ENID — On Nov. 1, 2010, Enid Convention and Visitors Bureau became a separate entity with a goal of bringing more people to visit Enid.
Monday brought a new chapter in that goal when the organization officially opened its new welcome center downtown at Maine and Independence.
“When we started on Nov. 1, this was our goal, is to make this Enid’s front door,” said Rob Houston, communications coordinator for ECVB. “We welcome anybody, not only visitors but locals as well, because we want them to feel welcome here as well so that they can bring their guests and their visitors when they come to town. They can come down here and find out anything that’s going on in Enid.”
Houston said he’s really excited about the location, and signage that will added in the future to help guide visitors to the welcome center.
“(They will be) at the four large signs at the entrances to town,” said Marcy Jarrett, ECVB director. “Then there will be several at the intersections of Independence and Garriott, and then Maine and Van Buren, because those are the main directions we’ll bring people to downtown.”
Also, there will be a sign at University and Maine, Jarrett said.
On the exterior of the welcome center, there are four blue information signs, two on West Maine and two on South Independence. In front of the welcome center, under one of the welcome signs is a rack with brochures about places to dine, visit and stay at in Enid.
“This is just a point where people can come and get info about Enid,” Houston said. “It’s a home base to when events do come here this is where they can come to get information. The work that’s done behind the scenes is what’s going to get the conventions here.”
ECVB will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and also will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays during June, Jarrett said. The reason for that is ECVB wants to see what the foot traffic to the office is like on Saturdays.
“We don’t know at this point if we need to be open on Saturdays, but we won’t know until we try it,” Jarrett said.
Jarrett, Houston and Shala Miller, visitor information specialist, currently complete the three-person staff at ECVB.
“I’m hoping more people will realize that we’re here, that we’re a source, and that they can come on down and ask us for info for the different events coming to town, or if they have a family reunion ... they’ll give us a try because we can help them with it,” Jarrett said.
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