Why don't our neighbors know what is going on?
A couple of us walked around the Grove collecting for the Grove Bucks and Coconut Scavenger Hunt last week and while the usual players were well aware of what is going on, a vast majority of the businesses did not have a clue. Are people that apathetic or is it our fault for not keeping them informed?
By them, I mean the Grapevine, the BID and the Merchants Association. And where are the block captains who were supposed to tell their neighbors about this?
We are all so concerned about getting people to come to the Grove and shop, dine and unwind and our own neighbors don't know what is going on. Why?
And for those who said they would like to give the $20.00 donation, but their manager or the owner or their wife wasn't there, we are expecting you to step up and participate. By not participating, you are being part of the problem, not the solution. So you can't complain about lack of business and other things when you don't step up when asked.
I picked up a bunch more participants yesterday, thank you to those who signed up. Those were easy because they knew me, not necessarily the concept of the Hunt. In the end it will be lots of fun and there will be plenty of people taking part, but it would have been nicer if people had a clue what I was talking about as I walked around collecting the donations. There is a real lack of communication somewhere.
By them, I mean the Grapevine, the BID and the Merchants Association. And where are the block captains who were supposed to tell their neighbors about this?
We are all so concerned about getting people to come to the Grove and shop, dine and unwind and our own neighbors don't know what is going on. Why?And for those who said they would like to give the $20.00 donation, but their manager or the owner or their wife wasn't there, we are expecting you to step up and participate. By not participating, you are being part of the problem, not the solution. So you can't complain about lack of business and other things when you don't step up when asked.
I picked up a bunch more participants yesterday, thank you to those who signed up. Those were easy because they knew me, not necessarily the concept of the Hunt. In the end it will be lots of fun and there will be plenty of people taking part, but it would have been nicer if people had a clue what I was talking about as I walked around collecting the donations. There is a real lack of communication somewhere.
posted by Tom Falco at 3:30 PM
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21 Comments:
Where's the Coconut Grover when you need it?
I like to think the Grapevine reaches more people than the Coconut Grover ever did. People just don't care, that's all. They don't want to care.
Honestly, outside of the grapevine, I have not seen a single thing about it.
The BIC has a remarkable way of keeping all their events top secret and even if contacted never get back to people (I have people I know working in the press who have tried and told me they can never get a response).
There is no up-to-date info online outside of this blog... there are no calendar of events or public postings of events that I have been able to find outside of the this blog – online or in the real world.
The chamber of commerce is hard to get through and if you are not a member they don't tell you much about anything are not all that helpful.
The code 33 site is the groves best kept secret also and they are not all that quick with getting the cards out. When The league of paranormal investigators incorporated in the grove more than a year ago we tried to get code 33 cards for all out members but never got a response... I think one out of 15 members got their card. The rest gave up.
The sad part is, I know all these organizations are doing their best.
It seems though, they are all working within the group with little effort of getting the news out in to the world outside of the meetings. I have no idea what can be done about that.
I think more people getting involved would be a good solution but I have no idea how to accomplish that. As a member of several volunteer and non-profit groups I know that one of the hardest parts of the job is getting enough people to do the work to make the organization effective.
My hat goes off to everyone trying… but I have no real solutions other than recruiting more people to do help with promotion.
BTW, I would like to participate - I have many services to offer that people can use their grove bucks for... how do I get an application and how does this system work?
This is is a PR issue. The news should have been out weeks ago and a buzz started. I am also amazed to find that we have merchants in our midst who have no clue. One young man I overhead said it succinctly, It sounded like a revelation. "Coconut Grove should be marketed by an outside firm someone who has a fresh clear eye of what we are not what we have been. He knows none of the players none of the politics. Why are we not going with fresh young faces it is now their time. We are relying on the same people who have failed us over and over again.
Atena,
The Committee for July 4 has been meeting since February, it involves members of the Chambe, the BID, The City, the NET and the Merchants group.
If you go to the Chamber website, coconutgrovechamber.com, you will see the event posted in the calendar, where it has bee for about 2 months, with constant regular updates and additions. We have, additionally, regularly blasted it out in fact right now there is an automatic blast scheduled).
The Chamber has bee in existence for over 50 years. It has lasted that long because it works, and it can work for you and your business for as little as 76 cents a day. Although there are certain eblasts that are exclusive to the membership, you can get general info by providing your email info on the website.
PS- Dave answers the phone 9x out of 10.
Join us tomorrow at the Chamber Networker and find out more.
Best regards, Lili Dones, past prez
Is the secretive BID really necessary?
Saint Jack...isn't that the guy that makes up facts and figures in his writing for the Biscayne Times? Whatever happened to the Coconut Grover....didn't Saint Jack have some hand in destroying that publication....too?
to Anon 6:01
I agree it is indeed a PR issue, but as one who is technically not young, but a tad fresh, I can respond that that "we are not going with fresh young faces" because "we" do not see any "fresh young faces" tripping over themselves to VOLUNTEER to do this for FREE, like certain old grove geezers who shall remain nameless. If you have a fresh young face, or know of any, send them to the Chamber, where "we" could use some marketing interns this summer.
The Jr. CC or Jaycees the up and coming young faces of the community? Have they been given a chance or have they been shunned by the old guard who think they know it all.
The Jaycees have shunned the old Guard. They were asked to participate and even take over the Bed Race. They have ignored all requests.
Actually, Grape, the Jaycees have not ignored the Grove or the Bed races. The new President, Adriana Barba is extremely involved. She has been a consistent volunteer at all past Chamber events, including Taste of the Grove, previous July 4th and the Toy Drive for St Albans--they personally showed up with their own stash of toys and helped in the distribution. Also volunteered at Friends of the Library Booth during Arts Festival.
When the Bed Races first started having meetings, she emailed and asked how she could be involved. The Jaycees that had run the races previously had moved on, but she was still willing to have her group help,even though she knew very little about the previous races, and in spite of her having just started to job hunt. By then we had our own show mounted, and given that she had just begun to job hunt, I told her we had it under control. She is now with a top law office by the way -- she is very talented and enthusiastic.
Grape, thanks for letting us know. I don't think the BID pays David Collins enough to make sure we know what's going on in the Grove. I mean, 100,000 isn't enough. Maybe if we charge the businesses more, we could give him a raise and he could get the word out.
Gosh that would be what a $75.000 thou jump from Out of Africa. He's managed that well so what of the four million, who is getting that from the BID the cronies?
Hey Lili, has anyone said well done to those cool Grove Bucks. It's one of the best designs I've seen . Well executed and love the sense of humor.
George Carlin used to say that they discovered a cure for apathy, but no one was interested in it.
Perhaps, people just aren't interested in bed races or art shows or some of the other things that all of you are into. Maybe people just want to go about their own lives, and not feel 'forced' into an uncomfortable fake friendship/ brethern, simply because of where their business, office, etc. is. As a result, they make no effort to be informed.
I don't know many of my neighbors at home, and that's perfectly all right by me. Simply because we live on the same street, doesn't mean I want to socialize with them.
The B.I.D. has $4,000,000.00 WOW, not wonder Sarnoff is envolved so deeply!
Anon @ 3:28p - very, very, good and valid point. Thank you.
Anon @ 3:28p Would that be from his book "Brain Droppings"?
I've lived in the Grove for 6 years, get emails from Sue McConnell, try to stay up to date but, until this post, had no idea there were block captains. Who are they? Are they assigned for all over the Grove?
anon 3:28 - let me clue you in: bed races, art shows and other events are not activities pursued by a group of people in some wishy-washy-touchy- feely-at-one-with-the- universe-I-need-to-find- friends sort or way. This is marketing. The common ground in this group of people is that they all have business endeavors that are important to them -- i.e. it is their livelyhood. The lovely thing about all this is that people who do not wish to partake, do not have to. That also gives them the right to not complain and go about their business, which must be thriving if they do not need to explore marketing options with their neighboring businesses.
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