Greater Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau

May 2013

Inside this issue:

Maine Woods as a 2 Vacation Destination PTCs 40th Anniversary Bangor Museums New Exhibit Member Spotlight Welcome New Members
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The Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) has announced a new partnership with the Bangor Museum and History Center to offer guided tours across the Bangor region. The 8 tours will feature 4 walking and 4 bus tours all with an experienced guide beginning as early as June. Each tour will take guests through a part of Bangors history with a different focus and flair, from a Stephen King literary tour to a Best of Bangor tour chronicling 178 years of the regions past. "Were really excited to showcase Bangor and its history in an interactive way," said Jennifer Pictou, Executive Director of the Bangor Museum and History Center. "Its wonderful to be able to partner with an organization like the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring educational entertainment to our region. Were really looking forward to kicking off the tours in June and start showing off Bangor in a new and interactive way." The Bangor Museum and History Center is providing historical content for the majority of the tours and training guides on the 8 different excursions. The GBCVB will coordinate tour schedules and their corresponding guides as well as marketing and ticket sales. This summer we are looking to bring a one-stop for visitors and citizens looking for something fun to do in Bangor, said Kerrie Tripp, Executive Director of the of the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau. The partnership with the museum will allow us to have well trained, top-notch tour guides that will offer a great experience to anyone coming to Bangor. The four walking tours are three quarters to a mile long. The Mt. Hope Cemetery Tour is available starting June 7. The Devils HalfAcre Tour is available starting June 11. The Mt. Hope Cemetery Twilight Tour is available beginning October 4. The Ghostly Bangor Tour is available beginning in October with guided tours on Thursdays and Saturdays. The four bus tours are approximately one and a half hours long and feature step-on services for group motor coach tours. The Tommyknockers and More Tour is available beginning July 4. The Best of Bangor Tour, Monument Tour, and Ghostly Bangor are available by advanced ticket purchase only. For more information on the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau, to purchase tickets for the tours, or to set up an advanced ticket purchase for a group, visit: VisitBangorMaine.com/Tours BangorMuseum.org

Bangor Savings Bank 4 is #1 Deals & Promotions

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Have you VOTED for your Favorite Restaurant Yet? Help the Bangor Metro find the areas Best Restaurants of 2013! To vote look for this button at www.BangorMetro.com:

Or click the image to VOTE NOW!

www.VisitBangorMaine.com (207) 947-5205

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VisitBangorMaine.com

Creating Quality Vacation Destinations in the Maine Woods

Monday, May 6th, 9:00 am 4:00 pm Richard E Dyke Center for Family Business Husson University in Bangor You are invited to join tourism business leaders and other stakeholders for a day-long retreat to: Learn from Robert Reid, US Travel Editor for Lonely Planet, why the worlds leading travel publisher selected Northern Maine as one of its Top 10 US Travel Destinations for 2013. Hear from Carolann Ouellette, Director of the Maine Office of Tourism, about the states 2013 marketing plan and new campaign touching on brand platform, strategies, objectives and target markets. Talk with destination development leaders from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont about their experiences working with businesses, local organizations, private landowners and others to position their place as a successful vacation destination. Panelists will include: Tim Tierney Kingdom Trails Association, Vermonts Northeast Kingdom; Cathy Conway New Hampshire Grand, Northern New Hampshire; Robin Zinchuk Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, Western Maine

Visit www.wmedc.org/our-services/ wmedc-events to register. Please note, space is limited, and there is a $25 registration fee. Lunch is included. Deadline for registration is Tuesday, April 30 This event is organized by the Maine Woods Consortium. To learn more, visit www.mainewoodsconsortium.org.

Join with peers from your area and across the state to assess the status and potential of specific Maine Woods destination areas, and identify key opportunities to collaborate on common challenges and opportunities.

Lordy, Lordy Look Whos 40!

The 2013-2014 Season marks the 40th Anniversary for Penobscot Theatre Company, the most Northeastern year-round, professional theatre in the country. The company, which owns and operates the historic Bangor Opera House, proudly announces its upcoming season lineup. "Since 1973, Penobscot Theatre Company has brought dreams to life upon its stages," says Artistic Director, Bari Newport. "From playwrights hearing their words aloud for the first time, to actors embodying the world's great roles, to audience members transported to unlimited realms through majestic storytelling, Penobscot Theatre Company continues to celebrate the dream of its founders to have a professional regional theatre in the heart of Maine. Whether you have been dreaming with us for one season or all forty, please celebrate this extraordinary milestone by subscribing to Penobscot Theatre." FMI: Box Office at 207-942-3333 or learn more by visiting PTC online at www.penobscottheatre.org.

BULLETS & BANDAGES New Civil War Exhibit Debuts

The latest exhibit inside the Bangor Museum and History Centers Thomas A. Hill House on Union Street is titled Bullets and Bandages: The Passions and Price of the Civil War and tells the story of Maine soldiers fighting on distant battlefields. From frenzied patriotism on the home front to the gory consequences of 1860s battlefield medicine, Bullets and Bandages shares the trials and tests Mainers endured on some of the most gruesome battlefields in history. Sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank, the exhibit opens on Saturday, May 4 at 10:00 a.m. and runs Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until October 12, 2013. FMI visit www.bangormuseum.com.

Greater Bangor CVB Member Newsletter

On the Road with the Maine Office of Tourism

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Promote MEthe GBCVB Marketing Corner

Did you miss the On the Road presentation by the Maine Office of Tourism? Have no fearthe presentation is posted at www.VisitMaine.com/Tourism/Info/Presentations (MOT On the Road Highlands March 27, 2013). Interested in other regions information? Downeast Acadia, Kennebec & Moose River Valley and other regional presentations are also available on the site. Rudman Winchell Presents Hospitality Lunch & Learn: Summer is here! Well, not quite. But for Maine Hospitality based businesses the hard work begins long before the folks from away arrive and continues well after they leave. Rudman Winchell is pleased to partner with the Maine Innkeepers Association to present a complimentary Hospitality focused Lunch & Learn on Thursday, May 30th from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at the Samoset in Rockport. Topics include: requirements for hiring minors, wage and hour issues, determination of employees versus independent contractors, harassment and other prohibited conduct, immigration issues, other seasonal concerns. Rudman Winchell attorneys Anne-Marie Story, F. David Walker and Anthony Pellegrini will be presenting the 90-minute session. The session is free and lunch will be provided. RSVP to Jeff Solari at jsolari@rudmanwinchell.com or 207-992-2628.

Custom Coach and Limousine

Custom Coach and Limousine is a Gorham, Maine based family owned and operated company. We were founded in 1988 with one 25 passenger mini coach. Today, Custom Coach and Limousine now operates one of the most diverse and complete ground transportation companies in Maine. With over 50 vehicles we can handle any size groups, from Business Corporate Sedan Service to large charter bus groups. With our fleet of luxury sedans, limousines and our very popular limo coach Custom Coach and Limousine can handle all of your transportation needs for Corporate functions, Weddings, and special events. We travel throughout New England, Canada and the East Coast with our bus service. Our charter bus service features a professional driving staff where your safety and customer experience is our priority. Contact us today at info@customcoachandlimo.com or www.customcoachandlimo.com. We are also on Facebook!

Welcome New Members

Vacationland Innwww.VacationlandInn.com Bangor Roller Derbywww.BangorRollerDerby.com Antique Marketplacewww.AntiqueMarketplaceCafe.com Nocturnem Draft Hauswww.NocturnemDraftHaus.com Valentine Footwearwww.ValentineFootwear.com

Bangor Savings Bank Rated #1 by J.D. Power

April 18, 2013Westlake Village, CAOverall customer satisfaction with retail banks improves significantly from 2012, largerly a result of improvements made by big banks, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction StudySM released today. The eighth annual customer satisfaction study is the longestrunning and most in-depth survey of the retail banking industry, with feedback from more than 50,000 consumers covering various aspects of their banking experience. The study measures satisfaction in six factors: account information; channel activities; facility; fees; problem resolution; and product offerings. Results for our region are: New England RegionBangor Savings Bank ranks highest in the region with a score of 831, and performs particularly well in the product offerings, fees, and channel activities. For the full article: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/jd-powerand-associates-reports-big-banks-make-significant-improvements-closingthe-customer-satisfaction-gap-with-regional-and-midsize-banks-2013-0418

8th Annual Free Cool Sounds Summer Concert Series

The Downtown Bangor Partnership is pleased to announce the lineup for the 2013 Cool Sounds Summer Concert Series. On Thursday evenings from June 6th to August 1st, people can come to Pickering Square in Downtown Bangor to hear some great music, for free. The Cool Sounds Summer Concert Series is presented by Bangor Hydro Electric Company. The Bangor Daily News is our media sponsor for this event. The concerts start at 6pm and are run in conjunction with the Fresh Air Market on Broad Street that runs from 5:00PM8:00PM. Up to 50 vendors are expected weekly. Market items sold are handmade, prepared or raised by the vendor; emphasis is placed on Maine-made, specialty food items and produce. Available items include artwork, baked goods, produce, specialty foods, handbags, jewelry, photography and much more. Food vendors are also on site. For more information visit www.downtownbangor.com.

Member to Member Deals for You!

Member to Member Promotions for You!

Best Western White House InnStay in a luxurious
Theme Room at the Best Western White House Inn for $175 per night/plus taxSundays through Thursdays. Expires 05/31/13.

Penobscot TheatreBuy-One-Get-One-Free Tickets for

first-time theatre attendees to PTCs family-friendly production, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS. Valid May 15-19, 2013. Stampeding elephants! Raging typhoons! Runaway trains! Unabashedly slapstick comedy! Join fearless adventurer Phileas Fogg and his faithful manservant as they race to circle the globe in an unheard-of 80 days in this new adaptation of the original amazing race!

Godfreys GrilleFour Points by Sheraton Bangor

Airport, 308 Godfrey Boulevard, 207-947-6721Full Service Lounge, free parking and wifi. 10% Discount Off Maine Entrewww.FourPointsBangor.com

Have a Job Opening?The GBCVBs website

(www.VisitBangorMaine.com) now has the ability to post job openings and descriptions! Send us the following: Job Title, Contact Information for Applicants, Job Description, and Closing Date. We will post and send you the linkit is as easy as that!

Subscribe to our weekly event emails, delivered to your inbox every Friday morning at 8:00 a.m. http://eepurl.com/nPQ7f VisitBangorMaine.com Page 4