{"id":15299,"date":"2017-01-02T15:11:07","date_gmt":"2017-01-02T15:11:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vailvalleypartnership.com\/?p=15299"},"modified":"2017-01-02T15:11:31","modified_gmt":"2017-01-02T15:11:31","slug":"what-to-watch-for-in-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vailvalleypartnership.com\/2017\/01\/what-to-watch-for-in-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"What to watch for in 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

Local chamber groups discuss business topics of interest
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One of the biggest fictions among small business owners might be a job description, but here\u2019s an even bigger myth in mountain resort communities: a holiday. Business owners and managers in our tourism economy often don\u2019t have time to take time off during the peak holiday season, as visitors are packing our lodging and our villages to enjoy their hard-earned vacations and it is our job to provide the very best service.<\/p>\n

To paraphrase and borrow from a professional associate, and in the immortal words of Glenn Frey and his neighbor Jackson Browne: \u201cDon\u2019t let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy.\u201d Your set of wheels is the drive to deliver, know, anticipate, assist, sell, please, build, articulate and show up. They hum and occasionally thump under you, even when you\u2019re standing on a corner in Winslow, or more literally figuring out how to improve your business operations to attract more guests and customers.<\/p>\n

I hope 2016 was positive for your business operation; most metrics show that Eagle County\u2019s economy continues to plug along and remain positive. Modest gains in lodging occupancy and sales tax collections show opportunity, while low unemployment combined with high labor participation rates put some stress on workforce and staffing.<\/p>\n

So, what to watch for in 2017?<\/p>\n

I was fortunate to be joined by Mick Daly from the Eagle Chamber of Commerce and Sarah Franke from Group 970 restaurants representing the Vail Chamber of Commerce on the Partnership\u2019s monthly radio program on KZYR last month. We discussed a variety of themes and topics with a focus on what\u2019s ahead for our community in 2017.<\/p>\n

While chamber groups such as Vail Valley Partnership, Eagle Chamber of Commerce, and Vail Chamber & Business Association are unlikely to have all the answers, these groups do have their ear to the ground and a good idea of what our members are feeling and thinking.<\/p>\n

A few themes were consistent throughout the valley, and there are more commonalities than differences amongst these merchant groups. It was agreed that workforce housing will remain a focus area despite the failure of ballot issue 1A, and it was agreed that a county-wide discussion will need to take place to best determine how to address this issue. Directly related to housing, we discussed the need for a renewed focus and conversation around transit and how to best move our workforce throughout the valley and agreed that exploring transit will be an important issue in 2017 and beyond.<\/p>\n

Another topic of consensus was the need for the continued need for collaboration \u2013 among municipalities, special districts, business organizations, non-profits, and the business community. Collaboration \u2013 working together across boundaries to help address issues \u2013 has been a consistent theme among the Partnership and our neighboring chamber groups, and our community has made incremental strides over the past few years. Collaboration will continue as we move forward.<\/p>\n

Vail Valley Partnership will continue to focus on the following into 2017:<\/p>\n