February means it’s time to join the chamber

Now is the time to join the chamber of commerce, which is holding its second major membership drive event in 20 months Feb. 10-11. The last event brought in 267 new members. With that in mind, the chamber has planned weekly, rather than monthly, orientation sessions Feb. 17 and 24 and March 3.
At a January orientation, about 30 new and returning members listened intently as Shannon Mortenson, the chamber’s director of membership, outlined the benefits of being a chamber member, including community advocacy and networking with other members.
“You are not as strong as a single business,” Mortenson said of the chamber’s efforts in community advocacy. “You are strong as a group.” 
For example, the chamber helped rework the city’s street maintenance fee so it would be fair to small businesses that would have been hit hard financially under the original plan. The chamber also hired lobbyists at the Pentagon who represent the city’s vested interest in keeping its three military installations open. The organization also holds multiple networking events throughout the year, including Cocktails and Conversations, a round-robin meet-and-greet that guarantees those attending will meet new people. 
The biggest event the chamber sponsors is the Mayor’s State of the City address, which is planned for Feb. 5 this year. A fundraiser for the chamber, the State of the City is 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the American Bank Center.
Outreach and community involvement drive other chamber events such as Lemonade Day, which is set for May 9 this year. In 2014 — the second annual Lemonade Day event —about 1,000 kids registered to set up lemonade stands. Participants are taught to budget, plan and implement their stand as a small business. They are then encouraged to “spend, save and donate” the proceeds. Lemonade Day becomes a city-wide celebration, Mortenson said.  
Members attending the January orientation were impressed with Mortenson’s presentation, which included step-by-step, easy-to-follow instructions on how to utilize the chamber’s website. Members can post jobs and advertise deals to the public, the 700-plus membership list or both.
“I intend to get involved in the activities,” said new member Tony Paschal, who opened a Farmers Insurance office in Corpus Christi in June. “I’m interested in becoming an ambassador.” 
Representing the Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living, Tammy Botello said her group has been a member for a year, but she decided to attend an orientation to learn more about how to expand their outreach efforts in the community.
“We are consumer advocates,” she said. “We educate and enroll people in the newly mandated Affordable Care Act, and we need to let people know there are folks out there like us who can help them. I think the chamber is really going to help us move forward.” 
One returning member told Corpus Christi Business News the member-to-member contacts will be the most useful aspect of membership for her company.
“First thing I’m going to do is update our information on our website,” said Elsa Chavez, business development manager for Elwood Staffing. “We’ve been members before. I know that the chamber of commerce will give a lot of benefits to the company.” 
About 170 members like these are expected to attend the Feb. 10-11 membership drive, when they will call non-members in their contact lists and encourage them to join. 
“We’ll be doing orientations weekly in February because we will have an influx of members,” Mortenson said. “We want to make sure we can accommodate them quickly so they can know and utilize their benefits.”
This year’s networking events will be all that more important, she said, as new members gather together to get to know more about their city and fellow members.