VOLUME 17, ISSUE 8 - April 17, 2012

Welcome

to the PMVB Newsletter

Spotlight News

What if we told you, The Next Revolution Will Occur in Your Pocket? Join us and Peter Shankman at Pocono Mountains Tourism Day on Wednesday, May 9 at Stroudsmoor Country Inn's Terraview! Register today and learn more about the agenda here. Shankman, best known for founding Help A Reporter Out (HARO), started his career with America Online as a senior news editor, helping found the AOL Newsroom. Since then his social media clients have included the Snapple Beverage Group, NASA, Walt Disney World, American Express, Discovery Networks and Napster. A marketing pundit for several national and international news channels, including Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, Peter is frequently quoted in major media and trade publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News, The Associated Press, Reuters and USA Today.

Last call to submit your nominations for this year's Pocono Mountains Tourism Achievement Awards! Nominations are due this Friday, April 20. To meet some of the awards' eligibility requirements, you must complete our Brand Enculturation program. Learn more about the program and sign up today! Any questions, contact Ann Pilcher.

The Pocono Mountains garnered a total of 2,427 votes and 380 comments during Round 3 in the race to host the 2012 Social Media Tourism Symposium, however, fell short to Milwaukee, WI, who earned 2,838 votes. Thank you again to those members who continued support to the very end of the competition. It was a great success to have made the Final Four destinations, which we can attribute to our ability to mobilize our communities!

Upcoming Events

Mark Your Calendar - The next PMVB Quarterly Marketing Meeting is scheduled to be held at the Hotel Fauchere next Thursday, April 26. Watch your email for additional details. Contact Jackie Achey with questions or to RSVP.

Sponsors and Prize Donations Needed - Help support the Pocono Mountains Hospitality Scholarship Golf Tournament by becoming a sponsor of the event or donating a prize. The tournament is scheduled for Tuesday, June 19 at Split Rock Golf Club. For more information, contact Ann Pilcher.

Press Room

Skytop Lodge and the Pocono Mountains are being featured in the Joan Hamburg Radio Show this Friday, April 20 from noon-2pm on WOR-AM.

Media Opportunity with Trekaroo.com - Trekaroo.com is seeking special exhibits to be featured in PA/NJ museums for the summer months. They must have family appeal. Deadline is noon tomorrow!

Press Clippings:

The Pocono Mountains was mentioned once again during the final round of voting for SoMeT 12 by the PIX 11 News!

Mid-Atlantic Events Magazine - Resort Destinations

TripAdvisor- Top 25 Large Hotels & Resorts for Families in the United States

Social Media

Status Report:
Facebook - 26,768 Likes, increased 3% in two weeks
Twitter - 2,098 Followers, increased 2% in two weeks

Social Tips:

~ Pinterest is now the number 3 most popular social media site in the U.S.

~ Create an editorial calendar for Facebook to guide and organize your content, while also experimenting with the frequency and timing of posts.

Do you have a special offer that you would like to share? The marketing team continues to look for weekly text message offers from members to be sent to our mobile community of over a few thousand. If your property is interested in providing a unique offer to be sent through our texting program, contact Brittany Berger.

Keep us in the know! Email Brittany Berger your news, events, happenings, photos, and videos to be considered for postings on our social accounts.

Sales Update

A Look Ahead...
International PowWow in Los Angeles, CA - April 21-25
Collaborate Marketplace in Las Vegas, NV - April 25-28
PA Tourism Summit in Harrisburg, PA - April 30-May 2

The Pocono Mountains CVB Sales Team is coming off a successful event and would like to thank the following members for their participation in the Reaching New Heights Meeting Planners Appreciation Reception at R2L in Philadelphia: Bushkill Inn and Conference Center, CBK Mountain Adventures, Chateau Resort and Conference Center, The Inn at Pocono Manor, Mount Airy Casino Resort, Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort Skytop Lodge Split Rock Resort and Golf Club ,The Crossings Premium Outlets, Woodloch Resort. Also, special thanks to Mid Atlantic Events Magazine and R2L.

Other Happenings

The Third Annual Lackawanna College Lake Region Center Scholarship Golf Tournament will be held at The Country Club at Woodloch Springs on Monday, May 7. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, donating a prize, signing up a team, or being a volunteer, please contact Wendy Evans.

Congratulations to high school hospitality students from Monroe Career & Technical Institute for taking top honors at the recent Lodging Management Program International Competition! The team came home victorious under the leadership of Patricia LeCompte, who was recently named Teacher of the Year by the Pennsylvania Tourism & Lodging Association.

Facility Enhancements at Lake Wallenpaupack Visitors Center - The first of two planned facility enhancements, funded by a donation received earlier this year from PPL Corporation, has now been completed. A telescope has been installed for visitors to view wildlife and activity on Lake Wallenpaupack from the lakeside deck. A defibrillator is also being installed for the added safety of the thousands of visitors coming to the center and only public beach on the lake.

• New Members
• Member News
• Special Offers Form
• Events Form
• Press Releases
• Archives

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800POCONOS.COM

~ NEW: Submit your lodging, attraction, and dining special offers during this year's outdoor adventure sporting events time frames.

~ Golf Events and Special Offers: The PMVB is looking to populate our website with additional golf information. Be sure to submit your golfing events for 2012 or overnight special offers for golf. Return using the forms at the top of this newsletter.

~ Golf-A-Round Card: Available online for only $40. Then, play twice at each of the golf courses for just $25 per round.

~ Top referring sites for March: IronmanPoconoMountains.com, CalliesCandy.com and HappyTrailsRiding.com. Contact Linda A. Wojnar for linking and logo information.

~ Backlinks: Double check our links on your site to ensure you are linking to our most current pages on 800poconos.com.

GREEN TIPS FROM THE PMVB

~ Mixing 1 tablespoon of vinegar with 1 gallon of warm water makes a solution perfect for most floor cleaning jobs. What's more, you don't even have to rinse afterwards - it dries itself! - cutting both time and water spent!

~ Did you know that by composting you can offset the emissions from your car? Not to mention you'd be helping reduce the near 34 million tons of refuse that ends up in landfills every year!

Stay up-to-the-minute by following us on these social sites.

SPECIAL OFFERS

Special Offers for the spring/summer season are overdue! Be sure yours are included.

EVENTS

Let us know what you've got coming up in 2012!

TRIP PLANNER

Confirm your physical location for mapping itineraries.

TRIP ADVISOR

Play an active role in managing your reviews.