It’s not as helpful as the embed code but it’s a start.

Did you listen to the podcast yet? I would be interested in hearing your comments on it?

As a panelist I thought it was ok…

Finally I found a link to the guide under Visit Planning/Helpful Links.

One more thing: I wonder why the Ideal Cafe sign is used to represent Dining and Lodging? Nostalgia? Good luck finding the Ideal Cafe, tourists!

But, bottom line, at least it was a big ad, attracting attention to “charming and sophisticated, historic and colorful, artsy and active, secluded and happening” Northfield.

It refers people to the CVB’s Nfld tourism web site… and yet there’s still nothing noticeable (other than a buried link) there alerting people to the June issue of the Northfield Entertainment Guide… a 10-minute webmaster task.

What a waste. All the talk about collaboration from Kathy and Michelle at last week’s NDDC forum rings hollow.

I’ll see to it that the questions posted here as comments get forwarded to Ross Currier who usually moderates the forum. It’ll be his call whether or not to use your questions, of course.

I plan to take audio/video of the forum.

 

NDDC/Chamber Downtown Forum to Focus on Tourism

Northfield, Minn.—The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) and the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce will present a public forum focusing on supporting and strengthening area tourism on Tuesday, June 3 at 8 a.m. Featuring a panel of experts, including Kathy Feldbrugge of the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), Hayes Scriven of the Northfield Historical Society, and Michelle Weber Egeness of St. Olaf College and CVB board member. The forum will take place the Riverview Conference Room, lower level of the Archer House, 212 Division Street, in downtown Northfield.

Feldbrugge will discuss the importance of tourism to the community’s economic health and the CVB’s on-going efforts within the context of her extensive experience and current best practices. Scriven will share details of the Historical Society’s efforts to draw tourists to Northfield, which is vital to the organization’s financial success. Egeness will highlight the benefits of collaboration between city organizations, essential to providing visitors with the best possible experience while visiting Northfield.

There has been much discussion in recent weeks about Northfield’s efforts in supporting and strengthening tourism and a number of key participants have been invited to attend.  The panelists will start the discussion and then field subsequent questions.

The NDDC is a non-partisan, non-profit community organization dedicated to the vitality of downtown Northfield. The event is free and open to the public. As always, coffee and cookies will be served.

One problem, tho. Neither Ross nor Hayes have blogged about it, and the Chamber/CVB doesn’t have anything about it on their websites either.

So it can’t be true.

My fear here is that the issues you raise here will go nowhere beyond this blog.

I hope some of you will keep the pressure on and demand more transparency and better results.

Highly parochial political structures can produce innovative and creative ideas but have a hard time spreading those ideas. Highly franchised political structures, professional city administrators - adoptable city codes - etc can move ideas around efficiently but have a hard time generating innovation. A professional administrator and staff will adopt a tried and tested idea but are going to be more inhibited in stepping out of the box on a new idea (on anything running up against the professional creed) than a locally elected Mayor.

Northfield has some creative thinkers (and doers) who get frustrated when they want to take positive actions but end up locking horns with disinterested administration.

I think streets, sewer, grass cutting etc are important needs that a strong mayor candidate should address as to how they will approach and hopefully improve.