The Creston Chamber of Commerce wears many different hats. I know many people view the chamber as an organization working primarily for promoting and growing our various businesses in the area and that is one of our primary objectives, but we are also viewed as a source of information for people and businesses outside of Creston who desire to know more about our community. We are a place where Creston residents can turn for answers. I hope all of you visit the chamber's website at www.crestoniowachamber.com regularly. It is a great source of information about our community and the calendar of events found on our home page is updated regularly.
The chamber also works very hard to promote and showcase Creston, as well as being a leadership organization, which works to unify and map a course for Creston’s future development. With this in mind, I would like to detail some of the various committees and groups within the Creston Chamber of Commerce or that we will partner with over the next few months.
One area of focus for the chamber is retail promotion. Retail plans for this year include, but are not limited to the Creston Citywide Garage Sale on June 9, our citywide Crazy Summer Sale Days on August 3-4 along with the state of Iowa Tax Free Weekend during the same time and our Holiday GiveAway Promotion.
The chamber takes the lead in the promotion of tourism for our area. Creston/Union County Tourism continues to increase the visibility of our area, our various tourism attractions and events. Highlighting a few of the things we are doing include our ad in the 2018 Iowa Travel Guide and information and ads in various other publications both printed and on the internet.
In addition to these efforts, the chamber office sends out information and brochures to Iowa Welcome Centers and attractions across the state and to other states and other media outlets in a continuing effort to make people aware of our great area and what we have to offer.
Another method used to reach individuals who might want to visit our area is through the internet. In the past few years, more and more people are using the internet to gather information and we have continued to grow our presence there. Besides the chamber website, there is the tourism website at www.uioncountyiowatourism.com. It is an excellent source of information about Creston and Union County. In addition to the two websites, we can also be found on Facebook and Twitter, all of these providing a digital front door, to the community which sees tens of thousands of visits per year.
I would also like to pass along that the 2018 edition of Southern Iowa Tourism tabloid is now available at the chamber office and various other locations in our area. If you are looking for things to do in our corner of the world, this is a great place to get ideas. The tabloid includes information not only on Creston and Union County, but also Decatur, Ringgold, Taylor and Wayne counties.
Did you know?
Beginning this month the chamber will include positive, interesting facts about a business, organization or individual in Creston that may not be widely known to the public.
Did you know the Creston Kiwanis Club gives coats away more than just the one time during Keep A Child Warm Event in the fall? If you know of some child who needs a coat now, please call Jamie or Drew at Hometown Insurance at 641-782-4626. The club has coats on hand that can be given away when needed.
Did you know over the past two years Dollars for Scholars has given out 48 scholarships to graduating seniors from Creston Community High School? Twenty-six students in 2016 and 22 students in 2017.
Did you know Iowa State University Extension and Outreach – Union County turns 100 years old in 2018? Union County Extension strives to provide research-based, informative material to the public. Whether you have an interest in agriculture or want to better manage your finances, ISU Extension and Outreach can provide resources for you. Help them celebrate 100 years with many fun-filled events coming later this year.
Upcoming Legislative coffees
During the 2018 Legislative session, the chamber will once again provide you an opportunity to ask our legislators questions during Legislative Coffees. The coffees have been scheduled at 8 a.m. Saturday Feb. 3, March 3 and April 7 in the mealsite at the restored Creston Depot. They last for an hour. Currently Representative Tom Moore and Senator Tom Shipley are planning to attend. Please mark your calendars now and plan on attending one or all of the sessions. All coffees are open to the public at no charge.
Hi-Five Honorees
The following individuals were honored with the Hi-Five Honor in February: Congratulations to Jim Anthony of Fareway and Tonya Rehmeyer at Chat Mobility.
The Hi-Five for Service allows us to recognize those who make shopping and doing business in Creston a rewarding and positive experience. Please call the chamber with your honoree.
Gold Star Business honored
The Chamber honored Southwestern Community College this month as the February Gold Star Business in Creston. They were nominated by their fellow Crestonians because of the appearance both inside and out of their building and property. Congratulations.
Please call the chamber if you would like to acknowledge a business property.
Have a great month and remember, Creston – A great place to visit, work and call home.