Welcome Spring!

We are heading into the busy time of the year.  The 28th Annual Harvest Century planning has been in the works for several months and we are now registering riders.  There are still some sponsorship opportunities available.  Last year our bandanna route maps were very well received, so we will be creating these again this year.  You can add your business name or logo to the map for $300.  There are also event sponsor and jersey sponsor opportunities available.  The sponsorship forms are included in this newsletter.

By now, I hope you have all seen the Smithsonian Magazine listing us #2 in their article 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2014.  This is quite an honor for Healdsburg and it reinforces the direction we have been heading toward pairing our wonderful local wines with the wonderful local food that is produced here.  Agriculture is the touchstone for Healdsburg and we can't lose sight of this direction.

Business is definitely improving.   Both sales tax and TOT are above projections.  The Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District (HTID), the lodging properties, is collecting additional promotion dollars and they are using the money to continue to promote Healdsburg.  Their efforts have paid off in a humorous article in the Chicago Tribune about wine tasting through the Dry Creek Valley by bicycle, and touring Healdsburg by Segway.

What many local people seem to forget, or perhaps don't understand is how the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), hotel tax, is spent.  12% tax is collected on each lodging room.  10% is spent on maintaining parks and recreation.  For those of us who live here, this means maintaining our parks, the Plaza, the Senior Center, Foss Creek Community Center, dumping the trash bins, sweeping streets downtown, etc.   The remaining 2% is directed to Public Safety, the Police and the Fire Departments.  This is money that is not collected from us, but is spent on the places and services that we as residents enjoy.  So, the more rooms the hotels book, the more TOT gets collected, the more money gets spent on the local community.  What a deal!

Construction on the Memorial Bridge retrofit and the Mill Street /Healdsburg Avenue traffic circle will probably start this summer.  We'll keep you posted.

Bicycle Sponsorship Opportunities  The 28th annual Healdsburg Harvest Century Bicycle Tour will be taking place on Saturday, July 19th! There are several great ways to optimize business exposure by becoming a sponsor for the Healdsburg Harvest Century Bicycle Tour.

• Five complimentary rider registrations ($425 value)
• Exhibition table at event
• Logo on jersey and all advertising collateral

Bandanna Map Sponsor: $300

(12 opportunities)

• Your logo on the 100% Cotton Bicycle Route Map Bandanna. Each rider will receive a commemorative bike route map bandanna printed with your business logo.

Jersey Sponsor: $600

(10) opportunities)

• Business logo on all biking jerseys
• One complimentary bike jersey

Plus added value brand exposure for all sponsor

• Business name and sponsor banner (hung at event)
• Business name in sponsor thank you ad (runs in local papers)
• Logo and sponsorship acknowledgement on online registration page and bike tour page on Chamber website

Click here to download the sponsorship form. 

Thank you to our Bicycle Tour Sponsors 

Please Make it a point to say "hello" to these folks!

Welcome to our  newest members        C. Donatiello Winery Christie Marks Fine Art Christopher Creek Winery Diana Sanabria, LLC FASTSIGNS Santa Rosa Fritz Underground Winery Gathered James Gore For Supervisor Jendala Onsite Transactions, Inc. Rack & Riddle  Custom Wine Services Sonoma County BBQ Wilson Artisan Wineries

Framing Arts our "Bucks for Luck" sponsor

Congratulations to our MARCH membership anniversaries!

Thank you for your many years of dedication

• Consumers who were unable to create an online account or start their online application because of technical difficulties can contact Covered California Service Center representatives, Covered California Certified Enrollment Counselors, Covered California Certified Insurance Agents, Certified Plan-Based Enrollers and county eligibility workers to explain that they attempted to get through on March 31 and experienced difficulties. Those consumers will have until 11:59 p.m. April 15 to work with the assister to complete their application and choose a plan.
• Consumers who created an online account and completed the first page of the application by 11:59 p.m. March 31, 2014, will be able to complete their application for the open-enrollment period, either by themselves online or with the help of a certified delegate. Consumers must complete the application and select a plan by 11:59 p.m. April 15, 2014. Those enrollees will receive coverage effective May 1.
• Paper applications need to be postmarked by March 31; however, to guarantee application completion and coverage effective May 1, consumers are encouraged to enroll online with the help of a certified delegate.

The 28th Annual Harvest Century Bike Tour is scheduled for July 19, 2014.  Online registration is now open at www.healdsburg.com/biketour.  Early registration for individuals is $75.00 until May 19.  Early registration for teams of 10+ is $65.00 per person until May 19.  After May 19 registration increases to $85.00 per person and $75.00 per person on a team.  Bike Jerseys are once again available ordered in advance. The Harvest Century is the largest fund raiser for the Chamber so please remind your cycling friends about this great event.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Thank you to this year's Bicycle Tour Sponsors

Interested in becoming a sponsor for the Healdsburg Harvest Century? Click here for a sponsorship form.

Bike To Work Day May 8th There are many ways your business can participate

On Thursday, May 8, 2014, thousands of people throughout Sonoma County will hop on their bikes and ride them to work.  That's because they'll have gotten the powerful message that May 8, is the 20th Annual Bike to Work Day. And your business can be a part of it!

Bike to Work Day has become an extraordinarily popular event in Sonoma County.  Each year, the event's brand recognition and participation skyrockets. The Bicycle Coalition expects similar growth this year.  Bike to Work Day has a public image as a positive, fun, environmentally-conscious, health-promoting, and community-building event.

During morning commute hours, Sonoma County businesses, government agencies, and dozens of volunteers - coordinated by Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition will set up some 30 "Energizer Stations" throughout the County.  These Stations treat Bike to Work Day participants to coffee, juice, and breakfast foods, and distribute some 1,600 reusable Bike to Work Day canvas bags. 

The Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau is working with SCBC to coordinate an Energizer Station in Healdsburg. Your in-kind donation of food or beverage items for this Energizer Station or prize items for contests in this locale is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law and will be acknowledged by Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation (Tax ID # 68-0467440). 

Donations from businesses like yours play a key role in success of Bike to Work Day. And, if you have any questions about the event or the Bicycle Coalition, please call us at 707-545-0153.

UC Davis Job Fair

Jennifer LeBrett, Business & Membership Development Director with her ED hat on will be going to the UC Davis Career Day on April 17th.  If you have a position within your company that you would like her to promote while at the Job Fair, please let her know at [email protected]

Advertising Opportunities  

The Healdsburg Visitor Center located at 217 Healdsburg Avenue is open 7 days a week from 10:00am to 4:00pm assisting both tourist and locals with concierge-style service. The center averages over 1,000 walk-in visitors, plus a plethora of phone and email inquires opening the front door of Healdsburg for travelers from around the world.  With Healdsburg.com as our domain, we maintain the most robust online directory of Healdsburg businesses, events, and area information to assist inquiries in finding our member businesses with between 11,000 to 20,000 website hits each month.

Here are a few ways you can maximize this exposure through our new online and digital advertising opportunities:

• Newsletter Advertising - $50/mo, to list of over 1,400 subscribers
• Digital Display Screen in Visitor Center - $100/mo, over 5,000 impresses/mo
• Website Banner Ads - ranging from $500 to $1,000/year
• Enhanced Online Directory listing with priority listing & photo enhancements $348/year

For more information download advertising sales sheet.

Thousands of visitors from around the globe start their tour of the wine country at the Healdsburg Visitors Center. 

The digital signage display located in the Visitor Center which is the front door to Healdsburg and Sonoma County wine country.  Your digital poster signs will be displayed 24/7 over 5,000 impressions per month for less than 2 cents per impression. 

Digital signage is the most cost-effective and green way to capture the attention of visitors and drive them to your business.

What's all the [ HYPE ] 

Healdsburg Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs + Chamber Mixer    

Two Thirty-Five Luxury Suites

April HYPE Mixer   When: Thursday, April 24   5:30-7 pm   Where: Two Thirty-Five Luxury Suites     235 Healdsburg Ave   Guest Speaker: Maila Anderson      Personal Stylist    Cost: $10 for HYPE Members       $20 for Non-HYPE Members

Membership Fees   Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce Members:  Annual $25.00 for Business Per Mixer: $10.00 for any employee    Non Chamber Member  Annual $75.00 Per Mixer: $10.00 for any employee     Visit HYPE's Facebook page Visit HYPE's Google+ page   Got questions? Email us at [email protected] or check us out at www.healdsburg.com/hype

The Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce encourages and promotes a positive, balanced, vital economy and preserve those unique qualities that are good for business and make Healdsburg a special place in which to visit, live and work. We strive to grow the local economy, promote our community and serve as an advocate for our business members.