Stillwater NewsPress

Business

Discussion

January 9, 2010

Web site helps community members promote events

Cristy Morrison

We look forward to hosting numerous repeat and long-term conferences, meetings and events this year in Stillwater. We continue discussions with many association, sports and professional organizations on the benefits of holding their events in our community.

It is without a doubt the knowledge of locally held events that assists the Convention and Visitors Bureau staff when recruiting meetings and events to our community. Therefore, we urge local community members to utilize the CVB’s Web site to post events that they are involved in that are open to the public. Or, it’s also important to know about local events that will utilize major meeting or event venues, as well as block hotel rooms.

Simply go to www.visitstillwater.org and click on “Events.” At that point, all you need to do is set up a user name and password. The more information you can provide about your event and activities the better. However, by setting up your own user name, you have the ability go back into the site at any time to change times, add performers, provide parking information, etc.

It’s important to remember the information provided on the CVB’s Web site is what staff uses when promoting Stillwater through the media. Additionally, we may get inquiries from statewide and national publications looking at possible feature stories or editorials 6, 9 or even 12 months in advance. So the earlier you can get your information posted on the CVB’s Web site the better.

Events that may compliment a potential group, or events that may appeal to spouses or families of their attendees, most definitely help us “sell” Stillwater throughout the year.

The CVB has been funded by a 4 percent hotel tax since its inception almost 25 years ago. Because 100 percent of the funding for the operation of the CVB is generated through a tax paid by visitors to our community, our primary focus is on those events that generate overnight guests staying in one of our 15 local lodging properties.

Locally held events are important to any community. Help us utilize these local events to entice additional visitor related events to our community. The impact of visitor, or new, dollars spent in our community has substantial impact on our community.

Cristy Morrison is executivee director of the Stillwater CVB, 409 S. Main St., Stillwater, OK 74074. She can be reached at cristy@visitstillwater.org or by calling 405-743-3697.

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