Re: innkeeping: Local Association Chamber Membership

[stoncrft <stoncrft@concentric.net>]

Our association, Bed & Breakfasts of the Mystic Coast, Inc. (BBMC), has
twenty six members currently.  Our properties are located throughout New
London County (Southeastern Connecticut) and four properties are in
Westerly, Rhode Island.

We have experienced the same problem; local Chambers will not allow us
to join as an association.  However most of our members belong to the
Mystic Chamber of Commerce.  My personal opinion is that some of our
members, especially those farthest from Mystic would indeed choose not
to maintain individual memberships at the chamber if we had an
association membership.  

The Mystic Chamber is an important source of referrals for B&Bs both
directly and through the publication of the Mystic Four Season Discovery
Guide, in which all of our members who are chamber members advertise. 
(This accounted for nearly 30% of Stonecroft's bookings in 1996).

A reality of this area, however, is that the closer a property is to
Mystic, the quicker they fill their rooms.  So even though Stonecroft
is  ten minutes from Mystic, our rooms generally fill after the seven
Mystic properties.  This becomes less true as Stonecroft is becoming
better known (this is our third year).  Although the amount of business
Stonecroft directly traces to Chamber membership is declining, we will
remain members of the Chamber and continue to advertise in their
Discovery Guide.

I've probably given you a great deal of information that you weren't
looking for, but I hope some of this is useful.  If BBMC can be of help
to your group in organizing we'll be happy to do so.  My wife and I are
both Board members of BBMC and I chair our committee on Government and
external Relations.

Our email address is: stoncrft@concentric.net
Our URL:  http://www.localnews.com/buspages/stoncrft/

Good Luck with your association!

Lynn & Joan Egy, Stonecroft, Ledyard, CT