A diverse group of 16 Estes Park residents has been selected to provide advice and direction to the Estes Park Local Marketing District board of directors, following a two-month application period.
Selected from a field of 28 applicants, the group includes individuals with extensive marketing backgrounds gained during professional experience prior to moving to this area, those who have been involved in Estes Park tourism marketing, and former Visit Estes Park board member Deb Gibson.
Establishing the new Marketing Advisory Committee is just one of the major changes in tourism marketing outlined in the 2025 intergovernmental agreement between the town of Estes Park and Larimer County, which governs the LMD that operates as Visit Estes Park.
As outlined in the IGA, MAC membership was to include a large hotel-motel owner (more than 29 rooms), a small hotel/motel owner (19 or less rooms) a vacation home rental owner or property manager, a nonlodging business owner, and an at-large community member.
Members of MAC representing the lodging industry will be Patti Aldridge of Heart of Estes Cabins, a short-term rental-vacation home, large accommodations representative Christian Henny, general manager of The Stanley Hotel, Sharon J. Woerth, marketing manager for Black Canyon Inn, and Sandra Huerta, owner of a small accommodation property, Taharaa Mountain Lodge and Twin Owls Steakhouse.
Non-lodging tourism businesses will be represented by Joe Pyle, Pyle Photography, Reed Woodford, CEO of KMAC Guides, Thomas Pemberton, owner of Estes Park Tour Guides, Bonnie Nut, general manager of Backbone Adventures, Matthew Comstock, director of client services for Aletheia advertising agency, Ingrid Bush, owner of The Barrel, Chuck Scott, owner of Coffee on the Rocks and Red Rose Rock Shop, Serena Rappel, president of Munchin’ House, Caramel Corn, Lazy Moose, and Shining Moon Boutique, Kimi Nash owner of Kind Coffee, and Victoria Endsley, director of programming and marketing for Whimsadoodle and owner of Bear & Bee.
High school visual arts and publications teacher Angela Barberi of the Estes Park School District R3 was named to represent the community at large.
The list of proposed MAC members will be presented to the Estes Park Town Board at its upcoming Tuesday, March 24 meeting, along with a request for the town to ratify the organization’s revised bylaws.
Through the IGA, MAC, an advisory body only, is charged with advising the VEP board on the development and implementation of marketing strategies to achieve organizational goals. Their charge also includes providing advice on creating marketing materials, managing social media, planning events, and evaluating campaign effectiveness. According to the IGA, the committee may also play a key role in identifying potential sponsorships and partnerships, and communicating with stakeholders.
“I really appreciate the work staff did to process through (the list of applicants) and I’m thrilled we had that many applications,” said board member Kirby Hazelton.
“I appreciate how well rounded it is, not just from a business industry representation, but also from geographic location. I feel like that was really compelling to know we’re not totally just concentrated in the downtown core, or on Big Thompson for our lodging,” Hazelton said.
Board member Jody Shaddock-McNally said she hoped the group would also focus on sustainable tourism.
“I’m just wondering if there was someone you think on that list who might be more moderate or leaning towards more of sustainable tourism, and thinking about the impacts on county lands and forest lands, and the tie of being good stewards,” Shaddock-McNally said.
The county commissioner asked for a mid-year review of activities to make certain a “moderating voice” was being heard during the group’s work.
VEP CEO Sarah Leonard said the new group could meet for the first time in April.
Another classic Estes Park bloated “committee” launches. The amount of damage a good-hearted person who lacks expertise can do is immeasurable. This committee, like most in Estes, is all about activities, and zero to do with results.