Regional Chamber to Lead New Convention & Visitor Bureau

The Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) has been selected to lead the tourism efforts in Flint and Genesee County, which will significantly increase their involvement in shaping the image of the region, and inspiring travelers to visit.

At the request of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners, the GRCC and the County have entered into an agreement for the Chamber to market local attractions, promote tourism and conventions. Jaime Curtis, Chairman of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners, said "I'm confident that the Regional Chamber is the right organization to generate excitement about tourism in this region. They have s trong track record for organization and program management, and have been in the forefront of positioning the county as a great place to do business and live."

The new tourism group is named Flint-Genesee Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau (Regional Chamber CVB) and is the Chamber's first consumer-focused action group. The staff's primary objective is to increase the overall economic impact of tourism and conventions by attracting more overnight visitors and increasing the frequency and/or length of visitor's trips. A great deal of the effort will go into encouraging residents to visit local attractions and educating visitors about the many attractions within the region.

With this new announcement, the Flint-Genesee County CVB will prepare to dissolve.

Tim Herman, CEO of the Regional Chamber, says that he and his staff are excited about the new responsibility and have hit the ground running. "I appreciate the confidence shown in my team by the County Board of Commissioners, the Regional Chamber Board and our many partners," said Herman. "We're excited to lead the marketing efforts for tourism in Genesee County and doing so with an experienced and talented team of professionals in place."

Herman added "we have demonstrated success for many years at promoting the region to businesses and investors. Marketing the region as a travel destination is a natural evolution of our messaging and a good fit for our skill set. In addition, one of our core strengths is forming strategic partnerships. This will play an important role in our tourism strategy as we forge cross-country collaboration with a variety of organizations."

An advisory committee has been established to help advance the goals of the Regional Chamber CVB. The committee will provide direction and assist in setting the strategy.