Issue link: http://frankenmuthcvb.uberflip.com/i/969708
It is sometimes hard to look back when you are so busy looking ahead, but it is a great exercise in feeling a sense of accomplishment and progress. The annual report affords us that opportunity, even though it is published more than a quarter into our new fiscal year. By the start of 2018, we are already geing to work on some of our goals for the new year, but it's a great time to celebrate all that we did for our community and guests this past year. With the new leaders at the City and School District, we have continued a legacy of positive collaboration by finding positive solutions on issues like vendor ordinances and a complete streets plan. We assisted in celebrating the Sister City's 55th Anniversary Celebration and our German Heritage Commiee was very busy this year as well with a unique opportunity to host Michigan's German Unity Day Celebration. We worked with other community organizations such as the Civic Events Council to help move the Bavarian Festival back downtown and it was a great success they look forward to building on in this 60th Anniversary year. We also assisted The Great Race in coming to Frankenmuth for a leg of their cross-country car race. It was quite an event with wonderful community support and opportunity for good publicity. We also took on production of a new Frankenmuth commercial which will be used in the upcoming advertising season to entice potential guests to come to Frankenmuth! There was also progress on many of our building improvement projects thanks to our building commiee and we had a new commiee help to improve our Holiday Celebration & Candlewalk event which kicks off a very important season in Frankenmuth! There were certainly many highlights this past year and with a new Membership & Program Manager added to our team, it has also been a year of learning and planning. With a full year behind us and many planning sessions as well, we are excited about all that 2018 has in store. The local economy is thriving and we are well positioned to share in the success of all the new and expanding businesses we plan to welcome in 2018. You can expect to see more collaboration, improved communication, more member programming and even more engaging sales and marketing efforts. Together, with our partners, Frankenmuth shall continue to prosper! Jamie Furbush, CMP President & CEO letter from the president 1