BATAVIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

EDUCATION OBJECTIVES - IN ALIGNMENT WITH ITS EDUCATIONAL MISSION, THE BATAVIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTED FORTY-NINE EVENTS DESIGNED TO INFORM AND EDUCATE ITS MEMBERSHIP ON RELEVANT BUSINESS TOPICS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS.NETWORKING OBJECTIVES - TO SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, THE CHAMBER ORGANIZED TWENTY-THREE NETWORKING EVENTS AND ONE ANNUAL GOLF OUTING. ADDITIONALLY, THE CHAMBER FACILITATED THREE ACTIVE LEADS GROUPS AND A MONTHLY NON-PROFIT FORUM. THE LEADS GROUPS MET WEEKLY TO ENCOURAGE CONSISTENT REFERRAL OPPORTUNITIES, WHILE THE NON-PROFIT FORUM PROVIDED A COLLABORATIVE SPACE FOR LOCAL NONPROFITS TO SHARE UPDATES AND RESOURCES.BUSINESS PROMOTION OBJECTIVES - TO PROMOTE MEMBER BUSINESSES AND STRENGTHEN LOCAL COMMERCE, THE CHAMBER MAINTAINED AN ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY THAT AVERAGED OVER 2,500 VISITS PER MONTH. A PRINTED MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY WAS ALSO PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED TO 13,000 LOCAL ADDRESSES. THE CHAMBER CELEBRATED AND SUPPORTED NEW AND EXPANDING BUSINESSES BY ORGANIZING THIRTY-THREE RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. CIVIC OBJECTIVES - TO FOSTER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE CHAMBER HOSTED ITS ANNUAL CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS CEREMONY, RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUALS WHO DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE. THE CHAMBER COLLECTED AND DISTRIBUTED OVER $1,800 IN GIFTS FOR A LOCAL HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE, PROMOTED OVER 150 COMMUNITY EVENTS THROUGH ITS ONLINE COMMUNITY CALENDAR, AND SUPPORTED OVER 48 NONPROFIT EVENTS BY DISTRIBUTING DIGITAL FLYERS TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. AT ITS ANNUAL "CHAMBER CHEERS" CELEBRATION, THE CHAMBER ALSO HONORED A MEMBER BUSINESS FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF BATAVIA, THE CHAMBER COORDINATED A RESTAURANT PROMOTION TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO DINE IN OR ORDER TAKEOUT FROM LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS. OTHER ACTIVITIES - THE CHAMBER RESPONDED TO INQUIRIES FROM INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES CONSIDERING RELOCATION TO BATAVIA, HANDLED NUMEROUS REQUESTS FOR LOCAL INFORMATION, AND PROVIDED DIRECT REFERRALS TO MEMEBER BUSINESSES. A WEEKLY E-NEWLETTER AND TIMELY PRESS RELEASES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO KEEP MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY INFORMED. ADDITIONALLY, THE CHAMBER COLLABORATED WITH THE CITY OF BATAVIA TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.