Getting to Know the Community by Being a Part of It
By Jessica Schultz
We all know how small towns work. Everyone knows everyone, you’ve at least heard of one business or another. It’s easy in this day and age (especially after the last two years) to get disconnected. That’s just the feeling that the members of the Bemus Point Business Association had when they decided to put together their first “Meet and Greet” event this past weekend. It was open to the public and the community was invited to the Bemus Point Golf Course and Tap House to meet each other, have some appetizers, and learn about the association itself.
The Villager Newspaper had the opportunity to speak with member Kelley Marker about the Bemus Point Business Association and their plans for their community.
The Villager (V): What does the Bemus Point Association cover?
Kelley (KM): “The Bemus Point Business Association is a volunteer organization focused on developing Bemus Point as a premier destination. Our goal is to provide advocacy, collaboration, and promotion to all members equally. BPBA members strive to be pillars of the community, working to enhance quality of life and economic development in Bemus Point. The BPBA’s board of directors and committees have been working hard to uphold the key aspects of our mission. In the past three years we have developed a website and digital directory that showcases all of our members (www.visitbemuspoint.com), designed a comprehensive brochure that is distributed throughout the county, we’ve created and sustained growing social media accounts (@visitbemuspoint on all platforms), and put together a series of village wide events, which we showcased at our Meet & Greet Event.”
V: How many businesses are a part of the association currently?
KM: “We are proud to share that this group has grown and expanded to include nearly 50 locally owned small businesses! We are all coming together to support each other and our joint goal of promoting Bemus Point’s small business community.”
V: What was covered in the meeting event this past week?
KM: “Our 1st Inaugural Meet & Greet provided an opportunity for community members and business owners to come together while learning about the Bemus Point Business Association’s mission, events, and projects. Our events committee, chaired this year by Kourtney Shuman, also announced our 2022 schedule of events for the year. We thank the Bemus Point Golf Club & Tap House for hosting, we were really happy with the turnout, especially with the wintery weather!”
V: Will there be upcoming events hosted by the association this year and if yes, what will they include?
KM: “Yes, the BPBA’s Events Committee is working on 5 village-wide events for the 2022 Season, including our spring Bemus Back in Bloom event in May, our 4th of July Fireworks and our constantly growing Fall Fest. (Which will have a fall/scarecrow theme this year). We want to make these events bigger and better than ever, so our events committee is looking for community volunteers to help out! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kourtney Shuman at ModernExpressions.kh@gmail.com.”
V: Anything else to add?
KM: “I wanted to mention our BPBA Social Member Program: We launched our new Social Member program during the Meet & Greet. For individuals interested in supporting Bemus Point’s small business community and events, our Social Member program is a great way to contribute. It is a $50 donation to become a social member, and all funds raised through this program will go towards future events, including our yearly 4th of July fireworks display, which is funded through community donations. Social members will receive special updates and newsletters regarding projects and events, the ability to participate on committees, and will be listed on a “Thank You” page on our website, visitbemuspoint.com. Members will also be receiving a coupon book with specials from many Bemus Point businesses, valuing over $300 (while supplies last). If you are interested, find out more and sign up on visitbemuspoint.com”
Thank you, Kelley, for taking the time to speak with us in detail about the Bemus Point Business Association and the peek into the 2022 year ahead. And a large thank you to the whole of the Bemus Point Business Association for all that you are doing to bring the community together and putting together all of the great Festivals planned for this year!!
Photo Caption: The Bemus Point Business Association is a volunteer organization focused on developing Bemus Point as a premier destination. Our goal is to provide advocacy, collaboration, and promotion to all members equally. BPBA members strive to be pillars of the community, working to enhance quality of life and economic development in Bemus Point. (www.visitbemuspoint.com)