By Linda Kor The Holbrook Chamber of Commerce met last Thursday, with Holbrook Tourism and Event Coordinator Teri Walker reporting on the follow-up meeting on Wild West Days. “All the feedback that I’ve received has been a glowing commentary,” she said. She also reported that for the first time, the event produced a profit of at least several thousand dollars. The final figures are not yet available, as all the invoices have not been received. How those funds will be used will be an item for discussion at the chamber’s Aug. 9 meeting. All pro-ceeds from events go into the chamber fund to be used to further promote the city and the chamber. The dis-cussion at the next meeting will be to determine if those funds should go directly into a fund for next years’ Wild West Days event, scheduled for July 12 and 13, or be used for other chamber needs. Walker thanked all of the individuals who made the event so successful as the annual event has grown dramatically the past two years as a collaboration of volunteers and members of the chamber. Chamber President Yvonne Larson reported on the recent Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) conference held in Phoenix that she attended with Walker and former chamber director Emily Wheeler. “It was a very worthwhile experience. Among other things I learned the importance of having a website that can be accessed on a mobile phone, meaning no flash media. This way the page can be picked up on (social media) sites,” explained Larson, who added that the value of having your site “shared” versus “liked” is that it reaches more viewers, creating greater exposure. The chamber has been struggling with its current website company re-garding content, accessibility and the ability to update the information. Walker is currently researching host-ing sites to remedy the situation. Walker informed the group that the information she garnered from the AOT conference involved an un-derstanding of international tourism. “The tourists that we’ll be seeing more of will be from Brazil and China now that the U.S is working to ease visa restrictions,” she stated. She also noted that while other areas in the state are struggling to create branding in their cities in order to attract tourists, Holbrook has the ability to use its existing stories to draw people. “We don’t need to create a Disneyland here. Holbrook is rife with stories while other areas work hard to develop their own character,” she stated. Walker took the opportunity to outline her objectives for the chamber, stating that her intention over the next six to eight weeks is to build an overreaching business strategic plan that will encompass the next two years. The plan would include local and international marketing, memberships and tourism. “We want to and determine the image or brand of Holbrook, and make it all part of one plan. This won’t be a plan for the shelf. These will be working documents with timelines, deadlines and assigned tasks,” she explained, adding that the city has indicated it will be willing to assist with some funding needs. Walker also informed the board that the chamber office will be moved to the city offices on First Avenue as of July 30. The move was suggested by City Manager Ray Alley in order to accommodate the needs of the chamber and the city. Walker is an employee of the city as the tourism and events coordinator, but also assists as the chamber director under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) established between the city and the chamber last year. With Walker’s office at city hall rather than the historic courthouse, city personnel will be able to assist her by taking phone calls and providing services while she is away from the office. Chamber volunteer Christopher Olthouse expressed his concerns with having the chamber office at the city facility. “We get literally dozens of people every day coming to the courthouse and are thrilled that they discovered the chamber there. I’m concerned about losing that connection,” he stated. Olthouse indicated that tourists are able to garner information while visiting that teaches them more about what the city has to offer. Walker agreed that it was important that the tourists are able to obtain all the information they need to maximize their experience in Holbrook, but noted that the individual manning the visitors center will be able to fill that need. “The visitors desk, the people at the city desk, these are our front-line people. I’ll be making sure they have the information they need,” she said. The only concern regarding the move is the legality of housing a non-profit entity inside a city facility. “We have the city attorney looking into that now. It’s not that it can’t happen, it just may mean making changes to the MOU,” she explained.