The latest news about Maine lakes and ponds.

Two Lake Region Chambers Collaborate with Naples Booth

July 18, 2011 - Naples - Starting this week, the area's two chambers of commerce began an unprecedented collaboration to co-host an information booth in downtown Naples.

The cooperation between the chambers also involves a third entity, the Bridgton-based Lakes Environmental Association. The three partners have opened the booth in place of the former Mr. Butcher location in the Causeway Landing building on the western end of the Causeway.

According to Peter Lowell, executive director of the Lakes Environmental Association, the owner of Causeway Landing, Michael Donoghue, offered the unused 24-by-40-foot space beside the Freedom Café. As part of the deal, the Greater Bridgton Lake Region Chamber of Commerce, Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce and LEA do not have to pay rent or utilities. While operating hours are expected to be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays, it is unclear at this point how long the groups will occupy the space, although they expect to be in the building at least until Labor Day.

"This is a great opportunity for a really nice location that probably none of us would be able to afford on our own," said Lowell. "But we're here for just this season. We're here for a noble experiment. I think Causeway Landing is appreciative of the work the groups are doing and maybe it'll be a multi-year thing. But this is obviously valuable space."

Donoghue, who splits his time between Naples and New York, is excited about the chance to offer the environmental group and business community a chance for greater exposure. He also wants to give local artists a chance to show their works.

"I have been supportive of the LEA over the years and it made sense for us to do something for that organization and the community in that space," Donoghue said. "We want to make sure the Landing is always taking care of the community, supporting local artists, businesses and at the same time giving people an opportunity to learn about the LEA."

Jim Mains, director of the Bridgton chamber, thinks the new spot is a boon for not only tourists but also member businesses that need the promotion a well-situated information booth should provide.

"We have a lot of members in the area, they deserve the recognition, they deserve the promotion, so I think working together makes all the sense in the world," Mains said.

The Bridgton chamber has not had previous exposure in Naples. However, the Sebago Lakes chamber, which has its main information booth sited at the busy intersection of routes 302 and 115 in North Windham, for many years had an information booth in Naples on the green next to the town hall complex. Earlier this year, however, the town deeded control of the historic building to the Naples Historical Society, a decision that had the group scrambling for a new presence in Naples.

"Our goal has been to reopen, but since it was such late timing, we couldn't find a location amongst our own businesses, so this hit us at the perfect time," Executive Director Barbara Clark said.

The three partners spent Wednesday transporting displays, brochures and guidebooks into the new space, which they were hoping to open Thursday.

"It's going to be a little bit of a learning curve for us to get up and running," Clark said.

While the chambers will focus on advertising local businesses and destinations as well as offering information about other popular Maine destinations, Lowell said the LEA's prime focus will be educating tourists about milfoil and local ecology. The LEA's space at Causeway Landing will be called the LEA Summer Center. And since he has received an unprecedented amount of volunteer requests, Lowell said manning the Summer Center shouldn't be difficult.

"LEA will have displays that highlight Pondicherry Park in Bridgton, Holt Pond Preserve, which is partially in Naples and Bridgton, our water testing program and milfoil. We'll probably have samples of invasive plants and newsletters, information on invasive plants," Lowell said. "But Bridgton, Naples and Harrison are our big towns, and it's a great opportunity for us to have a presence in Naples because a lot of the lakes and our members are down here."

The two chambers, which cover different parts of the sprawling Lakes Region, don't have a history of working with each other and in the past have competed for member businesses. Naples lies between the chamber's respective headquarters in Windham and Bridgton, so the collaboration is a seen as a natural experiment with the focus on serving the area.

"It makes perfect sense that we would work together to help residents, seasonal residents and visitors to the area looking for information," Clark said.

John Balentine, Keep Maine Current, July 2011


Lakes:
Regions: Sebago


Print this story

Email this story

return to Lake News