#BestChamber practices: Congratulations, ACCE Chamber(s) of the Year!; Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2016-2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory; Oshkosh Chamber Wins an ACCE Membership Achievement Award; Southwestern Indiana Chamber: I-69 BridgeLink group presses flesh in Washington; #BestChamber practices: Greater Reston Chamber: Business Education Series: How to Financially Bullet Proof your Business; HCC professor named Kyndle's Educator of the Year; Grand Rapids Area Chamber: Advocacy & Public Policy; Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber interest: Port Commission chips in $20K to strategic plan; New Manager of Member Services and Events for the Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce; #BestChamber practices: Guest Article, Cathi Hight: Get "word of mouth" referrals to grow your membership; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

Good morning #Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!

#BestChamber practices: Congratulations, ACCE Chamber(s) of the Year!

Last week at the annual #ACCEAwards Show, nearly one-thousand community-builders gathered at Music City Center in downtown Nashville to celebrate winners of many special awards, including Chamber of the Year.

Sponsored by WebLink, Chamber of the Year is the most prestigious and competitive award presented by ACCE and is the only globally-recognized industry award that honors top chambers of commerce for exemplary work.

Meet the winners (photos) >
State/Province Category
Georgia Chamber
Category Four
Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce
Category Three
Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
Category Two
Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce
Category One
O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce & Industries






Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2016-2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory

The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2016-2017 Community Profile & Membership Directory is available at the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber today! Thanks to Jon Maynard, Pam Swain, Rosie Vassalo and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Oxford-Lafayette County Community Guide & Membership Directory

Town Square Publications  (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community profile or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.

Oshkosh Chamber Wins an ACCE Membership Achievement Award

We are very excited to announce the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce won a Membership Achievement Award from the ACCE (Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives)!

We are number #7 for Member Retention in our revenue category! See more information on the 2017 ACCE Membership Achievement Awards here.




Southwestern Indiana Chamber: I-69 BridgeLink group presses flesh in Washington


A delegation from Evansville and Henderson went to Washington, D.C., last week with the goal of keeping the Interstate 69 bridge project fresh on national officials’ minds.

In recent years, those conversations have often been less about the project’s importance and more about a strategy for getting it done, according to members of the I-69 BridgeLink group who made the trip.

The bridge would be built east of Ellis Park, providing a second point for vehicles to cross the Ohio River and easing U.S. 41 traffic. Cost estimates have ranged from $850 million to $1.4 billion, depending on what route is used around the city of Henderson.

“There’s no such thing as earmarks anymore at the federal level, so we can’t ask (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell to use his power to pull $1 billion out of the budget to build a four-lane bridge,” said Brad Schneider, Henderson County judge-executive. “But what we can do is keep them abreast of the project and keep them philosophically supportive, and also encourage them, when they are thinking of the big pie of transportation funding they have control over, to make it as big as possible.”

It’s believed that President Donald Trump will bring forth a transportation bill sometime this year.

“A lot of our conversations were on trying to figure out what that might look like,” said Justin Groenert, director of public policy and government with the Southwest Indiana Chamber. “We’re doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best position to get federal help when we need it.”

Members of BridgeLink point to long-standing support of I-69 by Vice President Mike Pence, a former Indiana governor, along with the current leadership of both states. Kentucky has pledged to fund environmental impact studies of the different routes, along with utility studies. Evansville Courier & Press

#BestChamber practices: Greater Reston Chamber: Business Education Series: How to Financially Bullet Proof your Business

Wednesday, August 09, 2017 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM EST

Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce
1886 Metro Center Drive Suite 230
Reston, VA 20190

Today’s Business Owner may feel like they are in a “Fight for their life!” Come join the Reston Chamber’s Business Education Series for another phenomenal session on “How to Financially Bullet Proof your Business!”

This 55min session will address the TOP 5 issues that affect your:

· Cash Flow,
· P&L/Balance Sheet,
· Retirement/Succession Planning and,
  Most importantly… TAXES!

Our Panel of experts will not only share best practices but also answer the questions that most Business Owners have been waiting to ask!

Our Panel of Experts

Cathleen Arch A Vice President of Business Development at John Marshall Bank, Cathleen works with businesses from start up to $50 million in revenue to ensure each company’s banking is facilitating the achievement of its unique financial goals. By working with businesses in a consultative manner, she discovers their banking needs and implements the right individualized solutions. Prior to joining John Marshall Bank, Cathleen worked as a Business Relationship Manager at PNC Bank for 9 years. With her 30 plus years of banking experience, she brings knowledge and value to her business clients.

Kevin Matthews Owner of Beta Solutions, CPA, LLC, which is based in Reston, Kevin specializes in international taxes, government contractors, real estate agents and small business owners. His firm strives to take a full cycle approach to tax preparation and planning with constant interaction with its clients.

Randy Jones Mr. Randy Jones is an Advisor for First Financial Group with over 22 years in the Finance and Real Estate industry. His personal mission is “To give an experience so incredible that you forget about the transaction; To teach It’s Better to Give than to Receive; To become what I dream about; To appreciate life and live in the ‘WOW’!!”

Mr. Jones lives his mission daily and is able to serve his clients based on his breadth of experience in many different aspects of the Finance industry. Mr. Jones is a successful Entrepreneur who has organized, managed, and maintained multiple businesses for the past 19 years. Registration is complimentary for members, $15 for Future Members.

Registration is complimentary for members, $15 for Future Members.

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support: Series Gold Sponsor United Bank; Series Silver Sponsors Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and MillerMusmar, CPAs; and Breakfast Sponsor Whole Foods Market


HCC professor named Kyndle's Educator of the Year

A Henderson Community College professor who takes science, technology, engineering and math opportunities out to girls and underserved populations in the community was honored Friday morning as Kyndle’s 2017 Educator of the Year.

Michelle Chappell, an associate professor of Computer and Information Technologies, received the honor at HCC’s convocation in preparation for the start of the 2017-2018 academic year.

“The Educator of the Year honor is intended to recognize a commitment to excellence and providing superior educational opportunities,” Chuck Stinnett, Kyndle’s vice president of chamber services, said in announcing the award.

Chappell “certainly does that within the classroom” and “continuously participates in professional development focused on instructional strategies,” he said. She utilizes social media and real-world scenarios to help students grasp the material.

She has said that her most memorable experience is when a student recommends her class to other students or sees her out in public and tells her how much they loved her class and teaching style.

A challenge in some career paths is the expectation that a career is appropriate only for certain types of people, whether it be a particular gender or cultural background. Chappell strives to break down such barriers by introducing elements of her profession to people who might never have even considered going to college. Read more: The Gleaner

Grand Rapids Area Chamber: Advocacy & Public Policy

Get ready to flaunt your stickers —tomorrow is voting day!

On Tuesday, August 8, vote for Grand Rapids’ next City Commissioners for Wards 1 and 2. If a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, there will be no November election. If the vote tallies total less than 50%, the top two candidates will face-off  on November 7. The Chamber PAC* has endorsed Kurt Reppart to represent the vacant Ward 1 seat and Joe Jones for re-election as Ward 2 City Commissioner.  *The Chamber PAC endorses candidates who advocate for pro-business policies that create an environment conducive to economic growth. These candidates have a firm understanding of the issues affecting area businesses and recognize that there are difficult decisions to be made to support the continued revitalization of our city. Endorsements are based on candidate questionnaires, interviews, and past performance for incumbents. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m! Click here to find your polling location and view a sample ballot. If you have any questions, please connect with Andy Johnston at 616.771.0335. Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber interest: Port Commission chips in $20K to strategic plan The Warren County Port Commission is contributing $20,000 toward developing an economic development strategic plan for Vicksburg and Warren County. Pablo Diaz, port director and executive director for the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, said port commissioners approved the allocation at a special meeting Tuesday. “The $20,000 will match other funding by other institutions,” he said. “The money is being raised by the chamber. The chamber is one of the funding mechanisms, but it is raising the rest of the money from other institutions across the community.” The port commission and the chamber are looking for a coordinator to work with both organizations toward developing a strategic plan. “We are looking at several proposals,” he said. Port commissioners in June discussed the strategic plan. t the time, Diaz said commissioners and the chamber would hold planning meetings dealing with specific potential initiatives in economic development. “They will encompass an entire vision of what direction we want to concentrate.” That direction, Diaz said, would be determined by discussions during the planning stages. “Those (planning stages) are really going to help us prioritize and define the most effective, most important aspects of the type of economic development we want to do.” Read more: Vicksburg Post

New Manager of Member Services and Events for the Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce

From Kevin O'Keeffe - I am pleased to announce the appointment of our new Manager of Member Services and Events for the Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce, Madison Adduci. Madison is joining the staff with a great deal of experience in social media, marketing, and event planning.

Madison attended the University of St. Francis and received a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication, with a concentration in Public Relations, Journalism and Advertising. In 2016, she earned a Master’s degree in Communication from Northwestern University.

Since graduating, Madison worked as an Marketing and Event Coordinator for a catering company in Mokena, currently teaches Speech class at the University of St. Francis and has expanded her freelance photography business.

Please join me in welcoming Madison, you may e-mail her at madduci@Bolingbrookchamber.org or call the office at 630-226-8420

#BestChamber practices: Guest Article, Cathi Hight: Get "word of mouth" referrals to grow your membership

In the for-profit world, we know that new customers recruited by existing customers are more loyal and profitable. In fact, studies show that 85% of Likes through social media and purchases are made through referral marketing rather than from advertising. For most of us, we trust the referrals made by friends and friends-of-friends. If you’ve ever used Yelp or Angie's List, you know what I mean.

So, how can we apply these best practices to have our members recruit the best prospects possible? In this age of time poverty, it gets harder to pull off a successful membership recruiting campaign. Our members are reluctant to commit to large blocks of time and our staff resources are stretched to the limits from trying to do much for everyone. Wouldn’t it be great if we could employ our members to help us recruit new members all year long without consuming a ton of money or staff time?

Here are some techniques that are working great for other associations that you might “borrow” and customize for your organization:

• ·         IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) has developed an awesome Member Get a Member (MGM) program. It provides an easy way for members to refer a peer on the website, and provides testimonials, a list of benefits and testimonials from other members. Members receive incentives for each referral and are provide cash prizes for the top recruiters. Members can also download recruiting coupons to hand out to peers.
• ·         The National Business Aviation Association provides members with a URL to send to peers that provides a 20% discount on their first year of membership. By using the URL and the code REFERRAL, members are able to pass on the opportunity and savings.
• ·         American Statistical Association provides referral opportunities on its website that allows members to list multiple nominations and members receive a $10 ASA gift certificate for every new member who joins. ASA staff follow up on the referrals.
• ·         ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) provides members with downloadable tickets that provide their referrals with six-month, no-obligation “free membership.” Tickets have an expiration date to create a sense of urgency. Prospects have the opportunity to experience the benefits of membership and the staff work to convert these free memberships into paying ones.

Keep in mind that a small percentage of your members are actually going to participate in these MGM programs, so it’s not going to replace all of your recruiting initiatives. Consider these or similar referral tactics as a supplement to your current recruitment programs.

If you can incentivize your current members to refer others, they are likely to bring you referrals who share similar values and attributes. These new members are more apt to contribute, appreciate and stay.

And that's what every association is after, isn't it?

Sincerely,

Cathi HIGHT

Kaizen Consultant

Hight Performance Group

Work: (512) 354-7219

cathi@hightperformance.com

www.hightperformance.com

Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national chamber custom publishing group that specializes in developing partnerships by producing high-quality print and digitally integrated publications along with other added value programs dedicated to creating relevancy for local chambers of commerce and other membership focused organizations interested in raising non-dues revenues.

Town Square Publications parent company, Paddock Publications, has over 100 years’ experience of print product development and dedicated customer service in communities throughout the Midwest. Our experience allows Town Square Publications to offer you attractive royalty and non-dues revenue share streams, provide direct distribution of your custom designed printed publications, including digital and mobile integration, and all with the quickest turn-around times available in the industry. Town Square also offers multi-media maps in both print and online formats, both with our No-Cost guarantee. More information: Town Square Publications

Chambers of Commerce and member focused organizations serve as a valuable resource in the local marketplace. The networking opportunities and representation with a wide variety of diverse businesses in your community is the catalyst of a successful organization. For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, To request your chamber publication or map proposal, contact Town Square Chamber Proposal