Chamber holds first ‘Talk’ session
The group immediately began to air opinions and views on a variety of different topics.
The result of the discussion is:
Shop Polk First
- Expansion and more advertisement through education, awareness and visibility throughout the communities - Support our local businesses!
- Provide data on how the impact of spending local dollars can improve County services, education, and infrastructure
- Research loyalty cards (buy 3, get 1 free), tracking systems, bumper stickers with “Polk Promoting Prosperity”
- Social Media ( Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others)
- Daily updates, “what’s going on in Polk County”, information on new businesses (services and products they offer)
Use to keep Polk visible
- Signage - County – continues to be addressed in the Business Redevelopment Committee
- Consider 2 locations that are ready – 1 the County Airport near Cowboys convenience store and 2 Silver Comet Trail – at the border of Paulding County
Tourism
- Immediate need: tourist maps for attractions, recreations, restaurants, events, and more for visitors (weddings, funerals, 278 traffic), potential residents to the area, business reps (regional, national, and international)
- Place maps in local convention centers, halls, high-traffic areas (Cartersville, surrounding areas)
- Speak with Rep. Trey Kelley re: adding “Rockmart” to 1) Main St. Cartersville exit sign 2) Austell – I-20 exit sign 3) exit sign from Villa Rica in west Georgia area
- Magazine-type pub- lication for promoting businesses (Chamber produced one years ago; surrounding cities/counties currently use)
Communication
- Improve between Development Authority of Polk County, Rockmart Business Alliance and Development Authority of Cedartown – all working toward improving life in cities and county
- Serve as a “Welcome Committee” for potential new industries with DAPC; offer bus tours of the best of Polk County
Hotel
- Nicer, more upscale – out of-town visitors of local weddings, funerals, international visitors, and rollover from Lake Point in Bartow County
In later correspondence, Welsh encouraged “talk” participants to continue sharing ideas and work to achieve goals of the Chamber.