“After any event you have to ask one key question, did it meet your expectation.  I believe that expectations were matched or exceeded,” said David Jackson, Corporate Sales Manager for the BCCVB.  Even so, planning for an even larger sixth annual Gateway to Bucks County is already under way.
 
For more information about Gateway to Bucks County, please contact David Jackson, Corporate Sales Manager for the Bucks County Conference & Visitors Bureau, at (888) 359-9110 ext. 228, or via email at[email protected]. 

New Visitors Center Equipped to Share
Bucks County “Experiences”

Bucks County Visitors Center Will Offer Visitors and Residents Alike One-Stop-Shopping When it Comes to Planning Their Days in Bucks

Bucks County’s official tourism promotion agency, the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau, Inc. (BCCVB), has upgraded its headquarters to a new state-of-the-art Visitors Center located along Street Road in Bensalem, PA.  A work in progress since 1999, the new 20,000 sq. ft. Bucks County Visitors Center is setting the stage for extensive gains in the ability of the BCCVB to market Bucks County effectively.  Complete with a movie theatre, gift shop, fully staffed information desk and meeting space, the Bucks County Visitors Center will offer visitors to the county one-stop-shopping when it comes to planning their days in Bucks.  Covering Lower, Central and Upper Bucks, the Visitors Center will remain steadfast in its focus to showcase, through its own publications, individual brochures and a film on the county, all that Bucks County has to offer. 

The Visitors Center staff, which moved into the new center the week of June 3rd, is preparing for an August public opening.  Visitors are encouraged to stop by and see for themselves exactly what the new and improved Bucks County Visitors Center has to offer.  Residents and visitors alike have been marveling at the building since its groundbreaking in February 2002 and should take advantage of this opportunity to acquaint themselves with all that Bucks County has to offer.  A Grand Opening Celebration is slated for sometime in October. 

The BCCVB had been headquartered on the grounds of Fonthill Museum and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works along Swamp Road in Doylestown, PA.  The new center, some 17,500 sq. ft. larger than the previous facility, includes a sizable visitor area able to accommodate more foot traffic in a single day than the other center could host in a week.  “The new Visitors Center will act as a gateway to Bucks County”, states BCCVB Executive Director Keith Toler, “the likes of which will welcome visitors with a more polished, informative and effective approach than ever before.” 

Bucks County offerings range from quaint bed & breakfasts and country inns, to castle-like historic sites, invigorating outdoor adventures, unforgettable arts & attractions, rewarding shopping venues and delightful dining destinations.  The increased space at the new Center will enable BCCVB staff to market Bucks County offerings as “experiences”, leaving visitors with an
impression of what each offers and the ability to choose which experiences best match their interests.  “The Center should prove useful for visitors new to the county as well as longtime residents,” notes Toler, “with so much to do in Bucks County, visitors can be unsure of where to begin and residents sometimes lose sight of what’s in their own backyards… that’s where we come in.”  

Membership Renewals

A new fiscal year is about to begin at the Bucks County Conference & Visitors Bureau.  But that’s not all that is new!  There have been many changes at the BCCVB over the past year, and many more to come:
  * The BCCVB has a new leader - Keith Toler, Executive Director
  * There will be no dues increase this year.  In fact, we offered you a 10% discount  if you paid your invoice prior to May 31, 2002. 
  * The new Visitor Center will be unveiled to the public this July 2002. 
Located on Street Road in Bensalem, the BCCVB will greet and assist thousands of visitors each.  Visitors will find it easier to get to us; consequently your information will be disseminated to more people!
  * Electronic Member Mailings will begin in August --EMAIL ADDRESSES NEEDED! (The current format will be available to those who do not have email.)
Electronic Membership Directory to be launched this fall.
  * Many new and exciting marketing opportunities for our members to receive valuable exposure.

Invoices and profile sheets were sent to the membership on May 3; if you have not received your packet, please contact our office to have a duplicate sent out immediately.  

If you have not submitted your payment and profile sheet, please do so as soon as possible.  We cannot guarantee that your information will be updated for our publications at this point.  The deadline for profiles and dues payments was June 28, 2002. 

If you have any questions about your membership, please call Suzy Buehler at (215) 639-0300 ext. 224 or Nicole Kinniry at (215) 639-0300 ext 225.

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee of the Bucks County Conference & Visitors Bureau provides the perfect opportunity for businesses to come together in an informal setting to develop new or strengthen existing business relationships.  Additionally, Member Mixers provide the opportunity for you to showcase your facility as a host or to check out the host’s facility as an attendee.
The Membership Committee is looking for feedback from the BCCVB membership regarding their satisfaction with their partnership with the BCCVB.  Please take a moment to complete and submit the electronic survey on the BCCVB web site, www.experiencebuckscounty.com, so that we may better serve you.

July 16, 2002, Tuesday - Join us for our Quarterly Membership Orientation & Refresher Meeting and then stay for an evening of fun at Networking at the Trenton Thunder Baseball Game – Orientation is 4:30 – 6:00 PM, Game begins at 7:00 PM – Bring the whole family and take advantage of the block of specially priced tickets!

October 15, 2002, Tuesday – Moonlight Restaurant, located at 36 W Mechanic Street in New Hope, will be hosting our Quarterly Membership Orientation & Refresher from 9:30 to 11:00 AM.

The award-winning  S.T.A.R. (Service That Attracts Recognition) Awards Program will be back in 2003.  

 The BCCVB is now seeking volunteer committee members to help steer the all-new program to another successful year!   Please contact  Nicole Kinniry at 215-639-0300 ext. 225 or Suzy Buehler at ext. 224 for more information on the how you can help.

Discover Bucks: Be A Tourist In Your Own County Update

This year’s Be A Tourist In Your Own County program has been very successful thus far.  Passport sales exceed 1,100, which is triple last year’s sales.  Organizations participating as fundraisers have sold over 100 passports.  The program has been represented at the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, the Networking Expo at the Radisson Hotel, the LBCCC Perc Meeting at Sesame Place, Newtown Welcome Day, Senator Tomlinson’s Senior Expo at the Buck Hotel and the Bucks County Technical High School Car Show.   The program has also generated an abundance of editorial from the local media.  It has been in 16 publications with over 59 articles on this year’s Be A Tourist Program.