Concierges get Cave Creek Wild West Days tour
By Curtis Riggs | October 22, 2008
CAVE CREEK – The Cave Creek Merchant’s Chamber of Commerce officials recently provided Valley resort concierges with a glimpse of what will be happening during the Wild West Days community celebration, Oct. 31 through Nov. 2.
CCMCC board members Annette Spino and Carol Reill took a dozen concierges on a tour bus and showed them the best of what Cave Creek has to offer. The stops encompassed bars and restaurants, which included a wide spectrum of Cave Creek options, as well as stores in Frontier Town and the Shoppes at the Creek. The concierges were part of the Valley of the Sun Concierges Network, a group that includes 120 members.
While many of the concierges were not strangers to Cave Creek, several of them said they appreciated the excursion. They often send tourists to the area and enjoyed getting to know the community better.
“I love it up here because it is so different,” said Shannon McCallum, Concierge Services Manager at the Fairmont Scottsdale. “It helps to build our knowledge of the places we send people to.”
One concierge said she likes to send visitors to the Town Dump in Cave Creek because “it’s not a tourist place.”
Another one said he liked Cave Creek for its rustic charm.
“It feels like real Arizona,” he said.
Chamber board member Spino talked about the Wild West Day activities, which will range from Wild West shows to live bull riding, as the bus made its way through town.
She also talked about the arts and crafts show, which will be located at Frontier Town on Saturday and Sunday, and the Wild West Days Golf Tournament, played at Rancho Mañana on Thursday, Oct. 30.
CCMCC president Marc Peagler said the Chamber will begin offering concierge tours on a quarterly basis because there is currently a larger turnover in concierges at Valley resorts.
“We will have a program to reintroduce them to Cave Creek,” he said.
Photo: Cave Creek Cowboy Company owner Paul Rerich shows Valley concierges some of the vests he has to offer at his Cave Creek Western clothing store.
Photo by Curtis Riggs