The Greater Odenville Chamber of Commerce welcomed Blair Goodgame, Tourism Director for the St. Clair County Economic Development Council, as guest speaker for its October 1 meeting at Christ Church Branch Cove.

Goodgame presented “Building a Place People Want to Visit, Live, Work, & Invest,” sharing how tourism, community vitality and economic development work together to strengthen communities throughout St. Clair County. Odenville Chamber

One of the central messages of Goodgame’s presentation was simple but powerful: tourism is economic development.

Current tourism indicators demonstrate the industry's growing economic importance in St. Clair County. Leisure and hospitality account for approximately 2,700 jobs, up 10.9% year over year, and represent 14.2% of private-sector jobs in the county. Restaurants alone account for approximately 2,400 jobs, while lodging tax collections for January through June 2026 reached approximately $410,800, an increase of 14.6% year over year.

Goodgame encouraged Chamber members to think beyond the traditional definition of tourism and consider the role a visitor's first experience with a community can play in its long-term economic future.

Her presentation illustrated a progression of Visit → Live → Work → Invest, emphasizing that a positive experience with a community can influence whether someone returns, relocates, accepts employment, starts or expands a business, or makes an investment there. As Goodgame's presentation put it, “Tourism is the first date with economic development.”

That concept has particular relevance for Odenville. Goodgame challenged attendees to consider two important questions: What is Odenville known for today, and what does Odenville want to be known for? A strong community brand, she explained, must begin with what is authentic about the community rather than simply what sounds good in an advertisement. A place's identity influences how people perceive it, and those perceptions can ultimately influence decisions about visiting, living, working and investing there.

Odenville already has a number of assets that can contribute to that story. Goodgame's presentation highlighted the community's small-town character along with local dining, outdoor activities, community events, the St. Clair County Agriculture & Multi-Event Center, Mustang Museum of America, Fortson Museum & Archives and other local venues. The presentation described Odenville as a community with a welcoming hometown feel that can also serve as a starting point for discovering more of St. Clair County.

Goodgame also shared how the role of Visit St. Clair has evolved. After six years of building the foundation—including identifying tourism assets, creating the brand, developing relationships and establishing platforms to tell the county's story—the organization is increasingly focused on building the destination itself through stronger experiences, partnerships, community pride and reasons for visitors to return.

Today, Visit St. Clair's work includes telling the county's story through destination content, photography, social media, media relations and visitor information; helping build experiences through event development and attraction support; providing training, marketing guidance, connections and resources to community partners; and strengthening quality of place and countywide collaboration.

Goodgame also introduced Visit St. Clair's new tourism website, designed as a “digital front door” to make St. Clair County easier for both visitors and residents to discover. The site includes individual community guides, things to do, an event calendar with public event submissions, food and lodging information, and trip inspiration.

Looking ahead, Visit St. Clair plans to continue growing the countywide event calendar, developing distinctive and memorable visitor experiences, expanding partnerships among hospitality businesses, municipalities, nonprofits and community leaders, and strengthening community storytelling throughout St. Clair County.

Goodgame reminded attendees that tourism and community promotion cannot be the responsibility of one organization alone. Residents and businesses are part of the destination and can help by attending local events, submitting events and visitor information, sharing positive stories about the county and becoming champions for the communities in which they live and work.

The October meeting also included a brief presentation by Danielle Pope with the St. Clair County Board of Education, who spoke about needs within the Odenville school system and the upcoming property tax referendum to benefit local schools.

Dona Bonnett with adr Business & Marketing Strategies presented the Chamber's monthly Marketing Minute, continuing the Chamber's educational series designed to provide members with practical marketing ideas and strategies for their businesses.

The October meeting was also a special occasion for the Greater Odenville Chamber of Commerce as members celebrated the Chamber’s 9th birthday. Founded in October 2017, the Chamber marked nine years of bringing businesses and community leaders together, supporting local business growth and working to strengthen the Greater Odenville community. Members celebrated the milestone together with birthday cake and looked forward to another year of building business, community and connections.

The Greater Odenville Chamber of Commerce extends its appreciation to Christ Church Branch Cove for hosting the October meeting and to The Orange Truck for catering lunch. The Chamber also thanks everyone who joined in celebrating its 9th birthday and helped make the October meeting such a special occasion. The Chamber's next monthly meeting will be held Thursday, November 5, 2026.

For additional information about tourism opportunities and events throughout St. Clair County, visit Visit St. Clair. Goodgame's presentation also encourages local organizations and businesses to submit events, attractions and visitor information so they can become part of the county's growing tourism story.

PHOTO: Pictured L–R are Greater Odenville Chamber of Commerce Board Members Johnny Kirkland (JJ’s Posts), Ambere Ginn (White Oak Realty) – 2^nd VP, Todd Seay (Metro Bank) - Treasurer; Blair Goodgame - Tourism Director, St. Clair County EDC, Jason Roberts (St. Clair County EDC), and Dona Bonnett (adr Business & Marketing Strategies)- 1st VP.