Happy Spring, everyone! 2019 has already had a tremendous start with many projects and events. Between now and the start of summer (whether you mark that as Memorial Day or the Summer Equinox of June 20) there are dozens or more activities for you to enjoy as citizens and for businesses to participate in to help them grow. Let’s take a look at some of them today.
Brunswick Downtown Association Welcomes Dale Arnold, April 5: Between when this article gets submitted and when you read this, they may be sold out of tickets, so the time to act is now. If you are fortunate enough to get a ticket you’ll be able to meet Dale Arnold, one of New England’s most recognizable sports journalists and Boston’s sports authors. Dale is known to many for his work covering the Bruins, but he covers all four Boston sports teams throughout the year whether that is on radio or in person. For more information on this breakfast event this Friday, log onto www.brunswickdowntown.org
Capstone Day at Mt. Ararat, April 5: Though relatively unknown outside of MSAD 75 students and parents, this day features presentations from the senior class of Mt. Ararat as they present their senior projects. Community members and several business leaders are invited into the school to help judge the presentations along with the facility. This opportunity allows for students to meet business leaders in the region but also it enhances the growing relationships between our businesses and the schools and their students. Best of luck this week to all of the students putting their final touches on their presentations.
2019 Eat Play Stay- Chamber Guest Guide: Though this is not an event, this is a project that businesses can engage in to help their businesses thrive. Annually, the chamber produces a printed guide of the region and last year it was completely overhauled with a new name and fresh new look. 50,000 copies of the 2019 Eat Play Stay will be ready to distribute by Memorial Day. This is a great opportunity to be found by tourists and relocators alike. Our guide does more than just preview the area. It includes content, like maps, travel times to popular destinations and lodging/restaurant benefit tables ,that encourage people to bring the book with them as they travel. When they do they’ll see chamber members in the directory which is divided by industry, and they will also see the advertisements. This piece gets mailed throughout the US and internationally upon request, and can be found in every Maine rest area and chamber of commerce. Lastly, the ads that go towards the printing costs of guide, are literally pennies per impression. The ads start at $325 and when you factor that over 50,000 you can see the reach you get for potential customers by spending just fractions of pennies per ad. Even the most expensive full page ad is under a nickel per copy. You can’t beat those prices for a guide that hits a specific target audience of people looking to relocate or spend money on their vacation. Also, all chamber members are listed in the directory for free- it’s a great time to join!
2019 Spring Hiring Fair: The Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber is teaming up with the Southern Midcoast CareerCenter on producing a three-hour job fair in late April or early May. We are finalizing a location, but the fairs we have done in the past several years have had 180-300 attendees and average 62 business or school booths. Early May or late April doesn’t leave much time so be on the lookout for this information. To guarantee you get notified contact either the CareerCenter or the chamber and we can add you to a distribution list for e-mail updates on this event.
2019 Calendar of Events: This project is going into its third year and it’s one of the best kept secrets in the region. This printed calendar had over 700 events listed last year from June 1- December 31. It is compiled by calendar submissions by local organizations and the combining of two dozen community calendars into one master list. Those restaurants and lodging properties that know about it, use it every day during the summer. It’s a listing of events by date so people can see what activities are happening in their region. Be on the lookout for this in mid-to-late May and find downloadable copies on the chamber website. Printed versions will be available in the information centers in Bath and Brunswick and on the countertops of many local businesses.
Trek Across Maine, Father’s Day Weekend: If you’re a strict calendar-follower and believe summer doesn’tt begin until June 20, then you know that the Trek Across Maine is a spring event happening the last weekend of Spring, June 14-16. The event will kickoff with registration on June 13 and a welcoming event at Flight Deck Brewing. For those that don’t know the Trek is a fundraiser for the American Lung Association in which hundreds of individual cyclists and teams will ride 180 miles over three days. The route used to travel through other parts of Maine but this year the ride will begin and end in Brunswick on Brunswick Landing. There are still volunteer opportunities available and cyclists can still sign up too. Either way it should be bringing over one thousand riders, volunteers and coordinators to the region for this wonderful event. Let’s show them our Midcoast hospitality so they come back year after year and let’s root on our local teams like L.L. Bean and Mid Coast-Parkview Health. The goal of the Trek is to raise $1.5M.
Many more local events: We will continue our spring preview next week as there are so many events we haven’t touched on. Look for updates on Race the Runways, the Hacker’s Ball golf tournament, Maine Maritime Museum’s events calendar, Main State Music Theater’s season and much, much more.
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