What's Happening This Week
· The Berkeley Hotel is hosting 400 guests this weekend in association with the NJ Marathon in Long Branch. This is a great opportunity to introduce our city to many new visitors. The Berkeley has made it possible for the restaurants and retailers to distribute promotional materials, coupons, etc. in a large envelope that will be placed in each guest room. If you want to take advantage of this, bring 500 pieces from your business to the Retail Meeting Tuesday at 9am.  If you are unable to be there, e-mail Cheryl at cheryl@berkeleyhotelnj.com to make arrangements to drop them off.
· First Saturday Asbury Park is coming up later this week and the theme is "Time To Get Fit". The fitness walk begins at 5pm at the Berkeley and travels downtown to the Core Restore, Flying Saucers, Fitness Lifestyles and Physicians Fitness Solutions.  May is time for shoppers to get their home FIT, their wardrobe FIT and their diet FIT for the summer. Join in. Free parking and trolley rides courtesy of Madison Marquette. The trolley map is on the chamber website which you can select, drag to your desktop and print out.  Please bring any promotional materials for events from May 5^th through June 3^rd to the Chamber office so Cindi can distribute them at the APCC table during First Saturday Asbury Park.

Outdoor Dining Shut Down
The ABC shut down outdoor dining and drinking last weekend downtown. The city ordinance that covers this is being rewritten and will be brought before the council at the May 7th meeting. It is important to be at this meeting to show support.

Marketing
· The monthly Marketing meeting (held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month) has provided several opportunities for co-op advertising. A group of 35 businesses participated in a great ad designed by M Studio at a cost o $20 each in the summer issue of Jersey Shore Living  magazine. The magazine will be distributed from Sandy Hook to Breille and west into Colts Neck, Homdel and Marlboro.
· The rep from APP's new lifestyle magazine 40/74 was at the last meeting and can offer a special price and bonus ad for those interested in the July issue featuring Moonstruck and the August issue featuring Market in the Middle. (jsargeant@app.com). Other possible magazines include Preferred Inns and Restaurants of NJ, Jersey Shore Magazine (the city advertises in this), and Monmouth Magazine. One of the questions raised was "Is it time to advertise out of the area such as Bucks County, Philadelphia and NYC?"
· An Asbury only promotional map was discussed. The committee was enthusiastic about it and would offer reasonable advertising space for Asbury businesses. With a new advertising agency just taking over, the city does not have time to produce its usual Shopping and Dinning Guide, Tom Gilmour said that the UEZ maybe able to partially fund the map. More later at the next Marketing Meeting Tuesday, May 13th.

Postcard Stories
This project led by Greg Demaras is close to launch. Large reproductions of the message side of historical "Greetings From Asbury Park" postcards will be placed in vacant store fronts. Funding is being sought and finalized and more information will be available soon.  Planned launch is Memorial Day weekend.

What's Next?
· The Antiques & Art Show, Grand Arcade & Convention Hall, May 10-11. www.asburyevents.com
· The Center a la Carte 2008 benefit for the Center in Asbury Park and the Center House at Convention Hall, May 16, www.thecenterinap.com
· The Tri City Arts Festival, June 6-7-8 (including FSAP, more below)
· The ReVsionTheater Company presents "Hello, Dolly!" in concert with and Broadway and local performers. This is the debut event and benefit for ReVision, June 14 at the Paramount Theater. www.revsiontheatre.org.
· Tony Bennett at the Paramount, June 28 in a benefit performance for the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County. www.asburyevents.com

Three Shore Destinations Team Up For TriCity Art Tour On June 6-7-8
· Summer-season crowds heading "Down the Shore" on the weekend of June 6-7-8 will be able to take in more than just the usual fantastic shopping, destination dining and sun-kissed coastal breezes. For the first time ever, the "TriCities" of eastern Monmouth County - Asbury Park, Long Branch and Red Bank -  will be joining forces to present an event that's designed to showcase the amazing depth and vitality of the local arts scene. An unprecedented collaboration between arts entities, businesses and civic organizations in each of the three host communities, The Tri-City Arts Tour is a three-day "living exhibition" of the things that have made each of these go-to towns a genuine destination for galleries, theater, film festivals, major outdoor events and the most legendary homegrown music scene in the Garden State. The Tri-City Arts Tour is a chance to experience some culture "with the top down," here at the start of another event-packed summer season. The tour is presented in part by the UEZ offices for the cities of Asbury Park and Long Branch, the Arts Coalition of Asbury Park, Red Bank RiverCenter; Red Bank Alive and the Monmouth County Arts Council. www.tricityartstour.com
· The Asbury Park tour is being organized and planned by ArtsCAP who has been meeting with a group of over 30 artists, citizens and business owners for the last 6 weeks. FSAP on June 7 is being cross promoted by the Tour and the Chamber's Retail Committee. Some of the scheduled events are:
VISUAL ARTS:  The Walk of Art: Over 20 business from Main Street, Cookman, Mattison and the Boardwalk will each be hosting and artist for the weekend in a mile-long street art gallery with a gallery style opening on Friday night (to participate e-mail Dennis Carroll at dcarrhs@aol.com); The Art Mark Mural: a large mural painted during the tour in the Carousel Arcade Saturday and Sunday; Projection Art and Film: themed video of art and by artists will be projected on buildings after dark at several locations and a program of short films will be presented in an downtown indoor venue; The Big Art Show will be in the Carousel House on Saturday.  MUSIC & THEATER: Jazz at the Transportation Center all weekend. Music and theater performances will be held at an outdoor stage in Kennedy Park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday which will include Street performers, a puppet show and the APHS production of "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown." Theater performance also at Mattison Park. (program subject to change). Plus all our regular music and theater events at the Stone Pony, Asbury Lanes, The Saint, and the Paramount Theater will be liisted. Anyone interested in local sponsorship information is available at www.artscap.org; event sponsorship at www.tricityartstour.com