Chamber News & Weblog

August Chamber AM Breakfast at Pinestone Resort

From Left: Natalie Stephenson, Director of Sales & Marketing at Pinestone Resort, Nick Lawrence, President Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Territory Sales Manager for Van Houtte Coffee, Barrie McAndrews, Sales & Promotions Manager of Resorts of Ontario, Frank Vismeg, President of Skål Toronto North and Managing Director at Pinestone Resort, Sonia Radunovic-Vismeg, Director of Operations at Pinestone Resort.

Nearly 40 attendees were present for the August Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce Breakfast held at Pinestone Resort, Conference Centre – Spa & Golf Course. Increasing tourism to the Haliburton Highlands was the focus of this breakfast and guests left with beneficial information and ideas of how to attract more travellers. Barrie McAndrews informed all in attendance about the benefits of being a member of Resorts of Ontario as well as recent changes to make searching for resorts and specific features much easier for travellers. Frank Vismeg presented information on Skål International, an international organization that encompasses all sectors of the travel and tourism industry. Members of Skål work closely together to increase business to all members, giving access to over 22,000 tourism professionals who are interested in doing business among friends, which actually happens to be one of their slogans. In the past five years, Mr. Vismeg has attended four Skål International World Congresses in Zagreb/Dubrovnik (Croatia), Pattaya (Thailand), Antalya (Italy), Budapest (Hungary) and this year will be heading to Sydney, Australia with over 30 Skalleagues to represent Canada, Skål Toronto North through networking and spreading the word about the natural beauty and excellent facilities in the Haliburton Highlands and Pinestone Resort, Conference Centre & Golf Course. Promoting and building tourism is extremely important and will soon be the largest industry in the world.

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From a Dream to a Reality TV Show

From a Dream to a Reality TV Show

Unique golf-themed travel series debuts next spring

What started out as little more than a casual idea between two friends almost a year ago has turned into a real life, real adventure television show scheduled to hit the airwaves on three separate television networks it was announced this week.

Highways To Fairways – a show where two guys hop into an RV and traipse the globe in search of the world’s most unique golf courses – is set to launch jointly in Canada on OLN and CHEX Television and in the United States on R&R TV in the Spring of 2011.

“We’re very excited to debut internationally in our very first year,” says Wayde Greer, Highways To Fairways Executive Producer & Co-Host and one half of the two-man buddy team. “Being associated with a great brand like OLN adds instant credibility to what we’re trying to do here with this show.”

“We’re trying to take the elitism and starch out of golf,” explains Charlie Teljeur, Creative Director & Co-Host and the other half of the Highways To Fairways team. “Most golf-themed shows are about playing high-end exclusive courses. We’re not like that. We will only play public courses and there has to be some unique feature that makes it worth the visit.”

The show’s beginnings read a bit like a storybook. The two concocted Highways To Fairways one night in Teljeur’s basement simply to combine their love for travel with a business plan and, after discussing the idea with a local government development agency, the idea went from wishful thinking to legitimate in one short week.

“In the course of one month we had to go from simply having an idea to hitting the road (to film the pilot) with financing and a vehicle and camera equipment, none of which we had,” says Greer.
That’s where living in a tiny town like Haliburton, Ontario became very beneficial. In addition to the development funding, the town and its residents rallied around the pair through things like funding drives (for gas), the donation of a vehicle and promoting their plan through a local radio station.
“We were humbled by the support and the amount of people willing to add what they could to this endeavour,” adds Teljeur. “We couldn’t have produced a pilot without them.”

They did however, complete it and the ambitious pilot was enough to impress three networks but now they know the real work begins. Teljeur and Greer are set to hit the road again in September, only this time to gather enough footage for thirteen half hour episodes. The pair anticipates being away from home for up to two months, which can put some strain on relationships back home but such are the sacrifices in this type of venture.

“It can be heart-wrenching but it makes for great TV,” says Greer, a single father with an 8 year old daughter.

Although all the destinations have yet to be disclosed (and discovered) the pair expects to log another 7000 plus miles and intends to take in, among a lot of other things, the longest hole in the United States; golfing at a prison; golfing at a NFL-themed course; playing as many holes as possible at Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones trail and a round inside of the world’s most famous racetrack.

“We have a list of places we expect to visit,” says Teljeur, “but, as anyone who’s ever done something like this can attest, the road ultimately decides the destination.”

About Highways To Fairways:
Highways To Fairways (HTF) is a multimedia brand created by business partners Charlie Teljeur and Wayde Greer, aka Bent Nose Media. HTF presently exists as a serial television show debuting in the Spring of 2011 on OLN, CHEX TV and R&R TV and is in the process of branching out to include a similar print Highways To Fairways publication. href="http://www.highwaystofairways.com"target=_blank">www.highwaystofairways.com

Media contact information:
Wayde Greer Executive Producer
705-854-0626
wayde@highwaystofairways.com

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Summit 2010 at Pinestone Resort

Nick Lawrence - President Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce John Sawyer - President Oakville Chamber of Commerce Frank Vismeg – Managing Director Pinestone Resort, Conference Centre & Golf Course and President of Skål International Toronto North

Managing Director of Pinestone Resort, Conference Centre & Golf Course and President of Skål International Toronto North, Frank Vismeg, together with tHaliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce President Nick Lawrence, meet with Oakville Chamber of Commerce President John Sawyer at Pinestone Resort, Conference Centre and Golf Course to exchange idea and enhance Chamber relations.

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3rd Annual Warden’s Breakfast

The third annual Warden’s breakfast held at the Pinestone on June 10, 2010 discussed the relevant topic of tourism and its future in the Highlands, leaving many with much to anticipate in the upcoming year.

Michael Kurts, the assistant deputy minister for the Ministry of Tourism, updated on the provincial government’s recently announced new tourism regions.

Continuing on the theme of the RTOs, a presentation by Mitchell Wilkie was made. Manager of economic development services for the county of Renfrew and the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association, Wilkie is acting as the transitional board chair for RTO 11.

For more on this story visit http://www.haliburtonecho.on.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=2622337

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Mr. Gary G. Brohman’s Celebration Party at Pinestone Resort

Pictured from l to r: Irv Sternberg – Vice-Principal HHSS, Gary Brohman – Principal HHSS, Sonia Radunovic-Vismeg – Director of Operations Pinestone Resort, Conference Centre & Golf Course and Frank Vismeg – Managing Director Pinestone Resort, Conference Centre & Golf Course and President of Skål International Toronto North.

Pinestone Resort, Conference Centre & Golf Course was honoured to host an intimate gathering of over 220 of Gary Brohman’s closest friends and colleagues.

The turnout is a true testament to the man….husband, father, grandfather, friend, mentor, colleague and in Gary’s own words “Principal of Haliburton Highlands Secondary School – the best job in the world”. The evening MC’d by Vice-Principal Irv Sternberg, included a host of guest speakers who, over Gary’s life, including his 38 years with TLDSB, had experiences and stories to share. He has obviously touched thousands of students, spanning multiple generations, parents and colleagues in his day-to-day hands-on approach to educating. Gary will now have time to perfect his golf game and we at Pinestone look forward to seeing him more often. We’re sure he’ll continue to wear “red” with great pride….for “Once a Hawk, always a Hawk”!

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Warden’s Breakfast a Great Success


The third annual Warden’s breakfast held at the Pinestone on June 10 discussed the relevant topic of tourism and its future in the Highlands, leaving many with much to anticipate in the upcoming year.

For More on this story visit www.haliburtonecho.on.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2622337

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Pinestone Resort Hires New Managing Director

Pinestone Resort & Conference Centre has brought a new managing director on board. Frank Vismeg brings a wealth of tourism management experience to both Pinestone & the region, including membership in Skål, the International Association of Travel & Tourism Professionals (website: www.sicanada.org).

Frank most recently worked in the Halton region, where as evidenced below in community recognitions from both the Government of Canada and the Town of Oakville, his contributions and accomplishments were note worthy.

The Chamber of Commerce would like extend a warm welcome to Frank.

(Click on images to enlarge)

Frank Vismeg - Government of Canada recognition     Frank Vismeg - Town of Oakville recognition

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Crowne Gallery Receives Recognition in Provincial Legislature

As a follow up to our blog post from last November regarding Marc Shroetter’s Support the Troops project at the Crowne Gallery – Chamber Member’s Project Profiled in The Globe & Mail – we have received news that our local MPP Rick Johnson stood in the provincial legislature last week and gave formal recognition to Marc and his work. Congratulations, Marc.

 

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Chamber Anniversary & Sign By-Law Garner Media Coverage

Both of our local papers have featured coverage of Chamber affairs over the last week.

In the first instance, the Minden Times looks at our 75th anniversary year and talks about the recent growth in the organization.

Chamber of commerce is 75 years old and still growing
Minden Times – January 13th, 2010

The Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 75th anniversary and it’s doing so with renewed zeal.

The chamber has more than 330 members, almost 100 of which have joined in the last year, and that number is still growing.

In all, there are about 600 businesses in Haliburton County.

“That’s phenomenal,” chamber president Nick Lawrence said last week, pointing out that having more than half an area’s businesses as chamber members is a rate that is basically unheard of.

Click here to read the full article.

 

Meanwhile, the Echo has coverage of the advocacy work we’ve undertaken in regards to the new county sign by-law.

Chamber not keen on sign bylaw
Haliburton Echo – January 12th, 2010

The Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce has concerns that upcoming changes to the county’s sign bylaw may have negative affects for area businesses.

While county council passed them in 2008, the changes will not come into effect until 2013, following a five-year grace period.

“At this point in time, we don’t have any issue,” said Maria Micallef, the chamber’s administrative co-ordinator.

However, when the new bylaw comes into effect in three years time, Micallef said she wonders what the effects will be for businesses that advertise along county roads and a survey recently put out to the chamber’s 300 members asks just that question.

Click here to read the full article.

 

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Winter Newsletter is Out!

The latest edition of The Voice of Business newsletter is out and will have been delivered to all Haliburton County businesses who accept flyers into their postal boxes. If you haven’t received a copy of our full colour business oriented newsletter and would like one, please contact the Chamber Office and we’ll gladly mail one to your directly.

Alternately, we offer digital copies of our newsletters here on the website. You can download a PDF version of both current and past issues by visiting the Newsletter page at www.hhchamber.on.ca/newsletters/.

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  • County of Haliburton Tourism Information

    County of Haliburton Events Page

    Link to Winterfest 2010 Website

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