Serving You 9-6

Community Betterment | Convention & Visitors Bureau | Economic Development

Economic Indicators | Membership Services & Outreach | Public Policy

-

UNDERPASS BEFORE COUNCIL TODAY

New Braunfels City Council will meet at 5pm at the civic/convention center ballroom today regarding three issues. Council will first hold a workshop with the Planning Commission on the proposed metropolitan planning organization. That will be followed with two action items which include the South Seguin Ave. Underpass Project and the naming of citizens to an AD HOC River Committee. Your Chamber has been a vocal proponent of the widening project for the last 32 years. The New Braunfels Police Officers Association last Thursday got 100% approval from their group to support the project. The Chamber has also suggested several names of local expert stakeholders in attraction management as candidates for the AD HOC River Committee.

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES BRISK

Buildnb staff briefed the Advisory Team last Friday in the Chamber offices. The Advisory Team is composed of the Mayor, City Manager, County Auditor, NBU CEO, 4B President and EDF Chairman that receives monthly briefings on economic development activities. The briefing included the recent site selectors mission to Atlanta as well as the hosting of a site selector from Minneapolis last week. Buildnb staff responded to two referrals from the Governors Office of Economic Development since last months briefing and received the “Best of Class” award at the Southern Economic Development Council’s Communications Awards Banquet in Ashville, North Carolina in August. A Governor’s job recruitment mission to Canada is scheduled for September 11-16, 2011 and the annual Growth Summit hosted by Austin and San Antonio Business Journals will be this Friday.

GET YOUR LIVING LEGENDS OF NEW BRAUNFELS TICKETS

The Living Legends of New Braunfels event, set for October 11 in the Civic/Convention Center is a program of the Braunfels Foundation Trust. The Trust is a 501C3 not for profit organized after the devastating floods here in 1972. The Trust was the catalyst for the Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture now known as Heritage Village. The Trust owns the historic Hinman House and provides the facility rent free to Communities in Schools. Honorees for this year’s Living Legend event are “Bud” Dahlmann and Bill Schumann. Tickets are available at the Chamber office at 390 S. Seguin Ave.

CORRIDOR GROWTH SUMMIT FRIDAY

Local economic development stakeholders and staff will be attending the Austin/San Antonio Business Journal’s Growth Summit this Friday at the Embassy Suites in San Marcos. The Summit will take place from 11:00am - 1:30pm. New Braunfels will be well represented with three tables at the event to support the two nominees from New Braunfels and Comal County. The two projects nominated are the Westpoint Village Shopping Center, a Barshop-Oles project and the New Braunfels Regional Rehabilitation Hospital in Sundance Park off Common Street. City, county, EDF, Chamber and 4B representatives will be in attendance to honor these projects. Mayor Pospisil will also attend a reception with other corridor mayors to promote regional economic development cooperation.

AND THE POLL SAYS…

The Chamber’s all member poll will be distributed the next three weeks beginning September 12th. Members with emails should be receiving the first distribution of the poll next Monday. The poll is very short and should take only a few minutes of your time. Your opinions are confidential as the polling software automatically summarizes the input and we only see the totals. Last year, those taking the poll helped the Chamber Board prioritize efforts on your behalf, leading to such successes as the UTSA Small Business Development Center opening soon in downtown, as well as the Mayor’s Higher Education Task Force being formed with recommendations to expand the Central Texas Technology Center as well as a university center for the community. Your opinion matters!

SUMMER WRAPS UP

Summer 2011 is nearly in the books. Second quarter hotel occupancy tax numbers posted up 14% over the same period last year and we remain optimistic that the third quarter will hold in light of massive media exposure generated in July and August putting New Braunfels in a negative light. The good news story for July and August was the multi-million dollar Schlitterbahn expansion that brought new technology, great rides and amazing tree house lodging to New Braunfels, providing a definite boost to the family market. Thanks, Schlitterbahn! Get your calendars out and start marking days for all the Fall/Winter events.

NEW BRAUNFELS “SPIELGOLF”TO REPLACE GOLF FEST

Spielgolf? Translation..Play Golf New Braunfels! This is the new Chamber golf tournament that will be held April 27-28, 2012, replacing the Central Texas Men’s Invitational Golf Fest. The event will feature River Crossing, Landa, and the Bandit. The opening event will take place Thursday evening April 26 at Gruene Hall. There will be prize money for each flight as well as day money on Saturday. Mark your calendars golfers!

ADVERTISING FAIR NEW TO TRADE SHOW

The Chamber’s Business Trade Show will be “rockin” from 11:30am – 6:30pm on Wednesday, September 14 in the Civic/Convention Center. Day Show tickets are discounted in advanced but may be purchased at the door. Tickets are available at www.nbtradeshow.com or at the Chamber office. Ninety exhibitors will display their products or services. The show this year includes an advertising fair at 1pm and 4pm presented by sixteen Chamber member advertising professionals. Meet the pros one-on-one and get great tips as well as network with other business owners and managers.

YOUTH LNB KICKS OFF NEW YEAR

Youth Leadership New Braunfels 2012 begins their class year today with an orientation for students, parents, school and Chamber officials. The orientation will take place from 7pm – 8pm at the Landmark. The program format for the year will be reviewed and the class will be introduced. For a class roster go to www.nbcham.org/ylnb. The opening retreat is set for Saturday, September 10 from 8am – 6:30pm. Monthly class days begin October 4.