2026 CACCE Staff Leadership Development Conference

for all chamber staff members

Monday – Wednesday, March 30 – April 1, 2026

DoubleTree by Hilton Columbia

Columbia, SC

Hosted by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce

CLICK HERE for more information and to register!

We have scheduled a new webinar for you on the following:

Thursday, March 5 – 10:00am

The Power of People: Leveraging Ambassadors to Drive Chamber Value 

Kristin Peoples, Director of Member Relations & Engagement, Greater Wilmington Chamber 

Your Chamber’s greatest asset is its people. In this webinar, we’ll explore how ambassadors, members, leaders, and community champions can become powerful extensions of your mission. Learn how to leverage relationships to build trust, increase visibility, and deliver meaningful value that members can feel and see.

CLICK HERE to register for the meeting. Once you have completed the short registration form, the system will send you the information to connect to the meeting, and you can add it to your calendar. The meeting will be recorded and shared with the membership in case you aren’t able to join us on that day.

Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy

CICE Job Opportunity

Southern Regional Director, based in Texas. Responsible for building relationships with chambers of commerce and EDOs, educating stakeholders on clean energy trends, and elevating business leaders as advocates for its economic benefits. 

Eventeny

Sponsorships and partnerships drive 88.4% of event engagement, making them a top revenue catalyst. The right sponsor can boost engagement by up to 98%, yet many event organizers aren’t sure how to approach them. If you’re unsure what to say to potential sponsors, we’ve got you covered. This free plug-and-play template helps you pitch with confidence and secure high-value sponsors faster. Download your free sponsor outreach template!

Lumin Strategies

It has been great to continue to see many of you throughout the Carolinas, and we look forward to catching up in Columbia. Reach out to Bryan if you are interested in joining for lunch, par-3, and/or mini-golf tee times after our conference ends on Wednesday, April 1st at Par Tee Golf Center!

SOAR Nonprofit Solutions, LLC

Testimony from Megan Morris, President / CEO

Beaufort Regional Chamber.

“I highly recommend Tammy Shepherd, IOM and SOAR Nonprofit Solutions for any nonprofit seeking skilled facilitation and strategic guidance. Tammy facilitated our Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce Board Retreat in January 2026, guiding 20 board members through two days of governance training and strategic planning. What impressed me most was Tammy's professional approach, thorough preparation, and ability to keep our board engaged and focused. She balanced content delivery with interactive discussion, ensuring our time together was both educational and actionable.”  Want to learn more about SOAR’s services? Let’s connect at the Staff Conference in Columbia or contact Tammy at tammy@soarnonprofitsolutions.com.

Starfish Partnerships

Chambers are in the business of relationships—and so am I. At Starfish Partnerships, I help chamber leaders and staff strengthen teams, clarify priorities, and create momentum that actually sticks. Whether it’s a board retreat, staff training, strengths session, or a volunteer membership blitz, my goal is simple: help chambers work smarter, communicate better, and enjoy the work a little more along the way. If your chamber could use a boost of clarity, connection, or confidence, let’s talk. I hope to see you at the CACCE Conference in March! 

Book a complimentary Discovery Call: 

https://tidycal.com/teri1/discovery-call 

Teri Smiley, Starfish Partnerships

YGM

Many chambers know YGM for our Total Resource Campaigns and the non-dues revenue growth they generate nationwide. In addition to TRCs, we also offer our Visionary Leadership Retreat, a dynamic one-day experience designed to energize your board and sharpen your Chamber’s impact over the next 12 months.

This is not a multi-year strategic planning session. It is a focused, action-oriented retreat resulting in defined next steps your board can begin implementing immediately during your board meetings. The retreat can be scheduled at any time of year, whenever you are ready to bring your board together for meaningful alignment and momentum.

Jennifer Walters of the Little River SC Chamber had this to say about their VLR experience: “The experience was both energizing and productive, providing our board with clarity, direction, and renewed focus. Our board fully embraced the opportunity and is excited to move forward implementing the goals that were established. We look forward to the progress ahead and appreciate the strong foundation this session helped us build.”

If your board is ready for a fresh, high-impact planning experience, we would love to connect.

Beaufort Regional Chamber

Employment Opportunity in Beaufort, SC: Director of Partner Relations

The Chamber is growing and looking for qualified, community-centric team members. The Director of Partner Relations is a full-time position that manages Chamber Membership programs to maximize member lifetime value through exceptional service delivery and strategic engagement of established members. In addition to salary, commission potential, and benefits, this team member will enjoy a position that makes contributions to the community and directly supports local businesses. Submit resumes to Megan Morris via email, as noted in the job description.

Greater Blythewood Chamber

CACCE is pleased to welcome Deb Stapleton, Executive Director, and the Greater Blythewood (SC) Chamber of Commerce as our newest CACCE member! 

Greater Fayetteville Chamber

The Chamber has hired Sharon Henley as our member services outreach coordinator. She rounds our membership services department!

Chamber Chatter — Fayetteville’s newest Toastmasters club exclusive for Chamber members - was chartered by Toastmasters International in record time. Our STARnetwork designed to connect hospitality professionals across the Service, Tourism, Attractions and Restaurant sectors held its quarterly social with guest speakers from industry experts. We have recently moved our monthly Chamber Coffee Club to Highland Coutnry Club where our numbers have doubled. We hosted former Governor Pat McCrory in January and our city manager and new basketball team Fayetteville Liberty in February. 

Greenville-Pitt County Chamber

The Chamber has officially rebranded as the Greater Greenville Chamber, marking an exciting new chapter for our organization. This evolution reflects the growth of our region and our role as a connector, advocate, and champion for local business. With a refreshed look and renewed energy, we’re building an even stronger future for our business community. Learn more at shorturl.at/bkGj5, with our new website launching in the coming months.

We’re proud to share the release of the 2026 edition of Glimpse Magazine, the official quality of life publication for the Greenville-Pitt County area. Designed to showcase our community to current and prospective residents, businesses, and industries, Glimpse highlights the people, places, and opportunities that make our region thrive. As a trusted resource for relocation and community insight, it plays a key role in attracting new talent, investment, and visitors to Greenville and Pitt County. View the digital edition here shorturl.at/XksJQ.

Lancaster County Chamber

The Chamber proudly celebrated its 70-year legacy at the 2026 Annual Gala, an unforgettable evening that honored both the past and present of the organization. With nearly 400 guests in attendance, the celebration brought together business leaders, community partners, elected officials, and the families of those who helped establish the Chamber seven decades ago. As part of the evening’s program, the Chamber also presented its 2025 Annual Awards, recognizing outstanding businesses and individuals who continue to make a meaningful impact in Lancaster County. The event beautifully reflected this year’s theme, ‘Rooted in Legacy: 70 Years Strong.’ A special highlight of the night was the recognition of the founding families whose vision helped launch the Chamber. Attendees had the opportunity to view historical Chamber artifacts and memorabilia on display, offering a glimpse into the organization’s rich history and lasting influence on the local business community. It was truly a wonderful evening filled with celebration, reflection, and gratitude. As the Chamber honors its proud 70-year history, it also looks ahead with excitement, committed to continuing its mission of supporting a thriving business community for generations to come.

Myrtle Beach Area Chamber

Collaborate2031 is a holistic community-wide strategy for Horry County and the entire Myrtle Beach MSA that lifts up all corners of our community, creating prosperity, opportunity, happiness, and health. The strategy is a collaboration between every community in the region and is informed by residents and leaders. It builds upon the new energy we are experiencing, with a keen focus on implementation and measurable results. As part of this effort, we are intentionally aligning existing plans, and initiatives across the region so organizations can support one another and maximize impact; strengthening quality of life for residents while enhancing the experience for visitors who help drive our economy. To help guide this effort, we are working with Amy Holloway, president of Aha! and practitioner-in-residence with the Harvard Kennedy School’s Reimagining the Economy Project. Over her 30-year career, Amy has helped more than 200 communities design strategies for long-term economic growth and shared prosperity. A retired partner at Ernst & Young and former founder of Avalanche Consulting, she brings a collaborative, engaging approach that helps local leaders connect ideas to action and turn momentum into meaningful results.

NC Chamber

Registration is now open for the NC Chamber's 2026 Building NC conference, scheduled to take place at The Grandover Resort & Spa in Greensboro on Tuesday, April 21. Building NC is our annual conference that explores strategies for strengthening North Carolina's infrastructure to support the state's rapid population growth and maintain its competitive edge. As North Carolina navigates a critical infrastructure investment cycle—with federal funding decisions, state budget priorities, and regional competitiveness at stake—this conference puts you at the center of the conversation. This isn't just a fantastic networking opportunity. Building NC ensures your voice is heard when decisions are made about energy policy, supply chain investments, and other economic development areas that will impact your business. Register today, and please share with your members across NC who deserve a chance to build relationships with the decision-makers at the forefront of opportunity. The early bird discount deadline is March 31.

Rocky Mount Area Chamber

Our 122nd Annual Meeting took place on February 3^rd with our largest attendance ever and we had DMV Commissioner Paul Tine as our keynote speaker.

We co-hosted the Teach for America Annual One Day Event on February 16^th with special guest Rachel Candaso, 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teach of the Year, and Maurice "Mo" Green, North Carolina's State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Our Annual Women's Leadership Conference is scheduled for March 19^th back at the Rocky Mount Event Center with our keynote speaker being Jess Ekstrom, founder of Headbands of Hope and Mic Drop Workshop.

The Caldwell Chamber

The Chamber is proud to announce A Toast to Caldwell, a new signature event replacing the Chamber’s traditional Annual Meeting. This elevated awards celebration will take place on Thursday, March 12th from 3:00–6:00 PM at The HUB Station, providing an expanded venue to welcome more members, partners, and community leaders for an afternoon of recognition and connection. A Toast to Caldwell will shine a spotlight on the outstanding individuals, businesses, and organizations that make Caldwell County thrive. The event will include the presentation of the following awards:

• Small Business of the Year
• Outstanding Non-Profit of the Year
• Community Impact Award
• Legacy Leadership Award of Excellence
• Torchbearer Awards

Click here to learn more about the new event.

ACCE

Save the Date - #ACCE26 Annual Convention has been set for July 20-22, 2026 in New Orleans, LA. Click here for more information.

IOM - 2026 Summer Sites Now Open for Registration

We are looking forward to another amazing year at Madison, Athens, & Villanova. Click here to go to the general Institute registration page.