Events and Programs

Chambers of commerce organize events – lots of them. Meetings, gatherings, and events are not the only things chambers do, but every chamber does them. Events and programs consume a great deal of the workday and annual organization calendar for most chambers of commerce. Some chambers convene scores of meetings, conferences, summits, committee sessions, briefings, workshops, social events, press conferences, parties, programs and behind-the-scenes strategy sessions each year. As chambers advance further in the electronic age, online gatherings are being integrated into an already crowded meeting calendar.

Because of the breadth of chamber programs, there is often confusion about what any one particular chamber does and even what it is. While each of the meetings and events convened by any chamber has a purpose, it might not always be easy to discern it. Some get-togethers may appear to be meetings held simply for the purpose of meeting, but there are usually sound mission or financial motives involved.

Some of the most public and visible activities of chambers might actually be less important than the private meetings they undertake in the cause of advancing the interests of their members and communities.

Chamber event planners will find ACCE's chapter on Community Events to be helpful in understanding successful programming options. This chapter comes from the ACCE Chamber Revenue Model Whitepaper (Dec 2013).

Events & Programs Topics

Samples

See all Events & Programs Samples

Articles & Guides

FAQ How can community events be managed to minimize potential business disruption and create positive impact?

Associations Now: Report: Event Planners See Value of Grabbing Data, Struggle to Take Action, by Ernie Smith(Oct 2017)
ChamberMaster: Chambers of Inspiration Idea Book: 5 Innovative Event Ideas

Frank J. Kenny: Articles and blog posts on events
Keynote Resource: Corporate Event Planning - online tools to streamline event planning, including checklist and template downloads
SmallBizTrends: 42 Tips For Producing A Memorable Small Business Event, by Jamillah Warner
Roundtable Discussion: Best Practices in Events (Mar 2015) - Della Schmidt of the Winona Chamber and Les O'Dell of the Carbondale Chamber relay their experiences in planning chamber-sponsored events including milestone anniversaries and annual banquets.
WebLink: 14 Keys to Hosting Events Your Members Will Love - A guide for association professionals

Convention & Conference Resources

FAQ I need handouts from the ACCE Events Training Conference.

Event Reinvention - Session recording from the ACCE 2017 Annual Convention in Nashville is available for purchase in the ACCE Store. Presentation is also available for download.
The Events Chopping Block - Presentation by David Brown, President & CEO; Anne Branigan, Senior Vice President, Innovative Services; Diane Poots, Director, Member Services; Greater Omaha Chamber (NE) from the 2016 ACCE Convention.
Membership and Events Track Pack (4 Sessions). Captured live from the 2016 ACCE Annual Convention in Savannah. Duration: 2 hours, 21 minutes. Cost: $30 for 1 year of unlimited access for all your chamber staff. Sessions include: