GILLETTE, Wyo. — Campbell County Convention and Visitors Bureau signed papers today to buy the Campbell County Chamber of Commerce‘s building.
The week of Nov. 6, the Chamber will move from 314 S. Gillette Ave. to 409 W. 2nd St. in downtown Gillette, according to a Chamber news release.
The bureau’s purchase of the Chamber’s building follows a 2016 Memorandum of Understanding between the Campbell County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Gillette, Campbell County and the Town of Wright, according to a bureau news release. The bureau is using its savings account dollars for the purchase. The Gillette Avenue location will house the Campbell County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Gillette Main Street program.
“We hear over and over again how visitors enjoy our small-town experiences and small-town businesses. Utilizing this space to engage with visitors allows us to continue to educate and encourage them to spend their dollars downtown,” said Jessica Seders, the executive director of the Campbell County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Prior to the purchase, the bureau and the chamber were sharing an office, which aided with sharing resources and working collaboratively to “build a real brain trust,” Seders said.
Seders said in an email that the bureau is looking forward to offering more information, especially around the mining industry. Interactive displays in the lobby are a long-term goal.
The chamber’s new location, which is about a half-mile away, will hopefully allow continued close collaboration, according to the release. The Campbell County team envisions a long-term destination-style visitor center near CAM-PLEX, which is at 1635 Reata Drive, Gillette. The previous visitor center location, which was near the 1800 block of Douglas Highway, saw just under 5,500 visitors in 2019 compared with nearly 9,800 at the downtown visitor center location in 2022.
“We know our primary focus is to drive the visitor economy in Campbell County and we want to ensure we’re doing this in ways that are fiscally conservative and have minimum impact on our locals. Our goal is to bring in the outside dollars,” Seders said.
This is not the first move for the Chamber of Commerce, which business leaders began in 1956 to foster teamwork, according to the chamber’s release. It began at what is roughly 211 S. Gillette Ave. before moving to Stockman’s Café and then its current location. The chamber’s board has known for two decades that it was outgrowing the space at 314 S. Gillette Ave. The new space will allow the chamber to expand its services. Locals are invited to stop in to take a tour.
“The board and staff are excited to make this move and will continue to be a part of the downtown community while being more visible and easier to access,” the release said.
Lofing said in an email that the Chamber will get settled before rolling out new services, but the new space will allow it to produce more video content and possibly start a podcast. The services will be designed to highlight members and give them more visibility.
“As we move into the new year, we will be talking more about what other services we can offer,” she said.
