Convention Visitors Bureau

Veronica Castillo

Autumn is here but with this heat you could not tell the difference in the daytime temperatures. Before long we will start to get an occasional cool front and eventually a cold front.
Our Winter Texans will begin to head down here next month and begin their annual migratory to South Texas.
With Fall begins the festival season for the Hub City. The Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival in September drew record crowds to the Hub City. Many out-of-towners joined Alice residents for good food, cook-offs, great music and fantastic family fun.
The Maxine Flournoy Third Coast Squadron held its annual Induction Ceremony on Sat. Sept. 17th at the Hanger and drew in a great crowd as well. Congrats to all the inductees and their families.
The Street Rods of Alice Annual Rod Run is set for Oct. 1-2 at the Jim Wells County Fairgrounds. Many participants come from as far as Waco, Victoria, Laredo, the Rio Grand Valley and San Antonio. Welcome back to Alice.
The JWC Fair kicks off with its annual parade downtown on Oct. 19th to start the four-day fair at the JWC Fairgrounds.
We are seeing more traffic through our doors with people either relocating because of the economic boom or people getting ready to travel this summer. The new Coastal Bend Traveler Magazine is out and available at the Chamber.
The CVB celebrates its one-year anniversary of our website at www.alicetxchamber.org. We hit our one-millionth website visitor this summer. Among the targeted web pages was general information about Alice, accommodations, hotel stays and recreational sites.
Applications for 2011 project funding are now available at the Chamber of Commerce. We have made some changes in the administering of funding for event promotions.
The CVB will no longer make checks payable to the applying entity but to the advertising agencies contracted to promote events. They will be due 60 days prior to an event in order to receive board approval for events to be held in Alice. All requests must be presented to the Chamber board for approval before granting assistance from the CVB.
Funding will be done a bit different this year.
Aside from the application, the CVB will require a business plan and proof of insurance before awarding funding to assure we are using proper documentation of the hotel tax.
People walking through our doors are asking for information on Alice, the area or asked for phone books and maps of Alice and Texas. Some 40 Relocation/information packets were sent out in September. The promotion of Alice through the CVB is administered by the Alice Chamber of Commerce.