The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives at their annual conference recently recognized Vail Valley Partnership as a “Chamber of the Year” finalist.
Our corporate values – and living up to them 24/7/365 (366 next year as it’s leap year) – drive our efforts, and have resulted in a membership growth, enhanced programing, improved community collaboration, economic impacts of over $51 million, resulted in 92 percent of members renewing their membership, and strong satisfaction from our members in our annual member survey. Those numbers got the attention of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and resulted in Vail Valley Partnership being named a finalist for “Chamber of the Year”.
While this acknowledgment certainly speaks to the scope of work the Partnership does, I’m convinced it is as much a recognition of our business community (and our members) as it is recognition of the Partnership.
Recognition as a finalist for Chamber of the Year belongs to all of our members and stakeholders. None of this could have been achieved without your engagement, your support, and your feedback. Thank you for the ongoing input on how Vail Valley Partnership can continue to improve our programs, advocacy efforts, marketing benefits, economic development efforts, destination sales, networking & educational events, cost savings programs, research, and other services that Vail Valley Partnership provides.
We constantly try to view our efforts at Vail Valley Partnership from the perspective of the community and what is good for our members. That’s our guiding principal, and it’s reflected in our organizational values of Collaboration, Integrity, Responsiveness, Engagement, and Service. Collaboration makes us stronger. Integrity builds trust. Responsiveness shows respect. Engagement ensures we’re involved and invested. Service is why we exist.
We remain focused on enhancing our mission to take the leadership role to create and manage collaborative programs that encourage economic development and result in increased destination tourism in Eagle County. Our mission is more about the community and less about Vail Valley Partnership; we’re simply the conduit to help facilitate these community efforts, and to convene public and private partners to help tackle big issues that impact our business community. Our staff is the (rather fortunate) group that gets the pleasure to bring various stakeholders and constituents together to the table to better our community and our business environment. Our team is here to serve our members, and to serve our community.
The fact is, our members continue to engage with each other, and the Partnership, in new and meaningful ways. These include our member benefits: marketing benefits, US Chamber Small Business Nation membership, Office Depot affinity cost savings programs, Leads Groups, opt-in leads lists, video testimonials on our websites, participation in our networking and educational programming, and more. This also includes our regional and state advocacy efforts designed to facilitate doing business in the Vail Valley and addressing the needs of the business community.
We consistently seek to improve our programming to best meet the needs of our diverse membership of businesses – those directly involved in tourism, those focused on business-to-business professional services, those focused on entrepreneurial start up efforts, and our robust non-profit community focused on social, environmental, and educational issues facing the community. Through our annual survey, members rank the existing benefits they value most and the new benefits they most want to see added, and we work hard to address any gaps. We constantly review feedback from the business community and strive to find ways to add value to your membership without increasing dues. We’re already working on new programming & enhanced communications for 2016 and beyond and believe our members will find them valuable and beneficial.
We’re honored to represent this community and to actively promote our area to visitors and prospective businesses. We’re even more honored to support our existing businesses looking to grow and thrive in our rural resort environment. Vail Valley Partnership intends to keep reinventing itself, and maybe, with your help and continued engagement in our community-driven activities, we will be awarded the Chamber of the Year award in the near future. That would be continued validation of our community as a place where businesses succeed and thrive, and the Partnership can only hope to continue to do our small part to help our business community succeed.
Please visit the newly redesigned VailValleyPartnership.com to learn more about the Partnership and our member resources, information, advocacy efforts, and community programs.
Your membership makes a difference. Thank you, and congratulations on the recognition.
Chris Romer is president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership