day. This may be the easiest of the four standards. Proclaim Arbor Day in your city and plant a few trees.

Today the city commission approved a proclamation in honor of Arbor Day April 24. The tree board will plant a tree in Lakeside Park across from Washington Elementary at 9 a.m. Friday with the help of WES fourth graders.

I can't say enough good things about our park department which maintains 14 public parks in the city as well as the planters downtown. Parks Superintendent Paul Katzer and his staff are very dedicated. When we first visited McPherson in 2006, the beautiful parks were one of our first stops. They speak volumes about the quality of life in McPherson.

Now if we could just get a dog park up and going...

All Schools Day -- 96 years of tradition in Mac

2009-04-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

One of the things I loved most about Mac the first year we lived here was the All Schools Day celebration in May. For those of you have never been, it's a celebration of the county's students that began 96 years ago. It used to be to honor those graduating from 8th grade as many of them were leaving school for good come May Day to help with the family farm. The 8th grade facet has sort of died out and now it includes many more activities.
May fete: is the traditional May pole dance, crowning of ASD royalty and other performances. It takes place two nights -- usually one at Lakeside Park and one at the Roundhouse at McPherson High School
Parade: This is one parade that hasn't died out. It has actual floats and marching bands and clowns and horses and dignitaries. It's awesome. It's what a parade should be. Most small town parades have died down to people riding in pickups and throwing candy. ASD is still going strong and draws close to 30,000 to Mac.
Madathon: A competition between various teams of eighth graders doing silly competitions. I laugh hard every time I go. I think there are also 5th grade teams and a high school version of it the next day. The 5th and 8th grade teams compete at Linneas Park the afternoon of the parade.
Fireworks at Wall Park Friday night.
Carnival: the carnival sets up at Wickersham Park for a week more or less and has plenty of rides for all ages.
The CVB is getting into the spirit of ASD and planning some events. The trolley will be in the parade and offer historical tours for $5 afterwards. Saturday morning we're planning a stained glass tour starting at the Opera House (10 a.m.) that's free. Saturday night we're putting on a movie in the park at the bandshell in Lakeside Park.
Plenty of fun to be had in McPherson May 8-9. Come enjoy a little slice of Americana!!

Road trip to Abilene

2009-04-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

I make twice weekly road trips to Abilene to meet my ex and swap kids so I'm always on the lookout for stuff to do in Abilene. This Elizabeth "Grandma" Layton exhibit at the Eisenhower library caught my eye. As a student at KU, I worked for a non-profit called Kansans for the Improvement of Nursing Homes, now called Kansas Advocates for Better Care. Grandma Layton drew a poster for KINH and it appeared on most of our promotional items. Check out this from the Abilene CVB for a little history on this amazing artist.

Here's the link for KABC http://www.kabc.org/index.html to find out more about their organization.

Elizabeth "Grandma" Layton Exhibit

The Arts Council of Dickinson County is pleased to announce that a collection of Elizabeth Layton drawings will be on exhibit in Abilene from April 17 through May 5. The Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum is partnering with the Arts Council to host the Opening Night Festivities at the Eisenhower Presidential Library on Friday, April 17. The exhibit will be open for viewing beginning at 5:30 p.m. and a short film on age-related depression will be shown at 6:30 p.m. with a reception immediately following. RSVPs to 263-6700 are requested for those planning to attend the Opening Night Festivities. The exhibit will remain at the Eisenhower Presidential Library through April 25. The exhibit will then be available for viewing at Frontier Estates through May 1 and then at the Senior Center through May 5. The exhibit is open to the public and free of charge at all of the locations. Elizabeth Layton, a native of Wellsville, Kansas, had no way of knowing the change that drawing would make in her life. She took one contour drawing art class at the age of 68 while fighting a 35-year bout with depression. By taking that art class, she cured her depression and changed the lives of many. Few artists have depicted such far reaching social concerns as capital punishment, homelessness, hunger, racial prejudice, AIDS, aging and the right to die. Each drawing challenges us to walk in the shoes of the less fortunate and work not only for a kinder and gentler nation, but for a kinder and gentler self. The Elizabeth Layton Exhibit was made available to the Arts Council by Central Kansas Mental Health of Salina to help raise awareness of mental health issues during Mental Health Awareness Month. The Arts Council of Dickinson County is a non-profit organization supported by its members and dedicated to promoting the arts among families in Dickinson County. This concert is presented in part by the Kansas Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, which believes a great nation deserves great art.

A few thoughts on the Opera House

2009-03-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

I know the discussion surrounding the April 7 ballot question about a 1/2 percent sales tax currently being used to renovate the library being continued and used to complete the remodel of the McPherson Opera House is a hot one right now in McPherson, but I'm going to give my two-cents anyway.
I went on a tour of the auditorium this morning and learned a few things. The bottom floor of the Opera House will have space for the McPherson Arts Council which will offer a wide variety of children's programs. I really like the idea of the Opera House housing something kid- and family-friendly. I was kind of on the fence until I heard this.
The auditorium recently had the second balcony reinstalled after being removed in 1925. We stood on stage and looked up at the balconies. It was very impressive to think what that must have been like when the Opera House first opened in 1889. I got goose bumps.
My concerns that the Opera House would be an elitist institution were laid to rest today. I see it as a community building more now instead of as a potential draw for visitors. It's still that, but now I can get on board and support the sales tax question wholeheartedly -- as CVB director and a taxpayer. I hope you'll support it too.

You have 3-minutes, now sell it!

2009-03-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

One of the exercises we did at the recent We Kan! conference I attended was to make a sign promoting an event in our community. On the sign was the name of our town, the spokesman and the person who would promote the event. Fighting off the urge to go with the obvious idea of having General McPherson in front of the Opera House I opted for Miss Wickersham at the All Schools Day parade. We had 30 seconds to give our "commercial" to the rest of the group. Standing up in front of a crowd, even a friendly crowd like you find at We Kan!, was scarier than you think.
This week we are shooting a 3-minute promotional piece with KWCH for the Kansas Shopper program. This is new territory for me so I'm hoping it goes well. The spots will air in April and May on Channel 12. I'll post the video on Visit McPherson once I have it.
How do you summarize all that McPherson has to offer in a 3-minute segment? Of course, it's important to know who your audience is, but it's also important to think of who your audience could be. Is it families looking for a weekend getaway or retired folks curious about our history? Is it ladies' groups looking for a day of pampering and shopping or an organization looking for a central location to hold its annual meeting? Is it hunters, cyclists or hikers? Is it art enthusiasts or the many people that come into town for sporting events? Is it the person who's been to Mac many times but never made it over the overpass to see the heart of the town or maybe it's the lifelong resident who's become so used to his hometown he's forgotten about all the wonderful opportunities for recreation?
I hope to condense McPherson's many attractions into a fun segment with the host Amy Jo. If nothing else it will be a fun way to spend the day talking about my hometown of choice, McPherson.

Neighbor's cinnamon rolls and the almost famous Shelly

2009-03-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Platter-sized cinnamon rolls. Not plate-sized or as big as your hand, but platter-sized. Neighbor's Cafe owner Shelly Wiggin's cinnamon rolls were featured in a recent issue of Kansas magazine, but much to Shell's chagrin, the photo that ran with the story was not of her (or her rolls).

Check out the article below and a picture of an actual Neighbor's cinnamon roll.

Fresh from the Oven

Warm, moist and gooey cinnamon rolls slathered with creamy icing are decadent treats at any size. We found Kansas restaurants that create irresistible giant versions.

Cinnamon rolls are tempting whether the size of a saucer or a platter. However, it's the giant from-scratch kind that create fanatical followings for the restaurants that serve them. Here's a sampling of sources for rolls of immense proportions.

"Our cinnamon rolls are what we've become known for, and it was kind of a fluke; we never intended for them to be that big," says Shelly Wiggins, owner of Neighbors Cafe in McPherson.

Shelly and her husband, Cameron, purchased cafe more than a decade ago. With only one oven in the cafe dinner rolls were baking, and a batch of cinnamon rolls continued to rise, which led to their enormous size.

"Some people call them hubcaps or frisbee-size," Shelly says of the pecan-filled rolls toppped with coffee-flavored icing and dollops of butter. One cinnamon roll covers an entire platter and easily can feed four people. Although, once in a while someone eats the whole thing!

The long, narrow cafe, with seats at the counter and booths, allows Shelly to keep an eye on her customers (neighborscafe.com).

Some thoughts on Go McPherson

2009-03-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

I just got out of a Chamber meeting where I heard Gary Hess of Go McPherson Inc. talk about the group's efforts to attract potential employees to McPherson. I like what Gary has to say but, unfortunately for Gary, the recession has dealt his plan a blow by drying up the job market.
What Gary would like to do, if I can capsulize it, is start a landing page at gomcpherson.com that will show visitors what it's really like to live and work in McPherson, hire a community development director and develop ads and a video of McPherson.
When it comes right down to the basics, I think the CVB's goal and Go McPherson's are similar -- to attract people to our community. I will meet with Gary soon and hope we can work together on some projects. Specifically, I'd like to see how we could work together on a Web site presence that is less static and more interactive. There are other advertising possibilities we could partner on too.
Change and new ideas are not a bad thing. Adding 15-20 new employees and their families to the community would be a good thing.