Published in the Jan. 8, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By John Horner
No matter how advanced our electronic communications capabilities become, people still need and enjoy real interaction with flesh and blood human beings. Our Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce brings together a vast array of some of the most interesting, interested and involved local people for mutual enjoyment and benefit.
Some of our gatherings are very informal, like the weekly Monday “Let’s Do Lunch” where we meet up at a local member restaurant for a mid-day meal on most Mondays. Folks order and pay on their own, and there are no speakers or other programs. When we first started, typically a half dozen or so people might show up.
Lately, we have been seeing 20 to 30 people on a Monday lunch, and the group keeps growing. Some folks are regulars, some occasional participants, and some are often brand-new to the gathering. Everyone comes not only to build and sustain business relationships (“networking”), but also to enjoy and learn from the company of other thoughtful, active, involved people. Nothing gets the mind spinning in positive directions like interesting conversations with other forward thinking people.
There are also pragmatic results our members report from event participation.For example, recently I had the pleasure of a long conversation with Armando Garcia, founder and owner of local electronic systems support company Dicar Networks.Given Mr. Garcia’s business, it isn’t surprising to know that Dicar is very connected through all the most modern needs. And yet he went out of his way to tell me stories about what he has been getting out of participating in our community events. Since joining our Chamber a few months ago, Armando tells me he saved $30,000 over the expected term of his father’s new mortgage thanks to talking with Jason Stebbins of Guild Mortgage at a mixer. He also signed a new client, Smith Commercial Realty, thanks to contacts he made through participation. Old-fashioned relationship based business building remains a key success factor for many local professionals and businesses.
Looking forward into 2014, we will continue regular monthly events like our Good Morning Morgan Hill breakfasts (usually the first Thursday of each month) and the monthly free mixers at local businesses (on the third Thursdays), as well as continuing to add special high-value educational events such as the Nonprofit Board Members Seminar and Social Media Marketing events we put on these past few months.
We are also excited that a team of local young professionals led by Sam Kabert of Value Business Products is working on creating a special series of gatherings targeted to serve local up and coming business stars. Kabert has just joined the Morgan Hill Chamber Board of Directors, and is very excited about having the kinds of gatherings he and others in his age bracket (20s and 30s) want to be part of.
Providing a place for some of our best and brightest local people to get to know, work and play with one another is but one element of what your Chamber of Commerce does in our community. Check out our calendar at morganhill.org and come see for yourself what it is like to get to know some of the many amazing people in our community.
For more information about the Chamber of Commerce, call (408) 779-9444 or visit www.morganhill.org.
