“The Chamber of the Future”

Change doesn’t usually happen this fast. However, when a crisis of this magnitude takes over our lives, the pace in which we all must evolve increases dramatically. The future is coming quicker than anyone could have anticipated. That means we all must capture, process, and learn new information at unprecedented rates. To do so, we need trusted sources that can curate what we need to know. We also need that intelligence delivered frequently. For businesses, that’s what a Chamber of Commerce has always done. Today, that is what our Chamber is doing more than ever.

Like any successful product, service, or industry, Chambers of Commerce have always changed through time. We respond to the needs of our members and that shapes our existence. Reinvention is always on the agenda.

During this pandemic, our members have seen examples of what the chamber of the future may look like. Make no mistake, we will always be an organization that convenes business leaders in person, but going forward there will be more opportunities for virtual gatherings, online learning, and a healthy mix of content and connections across our digital channels. Our aim will be to deliver a constant stream of information to our members in an entertaining, insightful, and must-see way.

This transformation has been underway over the past few years. Our team has developed regularly scheduled videos, podcasts, webinars, and other media for our members, and those products continue to improve each day. Our audiences have grown, and our members have responded with a demand for more. When paired with our live events, these offerings have helped to redefine the value of a Chamber membership.

Your membership dues support this work. Thanks to the leadership of President/CEO Sue Dick, we have assembled a team that is perfectly situated to plan and create the best possible business content in our market. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to force sudden changes on our entire business community, we were ready and able to temporarily shift our business model into a full-scale digital offering. This has been a nearly seamless transition and that is something we all take pride in. The development of our team and business resource offerings has been made possible because of the investment our members make in the chamber.

Our team is also blessed to have tremendous guidance from our Board of Directors. This year, with Beth Corum as Chair, our Board has embraced a variety of changes to both our mission, priorities, and programs. In the months before anyone was talking about a global virus, our Chamber officials were holding numerous brainstorming sessions on how we could change best for the future. The ideas and inspirations taken from those discussions are playing out in real-time today. Thanks to the vision of these key business leaders and the execution of our team members, we are in a prime position to drive value to our local businesses while also growing the whole community. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that this mission matters more than ever.

Even after this pandemic passes, the ways in which we all do business will never be the same. Here at the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, we are committed to helping our members reshape the local economy while also improving outcomes across our entire community. Right now, our top priority is to re-open our economy in a smart and safe way. Our resources and programs will be aimed at this for the foreseeable future. We believe there is great value for our members in being part of an organization that is forward-focused and fully committed. We do this work together because alone it cannot be accomplished.

With your support, we will build a better future. We will remain resilient and business will go on despite mounting challenges. Things will be different for all of us, but our desire to help our members prosper will always be the same. We need your membership because Tallahassee needs a strong Chamber of Commerce.

To our members, we thank you for supporting us during these difficult times. To those who have yet to join, we invite you to help us and over 1,200 local businesses build the Chamber of the future.