Success in Salem to be Honored for the 94th Year

 Salem Event, SMS News  No Responses »
Apr 102016
 

Success in business or in community support is something to be praised. The Salem Chamber of Commerce will be doing just that with the Celebrate Salem Awards Dinner this coming April 27th at the Peabody Essex Museum.

This will be the 94salem awards 2th Annual Celebrate Salem Awards.

The program this year features 36 nominees in 6 award categories. Individual winners will be decided by a general vote of the community at large— that means you! One vote per person (either by email, fax, mail or on-line vote). Deadline to vote is April 12th, 2016.

Full disclosure, we are nominated in one of the categorizes.

2015 Businessman of the Year: Businessman of the year is awarded to a Chamber member who has demonstrated excellence in business practices throughout the year and has demonstrated a sincere commitment to Salem.

2015 Businesswoman of the Year: Businesswoman of the year is awarded to a Chamber member who has demonstrated excellence in business practices throughout the year and has demonstrated a sincere commitment to Salem.

2015 New Business of the Year: Awarded to the best new business that opened in Salem in 2015.

Long-term Achievement Award: Given to a business that has achieved 10 or more years of success in the community.

2015 Community Service Award: Awarded to a member or organization with an outstanding record of community service and volunteer participation.

2015 Excellence in Retailing Award: The Excellence in Retailing Award showcases the outstanding achievements of Salem retailers and will be awarded to the retailer that applies superior knowledge, creativity and industry know-how to develop innovative strategies, and contributes to the growth of the Salem retail sector.

Take the time to not only look over this list for any personal favorites, but also the actual Salem Chamber of Commerce form which provides a brief synopsis of each nominee.

Share

Salem Salutes Itself with Community Service Awards

 Contests, History, New Businesses, Salem Dining, Salem Event, Salem Shopping  No Responses »
Apr 262015
 

TommyGagnon1Who are the “best of the best” when it comes to business & community activity over the past year in Salem Ma? The Salem Chamber of Commerce asked residents to select from 36 nominees in six categories. Over 1900 people responded.

Awards were handed out at the 93rd annual Celebrate Salem Awards Dinner, on April 22at the Peabody Essex Museum.

2014 Businesswoman of the Year: Brandi Dion – B&S Fitness Companies & CrossFit IronSpider

Businesswoman of the Year is a Chamber member who has demonstrated excellence in business practices throughout the year and has demonstrated a sincere commitment to Salem.

B&S Fitness Companies’ goal is to improve the quality of life and health for every customer through innovative and effective fitness programs. CrossFit IronSpider is a fitness community dedicated to helping everyone achieve their individual goals within an inspiring group setting. In addition to fitness programs, B&S offers event management which raises and donates over $50k each year to non-profit organizations.

2014 Businessman of the Year: Paul Van Ness – CinemaSalem, Salem Film Fest, The Cabot, Van Ness Creative

Businessman of the Year is a Chamber member who has demonstrated excellence in business practices throughout the year and has demonstrated a sincere commitment to Salem.

CinemaSalem is more than a film-lover’s movie theater; it’s also a café, an art gallery, an art house, a live music venue, and a home Salem Film Fest, one of America’s largest all-documentary film festivals. Van Ness and a group of investors recently acquired The Cabot in Beverly, MA. Van Ness Creative is a full-service film and video production company

2014 New Business of the Year: The Ugly Mug Diner

The New Business of the Year award is given to the best new business that opened in 2014.

The Ugly Mug Diner is a twisted American Diner in the heart of Salem. A foodie haven, serving beer, bacon and espresso, with a soda jerk, hand cut fries, and biscuits with red gravy.

The 2014 Excellence in Retail Award: Milk & Honey Green Grocer

The Excellence in Retail Award showcases the outstanding achievements of Salem retailers and will be awarded to the retailer that applies superior knowledge, creativity and industry know-how to develop innovative strategies, and contributes to the growth of the Salem retail sector.

Milk & Honey Green Grocer is the local grocery store for people who care about the environment, community, and sustainability. Offering residents of the North Shore carefully selected products of the highest quality.

The 2014 Community Service Award: Creative Salem

The Community Service Award is awarded to a member or organization who has an outstanding record of community service and volunteer participation.

Creative Salem celebrates the city of Salem as a hub of creativity, providing contemporary tools for local creative professionals to find and connect with new audiences while encouraging them to apply their skills to help solve challenges facing the community.

The 2014 Long-Term Achievement Award: Jim & Nancy Hurrell (Salem Trolley, Pirate Museum, Witch History Museum, Witch Dungeon)

The Long-Term Achievement Award is given to a business that has achieved 10 or more years of success in the community.

Witch History Museum: The stories of 1692 told through a historically accurate live presentation and tour. Witch Dungeon Museum: An award winning reenactment of the trial of beggar-woman Sarah Good – from the original transcript of 1692. Salem Pirate Museum: The unique and little-known history of New England sea-robbers comes alive at the Pirate Museum. The Salem Trolley provides visitors with a narrated one hour tour and all day shuttle service through beautiful and historic Salem.

This year, winners received an original wood sculpture created by Tommy Gagnon of Boston Woodturning.

For more information on the event or the Salem Chamber please visit www.salem-chamber.org or call 978-744-0004.

Share

Chamber Awards Give Public Chance to Honor Good Business Ethics

 History, Salem Dining, Salem Festivals  No Responses »
Mar 272015
 

Declare your appreciation for local businesses, businessmen and businesswomen who “serve you & Salem right” by casting votes in this year’s Celebrate Salem Awards.

The finalists have been nominated by their peers, the members of the Salem Chamber of Commerce. Now you, their customers, clients and patrons will fill out ballots, electronic and traditional, to honor “the best of the best.”

Did you enjoy a meal or shopping experience, or consultation? Did the merchant make you feel like he/she cared about you? Let others know that “this” business merits extra attention for providing not only satisfactory customer service but shows it cares about Salem by getting involved in community projects.

  1. Businesswoman of the Year is a Chamber member who has demonstrated excellence in business practices throughout the year and has demonstrated a sincere commitment to Salem.
  2. Businessman of the Year is a Chamber member who has demonstrated excellence in business practices throughout the year and has demonstrated a sincere commitment to Salem.
  3. The New Business of the Year award is given to the best new business that opened in 2014
  4. The Excellence in Retail Award showcases the outstanding achievements of Salem retailers and will be awarded to the retailer that applies superior knowledge, creativity and industry know-how to develop innovative strategies, and contributes to the growth of the Salem retail sector.
  5. The Community Service Award is given to a member or organization who has an outstanding record of community service and volunteer participation.
  6. The Long-Term Achievement Award will be given to a business that has achieved 10 or more years of success in the community

Deadline for voting is April 3rd 2015; voting can be done by:

And after the tabulations are completed, the awards will be handed out by The Salem Chamber of Commerce at the Celebrate Salem Awards Dinner on April 22nd at the Peabody Essex Museum. For information on attending, or on the voting process, call 978-744-0004.

 

Share

And the Nominees for the Best Salem Film Fest Windows Are…

 Contests, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, SMS News  No Responses »
Feb 242015
 

Film Fest WindowWith the Oscars out of the way, you can now focus up close and personal on the Salem Film Fest (March 5-12). Entering its eighth year, Salem Film Fest is one of New England’s largest documentary film festivals; it attracts submissions and attendees from all over the world.

We’ll have more on the SFF in an upcoming blog, but if you want a sampling of SFF, Creative Salem produced an Oscar worthy profile page. But there is a visual problem with being the home of SFF, and we’ve come up with a solution that requires your assistance.

“The only drawback of a festival like Salem Film Fest,” explains Kylie Sullivan, Salem Main Streets Manager, “is that, by necessity, the vast majority of the action happens behind closed doors. The Film Fest gets bigger and better every year, but sometimes it’s hard to see that if you’re just walking down the street.”

She continues, “Therefore, we started the Film Fest window decorations last year because we wanted people to walk into town and KNOW that there was a film festival in town! In addition, we have many filmmakers and guests from out of town who are exploring the city for the first time during the festival. The Salem community gets so excited for this festival, and we wanted to have a visual representation of that excitement to welcome our visitors.”

Merchants, if you’ve got a downtown storefront window, we want to see your best film-inspired window! While the festival focuses on documentaries, your window does not have to be documentary-specific (windows inspired by Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, or The Avengers are absolutely encouraged).

This year, we will have a jury select a winning window. The winner of the competition will become the underwriter of a single film for the 2016 Salem Film Fest ($300 value)!

As a sign that this is indeed a group effort, if you need some inspiration or materials, Paul Van Ness of CinemaSalem will again be donating old celluloid film and film reels (and popcorn!) to anyone who wants to decorate a window. Stop by the Main Streets / Chamber offices at 265 Essex any time after 12:30 pm for film, popcorn, and Salem Film Fest posters (while they last)!

Participating businesses must notify Salem Main Streets of their interest and have window decorations completed by Friday, Feb. 27. So don’t delay. Any questions should be sent to kylie@salemmainstreets.org or go old school and call 978-744-0004.

(Photo courtesy of Social Palates)

Share

Haunted Happenings Honored

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
Sep 152013
 

Salem MainStreets has always known that Haunted Happenings is an event worthy of national recognition. Now others not only know it, they are spreading the word. The American Bus Association (ABA) has announced that our month-long celebration is one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2014 

ABA’s Top 100 Events in North America is an annual compendium of the best events for group travel in the United States and Canada. Each spring, a committee of ABA-member motorcoach and tour operators selects the Top 100 Events for the subsequent year; the list is unveiled in September. Winners are chosen from hundreds of celebrations, festivals, fairs, commemorative events, and more that have been nominated by ABA members.

Bus“The attractiveness of Salem Haunted Happenings as a don’t-miss entertainment value is only part of why its selection this year is such a distinction for Salem,” said Peter J. Pantuso, CTIS, ABA’s president and CEO. “The real news here is that Haunted Happenings has been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when re-energizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy. The honor gives Salem, Massachusetts an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners.”

The Top 100 Events receive worldwide attention via the media–television, radio, and print–such as USA Today and CNN. ABA distributes some 10,000 copies of the Top 100 Events in North America magazine, featuring the winners, to all of its members and to thousands of travelers worldwide.

“Motorcoach groups spend more and stay longer,” Pantuso said. “That’s why Haunted Happenings is truly a local economic asset. There is no better way to jump-start tourism than to attract motorcoach groups to a great event and convince them to extend their stay.”

And unlike most other “celebrations, festivals, fairs, commemorative events,” ours is neither a one nor two day event; it is 31 days & nights filled with music, art, history, entertainment, costumes and magical moments.

Check out the several spots Salem Ma has designated for motorcoaches. Then, women & men, leave the driving to them.

Share