Greetings fellow innkeepers! If your spring is like our spring, you are now awakening to all the stuff you had planned to get done over the winter and didn’t for one reason or another. And that means you are now in high gear with tasks such as painting, cleaning, etc. It is the same here at Buffalo Rock.

The winter has been crummy and so far spring is nothing to brag about. I find it hard to get motivated to do anything that requires poking more than my nose outside. The legislature this year trying to balance the budget has captured my attention a bunch. And that is another thing we all share, trying to make the most of our b and b income. At this year’s Spring Retreat we will be delving into an issue that we have been putting on the back burner for a few years, and that is advertising choices for BBISD. In the past we have done some ads in the Great Getaways, Midwest Living and even some t v spots. Now that we have settled our website plan and know what that is going to cost, we can move forward and consider what other areas we might jump into that would benefit our association. So bring some ideas with you to the Retreat.

Although I haven’t done a serious poll of area inns, it is my gut feeling that advance reservations are looking pretty good, in spite of economic issues our country faces. People are making plans to stay closer to home and going for the best bang for their buck. In SD last year visitation was up in most parts of the state, but dollars spent was slightly down. During the Retreat I think we should be talking some about “packaging”. I’m interested in hearing from you if you have tried any of that and how it has worked for you. Packaging is definitely a trend that the state has jumped on and we see it referenced in the Digital Marketing program that is being introduced. And speaking of Digital Marketing, I would like to hear from you prior to the Retreat if you are interested in us having someone from that program talking to our group about it.

Another issue that is scheduled to be discussed at the Retreat would be classed as Standards, or what minimum services a Bed and Breakfast establishment should be offering. This subject has been brought to me by several members, and I feel we should spend some time discussing it during this retreat. Our bylaws are somewhat vague about it and it is possible that we might want to add some language to them, or not. We also need to select positions for the newly elected board members, as that was not covered in our brief meeting in January.

I am REALLY EXCITED about seeing you all again, soon. As always, we are available by phone or email if you have any questions.