Scottsdale Area Chamber Year In Review

2013-2014 saw the welcoming of North Scottsdale Chamber members into the fold of the Scottsdale Area Chamber. The chamber has taken great pains to help make that transition seamless and positive, and, once again, the area will be served by one chamber, supporting and representing the business community.

As the chamber begins the new fiscal year, it is with a level of confidence not felt for many years. The sales team has brought many new members into the organization, and the chamber’s membership is the largest it has been in many years. The team works to ensure member value, and retention numbers reflect that fact. The Partner Council has rebounded to the levels of before the Great Recession, and in every sense the chamber has upped its game.

The Scottsdale Area Chamber concluded this fiscal year in the black and substantially ahead of budget on June 30. Our cash position is strong, and the organization will continue this year and next to rebuild reserves tapped during our challenging years.

The year ahead will bring more enhancements and positive change to improve the member experience. For years, the chamber has staged the Scottsdale Business Showcase in the fall, where member firms secure booth space and the public is invited to attend. While always a profitable event, the most important factor for anything we do is member value. The chamber has seen diminishing member value in the annual trade show, and the time had come to place that event on hiatus in favor of something new, different and exciting.

Many chambers throughout the nation put on community events, and the Scottsdale Area Chamber will join their ranks with an event that screams “Scottsdale”: Scottsdale Spice. Taking place in this very space on September 27, Scottsdale Spice will be one of the first great culinary events of the season.

As the name implies, Scottsdale Spice will feature restaurants who love spice — from mild to wild. We will allow 20 of them — primarily locally owned and operated — to wow the lucky 1,200 ticket buyers, each of whom will be able to vote on their favorite. There will be live music and tastings of food and adult beverages for a four-hour event that will rival the finest, most established culinary events in the Valley, and at a most affordable ticket price. Comerica Bank has stepped up as our presenting sponsor of this inaugural event.

The chamber will continue to streamline our processes through technology. Soon, staff will no longer be checking in attendees for events at the door with paper and pen but rather with tablets. In a secure manner, staff will be able to swipe cards at the door and immediately email receipts.

Each member has a role to play in the chamber’s continuous improvement. The chamber appreciates its members individually and collectively; we thank each for incredible support.