Chamber Vision January 2015 | Page 14

14 January 2015 Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau Bureau Business Wait for it, wait for it….. Ok, it’s coming, very soon! The face of the Emporia CVB will be BRAND NEW. A new logo and tag line will be revealed this month! Susan Rathke CVB Director We’ve spent A LOT of time in 2014 learning what Emporia means to visitors and how we can get more visitors to come to Emporia. The new logo and tag line will be attention-getting and completely different from what we have used in the past. While we are getting this new look, the reason wasn’t just to update our image. It all goes with the findings of the research that was done. So, what were the findings? The research was very in-depth and led us to think much differently about what our town “is”. First, we are known for experiences that visitors had when here. Second, we are known for our image and appearance. The visitors’ own emotional response when here is what they refer to when asked about Emporia. Was the visit here pleasant? Did they receive good customer service? Did they find what they were looking for? Did they discover more than they expected? It has been concluded that for a town our size, we have the “unexpected”. For a town our size, one does not expect to find two world-class sporting events. For a town our size, one does not expect to find a national-ranking university and a national hall of fame. For a town our size, one does not expect to find entertainment on the street, in theatres and pubs, block parties and festivals. Emporia is unconventional in a very conventional state. We are progressive, against the grain, stoutly patriotic, artisanal, quaint and innovative. A few sayings of William Allen White were; “Kansas is a state of the Union but Emporia is a state of mind.” “We will raise more hell and fewer dahlias.” We can take something from these words when defining what Emporia is, what Emporia can be, and how visitors perceive us. Stay tuned for the unveiling of the new face of the Emporia CVB very soon. 2015 is going to be an exciting year for Emporia, and we look forward to helping make it all happen. Happy New Year Emporia, 2015, here we come!! We will continue to uphold our mission: The Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau is an investment tool f or our community; enhancing economic development.