The Chamber of the Year award, sponsored by MemberClicks, is a multi-step process. Below are the four major steps that are required for completing the Chamber of the Year award.
Click here to view a quick reference timeline for the Chamber of the Year application process.
Chambers interested in applying for Chamber of the Year must complete ACCE's Dynamic Chamber Benchmarking (DCB) by April 5, 2021. Chambers that meet minimum requirements will be notified and invited to proceed with the Chamber of the Year application process. DCB is available all year long but only chambers that complete the Chamber Profile and Operations sections (with Fiscal Year 2020 data) by April 5th will be considered for eligibility. You can find the platform and more information here.
*Due to these unprecedented times, application qualifying criteria, such as retention, will be based on the average data from DCB.*
Chambers that meet minimum requirements in Dynamic Chamber Benchmarking will be notified and invited to proceed with the Chamber of the Year application process.
The application is designed to provide a comprehensive view of your chamber's success. Chambers will be evaluated on their financial and membership performance, as well as their communication and community programs. If the organization enjoyed an exceptional year, or had a program or initiative that went above and beyond expectations, please consider completing the application. Winners of the Chamber of the Year award must wait three years before submitting another application.
The entry fee is $250. The entry fee is waived for ACCE Horizon Investors and All ACCEss Pass holders.
A panel of experienced chamber professionals and past Chamber of the Year award winners will review and score all of the applications. Finalists in each category will be selected based on points awarded in this review process.
The last step in the application process will be finalist interviews. Interviews are remote. The top applicants in each category will be interviewed the week of July 12, 2021.