2025 Chambers of the Year Announced

The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives announced the winners of the 2025 Chamber of the Year competition at the Annual Awards Show, presented by Comcast Business, during #ACCE25 in Philadelphia.

Chamber of the Year, sponsored by GrowthZone, is the most prestigious and competitive award presented by ACCE and is the only globally-recognized industry award that honors top chambers of commerce. Those honored with the Chamber of the Year designation have demonstrated organizational strength and made an impact on key community priorities.

“Chambers of commerce continue to demonstrate their essential role as catalysts for regional prosperity,” said ACCE President & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly. “This year’s winners exemplify excellence in the chamber industry, serving as trusted community partners, innovative problem solvers and bold leaders. Their work not only strengthens their regions today but paves the way for a more vibrant future. Congratulations to each of them on this well-deserved recognition.”

The 2025 Chambers of the Year are:

Category One
Paducah Area Chamber | Paducah, Kentucky

Category Two
Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce | Holland, Michigan

Category Three
Greater Fort Wayne Inc. | Fort Wayne, Indiana

Category Four
Greater Memphis Chamber | Memphis, Tennessee 

The Chamber of the Year award recognizes excellence in operations, member service and community leadership. 

Chambers of commerce interested in competing for the award must first qualify by participating in a vigorous multi-stage process. Organizations entering the Chamber of the Year competition must meet minimum thresholds in at least three of five key performance areas in ACCE’s Annual Chamber Operations Survey, including net revenue and assets, membership account retention and membership dollar retention.

Qualifying chambers enter the competition with a written application addressing all aspects of organizational operation and programmatic work. Applications are scored by peer chamber executives to determine finalists. The finalists then move on to an interview before a panel of experienced chamber professionals.              

To ensure the fairest competition, applicants are grouped into four categories based on annual revenue, membership, staff capacity, area population and other factors. A strong conflict of interest policy signed by all volunteer judges ensures a competitive and fair playing field for applicants.