“Help others get what they want and you will get what you want.”
Liz Martell, departing Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau director, said she has lived up to that principle after nearly 11 years of leading the organization that promotes the Emporia area to visitors and businesses.
“I think that is what I have achieved,” Martell said. “I certainty have not accomplished anything by myself.”
Martell is leaving the bureau to pursue other interests that include getting her master’s degree in English and working as a graduate teaching assistant at Emporia State University.
Her last day at the bureau is Sept. 28.
Martell has done a lot in her job at the bureau, which she started on Dec. 30, 1996. Among the first things she did was helped develop the first Web site for the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and the bureau.
Among all the projects she’s worked on, though, Martell said a personal favorite is her work with the All-Veteran’s Tribute. She enjoyed meeting the veterans and getting a glimpse of what they have to go through to serve in the armed forces.
“It’s not always a choice to serve in the military depending on what country you live in,” Martell said. “The people I have worked with on the Tribute always put their best foot forward and want to educate people especially children on what the flag means.”
Martell said the year before Sept. 11, the organization couldn’t sell flags being stored in a basement. But in the week following 9/11, every flag was sold and veterans brought in ones they had bought personally so people would have a flag to fly.
“They (veterans) are just wonderful people,” Martell said. “It’s been an incredible experience. They’ve been through hell and back and they are still willing to work for their country.”
Martell said she takes pride in Emporia’s tourism industry. She said after 9/11, the tourism industry took a hit throughout the country. Emporia, though, stayed ahead of the game.
“We were able to sustain and not fall as hard,” she said. “I don’t think it effected us as much as it could have compared to other (areas) in the state.”
In her day-to-day job, Martell is responsible for marketing campaigns. She has enjoyed placing ads and coming up with different ways to promote Emporia. She said she enjoyed working with graphic designers to help develop positive images. She also looked at hundreds of photos as part of the creative process, which she also liked.
During her tenure, she strived to make people aware that the bureau is a division of the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce. The bureau also answers to the city, which funds the organization.
“One thing I’m proud of is I think we brought more awareness to the CVB,” Martell said. “It’s only 25 years old (in Emporia). I think people understand what we do now.”
Getting the movie “Sarah Plain & Tall: Winter’s End” to Emporia was another accomplishment Martell recalled. She said the production team really wanted to go to Topeka but Emporia successfully won the bid.
“I’m really proud of that,” she said.
The bureau has seen a lot of support through sports, Martell said. Events were possible thanks to Emporia High School, Emporia State University, the Emporia Rec Center and Emporia Sports Promotions Inc. The Shrine Bowl’s economic impact on Emporia totaled $715,000. Football championships bring more than $500,000; the economic impact of the “Sarah” movie was more than a million dollars.
Martell said none of the accomplishments was possible without community support.
“Many CVBs don’t have as much as support,” she said.
Development of a community calendar is another goal that Martell said she is proud of. She said bureau staff work hours every month putting it together.
“It’s amazing how much goes on in this area,” she said. “It’s very important to the community.”
Martell also worked with ACE (Arts, Culture and Entertainment), which focuses on downtown arts and entertainment.
The project was “a joint effort with the Chamber and the CVB,” she said, adding that later the organizations started working with Emporia Main Street as well. “It was exciting to be a part of that process.”
Martell has seen a lot of projects take off during her tenure.
“That’s the one thing I do most in this job is starting things,” she said. “It’s been an exciting decade.”
The bureau has won a marketing award every year but one since Martell took the helm, she said. Marketing awards came from the Travel Industry Association of Kansas for Emporia’s visitors guide, billboards, a promotional brochure for the All-Veteran’s Tribute and for promotion of the Shrine Bowl.
There is one project that Martell wants to see done or at least nearly done before she leaves — way-finding signs that direct visitors to various spots in Emporia. Martell said this project has been underway since 1991 and she hopes to have the signs finally ordered by the end of this month.
Martell has many memories to take with her. She recalled the first time she walked into the bureau. She said her office had a desk, no computer and a filing cabinet. The other two computers at the bureau were old and didn’t work well.
“Within one year the Chamber had everybody within the building with a networked (computer) system,” Martell said. “The Chamber has come a long way in the last decade.”
Martell said she will miss interactions with people the most. She said a lot of folks have donated their talents, time and money to help make Emporia a good place to live.
“Emporia has so much going for it,” she said. “It’s nice to know there are people that are willing to make Emporia a nice place to live in.”