It’s hard to believe that there is
only one month left in the 2016 third quarter.
The end of the year is approaching fast.
It makes one wonder where the year has gone. Time seems to slip by without notice. We all seem busier than ever. So to all of you who have taken the time to
attend an event, volunteer, stop by and say hello, send us an email, or call
just to say hi, I thank you. To those of
you who continue to support our efforts of building a world-class community, I
say thank you, even if you haven’t attended anything or volunteered. You’re all important to the overall health
and well-being of this community.
I attended the Association of
Chamber of Commerce Executives National Convention the second week of
August. I truly enjoy catching up with
long-time friends in the chamber profession, people with whom I’ve ‘grown up’
in this profession over the years. It’s fun to compare stories from our years,
both funny and serious. It seems that no
matter how big or small a chamber is, we all have the same issues and the same
successes. The scales are just
different.
Some tidbits I picked up while
there: chambers of commerce who are not involved in economic development in some
way are going to get left behind; millennials are tired of being labeled as
such and want to take an active role in developing their communities;
technology is changing the way people travel and visit, not just the way they
do business; to add value, the chamber must be a filter and an analyst to help
determine the value of information.
We are heading into our board
retreat in late October. We’ll be sure
to take all of this into consideration.
We need to be sure we are out front with our plan so we are positioned
to meet the needs of the community, while staying flexible enough to adapt to the
fluidity of today’s rapid pace of change.
And as the end of the year
approaches, that means the holidays. I
encourage you all to buy and purchase locally.
We all have many holiday gifts to buy, and we have a tremendous
opportunity to boost our locally economy by buying local. We have great chamber member businesses who
have everything you need, right down to the last decoration or food item for
the holidays. It doesn’t take any more
time to drive down the street and purchase from them.
It has been a lot of fun this year
celebrating our 50th anniversary.
Many people have come forward with ideas and thoughts on the chamber
trivia that’s been included in Tuesday Talking Points. We’ve received a great history lesson this
year on the chamber. It is a great
accomplishment and a testament to this community that the chamber can celebrate
50 years!
All of this will culminate on Dec.
15, at The Henderson Resort when we hold our 50th Anniversary
Celebration (black tie optional). We are
combining our annual holiday party and annual banquet into this event, so it
will be the only big event in December or January. The only portion of the annual banquet we’ll
build into the night will be the awards presentations. The business portion of the banquet will be
done at our January Leaders in Business Luncheon. There will be great food, a live band
(Triggerproof, and they are great!), and a fun celebration.
Thanks again for all you do for the
community and for the chamber. With you,
we’ll continue to pursue our mission: Advocating for businesses – strengthening
our community.
With wishes for continued success,
and until next time,
Shane A. Moody, CCE, FCCP
President and CEO
Destin Chamber of Commerce
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