A Podcast for Chamber Professionals Posts

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This episode is a compilation of some highlights from the past 12 episodes from our 2019 Chamber of the Year Finalist Series. In each episode, guests were asked for one action item that can help other Chamber professionals to bring their Chamber up to the next level. These highlights are the valuable answers that they provided. You can click on each name to listen to their entire interview.

Justin Starlin – Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce

What is your brand in the community? Who are the active players making a difference in your community?

Norma Lansing – Effingham County Chamber of Commerce

Are you connected with all the players in your community?

Joe Unterreiner – Kalispell Chamber of Commerce

Maximize the number of reps with each membership to increase your network.

RaDonna Hessel – Grapevine Chamber of Commerce

Listen to your members through a leadership role.

Ron Bunch – Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce

Find opportunities to step in with a leadership role in the community.

Kevin Sheilley – Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce

Don’t be afraid to BBQ sacred cows at your Chamber.

Derek Miller – Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce

Become civic-minded business leaders for social awareness and impact in your community.

Beth Bowman – Irving Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce

Be the 411 and the 911 for your community.

Michelle Bundren – Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce

Listen to the data and your members and be willing to change.

Dave Jochum – Longview Chamber of Commerce

Create a strategic plan for your Chamber.

Kit Cramer – Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Program exploration through a tiered dues model.

Kent Oyler – Greater Louisville Inc. The Metro Chamber of Commerce

Get to know the key trends from the Horizon Initiative.

Congratulations again to the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce, the Longview Chamber of Commerce, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce & Greater Louisville Inc. on their recognition as 2019 ACCE Chamber of the Year and thank you again to all the finalists for sharing your tips and ideas that make your Chamber shine.

In your mission to be a great Chamber, consider delegating to an award-winning publisher and Chamber partner like Community Matters, Inc. for your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication and a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

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Beth Bowman from the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber is our guest this week in our final episode of our special 2019 ACCE Chamber of Year Finalist Series.

The Irving-Las Colinas Chamber is located right in the heart of DFW Airport.  With a 16 member team the Irving Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce serves 1900 member investors.  They are structured as a public/private partnership working as the Economic Development Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce.  The Irving-Las Colinas Chamber works to be apart of the solution for issues that arise for the  business industry for economic development and public policy; small business services; work force issues; talent initiative; and transportation infrastructure.

The Share Tank Initiative is one way the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber is standing out in the Chamber Industry.  Through the collaborative effort of the city, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the art center, the entrepreneur center and other organizations, they work under the Chamber’s Community Development Foundation to match non-profits who are seeking funding with businesses who are looking to give back to the community.  The Chamber is able to serve as a conduit to help educate the private businesses and allow the non-profits to pitch their needs to a panel of sharers looking to give.  More information about the Chamber’s Share Tank Initiative can be found at their website: irvingsharetank.com.

Another area that the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber shines is their involvement in public policy.  Their team is actively engaged in building strong relationships with local and state government officials.  Beth shares some of their successes as they have taken an active role in promoting policies for the growth of the Irving-Las Colinas business industry and also educating businesses and advocating on their behalf in regards to public policies being debated.

The Irving-Las Colinas Chamber is strong and thriving.  Beth stated, “You’re only as strong as your weakest link, and in Irving-Las Colinas we are very strong.”  If you’d like to reach out to Beth Bowman to learn more about the programs at the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce please feel free to reach out to her.

bbowman@irvingchamber.com

(214) 217-8484

Learn more at: irvingchamber.com.

In your mission to be a great Chamber, consider delegating to an award-winning publisher and Chamber partner like Community Matters, Inc. for your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication and a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher

Norma Lansing from the Effingham Chamber of Commerce is our guest this week in our 2019 ACCE Chamber of Year Finalist Series.

The Effingham County Chamber is located in central Illinois in the heart of the countries transportation network.  The population during the work day swells three times with all those coming to Effingham for employment.   

The Effingham County Chamber’s Business Outreach Center is a program facilitated by active business people, as well as retired business people, looking to give back to the business community and promote the growth of Effingham County.  The Business Outreach Center serves client needs from helping with business development, finding manufacturers to help take ideas to the next step and connecting businesses with mentors.  The Chamber is excited about the growth of the Effingham Regional Incubator Network and the opportunity for individuals and businesses to find workspace at any of their locations. 

The Effingham County Chamber promotes that when a business joins the Chamber, so do the employees.  The Chamber has created a poster for employers to post to let employees know about member opportunities that are available to them through the businesses membership. One way the Chamber has leveraged this idea to get the employees active in the Chamber is to offer scholarship opportunities each year – only available to employees and their families.

The Effingham Regional Career Academy is a collaborative effort of the Chamber, the community college and six area high schools.  They are focused on five career areas that meet the needs of their communities.  They are looking forward to the construction of a 36,000 square foot facility for these students to come together and collaborate while learning about local employment opportunities.

One philosophy of the Effingham County Chamber is: We are stronger when we work together.  If you’d like to connect with Norma Lansing to learn more about what’s been successful for the Effingham County Chamber please feel free to contact her.

nlansing@effinghamcountychamber.com

(217) 342-4147

Learn more at effinghamcountychamber.com.

In your mission to be a great Chamber, consider delegating to an award-winning publisher and Chamber partner like Community Matters, Inc. for your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication and a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher

This week our guest is Michelle Bundren, President and CEO of the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce and recipient of the 2019 ACCE Chamber of the Year award. 

The Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce represents about 600 members and roughly 10,000 employees in the far west corner of Kentucky. 

Over the past 5 years the Murray-Calloway County Chamber has worked to rebrand the Chamber in an effort to identify themselves as leaders, set high expectations for their events and to provide quality representation for their sponsors.  To accomplish this, the Chamber partnered with a local graphic designer and utilized Canva, an affordable tool for small chambers, to provide a very professional brand to be seen throughout the community and on social media.

The Murray-Calloway County Chamber has seen success in utilizing the Go Local campaign to highlight the small businesses that make up roughly 65% of their membership.

The Chamber has established themselves as problem solvers for local businesses as they continually work with the city of Murray to provide education and tools to those wanting to set up new businesses in the city.  Through their efforts they’ve been able to identify and overcome pain points seen when starting a business, thus reducing the time and simplifying the effort of getting started.  Building a relationship of trust with their local government has allowed for some really awesome growth in the community.

The Murray-Calloway County Chamber has seen a benefit to diversifying their Board to provide representation to a broad section of business owners and across all segments of business.  Michelle would suggest listening to the data you have, be engaged with your members, and be willing to make changes.  By focusing on the needs of the community Chamber’s can bring people together to do great things.

Michelle and the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce are active on all social media platforms, via email, or phone to discuss any of the topics discussed in this episode.

michelle@mymurray.com,

(270) 753-5171

Learn more at mymurray.com.

In your mission to be a great Chamber, consider delegating to an award-winning publisher and Chamber partner like Community Matters, Inc. for your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication and a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher

Derek Miller, President of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce is our guest on this week’s episode in our ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series.  Derek has been called “an architect of economic opportunity” and has been instrumental in developing Utah into one of the fastest growing economies in the United States. 

The Salt Lake Chamber is a has the capitol city in its name, but is state wide in its reach, scope and mission. The Salt Lake Chamber celebrated its 130^th anniversary last year and is one of only three organizations that pre-dates Utah’s statehood. The State of Utah is going on its 3^rd year as the fastest growing economy in the United States and the fastest growing state population.  The amazing quality of life that Utah offers its residents and businesses remain the focus of the Chamber.

One way the Salt Lake Chamber has created value for their Chamber was through the creation of Utah Community Builders, a foundation focused on local social issues.  Through the work of the foundation the Salt Lake Chamber has been able to make a positive impact in the community, as well as change the conversation with businesses regarding their Chamber membership. 

Intentional planning and hard work has made Utah into one of the fastest growing economies in America.  Derek discusses how the Chamber’s partnership with local and federal government has contributed to the success as well as facing the challenges that come with a fast growing economy.

If you would like to connect with Derek Miller on any of the topics discussed, he can be reached by email or phone.

dmiller@slchamber.com

801-328-5073

In your mission to be a great Chamber, consider delegating to an award-winning publisher and Chamber partner like Community Matters, Inc. for your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication and a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher

Justin Starlin, President of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce in Ohio is our guest for this episode in our series of 2019 Chamber of the Year Finalists.  Justin comes from a background in Economic and Community Development which is a great fit for the Wooster area.  Wooster is a strong manufacturing community with national brands like Daisy, Gojo Industries, and Smuckers nearby.

Because of the strong manufacturing influence in the Wooster area, the Chamber promotes a Manufacturing Day each year to build awareness of the local manufacturing industry to high school students and the opportunity for employment.  Last year (2018) this Manufacturing Day event brought out 700 students from 13 school districts to visit 18 manufacturing partners.

The Wooster Area Chamber takes pride in being unique in how they do things so they can stay fresh and show their value to the community.  One way the Chamber does this is through a monthly newsletter.  Many Chambers produce a newsletter, but the Wooster Chamber produces a 16-page newsletter each month and mails it out 23,000 copies to members and non-member businesses alike as well as to residents.  Doing this helps to educate the community on the impact the Chamber has in the community, upcoming events, and it continues to build the Chamber’s brand.  The Chamber also utilizes social media but they are cautious to not abuse that form of communication.  Between the printed newsletter and the social media impressions, they are able to provide great value to for their sponsorships.

In the vein of being unconventional, the Wooster Chamber has an annual dinner…with a twist.  Last year, they utilized an iconic building in their community which was the former Rubbermaid headquarters to host their annual dinner.  This facility is the new home to Gojo Industries (makers of Purell) so those who attended the dinner were able to see the facility.  Wooster has a population of about 28,000 people and there were 960 people at this dinner!

The Wooster Chamber also hosts and Octoberfest which they call Woosterfest in their downtown area.  In an effort to attract a younger crowd, they brought in new vendors with craft beers and they introduced Wiener Dog Races!  You can see what this looks like below.

Please visit woosterchamber.com to connect with Justin Starlin or to learn more about the Wooster Area Chamber.

In your mission to be a great Chamber, consider delegating to an award-winning publisher and Chamber partner like Community Matters, Inc. for your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication and a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher

The Longview Chamber of Commerce was recently named “2019 Chamber of the Year” for their category. In this episode, I visit with Dave Jochum who serves as the Director of Business & Membership Development at the Longview Chamber to better understand the programs and initiatives that are setting Longview apart. The two programs Dave highlights in our interview are in line with the Chamber’s R.E.A.C.H. initiative which stands for Redevelopment, Education, Advocacy, Collaboration, and Health.

Dave shares the Chamber’s experience within the current redevelopment focus in Longview. There was a need for about $104 million in improvements throughout the city, including improvements Downtown, relocating a fire department, trails, and some street adjustments. In order to finance these projects a bond needed to be passed . The Chamber rallied behind the bond initiative and saw their efforts pay off with a much larger than normal voter turn out, and it resulted in a 2-1 passage of the bond.

Dave also shares with us the Chamber’s role in the East Texas Advanced Manufacturing Academy. There was as in many communities a workforce need and the local manufacturing companies wanted to connect with the high school students to fill this void. The funding to create the East Texas Advanced Manufacturing Academy came primarily from the Chamber Foundation and from the Longview Economic Development Corporation.

If you would like to connect with Dave Jochum, he can be reached at longviewchamber.com or on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

In your mission to be a great Chamber, consider delegating to an award-winning publisher and Chamber partner like Community Matters, Inc. for your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication and a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher

Our guest this week is Kevin Sheilley, President & CEO of the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) in Florida as we continue with our Chamber of the Year Finalist Series.

Around 2011-2012, the Chamber and Economic Development went through a merger. At the time, it provided an opportunity for the Chamber to do some soul searching and figure out what their role should be in the community. This soul searching led to some of the great programs and successes which propelled the CEP to become a finalist for 2019 Chamber of the Year!

As I visited with Kevin, he showcased how Ocala is the horse capital of the world. The equine industry brings in around $2.6 billion to the local economy. With such a large horse industry in Ocala, the CEP decided to have dedicated staff to promote their Equine Engagement Initiative. Through collecting data, they have found that an equine tourist spends on average approximately $3,000 daily on things that are not horse related. In 2021, Ocala will see the opening of a brand new, $400 million World Equestrian Center which will host many of the equine related events in the area.

The other program that Kevin highlighted was their NEXTworks Talent Initiative. This program provides a skills based education to high school students through a partnership with the school district and the local colleges (Marion Technical College and The College of Central Florida). The goal of this program is to focus on the 3 E’s, Employment, Enlist, & Enroll. By the time a student graduates high school they should be ready to take their next step through one of these 3 options.

Kevin shares great advice during our interview. He mentions that we should BBQ our sacred cows and think outside of the box. He also talks about the importance of viewing Chamber members as partners who are looking for a return on their investment.

If you would like to connect with Kevin Sheilley, you can find him on Facebook or you can visit ocalacep.com.

In your mission to be a great Chamber, consider delegating to an award-winning publisher and Chamber partner like Community Matters, Inc. for your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication and a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher

Our guest this week is Kent Oyler, President & CEO of Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) in Kentucky as we continue with our Chamber of the Year Finalist Series.

GLI was recently awarded Chamber of the Year for the large Chamber category.  Just 5 years ago, GLI was on the verge of going out of business.  Since then many changes have happened including a re-branding, a new strategy, an 85% staff turnover, changing their executive structure twice, and they drafted Kent Oyler as their president from the Board of Directors.  Kent has an extensive background in entrepreneurship and he has brought his business knowledge to GLI to help turn their organization around. These changes led them to be a finalist for Chamber of the Year in 2018 and then come back in 2019 to win Chamber of the Year!

One of the initiatives Kent shared came from some soul searching at their Chamber to figure out where they could make a difference and not be in competition with other organizations or businesses.  This brainstorming led GLI to start an Association Healthcare Plan for businesses with 2-50 employees.  Many of the participants are saving an average of 20% on their healthcare expenses and GLI has significantly increased their non-dues revenue.

Kent also shared with us GLI’s theme for this year – “Year of the Entrepreneur”.  This entrepreneurial focus helped get Louisville on Steve Case’s “Rise of the Rest”.  GLI also created an event called Evening of Entrepreneurship where they had speakers and gave a state of entrepreneurship address.  Just this year, GLI has helped get 26 start-up’s off the ground!  They feature what they call “Million Dollar Babies” which are start-ups that have earned one million dollars in revenue or raised a million dollars from a single round of equity.  Last year, there were 17 Million Dollar Babies! This discussion contains much more great content given Kent’s background as a serial entrepreneur.  

You can learn more about Louisville at liveinlou.com.  You can also connect with Kent Oyler on LinkedIn and Twitter by searching his name or @glichamber on any of the other social media platforms.

In your mission to be a great Chamber, consider delegating to an award-winning publisher and Chamber partner like Community Matters, Inc. for your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters can handle all of the ad sales, design work, collection, and distribution. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking print & digital publication and a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to receive a bid for your next publication.