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View Full Version : huge MadRiverValley contest on the new website



seattle
01-12-2009, 10:48 AM
I just saw the new MadRiverValley.com website live and clicked the Ultimate Ski Vacation banner ad. They are running a contest with a gigantic first prize and a second and 5 third prizes. When you click to sign up it looks like it is taking in your email address for a mailing list of News & Specials.

Thought it would be worth mentioning. 7 days at Sugarbush and a valley wide ski pass, along with dinners and lunches and stuff.

http://www.madrivervalley.com/contests/uap/

noski
01-12-2009, 11:21 AM
Thanks for noticing :) Please know that the site was re-launched today with the new look, feel and promotion. Please note there are a handful of technical/style items on the punch list for this week. We will post a 'formal' announcement on the launch and contest shortly. Your email address, btw, is for our sole use in periodic communications from Yours Truly regarding events, promotions, opportunities, etc. When the formal announcement is posted, I will be looking to you all to help promote it as Valley Ambassadors. Stand by!

notorious
01-12-2009, 06:20 PM
I love the new look. There was nothing wrong with the old site look, but the new look is BIG.

Now I implore you to improve the events listings by posting the weekly entertainment offered by the various nightspots, the Big Picture, the organizations holding entertainment events open to the public, etc.

As you know, many of us feel that the Valley lacks adequate nightlife. The problem is made worse by the fact that what nightlife there is is not listed in any comprehensive forum. The Valley Reporter listings are feeble. The Smokehouse doesn't publicize. The 'Bush lists only their own entertainment. The organizations use their own email lists, but frequently don't get events into the paper.



I know that chasing this down would be a pain, but if not the Chamber, who would do it?

noski
01-13-2009, 08:25 AM
I know that chasing this down would be a pain, but if not the Chamber, who would do it? Thanks, notorious, for the comments. The answer to this question is painfully simple. There is a prominent "submit your event" link. Anyone can submit events anytime. A couple times per day I go in, proof the submissions for spelling, proper URL format, etc and post live. For me - just one person - to chase down events, nightlife, meetings, etc, takes far more time than I possibly have.

I encourage you to ask your favorite venue to post their events on the site- or offer to do it for them! Now that the site has its winter skin, the next item is to beef up the look and functionality of the calendar.

Not trying to pass the buck on this, but the opportunity is there for all.

Lostone
01-13-2009, 09:39 AM
Don't know about the capabilities of the new site, but if it were doable, it would be good for people who have places that have events (And are chamber members, of course) to have a password to enable them to add the weekly band/event at their place.

Then, owners could keep their own place events updated, and be responsible if they're out of date.

Just a thought.

noski
01-13-2009, 09:43 AM
Don't know about the capabilities of the new site, but if it were doable, it would be good for people who have places that have events (And are chamber members, of course) to have a password to enable them to add the weekly band/event at their place.

Then, owners could keep their own place events updated, and be responsible if they're out of date.

Just a thought.

Like I said- the button is right there on the event page : http://www.madrivervalley.com/vermont/events/index.asp Convenient and Friendly Self Service, 24/7 ;)

notorious
01-13-2009, 08:11 PM
quote]

I encourage you to ask your favorite venue to post their events on the site- or offer to do it for them! Now that the site has its winter skin, the next item is to beef up the look and functionality of the calendar.

Not trying to pass the buck on this, but the opportunity is there for all.[/quote]

Although we have yet to meet, my outsider's observation is that you are one of the few individuals trying to "herd the cats" of the MRV, and unfailingly good humored catherder. Small business owners are widely recognized to be difficult to organize, even when it is in their own interest. I did not mean to suggest that you should be responsible for obtaining, compiling and publishing this information every week. I respectfully suggest, however, that an offer from the Chamber be extended to all the known entertainment venues (even those who do not presently belong to the Chamber) to regularly participate in a MRV entertainment calendar posting on the Chamber website, and some initial support to those who are not at all web-savvy. Those who don't belong might join once they found the service to be useful. Together with a permanent note on the calendar that this is a free service to the community (which is invited to send its information in for listing) would be all that I ask of you.

As a part-time Valley resident who likes to 1) support the local businesses, and 2) likes to have a good time, it has been a frustration for years trying to discover what entertainment options are available on any given weekend.

This service would seem to me to be well within the Chamber's mission.

BTW, I suggested this to the editor of the VR a few years ago and got a similar response to your's, i.e., ask them to send in their info. I don't follow the reasoning of why suggesting a service useful to patrons is the obligation of the patrons to provide. If it creates hits on your website, or readers for the newspaper, why is it not your job to attempt to get it off the ground. Certainly several of the primary venues such as Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, and other prominent Chamber members would find additional sources for their entertainment product news a nice service in return for their Chamber $.

noski
01-14-2009, 08:54 AM
Point taken, and your input is appreciated. In the 11 years I have been here I have always counseled members and prospective members that I alone am not going to be able to build their business, but I can certainly offer a great number of tools for them to help themselves. I am not the chamber of commerce. The chamber is only as strong and viable as the members wish to make it. We are truly blessed with an active board and active committees that make our chamber a model for many in the state- and that is fact.

Having said that, I will ask for some help from others to beat the bushes (no pun intended) for event calendars to post.

Lostone
01-14-2009, 09:42 AM
Now that I have actually looked at the site, I will try to restate what I was thinking would be helpful. Your Events calendar goes straight down, in time. I was thinking more for places that hold regular (or special?) events. For example, Purple Moon, Local Folks Castlerock and others might have bands coming in on Fridays. It would be helpful for our guests to know someone was playing, and where and what they were playing.

My thoughts were that it would be far too much work for you to try to put them up and take them down each week. Instead, if they were able to list what was coming up in their places.

Not a thing for me to worry about. I get to read the PSAs every week, so know what is coming along, pretty regularly. :wink:

One more thing is I was unable to find the contest from the main page. I clicked the Win button, and it seemed to take me to someplace to book a vacation. Bu using the above link, I saw the contest. I did not seem to be able to find my way without the link. Might have been a Firefox thing,but just thought you might want to know.

noski
01-14-2009, 10:36 AM
One more thing is I was unable to find the contest from the main page. I clicked the Win button, and it seemed to take me to someplace to book a vacation. But using the above link, I saw the contest. I did not seem to be able to find my way without the link. Might have been a Firefox thing,but just thought you might want to know. Try again. A server crash yesterday caused a bit of chaos, but should now work.... Pm if it doesn't.