Peddler's Village - Navigating the Pandemic

How a retail shopping, dining, meeting destination is navigating through the challenges of the pandemic to help their retailers and continue to meet the needs of their customers and clients.

Bob McGowan, Chief Operating Officer, and Christine Hensel Triantos, Director of Marketing and Communications for Peddler’s Village in Lahaska Bucks County, PA

Guests have favored Peddler’s Village over so many other destinations so how do you keep customers coming back. Making guests feel warmly welcomed has been a longtime priority of Peddler’s Village - and now it’s equally important that they feel safe. We are honored that people are continuing to make us a priority destination - not just those who have visited regularly for years, but new visitors who have recently discovered that there is a unique open-air shopping, dining, strolling, and entertainment “getaway” in the heart of Bucks County, as well. Even for those who visit regularly, we like to keep the Village fresh with new shops, new merchandise, reimagined entertainment and events, and new food and beverage specials in our restaurants. Despite the 2020 challenges, we were able to add three permanent shops and three pop-ups. Our circa-1800s setting might be traditional, but the visitor experience offers exciting contemporary twists.

MARKETING CHANGED. Rapid and clear communication has never been more important than it is now. Circumstances change quickly, and it’s important we constantly deliver up-to-date messaging. We update our website daily, post important news on social media, maintain accurate business info on user platforms such as Google, Yelp and TripAdvisor, and ensure our frontline employees are aware of all changes that might affect our guests and operations. We also strive to keep our tourism partners and media contacts up-to-date. While these practices were in place even before the pandemic, what we are seeing now is heightened engagement online and via phone with guests who have questions or want to share feedback. We have periodically conducted surveys to assess public sentiment and concerns, too. We listen carefully to visitor input and read all posted reviews. In terms of advertising, we have shifted since May to an approach that is almost entirely based on digital ads rather than a combination of print and digital. A digital approach allows us to change quickly both our messaging and our targeted audiences. We’ve had to do both, as changing restrictions and shifting behaviors have significantly shaped our 2020 marketing.

A MAIN FOCUS HEADING INTO 2021. Right now, we are focused on survival! 2020 was a year like no other. It introduced challenges that we had never encountered in its nearly 60 years. It remains to be seen how long these challenges will remain. We are working continuously to create the best possible conditions for our merchants, our guests, our employees, and our own hospitality operations. We are planning to continue our outdoor offerings, including expanded dining and big outdoor weddings. We are grateful that we have made it this far. Our hope is that if we continue to focus first and foremost on the well-being of the many people connected to the Village - our guests, our employees, our merchants, our neighbors, our partners, our community members - our businesses will also remain intact and will again be able to thrive.

Steps needed to be taken in order to keep serve customers as various state and local restrictions have continued to unfold. We learned quickly that we needed to be very limber and very creative, and that we had to move very quickly to implement new solutions. The leadership team stays apprised of developments and communicates constantly to share ideas and recommendations that will keep our guests and employees as safe as possible, meet all state and federal requirements, and allow our businesses to operate at the highest possible level. We alter our operations accordingly and communicate important changes to our guests as quickly and as clearly as possible - and then answer their questions as responsively as we can.

COMMUNICATING WITH RETAILERS TO SHIFT INTO NEW WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS. Our retailers are sharp and clever, and they deserve the primary credit for their continued success. Almost all of our shops are owned by local entrepreneurs who feel a deep pride in their family-owned businesses. They have worked very hard to overcome the challenges posed by the lockdown and subsequent conditions. They created new websites, conducted business online, offered curbside pickup and/or home delivery, and energized their own customer dialogues to cultivate loyalty and mutual appreciation. When they reopened, they reopened with gusto. It’s made all of the difference for them. While we did make it a priority to communicate important updates, listen to their concerns, adjust rents, make recommendations and bring shop owners together for brainstorming sessions, it has been the retailers themselves who have guided their own businesses through this storm. As members of the leadership team, it’s our job to bring people to the Village. What the shops do is keep them coming back!

MAINTAINING A CONSTANT CONNECTION WITH CUSTOMERS, INCLUDING BOTH VISITORS AND CORPORATE CLIENTS. We update our website daily, post frequently on social media (primarily Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), and send regular emails to our subscribers. We also send updates to news outlets to be included in their publications. Our sales team, led by Brian Shields, maintains steady communication with meeting planners, regional business leaders, and people who are planning weddings and other events. The front desk staff at the Golden Plough Inn speaks every day with guests from far and near. And we have a full-time Peddler’s Village Hospitality Center staffed by knowledgeable employees who stand ready to answer guest questions and to make recommendations based on their preferences. We’ve found this personal touch to be very important in a world where automation has become the norm.

Being There for Small Meeting Groups

As the anxiously awaited vaccines are making their way into the population and hopeful signs begin to point to an end to the pandemic, there is increasing positivity with regard to a return to more in-person meetings and events. While several factors, of course, will play a role in determining which functions can return (and when), it appears that regionally and locally held functions consisting of smaller groups will be among the first to return.

Destinations throughout the region stand ready to extend helping hands to planners and to safely host meetings and events once again, as well.

In the meantime, of course, there continue to be challenges, but each of the following locations is well prepared to help planners moving forward, including those who will be among the first to return with those early small meetings and events.

“We have been participating in virtual conferences instead of in-person, as well as being a valued resource for our hospitality partners like hotels, museums, attractions and restaurants,” explains Courtney Babcock, director of sales, Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau. “We have taken on the role of helping them to adapt, as well.”

Building on relationships, showing empathy and continuing as a resource is the current role of the CVB.

Virtual and hybrid events, understandably, are the focus for now. “Virtual format events are a great tool, but can never replace the value of face-to-face meetings,” says Babcock. “For example, we specialize in team building culinary events and host an annual Chester County Culinary Challenge in the spring. There is such a feeling of camaraderie in team events that fosters the best environment in which to do business and forge business relationships.”

“In early November,” she continues, “to show planners how some of our venues have adjusted their services to meet CDC safety guidelines, we hosted a small dinearound event for meeting/event planners. The planners that attended, Versatile Venues, all expressed the need to get back to in-person events as restrictions are lifted and the vaccine is available. The excitement during the event was refreshing and we all agreed that this energy can only happen face-to-face.” Chester County has always been an excellent destination for small meetings and events, with a wide variety of unique venues and restaurants that offer private dining options.

“We have been communicating through social media and digital marketing how these venues are instituting safety protocols,” explains Babcock. “Many venues in Chester County have expanded or created outdoor spaces to offer alternatives to in-

photo courtesy: Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau

door events. Tents, pods, signage, large spaces with smaller capacities, filtration systems and seasonal open-air facilities are all assets that can adapt to the changing needs of planners.”

In addition, the CVB currently is working on a safety messaging video targeting meeting and event planners that will help to build their confidence in booking Chester County in the future.

The Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau staff offers assistance in choosing the right venue, too, along with complimentary services such as RFP distribution, attendee welcome bags, and scheduling of off-site activities.

As an added incentive for 2021, any new meeting or event that books in a Chester County lodging property with 25 or more room nights will be eligible for a $500 signing bonus plus $5 per night on rooms picked up. “It is our hope this will help planners - even just a little - to regain any financial and staffing hardships they have undertaken,” Babcock explains.

Kate O’Connell, event sales and coordinator for the City of Cape May observes that moving to virtual has helped in keeping communication on track. Cape May Convention Hall, along with other convention centers in New Jersey, have joined together to create a standard for reopening protocols. This unified front has led to shared ideas and initiatives with which all are mutually aligned in order to help navigate changes throughout the pandemic.

“A return to in person events and meetings is important,” asserts O’Connell. “Although virtual has helped facilitate meetings thus far, nothing beats the personal exchange with colleagues and customers. Building lasting relationships is a keystone to what we do, and personal interaction is important to build and maintain those relationships.”

“At this time, our facility is closed to the public for open events,” explains Laurie Taylor, director of marketing for the City of Cape May. “The City of Cape May has used virtual meetings to keep up-to-date with our cultural and marketing partners. We also believe in keeping an open line of communication with future events that are booked in 2021 and 2022.”

While they have not planned in-person meetings since the start of the pandemic, the City of Cape May did move to a hybrid structure for their holiday events. “We hosted several contests that involved personal interaction, with winners announced virtually using social media,” notes Taylor. “Typically, the holiday season in Cape May would be filled with in-person Christmas concerts and fundraising events. Moving to hybrid format allowed the merriment to continue in a safe and physically distant manner.”

Outdoor meeting at Split Rock Resort in Lake Harmony, PA; photo credit: Russ Schleipman; courtesy: Pocono Mountains CVB

REIMAGINE | REINVENT RECONNECT Events

PLANNING ■ DESIGN ■ DECOR 215.886.0202 eventricity.net But their most important role while representing their destination, says O’Connell and Taylor, will be to keep communication open in support of planners moving forward. The ever-changing landscape of the pandemic will take a coordination from all involved, they add. Safety also will remain a top priority for destination representatives, their staff, those in the hospitality industry, along with planners and attendees of events and meetings.

The Pocono Mountains Convention and Visitors Bureau refocused its efforts on several aspects of the mitigation of COVID-19 and helping the community and hospitality industry to navigate the challenges of 2020. One larger effort has been the Pocono Promise - a voluntary pledge from hundreds of local businesses to meet and exceed CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines.

The Pocono Mountains CVB also has employed its 24/7 TV network (Pocono Television Network) to constantly produce content from across the region and different sectors to inform and promote businesses and organizations. Public Service Announcements have played a large role on local and regional broadcast TV, digital and social media, too.

In addition, the bureau has developed task forces to help stakeholders in the community collaborate and share insights on the small town and retail level, weddings industry as well as sales and conventions.

With ample space and outdoor facilities, as well as being within driving distance from major metro areas, the Pocono Mountains region has long been sought after for meetings and events of all sizes, including small group functions. The Pocono Mountains CVB’s role is in supporting both the planner and the venue from arrival to departure.

It’s a shared belief at the Pocono Mountains CVB that the best relationships are built when we are face-to-face,” expresses Valerie Case, sales manager, Pocono Mountains CVB. “We are able to know and understand each other better in an in-person format. By nature, we are social species. I believe that is even more true for people in the hospitality industry. We thrive and renew our spirit through social connection.”

The bureau also has coordinated an advisory board to meet with planners and discuss their needs. “Our organization is looking at the possibility of a think tank to discuss how to prepare and execute a successful hybrid meeting, though our ultimate goal, of course, is for guests to feel safe enough to meet in-person again,” explains Case.

Each of these destinations, along with many others throughout the region, stand ready to assist planners with a safe return to in-person meetings and events. In the meantime, all are working to help planners, venues and suppliers alike, providing a host of support services and working hard to keep communication open and flowing so that, when the time comes, there will be a seamless and safe return to in-person meetings and events.

A TRUSTED AND SAFE DESTINATION, NOW AND ALWAYS.

ocono .romise

Safety. Reliability. Hospitality.

Visit PoconoMountains.com/PoconoPromise for more information on how businesses are working together to ensure guests’ safety.