Sedona Arizona
Sedona AZ (June 12, 2013) – What is the Chairman’s Circle?
This link, http://www.sedonachamber.com/article/56 was received from a reader who wonders if Chamber of Commerce members and the public in general, including the Sedona City Council, are aware of the offering by the Chamber of Commerce.
The reader writes further, “It appears quite possible that money stands to speak volumes in obtaining preferential benefits. Also, in conjunction with this bit of information we have discovered existing productive web sites promoting opportunities for Sedona weddings already abound and at NO COST to taxpayers! Council Members, take note! FOR EXAMPLE: http://sedonaweddingsandeventcenter.com.”
Enchantment Resort is listed as a Gold Member.
In light of the results of a recent news poll, almost 60% responding they felt the Chamber was awarded too much money, the reader has asked that the following be shared:
For convenience, the following is the contents of the first link above;
The Chairman’s Circle is designed to provide prominent recognition of companies whose steadfast support has been an integral part in the continued success of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce. Investment in the Chamber of Commerce Chairmen’s Circle places businesses in an elite group, and provides critical support to ongoing programs at the Chamber.
Chairman’s Circle participants are leaders in the business community. They help set the standard for quality services and help improve the business climate which will ultimately affect the economic success of our community.
Through the Chairman’s Circle program, participants are given expanded marketing opportunities that promote their business to Chamber members and on the web. Through this program, we will continue to forge a strong and diverse business climate to benefit all residents of the area.
How It Works
Chairman’s Circle members enjoy the convenience of a one time, all-inclusive transaction that insures representation at Chamber events and in its publications. This is a wonderful way to plan your budget each year and offers a number of opportunities to market, advertise and promote your company on a regular, consistent basis.
We offer 3 levels of customized investment packages:
Investment Package Levels
Gold $7,500
Platinum $10,000
Diamond $15,000
Benefits of the Chairman’s Circle
PUBLICITY & EXPOSURE:
Business Profile highlight on B-Flash newsletter
30 second video on website listings
10 second spot on TV display monitor at Visitor Center
Category page ad on Internet Kiosk
Recognition in Annual Report
Enhanced listing in Chamber Directory publication
Company Logo or Photo on Website
Logo on Sedonachamber.com homepage
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES:
VIP seating and Recognition at Annual Luncheon
2 seats at Annual Membership Luncheon
Annual pass for two people for monthly mixers
Complementary passes to Strategies for Success Educational Workshops
Exhibition table at tradeshow style mixer
OTHER EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS:
Banner ad package on SedonaChamber.com and VisitSedona.com
Exclusive Chairman’s Circle Page on SedonaChamber.com & VisitSedona.com
Chairman’s Circle logo for member’s website
Chairman’s Circle banner displayed at Annual Luncheon, H&B Expo and Volunteer dinner
For more information or to join the Chairman’s Circle contact:
Jennifer Wesselhoff, President/CEO
928-204-1123 ext. 111
jwess@sedonachamber.com
For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!
Not a joke and I thought it was until I verified link. Really? REALLY? AN INVESTMENT? And has anyone checked out the latest C of C/Lodging Council sob story in SRRN Wednesday edition, page 6?
Seats at the annual luncheon? Let me write a check for an additional $14,950! And I want my listing in publications to be in BOLD font! And the $100 Tradeshow table is such a win-win to get it at NO CHARGE with my $14,950! And the 2 passes to mixers (retail value $10-30) yowza! If I cancel my Vistaprint banner order ($50) I’ve invested well. Be still my business heart – nevermind it’s retail rigor mortis setting in. Hmmm . . . and some of us wonder why Enchantment reaps superior benefits including contracts for Chamber events (remember Holiday affair a couple of years ago?). And above all, let us not overlook Jennifer Wesselhoff’s insistence that her $100,000+ a year salary is covered from Chamber funding. Finally, maybe it’s becoming believable?
If City Council continues to cater to these outrageous whims, especially increasing sales tax, maybe time for another Referendum/Initiative or better yet, recall.
Yes, almost 60% in poll said “too much” (although unofficial) but bet it’s close enough. Oh, this is sickening! How many other “hi-rollers” out there buying their way to “free publicity” at the cost of Sedona taxpayers?
Speaking of whims, how about the $600K or so one that passed last night in regard to designing AND building ANOTHER venue in Posse Grounds Park, to replace the “dome” that sat on the land in the park that Barbara Antonsen was responsible for saving from Yavapai College.
WOW! What a concept! The apparently very secret “Chamber Chairman’s Circle (CCC)” getting paid at least $15,000 annually from a business residing outside Sedona – is no longer a secret???
While the CCC looks like an insider deal (aka: never shown in the chambers presentations or their budgets submitted to the City) and such a “special” circle that is driven by big money – Will the Chamber please step up and explain and reveal the list of heavy donors? Guess the secret is out! Time to fess up Chamber!
The Chamber/Lodging Council (C/LC) continuously keeps asking, with their constant city presentations and now their combined full court press in the RRN and large ads (hey, save the money folks and put it to better marketing use), for more money and open house meetings.
And as they tell us: Sedona is losing market money. “More money” is their drum beat. Well, do a better business Plan. Pretty simple!
The Chamber/Lodging Council have the gull to expect all local business and lodging revenue source’s to just roll over and agree to agree to and charge more sales taxes and bed taxes and then be so happy to do so because people came to Sedona!!! Oh, please!
Another WOW! Almost forgot about the C/LC self serving letter to business’s. C/LC wants owners and managers and employees to sigh off on – where they all state: “Oh Yes, we agree to raising all taxes!”. Isn’t that called tenacity or intimidation to the highest level?
Suggestion: perhaps the C/LC should really get their sights on better business plans only in order to spend within their budgets?
Wonder why the lodging folks don’t want to spend their own money for advertising their own properties? Instead they seem to want to give it up to pay for a Chamber who holds the Chamber Chairman’s Circle as it’s highest promoter and perhaps favorite?
Hum. Looks to me like the chamber has only the one job of self continuation. Sad for all business owners. Sadder still for our City Council who keep bending to their begging!
Hey! If Enchantment is willing to cough up that much money….let them continue and double or triple the amounts as that will relieve everyone within the town… ! The Chamber needs to get the Hilton, and who ever else outside our town limits, to do same….my thought is those outside the City limits can afford to do so cuz they don’t have to charge their guests the 3% Bed Tax that our illustrious Chamber and Lodging Council want to add to Plus a higher sales tax that also gets added to all lodging venues and – lets not forget – Our Very Own City Council has stopped thinkin about our main City stream tax paying sources….think they are called Tourists.
Call Me Crazy. Isn’t this is like a Chamber and Lodging Council and for sure our City Council who can not connect the dots?
Yep, there’s yet another newspaper plea from Wesselhoff in the latest RRN. Wonder why it is that if these people are so hard up for money they don’t downsize their operation…as in reducing their own bloated wage scale and go back to renting one of the Larson properties on Van Deren or thereabouts?
Catering to out of area competition (not within Sedona city limits) is a slap in the face to other chamber members. And this Lodging Council, who is it died and put them in charge?
If city council raises taxes to benefit these greedy people under the guise of bringing Sedona to standards of places like Napa Valley and Santa Barbara in California and Scottsdale (Az) are they bordering on the brink of requiring sanity certification? Puleeze, this is reading more like a cheezy novel on a daily basis. Great Sedona publicity. When will there be a book signing event?
And we wondered if we were making a mistake when we decided to move away from Sedona a few years ago. Now we know. Things have only become worse and it looks like that direction isn’t about to change. Sorry.
just checked out sedona wedding web site & scratch head wondering what chamber of cash cravers are talking about? promoting sedona for weddings? it’s already happening. suggest they (c of c) try smuggling drugs. it might be more profitable as long as they don’t get caught. they are trying to steal public tax $$$ what’s the difference? (ha! difference is that they will get away with stealing tax $$$) so, “what’s up Charley Brown?” nothing good except for chamber of cash cravers & there latest buds in the room renting business.
Charley Brown – Will You Marry Me? We could pose for the new loving photos for the expensive new Chambers wedding site – and just be happy knowing they really can get away with their “stuff” without getting caught!
Loving your wisdom.
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, a San Franciscoo-based chain, this week acquired Amara Resort & Spa. The pitch on Kimpton’s home page earlier this week: “Rock it in Sedona.”
With new money of this magnitude entering the Sedona scene (and within Sedona City Limits) why doesn’t the “chamber of cash cravers” (courtesy Charley Brown) just up the ante for membership to the Chairman’s Circle and thus derive funding from logical sources? Here’s the opportunity of a lifetime for the Lodging Council, together with Chamber of Cash Cravers, to discontinue their rant to scalp taxpayers.
BTW, contrary to a recent solicitation from the Lodging Council, it seems safe to proclaim that at least most of us are and remain aware of Sedona’s status as a tourist town without their questionably sage advice. Duh!
Their demands are what is causing people to resent tourists when the real culprits are those hammering for increased taxes.
Put a lid on it. Pursue the latest rich kids on the block “Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants” for the money you claim you need to market destination tourism.
Problem solved. Sedona City Council: HELLOOO!
Suggest you all check out the below link. Very interesting reading and educational, to say the least! it talks about how Amara Resort in uptown Sedona has been sold and gives some history on Al Spector and his dynasty of losses. (don’t I recall hearing something about how he was going to be a big cash player in improving the uptown traffic problems? how can he do that since he no longer owns Amara, Orchids and La Auberge?)
http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/articles/20130613kimpton-buys-sedona-resort.html
I find the interesting part of the PR lingo being how confident the new owners are with their expensive brand of hotel in this little town needing more tax dollars to promote it. Seems like the C of C could take lessons from them instead of being the “Cash Cravers”.
Didn’t someone else suggest the local lodgers should pay for their own advertising and stop trying to get the wholesale twofer routine from the “cash cravers” by way of the Sedona tax payers and by raising the bed taxes?
Bottom line looks like c of c is looking for money to sustain themselves, there is a new player in town that could or could not be a friend of our towns – but they sure look like they have the bucks to take care of themselves!
@FYI. Clearly when (not if) the city approves the proposed tax increase with returns to Lodging Council and Chamber of Commerce, Sedona voters should be prepared to embattle in another costly referendum to undo the vote.
Spending money to benefit wealthy chains like the San Francisco based Kipton Hotels & Restaurants at the expense of socking it to taxpayers is over the top. It will serve the Sedona lodging business properly when tourists figure out that they can save paying both bed tax and increased sales tax outside city limits.
Councilman Mike Ward is correct in his assessment that chamber has little else to do except hang out at City Hall waiting for a financial hand-out. And now they have the wealth of places like Enchantment and Kimpton standing beside them.
One Item of importance on the Chamber Circle are the relationships with the Red Rock News. The Circle 0f friends and relations with a definite conflict of interest is numerous using the media to enhance their monetary objectives. Why can’t the City Council see the clear manipulation?