Woodstock Greeter Project
Project Overview
Every Summer and fall the town of Woodstock receives thousands of visitors who stop here via motor coach tours. Early in the season you will see perhaps one or two tour groups walking through the village. As we progress to foliage season, there may be up to 25 buses daily. We learned that most tour operators don’t know anything about Woodstock. They just know that it is a pretty place and one of the many stops in New England.
A visitor greeter will meet the bus, make sure they know how to get to the restrooms, the covered bridge; where they can grab something to eat and maybe take a walk to view some Revere Bells. If pre-arranged a Visitor Greeter may meet the bus and hop on and tell them about some of the historical facts about the area, such as the terminus for the train, Hiram Powers or The Woodstock Inn.
The Chamber will reach out to tour operator to get the approximate time and date of in-coming buses. The Greeters will be recruited, trained and assigned days of the week by the Chamber. They will be paid by the Chamber of Commerce through this proposed grant. This will be a trial project and will be assessed late in October 2022
Grant Request
$4937
Total Project Budget
$5374
Applicant Information
Name of Applicant / Organization / Business
Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce
Mailing Address
Po Box 486 Woodstock, VT 05091
Name of Project Coordinator
Beth Finlayson
Contact's Email Address
Telephone
802-457-3555
Organization's Website URL
EIN
03-0183829
Applicatant / Organizational Description
The Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce is a membership-driven organization of businesses and professionals who are committed to developing a vibrant community and improving the economic well-being of the Woodstock area by marketing and supporting our members and our towns.
If you are applying on behalf of an organization, what is your total organizational budget?
$165,000.00
Project Information
Detailed Project Description
The goal of the project is to learn when motor tours are coming to Woodstock during the off season and then hire and train several greeters to meet the motor coaches; welcome them, offer information as to the location of the Welcome Center, Covered Bridges and restaurants.
By offering this service we can ensure they learn a little bit about Woodstock including the Revere Bell locations and other interesting facts about Woodstock; we can direct them to an appropriate restaurant and keep them from trying to use Peoples United and the NWPL facilities( which we get complaints regularly).
Project Timeline
March through May- research bus tours
May- Recruit Employees
June-Train Employees and schedule 4 days for greeters
July- Schedule 10 days for greeters
August-Schedule 15 days for greeters
September- Schedule 21 days for greeters
September-Schedule 15 days for greeters
November- Assess the Greeter Program
Project Champion
This is a trial program.
Project Budget Narrative
The grant will will be spent on funding training 2-3 individuals for 2 hours.
And to pay for the hours lists above.
Project Budget - Itemized
Income Category
Total
Applicant
EDC
Other
In-Kind
$5374
$437
$4937
Expense Category
Total
Applicant
EDC
Other
In-Kind
$5374
$437
$4937
What will success look like?
People on the buses will know more about Woodstock, it's amenities and it's history. Tour operators will know where to park. Bus people will not be wandering around the Library or Peoples United Bank searching for rest rooms. And, they will leave Woodstock with information they can share with family members when they return to their home states.
Community support for this project
The Chamber of Commerce Board supports this proposed project.
Community support for this project
After the project's assessment in November we will look at other funding opportunities.
