Events Division

Through creative events, chambers provide business networking opportunities, promote and enhance community and economic development, facilitate professional development and training, and generate organizational revenue. ACCE’s Events Division provides practical information and resources for chamber event planning professionals and opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and networking.

Join our new Facebook group just for ACCE chamber event professionals!

• To join, click here and your request will be approved shortly.

2019 Events Training Conference

• Registration is OPEN for our fall 2019 Events Training Conference, to be held on October 17-18, 2019 in Saratoga Springs, NY.
  • Check this page to register, book your hotel room, and review our conference agenda.
  • Don't wait - Early Bird registration ends September 17! Our hotel block is open through September 19 or when sold out, whichever is earlier.
  • Questions? Contact Susan McGuire.
• Download handouts from our past conferences here.

Other fall 2019 events

• Division-wide roundtable call, September 25, 2019, 12:30 pm - 1:15 pm ET. Join fellow ACCE events professionals for this best practice-sharing conference call on post-event surveys, led by Alex Finney of the Boise Metro Chamber. No pre-registration needed; for call-in information, see the ACCE event page.

• Webinar: Taking the Prize - Awards Show Excellence, September 26, 2019, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET. Is your awards show growing stale or boring? Are you struggling to breathe new life into your annual event? Learn how your peers reevaluated their awards shows and transformed them into the most engaging and popular community events of the year. Register here.

• Webinar: Chamber Event Planning 101 – Let’s Get Started, November 7, 2019, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET. Calling all new event planners! This webinar will provide you with the tools, advice, and strategies you need to get and stay organized. We’ll discuss how to create realistic timelines and checklists and ways to prepare and work your budget to maximize dollars raised. Register here.

• Division-wide roundtable call, November 19, 2019, 12:30 pm - 1:15 pm ET. Join fellow ACCE events professionals for this best practice-sharing roundtable conference call, led by Colleen Schipsi and Keegan Aalderink of the Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce. Colleen and Keegan will share and lead a discussion on chamber networking events. No pre-registration needed; for call-in information, see the ACCE event page.

Have an idea for a roundtable call or webinar? Let us know!  

Recorded division roundtable calls

• May 14, 2019: Led by Colleen Schipsi and Keegan Aalderink of the Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce, on chamber of commerce annual meetings.
  • Call recording
  • Resources
    • Presentation slides
    • ACCE Information page on awards and annual meetings
• November 13, 2018: Led by Carole Chambers, President & CEO of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, on Metro-Wide Mentoring for Women event.
  • Call recording
  • Resources
    • Event advertisement
    • Proposal and event schedule
    • Mentor descriptions
    • Outreach to potential sponsors
    • Questions for mentors

Division newsletters

• July 2019 newsletter
• September 2019 newsletter

Other resources

• Chamberpedia pages on Events and Programs
• Presentations from previous Events Training Conferences (2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018)
• ACCE Convention recordings and handouts: 2018 and 2019
• Events webinars and eCourses

2019-2020 Events Division Advisory Board

Chair:

• Jaime Henning, CCE, President & CEO, Greeley Chamber of Commerce, jaime@greeleychamber.com

Members:

• Paige Anderson, Director of Events, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, panderson@nashvillechamber.com
• Ebony Austin, Events and Special Programs Director, Greenville Chamber of Commerce, eaustin@greenvillechamber.org
• Sydney Doctor, Director of Events, Greater Louisville Inc., SDoctor@greaterlouisville.com
• Colleen Schipsi, Program Manager, Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce, colleen@westcoastchamber.org
• Melissa Vance, President & CEO, Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce, Melissa@WCAreaChamber.org

ACCE staff:

• Susan McGuire, Director, Professional Development, smcguire@acce.org
• Emily Counts, Coordinator, Community Advancement, ecounts@acce.org

To inquire about the Events Division, contact Susan McGuire at smcguire@acce.org. You can also update your profile status online to receive Division communications.