November 2017

Beth L. Mitchell, President & CEO

Here are some of the comments received on the "Active Shooter/Violence in the Workplace" class that was held in October:

                

"Super informative and eye opening" "Excellent workshop, everyone should take it" "All officers had very helpful information and instruction" "Excellent training, vital information presented, very grateful for local law enforcement" "Great class with short concise instruction that's easy to remember and put into action.  I highly recommend that every business take this class and be prepared!" 

The Chamber's Legislative/Government Affairs Committee will be hosting a Candidate's Forum for the City of Sebastian Council elections.  There are three seats up, with four candidates.  The Committee has developed a set of questions for the candidates, and they will also be able to present their ideas, desires, and goals for our fair City at the forum.  It is scheduled for October 26, from 7 to 9pm at City Hall.  It will also be televised and uploaded to the City website and at www.SebastianChamber.com.  It's good to know who the candidates are, and it's even better if you exercise your right to vote!   

The Media Auction held at SpringHill Suites Marriott and sponsored by Bay Street Pharmacy, Vintage to Vogue and the Hometown News was very successful.  Our surprise auctioneer, IRC Commissioner Peter O'Bryan, debuted his auctioneer skills and the Media partners did a great job explaining their products to the attendees.  White Glove Moving and Storage helped warm up the crowd with their drink sponsorship and Marsh Landing fed us well!  Many thanks to everybody that contributed to the success!

We promise an active holiday season!  The information about Light Up Night has gone out, we are seeking Volunteers to honor for our December luncheon!  We have a packed agenda for the November luncheon, with speakers from Indian River State College, and our Awards ceremony.  This is a lunch you will not want to miss as we recognize fellow Chamber members for their contributions to the business community.  Again, reservations are a good idea!

The Chamber Tourism staff put us on the map again!  Further in the newsletter you will read about the conference held by Visit Florida here in Sebastian.  It was a three day training session for tourism folks who run Visitor Centers throughout the state of Florida. The conference, held at Captain Hiram's, provided training and an exchange of ideas, and great networking opportunities.  The attendees loved the Sebastian River Area, and enjoyed their visit to the Pelican Porch Visitor Center.  And staff came back a little smarter, with new ideas and new friends!  Great job by the entire team! Keep your eyes open for our new sign, designed and created by Curt Oxford, and provided by the City of Sebastian.  It will be a marquee sign, providing us with the ability to message, promote events in the community, and provide information on Chamber activities. 

Everyone is eagerly waiting the cool front coming in next week, and pumpkins are everywhere!  The hardest decision you will have to make before October 31, is what will you be for Halloween?  The holidays are finally upon us and I am sure you all are ready to celebrate!

Have a prosperous month!  

(772) 462-7813

www.wqcs.org

 

Gerald Wilcox

Diana Gonzalez

WQCS's mission is to provide public service programming that informs, educates and entertains the community. WQCS has received in excess of 50 national, state and local awards credited for their news and public service. WQCS is committed to community service and is the state of Florida's designated Emergency Alert System for the Treasure Coast. 88.9 FM has sponsored numerous Treasure Coast area events including the Young Floridian Awards, Florida Public Relations Association Media Event, Treasure Coast Business Summit, Fellsmere's Frog Leg Festival and Sebastian Shrimpfest. WQCS delivers media support to numerous area nonprofit causes and operates a Radio Reading service for the blind and visually impaired that provides hundreds of hours of reading through volunteers.   WQCS is as an affiliate of NPR (National Public Radio) which serves as a primary source for national news and local information for over 80,000 listeners on the Treasure Coast.  The station is licensed to Indian River State College

recognized  as one of the top three community colleges in the nation as a Finalist with Distinction for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. 88.9 FM donates in excess of $300,000 in services to area nonprofit groups. WQCS engages in support of events that promote the welfare and  well-being of residents and organizations throughout the Treasure Coast. Support of WQCS and NPR comes from listeners who are passionate about the entertainment, news, programming and community service provided by the radio station. To learn more about donor support and to become a member partner contact Diana Gonzales, Membership Development and Special Events Specialist at  [email protected]   WQCS helps many area businesses and nonprofit organizations connect to its affluent, educated and community involved audience through underwriting messaging and marketing partnerships. If your business or organization is interested in reaching this highly desirable audience please contact Gerald Wilcox in the underwriting sales department at  [email protected] .

Executive Committee Meeting Thursday, November 2nd From:  8AM-9AM Chamber Office 700 Main St., Sebastian

Sebastian Clambake November 3rd - 5th Riverview Park 600 US 1, Sebastian

Active Shooter Class Tuesday, November 7th From:  10AM Chamber Office 700 Main St., Sebastian RSVP

Full Board Meeting Wednesday, November 8th At:  4PM Chamber Office  700 Main St., Sebastian

• The first Tourism Committee Meeting FAM Tour was a success! We are excited to announce a 2^nd tour scheduled for Tuesday, January 16^th from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. This tour will highlight West Sebastian, Fellsmere and West Vero. Space is limited and we only have 10 spots left. If you would like to attend, please let me know.
• We have been working with the City of Sebastian on Tourism Campaigns promoting the area. We placed a half page ad with a half page of editorial in the October/November issue of AARP along with Facebook ad campaigns. We have been tracking both campaigns and we have received a large number of leads so far! We also just placed a half page and ¼ page ad in Food Traveler Magazine which will be featured in the "Escaping Winters Chill" section of the publication. Our ads highlight the unique food festivals in our area as well as the diverse activities to enjoy!
• We received a $5,000 Small Business Grant from VISIT FLORIDA for 2017-2018. We will be matching these funds to create a new Destination Video promoting the Sebastian River Area. Stay tuned for more details!
• Upcoming Events-
• Sebastian Clambake- November 3^rd-5^th 
•  Light Up Night- December 1^st
• City of Sebastian Christmas Parade- December 2nd
• 2018 Concerts in the Park-
  • January 12^th- TBA
  • January 26^th- TBA
  • February 9^th- TBA
  • February 23^rd- TBA
  • March 9^th- TBA
  • March 23rd-SRHS Jazz Ensemble & Steel Drum Band
  • April 13^th- TBA
  • May 18^th- TBA
• Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival- Jan. 18^th-21^st
• Sebastian Riverfront Fine Art & Music Festival- January 20^th & 21^st
• VISIT FLORIDA Hurricane Recovery Support Programs are Available! I encourage our Tourism Partners to take advantage of these free advertising opportunities until March 2108. For more info., visit https://www.visitflorida.org/work-together/hurricane-recovery-support/
• This year we will be having a Video Contest (instead of a photo contest). It will kick off December 1st and run through March 1st. Our mission is to gather high quality videos of nature, wildlife, festivals, attractions and adventures in the Sebastian River Area. The requested video length is a minimum of 5-seconds and a maximum of 30-seconds and videos can be shot using cell phones, Go Pros, drones, etc.   

2nd Annual CTIC hosted at Capt. Hiram's Resort	Nicole Holbrook & Britney Melchiori during the tour of the Chamber's Pelican Porch Visitor's Center
Eco-Tour on the River King	CTIC group photo

Social Media

We are actively posting on Facebook & Instagram and building a great following. If you aren't already following us, please do:

 

   www.Facebook.com/SebastianChamberVisitorsCenter  

    www.instagram.com/visitsebastianriverareafl

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