By David F. Rooney
The Chamber of Commerce is poised to unveil its new website, www.revelstokechamber.com, and a new community-wide portal site, www.revelstoke.ca, says its executive director, Judy Goodman.
She told Council that the Chamber intends to increase its membership by 15 per cent next year. It currently has 291 members. That represents only about a third of the more than 900 business licenses currently held in town.
It has a projected revenue stream for 2013 of $185,000 and expenses of $182,000. There will be no salary increases, Goodman.
It will continue with its monthly members’ luncheons and will soon initiate a 12 at 12 program in which 12 members will meet to discuss specific issues over lunch.
Chamber directors are busy in community organizations. Goodman was involved with the Integrated Sustainable Community Project, the Okanagan College board, the Planning Advisory Committee and Planning, Building and Bylaw meetings. Mike Vopni sits on the Enhancement Committee, President Brydon Roe represents Revelstoke on the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and with Poppi Reiner on the Revelstoke Accommodation Association (RAA), while Nathan Weston sits on the Economic Development Committee and the City’s Financial Group and Vice-president Steve Bailey sits on the Community Futures board.
Speaking of tourism, the Chamber and RAA will partner on a $12,000 advertising campaign focused on trade shows. It expects to spend $159,000 on tourism promotion and anticipates tourism-related revenues of $161,000.
In the coming year the Chamber plans to pursue downtown initiatives focused on parking, way finding and business signage. It will continue to work with the City on the municipal budget and business property taxes, business signage in the Big Eddy and the industrial park, general signage requirements and barriers to business development.
The last public event of the year, the annual Santa Claus Parade, is coming up on December 8 and the Chamber has a number of things already in the works for 2013 including a Spring Business Showcase for the weekend of April 26-28. There will also be four seasonal retail promotions on as-yet undetermined dates, which Goodman said will be different from previous such events, and the Banff Mountain Film Festival on September 19 and 20.
Click here to read the full Chamber of Commerce presentation to Council.
