David Zunker, president of the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau, said the hard work of the bureau has resulted in signing the Northeast Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York for January 2009. Zunker said the first step the bureau takes is to identify prospective businesses, court them and book them.

“This has been two years in the making,” Zunker said of signing the group. “We are trying to build business in off-peak times, like January.”

The Christmas Tree Farmers meet in January because they are busiest in the other seasons.

“The time works for us and them,” Zunker said of the event.

He said there were many instrumental people involved in bringing this group to town.

Chip Ellms of Ellms Family Farm in Charlton was the 2008 president of the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York and gave the bureau a local connection to the group.

“Chip has been incredible throughout this process,” Zunker said. “He was very influential in booking this group. Chip is our ambassador.”

He said Ellms will definitely be on the list of ‘Hometown Heroes’ in November when the bureau recognizes Saratoga residents in bringing conventions and meetings to the city.

Zunker said Molly Brindle and Kathy Denkenberger from the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau, Cindy Sullivan from the Saratoga Hotel and Mark Baker and Judy LeCain from the City Center were also big players in booking this event.

“This event could get really big,” Zunker said.

Ellms said Brindle and Denkenbeger contacted him and said they would like to have this conference in Saratoga.

“I live in Saratoga County and am very involved in Saratoga Springs,” Ellms said. “I understand it is good to have a meeting like this come our way.”

He said it was really a group effort to bring this convention to town, with the convention and tourism bureau leading the way.

“To make a significant impact like this makes me feel good,” Ellms said of his involvement.

This year, members of the bureau and City Center went to Turning Stone Casino and Resort to promote Saratoga at this year’s meeting for the Northeast Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York.

“We showed them we really, really wanted their business,” Zunker said.

Ellms said that CTFANY Executive Director Bob Norris and the board decided not only to move their conference, but to use this opportunity to move forward with a plan they’d tried once before to host a northeast regional winter conference attracting the New England state associations.

“These people have never been to Saratoga before and we are exposing them to what the city has to offer,” Ellms said. “The community makes this a place people want to be.”

The conference will bring more than 300 people to town for three days.

Ellms said that the planned growth of what has been a statewide meeting into a regional conference made it a significant event for Saratoga Springs.  

Zunker said one of the bureau’s major functions is to broaden Saratoga as a year-round destination and building business in the first quarter of the year is one of their goals.

“First quarter business is always welcomed in Saratoga Springs,” Zunker said. “Bringing in business when it is traditionally slow benefits everyone up and down Broadway.”