Podcasts about dutchess tourism

Beacon visitor center reopens after lapse If you spend much time on Main Street in Beacon, you're probably familiar with Carmen Johnson. The city resident, a retired Social Security Administration claims representative turned crossing guard, helps pedestrians navigate the tricky west end of Main, near the Bank Square Coffeehouse, on weekday mornings and afternoons. Now, she's adding weekend hours. Johnson is among a handful of volunteers who will assist Dutchess Tourism as it reopens the Beacon Welcome Center, a small building at Polhill Park that will be more visible when construction is complete at the consolidated fire station next door. She will be there from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays doing what comes naturally - talking to people about Beacon. "I love telling people about the city - the age of it, the history of it," said Johnson, who volunteered and later managed the Welcome Center over a 14-year period while it was operated by the Beacon Chamber of Commerce. "It's an honor." She noted that the building is well-situated. "As people come up that hill" from the Metro-North station, it is "the first face of Beacon," she said. "There we are with our 'open' sign." The Welcome Center closed after the pandemic shutdown in 2020 and, with the Beacon Chamber in flux, struggled to reopen. Earlier this year, Dutchess Tourism, a nonprofit agency funded primarily by the county government, contacted city officials to discuss a relaunch. What Happened to the Beacon Chamber? The once-vibrant Beacon Chamber of Commerce has become a bit of a mystery. Patrick Moroney, a Cold Spring native who was elected president in February 2022, said last year that the organization would "re-engage in 2023" but that he would step away after he finished his two-year term. He said elections were scheduled for early 2024. Moroney said the group held monthly meetings, hosted free trainings and re-formed its board of directors. In August, the City Council gave the chamber a one-year, $10 lease for the Welcome Center, with options for four renewals. In 2022 and 2023, the chamber and real-estate agent Charlotte Guernsey organized the Hocus Pocus Halloween parade, which had been suspended during the pandemic. However, on Wednesday (May 22), Moroney said that the chamber has paused operations. He cited a lack of support and said it no longer made sense to keep the organization going. Ron Donofrio, a Beacon real estate agent who runs MainStreetBeacon.com, said he agreed last year to convert his website into the official chamber site, "but next thing I knew," Moroney and his partners had "disappeared." "I give him an A for effort," Donofrio said. "But you can't do a chamber with four people." Donofrio said he hopes to soon relaunch Main Street Beacon, which now states it is not affiliated with the chamber. Moroney said in an interview last year that he visited local merchants to introduce his vision but missteps from the past kept resurfacing. "People would say, 'Well, here's what happened a few years ago,' but I told them, 'Leave it there; it didn't involve me,'" he said. "This old baggage makes things challenging." One of Moroney's initiatives was to give Beacon business owners access to Locally, an app he developed. But in December, James Murphy III, one of his partners, sued Moroney in state court, alleging that Moroney "improperly and illegally utilized" more than $120,000 that Murphy had invested in the project. Moroney filed a response in January, denying the claims. He countered by saying that Murphy was guilty of "egregious acts of tortious interference, defamation, libel, intent to inflict emotional distress, fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of contract" and asked for a $137,000 judgment. The case is pending. With the chamber inactive at times over the last decade, the Beacon Arts Community Organization, or BeaconArts, has tried to fill the gap, stating on its website that after the introduction of the after-hours Second Saturday concept it b...

Welcome Hudson Valley! This is Conor Walsh, host of In Touch, Townsquare Media of the Hudson Valley's Award-Winning Public Affairs and Issues program. Melaine Rottkamp from Dutchess Tourism returns this week! Dutchess County played a critical role in the Revolutionary War. In the spirit of the legend himself, Dutchess Tourism launched Commander in Cheers — an augmented reality experience that serves up a pint-sized George Washington to share a story about Dutchess County's revolutionary endeavors. We invite you to join us and listen to a previously recorded conversation between Melaine Rottkamp and myself here on In Touch. __________________________________________________________________ Thank you for all the kind words shared in regard to In Touch officially being awarded the 2023 New York State Broadcasters Association Award for “Outstanding Public Affairs Program or Series,” as part of the 57th Annual Excellence in Broadcasting Awards. This recognition would not be possible without the incredible team here at Townsquare, all our phenomenal guests that we learn from and grow with every single week, and of course you, the listener! Whether you've been listening for a while, or you just found us, thank you for taking part in the conversation and staying In Touch with what's going on in the Hudson Valley. We here at In Touch are all about, well, being In touch with what is going on in the Hudson Valley. What better way to stay in touch with what's going on than by downloading the Townsquare Media Mobile App for this radio station. Not only can you listen to this station live at any time using the app, but you can also listen to In Touch On Demand! Besides In Touch, you can read daily articles about news, events, entertainment and more that's going on in your community. And when the weather gets bad, you can use the app to check on weather reports and see which schools and organizations are closed. Your Townsquare Media App is also the best place for concert and event tickets. We are constantly giving away tickets to the hottest shows in the area! Again, you'll have access to all of this if you just download the Townsquare Media mobile app for this radio station. In Touch is nothing without the support from the hundreds of listeners we get on a weekly basis. Thank you so much for listening and taking part in the conversation! If you listen to In Touch through a podcast service such as Spotify, or Apple Podcasts, please consider leaving a positive review. With more 5-star reviews on these platforms, the algorithms will work harder to promote our show and bring In Touch to new people. That, and also sharing In Touch with your friends and family is so important. Just sharing our links and listening live each Sunday goes such a long way. Thank you for all you do to stay In Touch with what's going on in the Hudson Valley. __________________________________________________________________ This has been this week's edition of IN TOUCH, the award-winning public affairs and issues program that runs across Townsquare Media of the Hudson Valley radio stations. We want to give a big thank you to MElaine Rottkamp. To learn more about the awesome things happening around Dutchess County, visit Dutchesstourism.com Of course, all links and information can be found in the description of this episode. Whether you've been listening for a while or you have just joined us, thank you! You can find In Touch episodes new and old on your favorite streaming services like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and more! That, and listen On Demand with your Townsquare Radio Station Mobile App. Of course, you can still find all articles and audio under the In Touch Tab on this radio station's app and website. And don't forget, we are also on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram @intouch_hv. If you like what we do here on In Touch, and want to be on the show, let us know! Whether you have a topic you want to discuss or want to be a guest, you can fill out the In Touch Submission form, which can be found in the description of this episode. Episode Request Form https://airtable.com/appGnl6JDyjBvEIL2/shragOT0ARpwsBE0h In Touch Calendar https://airtable.com/appGnl6JDyjBvEIL2/shrJ0xLHBWR8XgaFO/tblgtaUl0MK8EveUr?date=2024-05-11&mode=undefined I've been your host, Conor Walsh. Until next time, stay curious, keep an open mind, and as always, I'm glad we get to Spend Some Time.

Dutchess Tourism and CEO Melaine Rottkamp discusses her County's vibrant lifestyle and wide variety of unique, enjoyable activities available during the fall season and the holidays throughout the County on Dutchess Talk Radio, "What's Happening in the Lower Hudson Valley" with host John Marino, produced by Sharc Creative

We recently attended the 2019 NYS Tourism Conference in Buffalo, New York and interviewed presenters, conference attendees, and Tourism Excellence Award winners. My interviews focused on the conference themes of inclusion, fostering community engagement, and “tourism is everybody’s business”, as well as key takeaways from the conference. This episode focuses on some of the award winners, and I hope you find these conversations informative and inspiring. In this episode, I share my conversations with: Lisa Burns, Executive Director of the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council Bill Sweitzer, Marketing Director at New York State Canal Corporation Mary Kay Vrba, President and CEO of Dutchess Tourism Cassie Green, Sales and Social Media Manager at Visit Binghamton What You Will Learn in This Episode: How the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council has fostered collaboration between fourteen different New York counties for their “Finger Lakes Region Goes Beyond Wine as a Tourism Hot Spot” program How the New York State Canal Corporation’s partnerships with local businesses and organizations have helped them expand the number of programs and attractions on offer throughout the canal system How Dutchess Tourism is using social media tools such as Facebook Live videos they call “Dutchess Live” to generate interest and showcase destinations and experiences of all kinds that travelers can have in the area How Visit Binghamton is using video interviews as an opportunity to showcase the extensive history of the area and how local entrepreneurs are merging it with new innovations Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council Executive Director Lisa Burns shares details about the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council’s award-winning program, “Finger Lakes Region Goes Beyond Wine as a Tourism Hot Spot”, and she shares the remarkable results the program has produced for the region. She shares how the PR-focused program has found great success in publications and media outlets like Conde Nast, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Today Show and others. She shares how fourteen counties in the area are working together in a collaboration to promote the entire region and benefit everyone, and she talks about how the program has far exceeded their goals and in 2017 alone produced more than 2.1 billion impressions and almost five hundred media placements. Lisa discusses how the collaboration between the fourteen counties can serve as a benchmark for how destination management organizations should work. She shares how honored she is that their program was recognized by peers within the industry, and she discusses the further honor of being asked to chair the 2019 NYSTIA Tourism Excellence Awards. She discusses work that is being done to enhance how the awards are presented and promote the value of the NYSTIA organization. She talks about how NYSTIA is now sourcing the awards locally from the area where the awards ceremony is being held each year, and she discusses the process and deadline for nominating others for the 2019 awards. New York State Canal Corporation Marketing Director Bill Sweitzer shares details of award-winners the Canal Corporation has nominated in the past, and he discusses why those programs were nominated. He shares how he realized that the tourism industry in the area is the sum of its parts, and why business partners are a major contributor to its marketing success. He discusses how many of the small local tourism businesses are unaware of their own huge contributions to the fabric of local tourism. He discusses nominating the team that creates the canal map and annual guide materials that are given out, and he shares why he wanted to recognize the map and guide’s creators for giving spots in the area a true sense of place. He shares why partnerships are vital to the success of the Canal Corporation, and he explains why being involved in NYSTIA is a huge benefit. He shares his plans for nominations for the next awards, specifically for the Corning Museum of Glass’s GlassBarge program that had more than 55,000 visitors last summer. He shares details about another future nominee, the Cycle the Erie Canal Bike Tour, a seven-day bike ride from one end of the Erie Canal to the other. Dutchess Tourism President and CEO Mary Kay Vrba discusses details of their award-winning Facebook Live initiative, “Dutchess Live”, where they create videos showcasing many of the varied experiences available in the area, both large and small. She discusses how the program works and how subjects are targeted and showcased through the video series. She shares pre-promotion efforts to ensure that viewers are aware of the live broadcasts, and she shares how the videos can be repurposed for future productions and promotions. She talks about why it is important to plan your project and do a test run to ensure that the technical side of things is working. She explains why it is important to stay aware of social media and marketing trends, and she shares the steps they have taken to stay current on those trends including sending staff to conferences and participating in webinars as well as doing extensive research. She talks about creating “lunch and learn” programs for partners and vendors so that they can benefit from the research and learning that is being done. She shares why winning an Excellence Award is reassuring and tells her that Dutchess Tourism is on the right track. Visit Binghamton Sales and Social Media Manager Cassie Green shares details of their “Be Part of Our Story” campaign, an initiative to tell the past of the community of Binghamton and the unique stories of young entrepreneurs and innovators who are building upon the past to create something new. She shares how the organization brought together the nine stories that Binghamton is showcasing in the campaign, and she shares how the campaign is still growing. She talks about being surprised at the number of great opportunities to promote the area when she first moved into her role. She shares her community pride at being an award winner and recognizes the community collaborations that have made it possible. Overview These Excellence Award winners each demonstrate how innovation, technology, history, and collaboration come together to create compelling programs and campaigns that truly showcase the remarkable experiences these communities have to offer. The New York State Canal Corporation’s partnerships with local businesses and the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council’s collaboration between their fourteen area counties show us that working together truly benefits everyone involved. Dutchess Tourism’s Facebook Live videos and Visit Binghamton’s “Be Part of Our Story” videos demonstrate the power that technology and social media have to reach new audiences in innovative and compelling ways. These four organizations truly deserve to be honored as Excellence Award winners. Resources: Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council website: www.fingerlakestravelny.com New York State Canal Corporation website: www.canals.ny.gov Dutchess Tourism website: https://dutchesstourism.com Visit Binghamton website: https://visitbinghamton.org 2019 NYSTIA Excellence Award nomination website: https://www.nystia.org/news/excellence-in-tourism-call-for-nominations We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Hosts, Mike Harris and Jode Millman draw back the curtain and invite you backstage at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and UPAC in Kingston, N.Y. for an intimate conversation with Mary Kay Vrba, President and CEO of Dutchess Tourism, Inc. Since 2006, Mary Kay has helmed this non-profit designed to promote Dutchess County tourism around the world. In 2017, Mary Kay was honored by Women in Travel and Tourism International as an outstanding Woman in Destination, Management and Marketing for her work in helping to generate over $600M in revenues for hotels, museums, landmarks and the arts in Dutchess County. In this podcast, she will be giving a sneak peak of exciting spring and summer 2019 events in Dutchess County. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is a very special episode of HRN Happy Hour! We’re thrilled to be joined in-studio by Caylin Sanders and Kash Barkeley from EscapeMaker.com, and Mary Kay Vrba with Dutchess Tourism. This episode is all about getting out of dodge (or Brooklyn) and enjoying the wild world of the Hudson Valley Region of New York! As always, we start the show with headlines and events around the HRN world, and then we get down to business with a round table discussion with Caylin, Kash, and Mary Kay. We are also joined on the line by Lydia Higginson with Dutch’s Spirits in Pine Plain, on the eastern side of Dutchess County. Finally, because it’s tradition, we’ll end the show with Trivia! HRN Happy Hour is powered by Simplecast

This week Marc Molinaro discusses the Hudson River, Hoosick Falls, ineffective government, Dutchess Tourism, how NY is starting to Think Differently...and the Zac Brown Band.