MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release, January 21, 2022
SUMMERLAND CHAMBER LAUNCHES NEW MEMBERSHIP MODEL AND WEBSITE
Summerland, B.C.: The board and staff of the Summerland Chamber of Commerce have been working tirelessly behind the scenes over the last year to restructure the organization after staffing changes and the sudden loss of funding from the District of Summerland in late 2020. The focus of the Board of Directors has been to re-build the organizations membership model, update the website and customer management system, and bring better value and relevancy to the organization.
In addition, through this process a new strategic plan and direction is being developed at the board to bring guidance and strength to the organization.
Thanks to the assistance of The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) and the Rural Business and Community Recovery (RBCR) Program, Summerland Chamber of Commerce was able to hire a business recovery advisor who has been able to assist with early research of membership that was used in the development of the new member tier levels and benefit offerings.
“This is an exciting time for the Summerland Chamber and the business community. We have worked hard to develop a model that fits everyone’s needs at a fair cost” says Chamber President Ron Kubek. The dedication of our board and staff to complete the necessary research and development of this model and our platform has been imperative to our success. We are excited about the offerings we have come up with and confident that our members will be impressed with the ways in which we can now serve them,” adds Kubek.
Starting with the soft launch in January of their new website and client management system, the Summerland Chamber will be re-introduced to the business community with 5 new tier membership levels available ranging from $99-$1500. The new membership tiers come into affect as of January 2022, giving Summerland businesses an opportunity to select their own level of involvement and support from the Chamber.
New opportunities and benefits have also been added to the Chambers membership offerings. Following the results of the research done in their Chamberwalk in Oct 2021, the Chamber put together a myriad of benefits that bring more value to the business community including new promotional and marketing tools, the best small business rates on Group Insurance, savings programs for shipping, IT services, office supplies, payroll & legal services, travel and much more!
While this new membership model roles out to their members, the Summerland Chamber continues to be an active and engaged member of the BC and Canadian Chambers of Commerce bringing forward key local issues to the provincial and federal stage and providing their members with access for exclusive benefits and opportunities.
In addition to the restructuring project, the Summerland Chamber of Commerce has been extremely busy and effective in 2021 assisting businesses through our new business recovery advisor, lobbying local government on behalf of members, and disseminating and distributing a continual flood of information during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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About Summerland Chamber of Commerce
Established in 1908, the Summerland Chamber of Commerce operates as a not for profit corporation representing the over 700 businesses in the community. The Chamber works collaboratively with stakeholder businesses, organizations and all three levels of government to fulfill its mandate.
For more information contact:
Ron Kubek, Chamber President
Summerland Chamber of Commerce
