Arthur is a business traveler that comes to Davidson on a bi-monthly basis.  He chronicled his most recent stopover for Visit Lake Norman, so we could get an idea of the contribution a lone visitor can make in a 24 hour period.   After traveling from his home in Columbia, SC, Arthur stopped at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Huntersville for coffee refill and filled up his gas tank at the CITGO on Statesville Rd.  He met his appointment in Davidson and they lunched at 131 Main Restaurant in Cornelius.  After his appointment he stopped at the Harris Teeter in Davidson to pick up some essentials and checked into the Homewood Suites.  He and his CEO, who drove in from Greensboro to meet him, dined at North Harbor Club for dinner then purchased a couple of novelties at Lake Norman Cottage.  The CEO fueled up at the Davidson Exxon before leaving.  The next morning, Arthur stopped at the same Exxon station for road supplies, and left for his next destination.

In less than 24 hours, Arthur made 8 stops in our three towns in which he spent money.  At each stop, he paid sales tax or a combination of taxes that contribute directly to our local economy.  If one traveler, in a short period of time, can contribute taxes at 8 different places, imagine the impact of hundreds of overnight visitors coming in for a 5-day fishing tournament, a festival, or a weekend-long soccer series.  Visitor spending plays a crucial part in supporting a local economy.   The dollars spent come from outside our community, yet contribute to the expansion of our schools, our roads, our police force and fire stations, saving local households hundreds in state and local taxes they would have to pay otherwise to achieve the same growth.  

State and local tax revenues from visitor spending in Mecklenburg County saved every household in our county $304.*   Last year, Visit Lake Norman sponsored  events contributed $45.5 Million in direct visitor spending to Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville.  We were able to increase our return on investment to our towns by 61%, despite the downfall of the economy.**

In 1983, the US Congress passed a joint resolution for the designation of a National Travel  and Tourism Week to celebrate the power of travel.  In a 1984 White House Ceremony, President Reagan signed a Presidential Proclamation urging citizens to recognize the importance of the week with “the appropriate ceremonies and activities.” 

President Reagan

Join Visit Lake Norman, as we celebrate National Tourism Week, May 10-14.  Come by our Visitor Center, adjacent to the Chamber offices, and register to win home-town vacation packages, enjoy food, fun, festivities giveaways PLUS help us in collecting donations for local non-profits.  In the face of an unsure economic climate, Visit Lake Norman has not only sustained our contribution to our local economy but expanded it, making tourism a vital player in our community’s growth.  That is something to celebrate!

*Source:  NC Department of Commerce,

** Contact Visit Lake Norman for statistics

Sally Ashworth

Every spring I marvel at nature when the trees, bushes and grass being to flush green, the sleeping bulbs burst from the ground, and the song birds return to Lake Norman. I can see the signs of change as nature shakes off winter and bounds into springtime. For me, not only is spring a time for change, but a time of reflection on how Visit Lake Norman evolved.

Visit Lake Norman continues to integrate best‐of‐breed tools, technologies, and interactive marketing services to build and maintain meaningful relationships with our hospitality partners, visitors, and stakeholders. Our newest technology tool is Simpleview, which is a fully integrated management software that includes vibrant website design and development, powerful customer relationship management tools, compelling e‐marketing strategies, and advanced reporting and analytics. The end result - dramatic increases in productivity, sales, online exposure, market effectiveness and reliable metrics and reporting to forecast sales, measure success, and quantify economic impact.

With Simpleview, Visit Lake Norman can continue to effectively recruit and secure the regional and national events that bring in visitor dollars to the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville. These visitor dollars invested in the Lake Norman region results in economic impact that supports your community, businesses, retailers, hotel, attractions, restaurants, and gas stations with revenue streams that would not have existed otherwise. Our local residents residing in these towns have saved $461 per household last fiscal year.

Lake Norman, NC

As you are driving around town, boating on the lake, or just taking a walk through our beautiful parks to enjoy the spring weather, make sure to keep and eye out for our visitors. Show them your best hometown welcome so that they coming back to Visit Lake Norman again.

I recently had the opportunity to enjoy one of Lake Norman’s beautiful sunrises. The timing was perfect, the beginning of a crisp clear fall day, and a great day for fishing largemouth bass. And I was in good company or should I say anglers…about 300 anglers competing in The Bass Federation (TBF) State Championship Fishing Tournament that morning. I thought to myself, that this is our time, our moment to shine…and it was!

A few weeks ago, my husband Chris and I watched the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. That is, we watched it when he was not flipping channel to channel, taking in all of the other college football games taking place. Perhaps the thing that impressed me most is the precision pit stops those teams make as they take on tires and fuel, perhaps even an adjustment all in less than 15 seconds. The teams practice every single day, time after time, getting the stops down. While a great deal does rest on both the skill of the driver and the performance of the car, the efficiency those pit crews bring to the team get’s that car back on the track, perhaps in front of their competitor.

Visit Lake Norman is a lot like that NASCAR team. It feels great when months and months of work and planning from Visit Lake Norman’s staff see an event come to fruition. Over 10 days, Visit Lake Norman hosted two major fishing tournaments with 475 anglers, tournament vendors and sponsors, event organizers, media crews, and spectators. Just these two events poured a projected $172,500 into our economy. And we are just starting those engines! Visit Lake Norman is more than fishing tournaments; we bring in other sports events like soccer, wrestling, baseball, gymnastics, and more. We also promote the hotels, restaurants, attractions, festivals, and events in the Towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville throughout the local community, statewide, regionally, and nationally. Another timely opportunity happened in the Visitor Center this past month when Visit Lake Norman had the opportunity to host the MI Connection Cable Show – LKN Savings’ Community Connections, hosted by Jennifer Cochrane and Lori Frascati. The program features interviews with local political and community leaders; and highlights area attractions, venues, arts, cultural, and events around Lake Norman.

Recently the Carolina Renaissance Festival was accepted into the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events in North America tour operator and travel professional publication. The festival is one of the many Lake Norman events we work to promote. Why is this so important to our area? A tour bus can bring in visitors that stay at our hotels, eat at the local restaurants, and shop in our local businesses. A tour bus stop can deliver between $2,500 to $16,000 direct economic impacts with just one stop. View Visit Lake Norman’s Calendar of Events at VisitLakeNorman.org for a comprehensive list of events and happenings or join us down here in the Winner’s Circle with our award winning Visit Lake Norman staff. We might not be practicing pit stops, but we will be racing to that next event, showcasing our region as a great place to live and visit!

As I was driving to Mother’s home last weekend, I was listening to Dolly Parton singing along with one of my favorite artists, Shania Twain in a song called, “Coat of Many Colors.”  Reflecting on it, I started thinking how Visit Lake Norman has many similarities with this song.  I sang along in the car (where nobody could hear me), “There were rags of many colors and every piece was small. I didn’t have a coat and it was way down in the fall . . . “The song spoke about how her Mama sewed the rags together, sewin’ every piece with love.  “She made my coat of many colors that I was so proud of.”  I realized then just how Visit Lake Norman is an organization of many colors.

Visit Lake Norman was created in 2001 and I was hired as the first executive director in 2002.  My role as defined by the Board of Directors was to work with our hospitality partners and shape Lake Norman as a destination.  The vision set – our team began the process of managing the five key elements of destination offering, visitor mix, marketing communities, advocacy, and partnership formations.

At the community level, the key elements of destination marketing are (1) marketing, promoting and selling – the communications to prioritize target markets, (2) community relations – a leader in the tourism industry advocating by raising the awareness and profile of tourism locally in support of external marketing efforts, (3) leadership, partnerships and team building – championing marketing and development while building strong alliances to achieve long-term goals.

Visit Lake Norman continues to build solid foundations.  In fiscal year 2009, the total economic impact was $7,555,950.  We increased our hotel room night stays by 44% as a result tourism tax dollars saved $461 per household in Mecklenburg County taxes.  There was $14.92 generated for every $1 Visit LKN was funded by the towns.  Our team walked away with a number of statewide awards from the Destination Marketing Association of NC in.    Our Sports Marketing Manager, Travis Dancy surpassed the three-peat with securing FLW the fourth consecutive year to return to Lake Norman.   Our Mayors will once again have the opportunity in welcoming the professional anglers back to the lake.  The achievements of VLN are the results of the combined efforts of each individual.  We will continue bringing in those tourism dollars which impact our region.

Country songs are written with imagery and emotion.  Reflecting on Dolly’s song, I thought about the lake communities sewn together with a common thread of talent, commitment, and creativity.  Like a quilt, there are many different fabrics representing our various attractions, hotels, restaurants, and businesses.   Each a different texture and color, but stitched together create a blanket of opportunity. We wear our coat with pride, crafted from our best efforts.  It is our coat of many colors.

This past month, travel and tourism leaders from throughout North Carolina converged on the Charlotte Region for the Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina – our state Convention & Visitors Bureaus.  This year, I have the great fortune to lead our state association as the incoming president as we create strategies to promote the travel and tourism industry.   At the annual banquet,  I shared with our association leaders that I love my job.  Each day we are afforded the opportunity to write a new page of fresh memories.  We are given a blank canvas on which we can paint the portrait of our choice and our future is as unstructured as a dream.  We are bound only by the limitations we impose upon ourselves.

During one of our workshops we were treated to a presentation by David DeNotaris.  Some of you may have met David at a Blue Chip Luncheon sponsored by OTC – The Lake Insurance Company this past year.  David agreed to return to Lake Norman to speak at our DMANC Conference.      David was born with a rare eye disorder called Retinis Pigmentosa and he lost his sight at age 18.  David shared how difficult it was, once having sight, and now stripped of this sense many of us take for granted.  He told the story of how one day he needed a haircut and he decided to venture out of his new apartment.     He knew there was a barber shop on his street.  Using his remaining strong senses of hearing and smell, he ventured down the bustling sidewalk with the aid of his stick to guide his step.  On several occasions, he started to turn back, but his instincts and courage pushed him to take another step.  Finally, he heard what sounded like men talking about hair and he stuck his head in the door to inquire if this was the barber shop.

“Sure ‘nuff,” came the warm reply.  David hesitantly stepped in using his guiding stick and waited patiently for his turn.    The barber studied on David and then inquired if he was a “De Notaris.”  David, somewhat surprised replied that was his last name.     As David took his place in the chair and the barber prepared him for his trim, he informed David he knew his now deceased father.  “He spoke of you often.  He was very proud of you.”

You could have heard a pin drop in the room as David told his story.  To hear a stranger remind him of his father’s unbounded love meant the world to David.  It was a magical moment – an undiscovered treasure which might never have been found had he not ventured past his comfort zone – to go somewhere he had not been.  He knew the adage, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.   David stood on stage that afternoon and told all of us, “I believe my eyes were closed to help others see their own true potential.”  David reminded us all to step out of our comfort zones – to have the vision to see past those things in our sight – and to trust our instincts as we realize our unbridled opportunities.

Aktion Club Talent Competition - David

 This past month my sister Michelle and I attended a meeting of our Kiwanis Aktion Club. The Aktion Club is a group of young people eighteen years of age or older with mental disabilities.  It is sponsored by our Lake Norman Kiwanis Club.  On this particular evening the group was participating in a talent contest. Listening and watching these young people sing and dance you might imagine they were competing for American Idol.

It reminded me of the story I heard many years ago about the Special Olympic track meet where a young girl had just run a 50-yard dash and was jumping up and down all excited.  She yelled out to her parents, “Look Mom and Dad, I won!”  Her parents immediately burst out in tears.  At the awards ceremony the young girl proudly stood as a Gold Medal was placed around her neck.  Then she ran over to her parents, who were crying now more than ever before.  The three of them hugged as the parents continued to weep.  A Special Olympics official who had watched this whole scene became concerned and went over to the parents and said, “Excuse me, is there anything wrong?”   Through her tears, the mother said, “No, nothing’s wrong. Everything’s right.  We just heard our daughter speak for the first time today.”  It was a magical moment.

What is magic?  Creating something out of nothing?  The slight of hand? Magic is defined as the human ability to predict or control the natural world. That all might be true.  However, regardless of how you define it – magic is reaching for the stars and even if you just cleared the tree tops, you’ve left the ground and touched the sky!  Walt Disney understood it when he created the Magic Kingdom.  An entertainment venue which brings joy and happiness to millions of families every year – creating memories to last a lifetime.  Many of us in the hospitality industry are charged each day with the mission of creating magic. Assisting our traveling guests to find the magic in their moments.  The magic is always there, simply waiting to be discovered.

Michelle and I listened and watched as our Aktion Club members one by one

Club President Justin sharing his talent!

demonstrated their own unique talent.  They danced, sang, and played musical instruments each according to their own gifts.  Looking around the room at the faces of the parents, you could see the love and pride beaming as these young people gave it everything they had.  And they were nothing less than magical. As you go about your day today, help somebody reach their potential. Lend a helping hand to someone who needs it.  Brighten someone else’s day.  Create a little magic of your own.

It seems like almost every day news stations feature the most popular video on YouTube or the latest chatter on Twitter, Whrrrl, and various blogs sites.  Even President Obama is on-line and in touch with the social networking sites that have become so prevalent in our technology savvy world.  I am amazed at this on-line resource and the information so easily accessed with a minimum of key words.  Even the travel and tourism industry is right there too sending out email blasts and e-newsletters, offering blog sites, adding flash videos to websites, creating MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn pages, and partnering with on-line services.  

For Visit Lake Norman, tapping into cyber technology is another tool for reaching that potential visitor.  Visit Lake Norman’s website (www.VisitLakeNorman.org) averages 35,100+ visitors each month or more than 420,000 visitors in one year.  To put these numbers into perspective, just imaging the Carolina Panther stadium at a fan capacity five times over or Lowe’s Motor Speedway full of fans three times!  With so many visitors depending on us, Visit Lake Norman works to keep our website as current as possible.  We have added detailed descriptions for hotels, restaurants and venues, checked website links, added banner advertisement links for hospitality partners and special events, featured sports event promotional videos, and more.  By joining together we have added more options for our visitors to stay and enjoy the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville.   

 Recently we added a Visit Lake Norman group on LinkedIn.com where area residents and our hospitality partners can share information via a discussion board.  It also features news articles which have recently appeared in the area media.  Keeping up with the hottest social sites, latest trends, dazzling features, and newest technology can be a full-time job…and Visit Lake Norman is up to the challenge!  Whether visitors visit us on-line or in-person in the Visitor Center, our goal is to entice visitors and create an experience that brings them back to visit Lake Norman again and again. In the end, the payoff is that Visit Lake Norman attracts more visitors and events to beautiful Lake Norman.

I would like to encourage you to check out our new LinkedIn and website presence and let us know what you think.  Tell us which attraction you and your family enjoy the most on our discussion board.  The next time you are exchanging messages using your favorite networking tool, encourage your family and friends to Visit Lake Norman…where we’re just a twitter away!

Everyone has their own style in managing their business.  As Lee Cockerell, the former Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World Resort said, “It’s not the magic that makes it work; it’s the way we work that makes it magic.”  No other organization would know more about this kind of leadership than the man who was behind the scene

 

As the incoming President of Destination Marketing Association of NC this coming July, I have chosen a theme “Creating Magic” that will be mirrored around our statewide meetings that take place at selected destinations surrounding North Carolina.  Destination Marketing of NC (DMANC) is a non-profit organization also known as Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVB’s) that is dedicated to the development and promotion of the statewide tourism industry.

 

The annual conference being held at the Embassy Suites in Concord focuses on leadership, professional development and how to better serve our visitors.  We will be honored to have North Carolina House of Representatives member Thom Tillis and State Senator Malcolm Graham along with Connie Wilson of the NC Travel Industry Association.  Connie and our state representatives  will concentrate on issues and advocacy that impacts the North Carolina tourism industry.  We will be hosting several breakout sessions and I’m excited to share that Cornelius Mayor Pro tem (and Visit Lake Norman Board Member) Susan Medlin has agreed to share her marketing expertise as the owner of Vintage Marketing.  In addition we have Gina Sheraton, Senior Marketing Director of the CRVA (Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority) to share some social marketing initiatives with the attendees.   

 

I am exciting about the year ahead working with this organization and am particularly delighted that our local “stars” can share their insight with our key leaders as we ‘create a little magic’ for our state and region!

 

March is here and with it the official end to winter.  Spring brings out the best in our region.  Soon boats will fill the water, our lakeside restaurants will have diners scrambling to be on the patio, and our guests, newcomers, and residents alike will all be enjoying our many parks and attractions which make our region such a great place to live and visit.

 

 

To my husband Chris, and the many sports enthusiasts, it also designates March Madness.  Area restaurants and sports bars will be packed watching the best in college basketball play for the bragging rights to be declared the Best of the Best.  I have to confess that I also love to watch college basketball.

 

 

Last year, I was glued to my seat cheering on our Davidson Wildcats doing

the improbable – seeking and nearly obtaining a Final Four birth.  The really great thing about watching March Madness is the almost certainty that one underdog team, will play against the odds, and surpass everyone’s expectations.  Every one…that is except their own!I suppose that is why I have always been such a fan of college sports.  Sportswriters will document all the reasons why a team or an individual cannot achieve some level of performance.  They do not have the skill set.  The team cannot match the dominance of the other team.  They simply cannot beat the much superior foe – and then they do.

2008 Davdison Wilcat Team

 

 

Try telling the young men from Davidson, the football team from Appalachian State, or the many other athletes that have reached into their heart and summoned the courage and will to win when all around them say they cannot.

 

 

Every day we read about the doom and gloom of our economy and how travel and tourism is expected to decline.  While there is a slight decrease in our market, overall we’re still seeing consistent travel and traffic for our hospitality partners.

 

 

The bottom line is we can accept that things are going to be bad in the coming months and participate in the doom and gloom or we can refuse to accept the limitations others impose on us.  If there is one lesson we can take from our own Davidson Wildcats, you cannot make your way to the dance if you are not willing to step out on the floor.

 

 

While others may dribble…at Visit Lake Norman, we will continue to shoot!

 

What if you were on Flight 1549 that day in January the miracle happened in the Hudson River?  What would be going through your mind when you were plummeting in the cold swirling waters?  Would you try to save yourself first or look around the cabin trying to help somebody else? 

The downed US Airways Flight 1549 floating on the Hudson River

These questions may be hard for you to answer.  If you were on that flight – when you finally reached your destination, would you hug your spouse, child or poochie head a different way than what you normally would coming home from a trip?  Those aboard that flight had a second chance to hug their spouse, kiss their baby and give treats to their pets.  Why do we need such an adventure to remind us how fortunate we are? 

 

In January, we have made history and we are all yearning for success.  When Barack Obama spoke to our nation, his three words were “We Are One.”  As Visit Lake Norman plunges into the unfamiliar waters of 2009 in the tourism industry, we are still very fortunate to still be doing well with our hotels showing only a slight decline in the average daily rate.  Our hospitality leaders continue to strive to stay above the curve and find unique ways to bring business to our region.  We have worked very hard on our website – tracking the user sessions with webpage views up 45%  during these economic challenges. We continue to assist the parks and recreations in preparation for the invitational basketball tournaments and the Wal*Mart  FLW Tour National Guard Open in April. (April 23-26 at Blythe Landing).  The Visitor Center continues to service our traveling guests (an increase of 5% from last year).

 

There are always going to be cloudy days.  However, we need to keep in mind it is the cloudy days that make us appreciate the sunny days all the more.  Take a lesson from the folks who survived Flight 1549 and begin living as if this is your special day.  Pay attention to your important team of employees thanking them for a job well done and strive to become better each day.  Think with your head, follow your heart and help others with your hands.  Let the three “H’s” guide your path each day.  In the end, your greatest reward is not what you gain from your actions but what you become by your giving.