The Blue Ridge Parkway Association held it's semi-annual meeting at the Shelton Vineyards and Hampton Inn, in Dobson, NC on January 9-10, 2013. Attending for Patrick County was Tom Bishop and Steve Helms.

Blue Ridge Parkway Association Semi-Annual Meeting Hampton Inn-Shelton Vineyards-Dobson, NC January 10, 2013 The Blue Ridge Parkway Association is a non-profit organization (not govt.), that partners with the Blue Ridge Parkway (National Park) to market the very best travel and tourism related businesses and communities along the 469 mile Parkway in VA, NC and Tennessee. Their membership includes Regional Visitor Centers, Destination Marketing Organizations, and Chambers of Commerce. Some of the more prominent businesses they represent are: Natural Bridge, Blowing Rock, Grandfather Mountain, Biltmore Estates, Luray Caverns, Primland and Chimney Rock. The Association publishes the annual Blue Ridge Parkway Directory and Planning Guide and prints and distributes approximately 350,000 copies, plus distributes the Parkway map and Campground Directory, approximately 45,000 copies. They maintain a web site (www.blueridgeparkway.org), which promotes its some 500 members and has initiated a new mobile app for the Androids and iPhones (effective October 2, 2012). The also have a presence on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter, the most popular Social Media websites. Their headquarters are in Asheville, NC. They represent the membership at regional home shows, and business expositions largely in the Southeastern part of the US. The Blue Ridge Parkway was again the most visited National Park in the United States and boasts of 14.5 million visitors per year. The Patrick County Chamber of Commerce and the Blue Ridge Visitor Center (Meadows of Dan) are proud to be a part of this marketing organization. Attending today’s meeting from Patrick County was Tom Bishop, Executive Director, Patrick County Chamber and Steve Helms, Vice President of Primland of Meadows of Dan. The next semi-annual meeting will be in Natural Bridge, VA on May 1-2, 2013.