SLAA NEWSLETTER December 2015/January 2016
President’s Corner
With the weather we are having in the area, it is almost impossible to believe that the holiday season is upon us! As I write this, it is an almost balmy 60 degrees outside. However, if you are a long time resident of the St. Louis area, you know that the weather can and will turn on a dime. Today’s 60 could be followed by tomorrow’s 35 degrees and raining! Ah, St. Louis! Gotta love it! (And if you don’t, give it a few hours and it might be more to your liking! LOL)
First, I would like to thank my predecessor, Laura Brahan, for shepherding us through an 18-month transition period. In moving our fiscal year to match our membership year, she had an extra six months added to her term as President and she knocked it out of the park. She left me with an incredible board as announced at the November meeting, and if I can just maintain, this coming year promises to be a good one.
January 20th Lunch Meeting “Missouri Tourism & the Spirit of St. Louis Awards”
Join us on Wednesday, January 20th, at Dave & Buster’s for the Saint Louis Attractions Association’s first meeting of 2016. Our featured speaker is Stephen Foutes, Public Relations Specialist at the Missouri Division of Tourism. Stephen focuses on the Division’s digital content and print publications, and he will provide an update regarding the latest happenings in Jefferson City and across the state.
The January meeting will also feature the annual Spirit of St. Louis Awards Presentation. Come support members of the industry who will be recognized for their contributions to tourism in the St. Louis area in 2015.
This is a meeting you won’t want to miss! SLAA will be revealing its new look, so make sure to come and check it out!
Click here for more information and to register to attend.
January Meeting Sponsorship is still available. If you have some big announcements for 2016 or would like to promote your business, there is still time to sponsor the January Meeting.
Thank You to Our Host
Thank You!
Happy December from the Fundraising Committee! We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who contributed to the Auction! With your help, SLAA raised over $4,000, a portion of which will go to helping students who want to get into our industry! Thank you so much for donating your experiences; your gifts were beyond what we expected. Many people commented about the assortment of items we had this year, and we know we couldn’t have done it without you! Another big thank you to Anheuser-Busch InBev for hosting – what a great venue! Congratulations to everyone who won items; we hope your Holiday gift giving is a little easier this year!
Looking into 2016, we will keep offering our 50/50 and Trip Raffles. We are always looking for donations for Trip Raffles, so if you would like to donation something, please let Amie Bossi or Brooke Emshoff know. Thanks in advance for all of your donations!
Thank You to Our January Meeting Host
It’s Time to Renew Your SLAA Membership!
Holiday greetings from the Saint Louis Attractions Association! Carole Moody founded SLAA in 1987 with a clear idea and vision, and our mission remains unchanged today. “The Saint Louis Attractions Association is a not-for-profit organization formed to exchange ideas, methods, and information pertaining to all aspects of the operation and administration of an attraction and its impact on the tourism industry.” Our active membership includes tourism organizations, and those who provide services to those organizations, from throughout the St. Louis region.
The organization has come a long way since those days in 1987, but one thing remains the same…this is THE organization, filled with networking opportunities with key tourism contacts and the exchange of successful marketing campaigns. Now in our 28th year, we are hard at work planning to make 2016 spectacular with new venues, programs and opportunities for you – our members!
It’s time to renew your membership and stay informed!
Our bi-monthly luncheon meetings take place at fun, educational and historical area attractions and venues. We provide our members the opportunity to network, gain industry contacts, learn more about marketing and operations, as well as build an awareness of your business through partnering with other local attractions. We look forward to programming that will help you stay connected to your region, as well as to changes and trends in the tourism and hospitality industry. Whether it’s a local and state-wide tourism update or learning how your industry colleagues are using technology to attract new visitors, join us as we continue to make the tourism industry in St. Louis strong and vibrant.
Additional advantages of being a member include business exposure through sponsorship of membership meetings; opportunities for greater involvement through committees; free listings on our website and membership directory; free bi-monthly informational e-newsletter; promotion of your organization’s internship programs; opportunities to distribute your information to our membership; an annual scholarship program for member employees, interns or family members; and much more.
Click here to complete your online membership renewal!
Renewals must be completed by January 31, 2016 for inclusion in the online members-only directory. If you have any questions or difficulties navigating through the online renewal process, please contact the SLAA office at (314) 416-2233 or info@stlattractions.org.
2016 Season Pass Now Available!
New in 2016 – 6 Meetings for the Price of 5! For the low price of $150 receive lunch* at every SLAA Meeting through November 2016. This member-only benefit has a $180 value so the season pass saves your organization the cost of one lunch meeting and is only available through January 20, 2016. As a bonus, the season pass allows you to simplify your life by only having to complete one expense report for SLAA meetings for the entire year. Not able to attend a meeting? The pass is transferable within your organization, so this would be the perfect opportunity to invite a colleague.
*Season Pass Holder must RSVP for each meeting. Each Season Pass is valid for one (1) registrant per meeting. Pass is good for the following meetings: January ’16, March ’16, May ’16, July ’16, September ’16, November ’16.
Featured Attraction – AKC Museum of the Dog
Often described as “a hidden gem”, the AKC Museum of the Dog never ceases to amaze visitors. Founded in 1981, at 51 Madison Avenue, New York, this niche museum is truly unique. It is the only museum in the world dedicated to the art, artifacts and literature in appreciation of all breeds and types of dogs and the human-canine relationship. The museum was moved to it’s present location in Queeny Park in 1987, and expanded in 1995 to its current size of approximately 14,000 square feet.
The collection of approximately seven thousand fine art pieces consists of porcelains, paintings, sketches, lithographs, bronze sculptures and more. The majority of the artwork is British and European dating from the early 19th century through the early 20th century, however more and more pieces by contemporary artists are being added as they are gifted.
The museum also has rooms and a courtyard available for dinners and receptions, seating up to 200 people. Being in West St. Louis County, the suburban location is perfect for those located or wish to venture outside the beltway.
For more information please go to Museumofthedog.org, look the museum up on Facebook and Twitter, phone at (314) 821-3647, or visit at 1721 South Mason Road. The AKC Museum of the Dog is a 501C(3) non-profit organization funded entirely by donations, membership, rentals and admission.
Last but not least the museum is dog friendly, so bring your favorite canine companion!
Thank You to All of Our Meeting Sponsors in 2015!
It’s not too early to plan now to secure your 2016 meeting date, since limited meeting sponsorships are available.
For only $200, you can sponsor a SLAA meeting, and get the word out about your business or promote your upcoming events. This could be a great opportunity to update fellow SLAA members about something new, upcoming events, explanation of your organization, and more! Sponsorship of a SLAA meeting includes:
- The opportunity to greet incoming guests at the door
- Four minutes to speak at the meeting about your organization
- A reserved table to distribute your organization’s materials
- The opportunity to distribute your organization’s materials on each individual table
- Recognition as a sponsor on email meeting notices
- Recognition in the bi-monthly newsletter
Click here to download the sponsorship agreement form. Still have questions? Contact the SLAA office at (314) 416-2233 or info@stlattractions.org for additional information.
Welcome New Member!
Allied: Oak Island Creative
Contact: Nicole Iannazzo
Oak Island is a creative team of people specializing in the materialization of experiential events, products, consulting and other services. We produce many of America’s flagship holiday events and are the world’s gold standard in haunted attraction design and implementation. We also specialize in many theming products, various special events, creative consulting and attractions.
Get Involved! Join a Committee!
Do you want to become more involved in SLAA? Do you need continuing education hours for your certification? You can become as involved as you choose, whether it is selling Trip Raffle tickets at bi-monthly meetings, or helping set up the Silent Auction. This is a great way to meet members outside of the membership meetings and an avenue to share your time and talent. Contact any of the chairs below to get started!
|
Programs |
Public Affairs Amie Bossi Jessica Utterback |
| Membership Sue Albers Laura Brahan Monietta Slay |
Scholarship/Internships Jen Hollenkamp |
| Fundraising (Silent Auction/Trip Raffle & 50/50 Raffle) Amie Bossi Brooke Emshoff |
Spirit of St. Louis Awards Bob Dietrich |
| Communications Tamara Sehl |
Meetings/Website Sponsorship Tricia Wisbrock |
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