A Podcast for Chamber Professionals Posts

James McCoy, President & CEO of the Forsyth County Chamber joins us for this episode as we start the category 2 phase of our 2021 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series. This is the second year in a row that the Forsyth County Chamber has been been selected as a Chamber of the Year Finalist.

In our discussion, James shares details about the two program synopsis that were submitted with their Chamber of the Year application.

The first program that James addressed was based around how the Forsyth County Chamber mobilized to collect and distribute relief funds to businesses in need as a result from the COVID-19 pandemic. The FOCO Chamber also partnered with local home owners associations in an effort to connect with not just the business community, but also the residents of their community to further spread their message.

The second program that James talked about is how they had to quickly shift the direction of their economic development efforts. The adjustment was made to allow for virtual site visits with 3D tours and drone footage to help paint a better picture of Forsyth County. This effort led to $42 million in new capitol.

James shared how important it was for their Chamber to be nimble and able to move quickly on these programs. It was important for their Chamber to have the data driven confidence to move forward with these ideas.

If you would like to connect with James about anything he discussed in this episode you can see his contact information at focochamber.org.

You can also find my previous interview with James at chamberchatpodcast.com/episode75.

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Samira Zimmerly, President of the Wooster Area Chamber joins us for this third episode of our 2021 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series. The Wooster Chamber has been represented the past two years as a finalist which is an indicator that they are making a great impact in their community.

As this episode goes live, the Chamber of the Year winners have been announced and the Wooster Area Chamber was named the Category 1 ACCE Chamber of the Year Winner!

In our discussion, Samira shares details about the two program synopsis that were submitted with their Chamber of the Year application.

The first program that Samira addressed was around the initiative to transform part of their downtown into a DORA (designated outdoor refreshment area). This designation allowed for the community to engage with food and drink vendors to provide sales for those businesses while also drawing more foot traffic to the downtown retailers.

The second program that Samira talked about is how they had to pivot their very successful annual Manufacturing Day to drive workforce development into a new publication they titled “Wooster is Hiring“. This publication was produced in both a print and digital form and was distributed in the community newspaper, delivered digitally to 16 colleges, the social media link had over 50,000 views, and one of the Cleveland TV news stations picked up the story.

Samira believes that a Chamber should be the link between business and an engaged community.

If you would like to connect with Samira about anything she discussed in this episode you can see her contact information below:

• szimmerly@woosterchamber.com
• (330) 262-5735

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Jim Boltz, President of the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber joins us for this second episode of our 2021 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series.

In our discussion, Jim shares details about the two program synopsis that were submitted with their Chamber of the Year application.

The first program that Jim addressed is about their Tri-County Collaborative where they partner with the tourism and economic development entities of two of their neighboring counites. With this program, they held a virtual job fair that featured 50 employers and over 250 job applicants.

The second program that Jim talked about is their efforts in supporting the Cranberry Township Farmers Market. The Chamber partnered with the farmer’s market as a was to allow for some of their members of certain sectors to have a place to do business outdoors while in the midst of the pandemic.

The goal was to convert the farmer’s market into a destination with vendors, entertainment, music, and Hallmark movie type of feel. When the partnership was first formed, there were about 26 vendors and about 265 people who would attend. This grew to 40 vendors and over 500 attendees. The farmer’s market spun off a Holiday Village Market which brought over 1,500 attendees.

Jim believes that a Chamber has to adapt in order to make an impact in their community.

If you would like to connect with Jim about anything he discussed in this episode you can see his contact information below:

• jboltz@pghnorthchamber.com
• LinkedIn

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Robin Anderson, President & CEO of the Mason City Chamber joins us for this first episode of our 2021 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series.

In our discussion, Robin shares details about the two program synopsis that were submitted with their Chamber of the Year application.

The first program that Robin addressed is around placemaking and branding their community as a destination for the arts, culture, and architecture with a strong Frank Lloyd Wright influence. They have created a sculpture walk that continues to grow as more art is added to it.

The second program that Robin talked about is their community concierge program. Their Chamber noticed that certain professional practices bring additional jobs with them, specifically in specialized fields of medicine. They have created a partnership with their local hospital to help attract physicians to their community that they believe will bring additional jobs to support a new medical practice.

If you would like to connect with Robin about anything she discussed in this episode you can visit the the Mason City Chamber website to find her contact information.

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Candace Boothby and Kelle Marsalis, the co-chairs of the ACCE Chamber of the Year program join us for this episode as we kick off our 2021 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series.

Candace is the President & CEO of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber and Kelle is the President & CEO of the Plano Chamber. Both have been on the receiving side of the ACCE Chamber of the Year award.

In our discussion, Kelle and Candace share what is required for a Chamber to be considered for Chamber of the Year. They also share some insights to the quality of applicants that they have seen submitted for this year.

If you would like to connect with Candace or Kelle about anything they discussed in this episode or to learn more about how to get your Chamber involved in the Chamber of the Year program for next year, you can see their contact information below:

• Candace Boothby
• newnancowetachamber.org
• candace@newnancowetachamber.org
• Text 404-312-8521

• Kelle Marsalis
• Planochamber.org/staff
• kellem@planochamber.org
• LinkedIn
• Text 972-345-8416

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Lindsay Keisler brings her experience into our discussion this week to share how sometimes thinking like a rookie although on the surface seems like a big disadvantage can actually be leveraged into a great strength.

Lindsay is the President & CEO of The Chamber of Catawba County where she has served in various roles before taking on her current responsibilities.

As a young Chamber executive, Lindsay admits that she had insecurities and even some imposter syndrome when she first started until she learned to turn her open-minded rookie mentality into opportunity.

Lindsay shared some of the advantages of being a rookie that can even be adopted by more seasoned individuals in the Chamber industry if they are aware of this type of mindset.

A rookie is willing to take risks. A rookie needs to ask a lot of questions, rather than telling others “how it is”. A rookie brings a fresh set of eyes and is willing to make a change. A rookie also has to leverage the knowledge and skills of those around them.

“When you {think like} you’re green, you’ll grow. When {you think like} you’re rip, you’ll rot.” -Ray Kroc

Lindsay also referenced a report titled The Demographic Drought that you can access here.

If you would like to connect with Lindsay about anything she discussed in this episode or to continue this discussion offline, you can see her contact information below:

• Email: lkeisler@catawbachamber.org
• LinkedIn
• catawbachamber.org

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Doug Holman, from Holman Brothers Membership Sales Solutions is our guest for this episode as we dive into a fun discussion. Doug takes the opportunity to share some experiences that he has had while working with Chambers of Commerce over the past 20 years and he does some myth busting.

In the Chamber world, we all know about the “sacred cows”. Well, there are some common misconceptions when it comes to membership sales that still happen today at many Chambers because that is the way that is has always been done.

As you listen to Doug as he shares these myths, see how many you can identify with and if there are any changes that your organization can look at making.

Holman Brothers Membership Sales Solutions is our Champion (title) Sponsor for the podcast and I have come to know Doug and his brother Bill and their way of approaching membership sales. They have a lot to offer and would be worth a conversation to discuss how they might be able to serve your organization.

Holman Brothers also do a monthly webinar each month since COVID to share tips for your Chamber with regards to membership sales.

If you would like to connect with Doug about anything he discussed in this episode or to continue this discussion offline, you can see his contact information below:

• Cell: 619-852-1391
• Email: doug@holmanbros.com

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Jason Leslie is the communications manager with the Alberta Chambers of Commerce. He is our guest for this episode to discuss how the Alberta Chambers of Commerce is leveraging technology to strengthen their province and the Chambers who they serve.

Jason is spearheading some exciting technology initiatives, including Chamber Channel which is a value management infrastructure to manage subscriptions and collect payments among many other powerful functions.

The Alberta Chambers of Commerce is also rolling out ChamberMarket.ca, an online e-commerce marketplace designed for Chambers and local communities.

There are some unique integrations to Chamber Channel and ChamberMarket.ca that allow for more detailed business insights with sharable data and even an AI based employment referral system that weighs the strength of your referrals. (Alida & Talinity)

If you would like to connect with Jason about anything he discussed in this episode or to continue this discussion offline, you can see his contact information below:

• Email: JLeslie@abchamber.ca

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Aaron Nelson, President & CEO of The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro is our guest this week to share his philosophy around data driven decision making.

You can feel Aaron’s passion for this topic as he talks about the impact that evaluating data has made to the decisions that have been made at his Chamber.

Aaron is a strong proponent of net promoter scores. In our discussion, he explains how they apply net promoter scores to pretty much everything their Chamber does. For events and programs, you can evaluate your revenue, attendance, and net promoter scores to determine what direction you should go in the future.

Aaron pointed out how data show both the holes and confidence at your organization. In summary, accurate data will help you to stay relevant and to make a greater impact in your community.

If you would like to connect with Aaron about anything he discussed in this episode or to continue this discussion offline, you can see his contact information below:

• Email: anelson@carolinachamber.org
• carolinachamber.org

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.