Activities
Behind the Scenes at the Chamber…
Your Chamber of Commerce works hard on behalf of its members. There are a number of visible activities that our members are fully aware of – our monthly luncheons, our very popular Business After Business, our early morning Business Before Business events. What you may not be aware of are the many other activities the Chamber Directors and staff are involved in; here’s a summary of some of our activities:- Held monthly Executive and Board Meetings (except for the August break)
- Rented our facilities to numerous business and community groups
- Represented the Chamber at numerous member special events (Open Houses, receptions, etc)
Membership
- Developed contact lists for potential members; potential member visits, phone calls and follow-ups
- Wrote, revised and compiled Membership Package materials
- Coordinated regular Membership Committee and Ambassador meetings
- Coordinated New Member Orientation Breakfasts to welcome new members to the Chamber (3 per year)
- Organized awards ceremony recognizing long-time Chamber members at luncheon
- Prepared annual membership survey; compiled results
- Distributed roster verification letters to membership; confirmed contact information
- Extended personal invitation to new members and coordinated New Member tables at luncheons
- Coordinated prize draw for member referrals at membership luncheons; extended personal invitation to those members eligible for the draw
- Prepared content for PowerPoint slide presentation shown at luncheon meetings
- Drafted membership renewal letter to be sent out with annual invoices
- Followed-up with non-renewals (this can take many months); conducted exit interviews
Events
- Held monthly Membership Luncheons; arranged for informative guest speakers
- Held the Annual Christmas Luncheon, including a major fund raising Live & Silent Auction
- Held monthly Business After Business events
- Held monthly Business Before Business events
- Organized the annual Business Excellence Sterling Awards (spring)
- Hosted several special luncheons/breakfasts for special events or guest speakers
- Hosted the annual Golf Tournament (June)
- Held the Annual General Meeting and Election of Officers
Advocacy
- Founding partner of the Mid-Island Transportation Task Force (MITTF) studying transportation issues of the central Vancouver Island area
- Attended the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance Summit and participated in discussions on issues of concern to Vcr Island businesses
- Hosted several round table discussions on the skills shortage, as well as discussions on the federal and provincial foreign worker programs
- Participated in discussions with CBC Radio to launch a CBC Nanaimo station
- Participated in vigorous discussions at the BC Chamber AGM on issues of importance to the business community, including property taxes, property transfer tax, affordable housing, and regional transportation planning
- Participated in meetings with several foreign trade delegations interested in doing business in Nanaimo
- Participated in the Economic Development Group
- Participated in the BC Skill Force Initiative
- Collaborated with the BC Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on a number of issues vital to business including Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
- Attended public meetings and participated in the discussions regarding the Official Community Plan
- Participated in the Institute for Community Leadership Innovation task force
Initiatives
- Successfully completed the first Service & Attractions signs on the Nanaimo Parkway
- Hosted the Annual Business Expo during Small Business Week (October)
- Held the annual Spirit of Christmas Commercial & Residential Decorating Contest (Dec)
- Held the annual Brechin Hill Light Up
- Sold advertising and produced the annual Membership Roster
- Provided a bursary for local high school student planning a career in the business field
- Implemented a Member to Member (M2M) Benefit program
Professional Development
- Conducted a variety of workshops, contracted with facilitators, handled reservations and advertising and promotions
- Conducted SuperHost workshops, handled reservations and advertising and promotions
- Supported the Leadership BC – Nanaimo program
Communication
- Communicated regularly with the membership via e-mail, fax and postal mailouts
- Responded to a large volume of requests for information from across North America, including our favourite…”Have there been any recent Sasquatch sightings in Nanaimo?”
- Distributed a large number of relocation packages across Canada and the US by mail or e-mail
- Mailed a number of information packages to children for their school projects
- Replied to a large volume of e-mail enquiries
- Researched and produced the weekly President’s article in local newspapers
- Researched and produced the monthly Chamber newsletter the Newsline
- Executive Director researched and recorded weekly radio spots on local radio
- Provided information for our members and the general public on our website
- Posted member's notices to our Member Bulletin Board
