The “Shop, Stay and Play” campaign begins with a paradigm shift. Why leave a beautiful resort community to get away? Why not just go across the county, or head a little North or South to a different view of the same beautiful area you know and love? Stay close to your pets, your business, your kids and your home, yet be a “world” away!
The Lakeport Regional Chamber is diligently working on a new “Shop Local” campaign. The two key tag lines are “Shop Lake County First!” and “Shop, Stay and Play in Lake County!”
With the success and growth of the chamber”s Membership & Marketing Committee, there are now enough resources to concentrate on and bring the program to our communities. It is now, and will be, a “work in progress” as the committee and members of the Chamber assist in tweaking the program to work well for everyone.
Quite simply the idea is to re-think our ideas about shopping and vacationing. Whenever anyone buys, vacations or wants to go out and play, just “Shop Lake County First!” With an ever increasing shortage of time, money, and with gas being so high, shopping, playing and vacationing here in our own resort community of Lake County is a better deal than ever. The Chamber hopes to introduce local residents to areas of Lake County with which they have no familiarity.
Whether shopping or going away for a weekend, we literally turn our backs on our local businessmen and resort owners and leave. This program asks Lake County residents to look around and discover the fun things to do and great places to stay within Lake County. The taxes on the goods and services we buy out of county, support the streets, infrastructure and programs of other cities; not ours! Who supports the 200 or so non-profit organizations, the schools, soccer, basketball and baseball leagues, service clubs, and countless other groups?
Well it sure isn”t Costco, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or Home Depot. It is your local business owner, who is hit scores and maybe hundreds of times every year to support these local causes. Our locally owned businesses:
* Spend more money at other local businesses
* Pay more in local and state taxes than outside corporations
* Are what make Lake County unique and different
* Create more jobs & make up the largest employer category nationally and locally
* Give better service overall
* Keep three times more money in the local economy than “chain stores.”
Local business owners live in our community, love our community and are committed to investing in Lake County”s future.
The simple and elegant solution is to get everyone here to “Shop Lake County First!” When you need a gift solution, how a about a basket filled with local wines and other goods, along with a gift certificate for a massage, dinner or weekend for 2 at a local resort? Can”t find something? Did you ask a local business if they could order it for you?
The main components of the “Shop, Stay and Play” program will be a comprehensive media campaign and an interactive website promoting all Lake County hotels, motels, B&B”s and resorts.
The website”s main goal is to help fill these rooms during the off-season, mid-week or any time when rooms might be available. The hope is that all those listed on the website would offer a “substantial” discount to locals, encouraging them to vacation right here. To enhance the benefit of these vacation stays a discount card or coupons would be available to shop, eat, or play at local businesses.
Logos, sales and marketing materials and campaign strategies are still being developed, but we believe the early phases of the “Shop Lake County First!” program will be starting in the second quarter of this year. We expect the “Shop, Stay and Play” website to be fully operational by Fall, when it is most needed.
The Lakeport Regional Chamber”s mission is “to promote the economic vitality and prosperity of our region.” We believe that everyone should “Shop, Stay and Play in Lake County” more often. And when we all learn to “Shop Lake County first” then the true prosperity of our county will be realized.
Kenny Parlet, co-owner of Lakeview Market & Deli in Lucerne, was recently elected President of the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce. Parlet has served on the Chamber Board of Directors for six years, and he is also the current president of the North Shore Business Association and a 30 year member of the Lakeport Rotary Club.
