Published in the March 14 – 27, 2018 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Once a year, the Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE) holds a three-day, region-wide conference in support of the chamber industry. This is the second year I’ve had the pleasure of attending this annual event alongside hundreds of industry professionals. Not only does the conference include world-renowned speakers and ample opportunities to share best practices, but it also includes multiple breakout sessions per day for attendees to select the topics most relevant to their individual chambers.
I opted to attend one session on the rise of “chamber-led travel programs.” This is a relatively young concept that is quickly gaining momentum within various chambers. Traditionally a third-party company is contracted by a chamber of commerce to handle the organization, administrative functions and finances for the travel program. Attendees of these trips benefit from group travel discounts, experienced tour guides, a balance of educational/recreational activities and the opportunity to make business connections along the way. Some of the most popular destinations include China, Ireland and Europe (France, Spain, Italy) and some of the more remote locations include South Africa and Iceland. The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce will be launching its Chamber Travel Program in Spring 2019. Additional details will follow but, in the meantime, please send your questions and suggestions for potential travel destinations to Mellea McLaughlin at [email protected]
During an alternate session I attended, the topic of discussion was “How to Meet and Engage Your Elected Officials.” This was again a heavy travel-based program encouraging chambers to organize visits not only to the State Capital but also to Washington D.C. Upon further reflection, a more direct approach addressing a handful of specific regional issues would yield better results within the local realm. Discussions around organizing a day-long South County Expedition to the Capital are currently underway. Another aspect of travel that arose out of this discussion was the idea of conducting “Study Missions.” The way it works, is that a chamber would search for a city within the United States that identifies most closely with its own infrastructure, future transformations, shortcomings, etc. Meetings would be pre-arranged with elected officials, dignitaries, city staff, local organizations — basically, any professionals relevant to studying the city’s particular areas of interest for that chamber. A travel agenda is created and a study mission is born. These travel programs foster strong city to city relationships, mutual support and camaraderie.
Chambers of commerce are forever adapting and redefining their “Why should I join?” It appears chamber-led travel programs, study missions and government relations engagement will be some of the newest additions to the question of that “Why.”
Brittney Sherman is the membership and community relations director for the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce.
