What Chambers Are Doing Around the West

San Jose Chamber Updates Name and Offers New Monthly Subscription

The Silicon Valley Organization has rebranded and changed its name back to the San Jose (CA) Chamber in an effort to return to its chamber roots. “This renaming represents less of a new day as it does a return to our historical roots and mission and captures the best version of ourselves. It is our goal to serve a broad and diverse cross-section of San Jose businesses and entrepreneurs to be successful, grow and thrive. That is the mission of a chamber of commerce, and that is what we should be called,” explained President/CEO Derrick Seaver. You can view their video explaining the change here.

The chamber also debuted a new monthly subscription-based membership in order to make membership accessible to everyone and allow companies of all sizes to have a voice at the table. Pricing is based on business size and ranges from $50/month to $250/month. Members can opt to pay monthly or annually. In addition, event and program sponsorships also are available. Learn more about this new more accessible membership by visiting www.sjchamber.com/membership-resources/become-a-member.

Superior Chamber Issues Challenge to Members

The Superior (CO) Chamber has created a recruitment rewards program where they issue five membership goals twice a year. Members who actively help them achieve these goals earn a credit toward their own membership renewal. The amount of the credit received is based on the level at which the new member joins and ranges from 20% to 30%. Recruitment is tracked through new members mentioning the recruiter at the time of joining. The program is overseen by a membership committee that also mediates any disputes regarding who earns the credit. Only one credit is issued per goal and there is a two reward limit per member. This month’s membership goals are: 1) Get Wayne’s Smoke Shack to rejoin the Chamber. 2) Get the Element Hotel to renew their membership, which lapsed in 2020 due to COVID. 3) Get a car-related business to join. 4) Get a residential plumber or plumbing service to join. 5). Get a residential electrician or an electrician service to join.

To view more about the program, visit www.superiorchamber.com/recruitment-rewards.

Sacramento Focuses on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Sacramento Metro (CA) Chamber, in partnership with SAFE Credit Union and Emtrain, launched a corporate culture indicators survey and debuted a series of diversity, equity and inclusion training modules that are free for utilization by businesses throughout the Greater Sacramento region. The inclusive economic development resource tools were custom designed by the Sacramento-based data company Emtrain, and the summarized results of the indicators survey will be available for businesses interested in getting a baseline understanding of their workforce while identifying what is working well and what opportunities exist to help pave a path for a more successful future.

To get started, businesses are encouraged to invite all staff to participate in the anonymous, 10-minute online assessment. The short survey is made up of video snippets that provide the context of current events and provocative workplace scenarios to gauge employee sentiment. Once areas of opportunity are identified, a library of training modules is available to help businesses tackle complex issues.

A topline, benchmark snapshot of the entire region when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workforce, a summary of the corporate culture indicators survey, will be available early next year.

This new initiative is in alignment with the Metro Chamber’s “Commitment to Change” that is highlighted by a priority to create a more inclusive and equitable economy for the regional business community and is supported by a Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging task force established to focus distinctly on educational opportunity and governance structure and operating principles.

Learn more about the chamber’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, including the indicator survey microlesson at https://metrochamber.org/committed-to-change/.

Santa Maria Valley Chamber Launches New Digital Magazine

The Santa Maria Valley (CA) Chamber has taken their communications to a new level with the launch of their inaugural issue of a new digital quarterly magazine Business, #SantaMariaStyle! The digital magazine has pages you can “flip” through, containing not only traditional articles, but also engaging and interactive animation throughout and high-quality professional videos embedded within articles featuring local businesses. The final page of the digital magazine provides a searchable directory similar to what you see on many chamber websites.

View their first issue at https://chambervu.com/smbaugust21/.

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Information featured each month in Around the West is taken from websites and chamber newsletters that W.A.C.E. receives from its members. We try to share best practices, innovative ideas and programs from chambers working hard to be Catalysts, Conveners and Champions and make a difference in their community.

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