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Posts Tagged ‘Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion’

Have Motorcycle, Will Recruit

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Savvy business owners know their market and there is perhaps no savvier business owner than Anne Deli of Laconia Harley-Davidson.

I was absolutely convinced that the real hook for being able to speak to motorcylists visiting our state during Bike Week was the fact that State Business Recruiter Cindy Harrington and I would be in business suits on the back of Harleys. The juxtaposition of business attire amidst the sea of black leather would surely be an attention getter. Anne told me that it didn’t matter…..and she was right.

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“You will never hear one Harley rider asking another Harley rider what he or she does for work….it doesn’t matter,” Anne said. “What matters are the motorcycles and the love of riding. That’s what binds all of our customers together.”

Still, the sight of two people in professional business attire on the back of Harleys must have been at least a little disconcerting, even if our fellow riders weren’t about to bring that fact to our attention. About the closest anyone came to asking about our non-traditional garb was a female biker who asked if I was a Jehovah’s witness.

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What I was was a member of a two-person business recruitment team taking part in the “No Bull Business Run,” a motorcycle journey that left Laconia Harley-Davidson at 11 a.m. yesterday, wound its way to “Rally in the Valley” in North Conway and sped back to Laconia Harley later in the day. The purpose – to hand out collateral material regarding New Hampshire’s great business atmosphere and quality of life to visiting bikers, an upscale and affluent demographic ripe for our message about low taxes and Yankee independence.

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As neither Cindy nor I are motorcyclists, we were led on our journey by Nick and Michelle from Laconia Harley, motorcycle enthuasiasts of the highest order. Accompanying us on the trip in a car were Laconia Harley’s Anne and Steve Deli, the most gracious hosts and partners we ever could have asked for, and Monica Bardier from Ping PR who was coordinating the public relations activities for the run.

What did we learn from the “No Bull Business Run”? We learned that riders love New Hampshire – they love visiting a state where the motto “Live Free or Die” still resonates, they love the natural beauty of a state that is traditionally named amongst the most livable and they love being able to shop in a state without a sales tax. We learned that visitors to our state enjoy our non-traditional approach to business recruitment – as one biker said, “This would have never happened in Massachusetts.” And what we also learned is that being on a Harley induces a state of euphoria that is unmatched – it was AWESOME.

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As you might imagine, an undertaking of this kind requires a ton of planning and preparation, so much thanks is in order to the following: First and foremost Anne and Steve Deli, owners of Laconia Harley-Davidson (www.laconiaharley.com) and White Mountain Harley – this dynamic duo are two of the best business ambassadors the State has to offer; Michelle and Nick from Laconia Harley for keeping Cindy and I safe on the road; the entire staff of Laconia and White Mountain Harley – your friendliness and assistance was so greatly appreciated; Public Service of New Hampshire (and Pat McDermott in particular) for your generous sponsorship and partnership(www.psnh.com); Monica Bardier from Ping PR (www.mypingpr.com) for doing a masterful job coordinating all PR activities; Nancy Clark and the great gang over at the Glen Group (www.glengroup.com) for designing a kick….um…butt collateral piece for us to hand out – it’s a keeper!; to Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion (www.meadowbrook.net) for the free concert tickets and backstage passes to Live and Candlebox – this offer made our collateral piece a hot commodity; to Deb Avery and Leslie Sherman from the Business Resource Center for expertly manning our booth at Laconia Harley; and to Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy for trusting me enough to carry out the crazy ideas that bounce around my cranium.

Thanks also to the many bikers we met along the way yesterday. We love having you here as visitors and want you to return as business owners!

– Steve Boucher, Communications & Legislative Director

P.S. To see more photos of the “No Bull Business Run,” join our fan page on Facebook under “NH Economy.”

Get Your Motor Runnin’….

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

What’s the best way to reach an audience? Hang back and wait for them to come to you? Ummmm….no.  That’s why business recruiter Cindy Harrington and I will be taking to the road on Thursday to meet with the affluent and creative Harley-Davidson demographic.

Harley riders are the perfect group to attract to this state – creative, independent, pioneering. They live life to the fullest and truly appreciate the type of values that New Hampshire was built on – individuality, self-reliance and freedom.

Here’s what we’re up to with the “No Bull Business Run”:

What’s the easiest way to attract attention in the midst of leather, lace and roaring engines? Try wearing a business suit while mixing in with the crowd.

New Hampshire’s 86th annual Motorcycle Week is roaring into the state this weekend and the NH Business Resource Center, an office of the NH Division of Economic Development, is capitalizing on the opportunity with its inaugural and certainly hands-on, No Bull Business Run aimed at attracting new businesses to the Granite State.

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Named after the NH Division of Economic Development’s new “No Bull Business Blog,” the No Bull Business Run will be led by New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Communications & Legislative Director Steve Boucher and State Business Recruiter Cindy Harrington on Thursday, June 18. 

What’s different about this experiential marketing approach is the duo will be traveling side by side on motorcycles (SEE PHOTOS), Boucher in an ever popular Harley Davidson sidecar and Harrington on the back of a classic Harley Davidson. Donned in business suits, helmets and armed with marketing material cleverly called, the All Access Pass to Business in New Hampshire,  Harrington and Boucher will join the tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts for the Rally in the Valley.  The 80 mile, roundtrip scenic motorcycle cruise starts at Laconia’s Harley Davidson Dealership in Meredith with a pit stop and BBQ at the White Mountain Harley Davidson in North Conway. Teaming up with Anne Deli, owner of both Harley Davidson dealerships, the NH Business Resource Center is tapping into a well sought out demographic in hopes of sparking interest to relocate or start a business in New Hampshire.

“With more than 300,000 motorcycle enthusiasts converging to the state for a 10-day span, we see this as a perfect opportunity to market New Hampshire to this well diversified group, many of whom own their own businesses,” said Boucher. “We want people who are searching for a better lifestyle and better business climate to think of New Hampshire first. These motorcycle enthusiasts will already be experiencing all the recreational benefits New Hampshire offers. We also want them to learn about New Hampshire’s unique business advantages – our low tax status, our open and responsive form of government and our fierce independence. We’ll be motorcycle missionaries spreading the word about a state where the phrase ‘Live Free or Die’ still matters.”

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As a business owner and avid motorcycle rider herself, Anne Deli relocated to the state after experiencing the opportunity of owning her own business in New Hampshire.

“We chose New Hampshire because of the excellent business climate and strong demographic,” said Deli.  “This is a good place and this state represents what our values are. For us, the riding in the state is among the best in the country. You also have a lot of people who embrace the motorcycle lifestyle. We are excited to partner and offer our services to the State for the No Bull Business Run. It gives us the opportunity for cross synergy, and to offer our positive experiences as business owners in New Hampshire to our own Harley Davidson customers who have a very wide array of socio-economic backgrounds.”  

As part of the All Access Pass to Business in New Hampshire, motorcyclists who sign up to receive more information about doing business in New Hampshire will be automatically entered into a contest for tickets and a backstage visit with Blake Shelton or LIVE & Candlebox at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion during Motorcycle Week.

“This is a true public private partnership at its finest,” said NH Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy. “The State of New Hampshire is proud to be able to count on its great friends from Meadowbrook and Laconia Harley-Davidson as we hit the road in search of some great new business prospects.” 

To learn more about the New Hampshire Business Resource Center, visit www.nheconomy.com or call (603) 271-2591 or stay in touch through the No Bull Business Blog (blog.nheconomy.com)

– Steve Boucher, Communications & Legislative Director

Rock On! New Hampshire

Friday, May 15th, 2009

korn-2Bet you never thought you’d see a photo like this on a state economic development Web site, did you? Well, New Hampshire prides itself on being a bit different and on celebrating cultural amenities of all types including a major rock musical festival taking place at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion next weekend.

bob-hardingWant to learn more? Visit our new “Granite Greatness” feature at  http://www.nheconomy.com/Granite-Greatness.aspx. In the immortal words of Meadowbrook founder Bob Harding, “ROCK ON!”