AAA FAM Tour in Guernsey County

Salt Fork Resort & Conference Center recently hosted 30 Ohio AAA agents overnight as part of a three-day FAM (familarization) tour to three state park lodges operated by Xanterra. While at the lodge, the agents had the opportunity to learn about Guernsey County tourism attractions and participate in fun activities at the lodge.

Pictured with Keith Cook, general manager of the lodge, (left) are two travel agents discussing travel packages AAA members can purchase for Salt Fork Resort & Conference Center.

AAA agents enjoy one of the many hands-on activities at the lodge offered during the FAM Tour. Here they are painting bird houses.

Melanie White, Salt Fork Conference Center sales department (right) enjoys a delicious dinner with several of the AAA agents.

To learn more about Salt Fork Resort & Conference Center, log on to www.SaltForkResort.com.

Senator Joy Padgett Receives Award

Senator Joy Padgett was recognized for her service at the 9th Annual Ohio's Appalachian Country Spotlight on Tourism Travel Show at Ft. Steuben Mall. As the former director of the Governor's Office of Appalachia, Senator Padgett was instrumental in forming and finding the necessary funding for OAC, the 29 Appalachian County consortium that focuses on tourism.

Pictured here with the senator is Debbie Robinson, Executive Director of the Cambridge/Guernsey County Visitors & Convention Bureau.

For more information on OAC, visit http://www.appalachianohio.com/

Appalachian Driving Tour Map Unveiled

Governor's Office of Appalachia Director Fred Deel and Ohio's First Lady Frances Strickland unveiled the Appalachian Driving Tour Map that features the National Road at the 9th Annual Spotlight on Tourism Travel Show at Ft. Steuben Mall recently. The maps are available at the Cambridge/Guernsey County Visitors & Convention Bureau, 627 Wheeling Avenue in Downtown Cambridge.

For a Guernsey County driving tour brochure of the National Road, contact the VCB at 800-933-5480 or http://www.visitguernseycounty.com/

Community Meeting Creates Excitement Among Attendees

Approximately 25 area volunteers for Guernsey County attractions and organizations held a meeting at the National Museum of Cambridge Glass recently. The meeting was facilitated by Cambridge/Guernsey County Visitors & Convention executive director, Debbie Robinson.

The group, representing Dickens Victorian Village, Byesville Scenic Railroad, Cambridge Main Street, Guernsey Co. Genealogical Society, Guernsey Co. Historical Museum, the National Museum of Cambridge Glass, Old Cambridge Conservation Assc., the Living Word Outdoor Drama and Cambridge Performing Arts, discussed their common threads, their similar challenges and how they can help each other.

Collectively, the group decided to initially promote each other weekly at an event in Downtown Cambridge and by displaying each other's brochures at their respective attractions.

The next meeting will take place on April 22 at 7pm at the National Museum of Cambridge Glass. Other non-profit organizations or attractions who promote history, utilize volunteers and serve to culturally enrich area residents and visitors are encouraged to attend.

In the meantime, the group has issued a challenge to come up with a catchy name for the group. All ideas are welcome!

For more information, contact Robinson at the VCB 740-432-2022. To learn about more about Guernsey County's attractions, log on to www.VisitGuernseyCounty.com.

Tourism Expo 2008

On February 25, 2008, the Second Annual Tourism Expo was held at the University Center at Kent State University Stark Campus. The expo combined an educational format with a small trade show environment. Sixteen educational sessions were offered to tourism industry participants from Tuscarawas, Wayne, Carroll, Coshocton, Summit, Stark, Portage, Medina and Holmes Counties.



Debbie Robinson, executive director of the Cambridge/Guernsey County Visitors & Convention Bureau, Marty Starkey, executive director of the Wayne County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Glenda Lehman Ervin, vice president of marketing at Lehman's presented a panel discussion to the participants on cooperative marketing. Using examples in their communities of good marketing practices, the panelists explored a vast array of opportunities for cooperative marketing and cutting edge trends for cross promotional ideas that work.



Pictured here are L-Starkey, Ervin and Robinson.

To learn more, log on to http://www.visitguernseycounty.com/, http://www.waynecountycvb.org/.org and http://www.lehmans.com/.