HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 13e - Agreement for Services with Arcadia Chamber of Commerce
DATE: June 18, 2019
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director
By: Tim Schwehr, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT: AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES WITH THE ARCADIA CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE IN THE AMOUNT OF $80,922
Recommendation: Approve
SUMMARY
The Arcadia Chamber of Commerce (the “Chamber”) provides programming and
activities that benefit its members and the business community. The City of Arcadia
and the Chamber execute an annual Agreement for Services (“Agreement”). As
proposed in the Agreement for Fiscal Year 2019-20, the City will provide the Chamber
with $80,922 for its efforts on behalf of the business community, and to complement the
City’s marketing activities. It is recommended that the City Council approve, and
authorize and direct the City Manager to execute an Agreement for Services with the
Arcadia Chamber of Commerce for Fiscal Year 2019-20, in the amount of $80,922.
BACKGROUND
The Chamber and the City have long coopera ted concerning issues and projects of
mutual interest to the Arcadia civic and business community. As part of this mutual
cooperation, the City enters into an annual Agreement for Services with the Chamber to
provide public relations, business development, and government/legislative services in
support of the Arcadia business community and overall economic development in the
City. Prior to the 2015-16 Fiscal Year, the annual Agreement for Services with the
Chamber of Commerce had been set at $72,000 with no increase built-in for inflation.
Beginning in the 2015-16 Fiscal Year, the budget was increased to $73,761 and it was
agreed that future Chamber of Commerce budgets would be tied to annual CPI
increases. In addition to the annual payment, the Chamber also utilizes the City-owned
property at 388 West Huntington Drive for its offices. The current lease with the
Chamber was approved in December 2016 and will be up for renewal in December
2021.
Agreement for Services with the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce
June 18, 2019
Page 2 of 4
In February 2016, Karen Mac Nair was named the Arcadia Chamber CEO. Since that
time, Ms. Mac Nair and her staff have continued to implement a number of exciting
changes to the Chamber’s website, social media presence, branding and marketing
efforts, member events, and business assistance and outreach programs. The Chamber
Summary Report, included as Attachment “A”, highlights some of these changes during
the previous Fiscal Year, as well as the many successful events and programs
implemented by Ms. Mac Nair’s predecessors that continue today. City Staff has a very
strong working relationship with Ms. Mac Nair and the Chamber Staff, and in the coming
year will continue collaborating with them on business events, outreach, and assistance
efforts.
DISCUSSION
The Chamber of Commerce offers a variety of important services to the business
community in Arcadia, including:
Providing reference and referral information about the City to brokers, realtors,
merchants, business operators, and interested public.
Communicating frequently via e-mail with Constant Contact monthly event
calendars and weekly event reminders, and regular website updates.
Utilizing new media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to expand
outreach for events, including mixers, business breakfasts, and ribbon cuttings.
Promoting and managing the annual Taste of Arcadia event, which has become
a signature event for the City.
Developing and operating an annual business expo .
Organizing and providing staff support for the monthly Community Connection &
Coffee meeting, Ambassadors meeting, Taste of Arcadia Committee, Business
Networking Breakfasts, and business mixers.
Working with and supporting the Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association
(“DAIA”), including various planning activities and events held in the Downtown.
Monthly Business Networking Breakfasts, where the Chamber names a business
icon that is honored for longevity in Arcadia, and has a business or non -profit
member speak about a topic of interest to the attendees.
Participating with the City on business visits to learn about the different
businesses in Arcadia, and provide business owners with contact information and
services available through the City and the Chamber.
Agreement for Services with the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce
June 18, 2019
Page 3 of 4
Coordinating with the City on retail recruitment and targeted eco nomic
development opportunities.
A detailed summary of the Chamber’s accomplishments during Fiscal Year 2018-19 is
included as Attachment “A”; the Chamber’s annual financial reporting is included as
Attachment “B”; and the Agreement for Services with the Chamber for Fiscal Year 2019-
20 is included as Attachment “C”. The Agreement provides for annual financial support
from the City, and includes an exhibit that further details the Chamber’s services to and
for the City.
The Proposed Agreement includes a CPI increase of 3.8% based on the U.S.
Department of Labor Consumer Price Index increase for the Los Angeles-Riverside-
Orange Co. Region for the 2018 calendar year. This amounts to a total of $2,962 added
to the Agreement as compared to the previous Fiscal Year. For the 2019-20 Fiscal
Year, the City’s contract with the Chamber will account for approximately 19% of its
overall anticipated budget of $431,000.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental
Quality Act (“CEQA”), and it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the
environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
A total of $79,000 has been included in the proposed Fiscal Year 2019-20 General
Fund Budget for the Annual Agreement for Services with the Chamber. Due to a higher
than anticipated CPI increase for the 2018 calendar year, the budgeted amount does
not fully fund the Agreement as adjusted for inflation. However, a dequate funds are
available in the budget as the additional $1,922 will be covered by contract services
funds budgeted by the Economic Development Division. The City also provides below
market rent for the City-owned Chamber offices at a rate of $400 per month; the current
at-market rate is estimated to be $3,800 per month for a 1,900 square-foot office in
central Arcadia.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve, and authorize and direct the City
Manager to execute an Agreement for Services with the Arcadia Chamber of
Commerce in the amount of $80,922.
Agreement for Services with the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce
June 18, 2019
Page 4 of 4
Attachment “A” – Chamber Summary Reports July – Dec. 2018, January – June 2019
Attachment “B” – Chamber of Commerce Financials
Attachment “C” – Agreement for Services for Fiscal Year 2019-20
Mission Statement
To play a critical and integral role in maintaining a healthy business environment, contributing
to the economic growth of the members, the city, and enhancing the city’s image.
July 2018
to
December 2018
Public Relations
Branding
The Chamber’s fresh, new logos continue to be the face of the Chamber, with each being highly
recognizable after a year of promotion. This year, the Chamber
purchased Corel Draw, a software line geared towards creating
art and marketing pieces, so inhouse production can move
forward in a timely manner. New and improved marketing
pieces will be created for the 2019 calendar year.
Website
Analytics
www.ArcadiaCaChamber.org
Most reads per day: 2579
Most visited day: 1777
Visitors per month: avg. 27,000
Reads per month: avg. 39,000
Total Visitors 2018: 247,519
Analytics
www.TasteOfArcadia.com
Most reads per day: 985
Most visited day: 960
Visitors per month (July – December): avg. 2102
Reads per month (July – December): avg. 3378
Total Visitors 2018: 24,149
Updates continue to improve and drive the Arcadia Chamber website. Members and non-
members find a wide variety of information on the Chamber itself and on the Chamber’s
biggest event of the year, Taste of Arcadia. TasteOfArcadia.com continues to gain momentum,
and guests of this year’s event were able to view vendor info and purchase tickets from the site.
Four Food Vendor booths have been booked for the 2019 event, as of December 2018.
Social Media
Social media continues to be a motivational factor for the
Arcadia Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber’s social
media presence includes Instagram, Facebook and
Twitter. Member shares, likes and tags continue to
increase on all platforms. The Chamber also provides
‘like us’ and ‘tag us’ links at events, to encourage sharing photos and info on events while they
are happening, for a ‘live’ interaction with members and followers. An Instagram contest was
introduced at this December’s Rise & Shine, to great success. Instagram ‘takeovers’ are new to
the Chamber too, with individual videos from a different venue being the focus during their
takeover time frame. Facebook Live videos also bring guests unable to attend right to the action
as it happens. Facebook likes started on July 2016 at 979 and ended as of December 2018 at
1772. Reach per month averages 13,000. Twitter followers are 1115, showing a growth of 57
followers over 6 months, with 3,383 total impressions as of December 2018. Instagram was
newly introduced for the Chamber in 2016, starting with 87 followers as of June 30, 2016 and
ending December 2018 with 874. Taste of Arcadia is also on Instagram, with 402 followers.
Constant Contact subscriber numbers reached a total of 6281 by December 2018. Snapchat was
also added for Taste of Arcadia, with 6,700 views on the day of the event, from 8 am to 11 pm.
199 swipes and 185 users of Snapchat were recorded, for a 93% usage.
Committees
Committees continue to build momentum for the Board and
Ambassadors through the guidance of the Strategic
Planning Conference. The Chamber added the Installation
Dinner committee, which will soon be gearing up for the
2019 event to be held in March, along with the New
Member and Retention committees. These consist of 8
members of the Board or Ambassador teams meeting
quarterly to discuss improvements in their areas of focus.
The Ambassador team continues to make progress in helping with retention and overall
engagement of Members. 2019 will welcome in new Ambassador chair, David Lamb of Act
Now CPR & First Aid. Members continue to show interest in joining the Ambassadors team,
which currently is a group of 15. The Chamber also thanked outgoing Ambassador chair John
Sun for a wonderful year and a half of service.
Membership
In the last six months, to encourage retention, the Chamber added a monthly billing option,
with 19 businesses currently signed up on this program.
New members that joined in the 1st and 2nd quarter of 2018 grew by 6 compared to the same
time last year, in 2017. Overall membership grew by 66 in the 2018 calendar year.
Member Events
Rise & Shine Arcadia
Rise & Shine Arcadia has
grown since June 2018 to an
average of 83 participants
per month; the previous
average was 65. July and
December both saw attendance exceed 100 guests.
Sponsored by Rose Hills Memorial Park and held
monthly, alternating between the DoubleTree, Courtyard
Marriott and Embassy Suites, Rise & Shine Arcadia
continues to provide members an opportunity to connect
over breakfast, build business, promote themselves and just enjoy each other’s company.
Networking activities continue to be the focus monthly, to help members communicate
effectively and talk about their businesses, to help their businesses grow. A new addition to
breakfast, testimonials are now being recorded for video postings to social media.
Mixers
Also held monthly, mixers were rebranded as The
MIX in 2017, and continue to be one of the
Chamber’s biggest draws. This event showcases a
different venue each month, providing multiple Chamber members an
opportunity to promote their venue.
Typically attended by a wide variety
and number of guests, The MIX
provides networking activities in a more casual environment.
The largest MIX was 100 people at the Holiday event, held at
the newly remodeled Embassy Suites. Venues from July to
December 2018 included new member RT Rogers, the Areum
Apartments, Foothill Credit Union, and Max’s Mexican
Cuisine.
Love Lunch
Love Lunches are also held monthly, allowing members throughout the San
Gabriel Valley the opportunity to promote their business and encourage
guests to try new things, all while having the
chance to network. The casual environment and
earlier time period bring a different crowd and feel
to this event overall. Love Lunches generally are attended by 30 to 40
guests, with people coming and going as they please, which helps
build overall numbers. Love Lunches were sponsored by Century
Rooter Plumbing and Services in 2018. The Sheraton San Gabriel
hosted their first Love Lunch in August, and old favorites such as
Cabrera’s Mexican Cuisine and the FrontRunner Restaurant also hosted. The highest
attendance was at Santa Anita’s FrontRunner Restaurant, with 64 guests attending.
Chambering 101
Done monthly now in 2018, alternating between morning, lunch
and evenings, Chambering 101 is a chance to learn how to
‘Chamber’ and use what the Chamber offers to best benefit and
grow your business. This seminar gives members, both new and
old, a chance to find out ‘what the Chamber
can do for you.’ Attended by an average of
25 guests, with food and drinks provided by
a Chamber member such as Chef Carmen’s
3C’s, Chefelle and May Catering, guests are
encouraged to ask questions and interact
with the Chamber staff to get the most out
of their membership. Special thanks to
Hart, Mieras & Morris for sponsoring
Chambering 101.
Ribbon Cuttings
As needed, members contact the Chamber for a ribbon
cutting to celebrate a grand opening, specific event, or
milestone for that member. This provides the member
with an opportunity to promote their business in a unique way,
bringing together members of the community along with
legislative reps, who generally
present certification the member
can display. Ribbon cuttings
are attended anywhere from 20
to 100s of people, depending. Ribbon cuttings were held at
venues such as One Love One Tribe
(above), Dutch Door Hair Salon
(middle), and Audrey B Hair Salon,
which was held at the Chamber office.
Community Connection
Community Connection continues to help engage
community and boost participation, The average
number of attendees is 25
people, who can listen to
speakers and various
topics that affect the
community.
Speakers included a
representative from MADIA tech, the LA County Homeless
Initiative and the LA County Registrar’s Office.
Pop-Up Happy Hour
New to the Chamber for 2018 and keeping with
popular trends, the Arcadia Chamber proudly
introduced Pop-Up Happy Hour. A venue is chosen and kept secret
until just prior to the event, when it is announced on Social Media. This
has been a success with businesses such as food trucks and pop-up shops
in recent years and will give a Chamber member a chance to specifically
showcase their happy hour. Pop-Up Happy Hour averages 25 guests,
and venues included the DoubleTree, Red Lobster and Embassy Suites.
Business Development
The Chamber continued its desire to help business and the
community grow in the City of Arcadia. Staff attended the
announcement of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup,
to be held at Santa Anita Park, was
present at the unveiling of the new
Historical Marker at the LA Arboretum,
and was there to watch the Denny’s Windmill begin to spin again after
renovations.
Taste of Arcadia
Taste of Arcadia 2018 was held on September 24th and invited
businesses and food vendors from the local community to come
and highlight themselves to a captive
audience. With the LA County
Arboretum as the backdrop, guests
tasted bites from 46 food vendors and
37 business, and entertainment as
well, with a four-piece band
in Memphis Mike and the
Swinging 8 Balls, steel
drummer Chris Arpad, and
DJ John Villa of Dance Syndicate. Mt. Lowe Brewing
Company sponsored this year’s Beer Garden, bringing in
multiple local venues to showcase their brews. BMW
sponsored a wine garden, new in 2018.
Continuing Community Improvement
To continue the relationship between the City, the Chamber and the overall community,
Chamber CEO Karen Mac Nair continues to collaborate with Tim Schwehr, the City of
Arcadia’s Economic Development Analyst. Together, they walk Foothill and LaPorte, 1st
Avenue and Huntington Drive in the Downtown area, Live Oak Avenue, and Baldwin Avenue
to engage small businesses, answering questions, taking comments, or offering assistance from
the Chamber. Tim also presented at the December Holiday edition of Rise & Shine Arcadia,
discussing new businesses and showcasing the new City tourism video.
The Chamber Ambassador team recently incorporated Business Walks, as well. Ambassadors
sign up for various dates and areas of the City to walk and engage with businesses both new
and old, to try and promote and engage.
The Chamber’s LED signs also provide information for drivers, highlighting such things as
water conservation, city events and spotlighting City information. The LED boards were
recently updated with new signage, as well. CEO Karen Mac Nair has also assisted the Arcadia
Improvement Association Downtown Board in the execution of the Patriotic Festival and other
Downtown events, as well as continuing on the Executive Board as treasurer.
Staff Updates
Karen, the CEO received her review this year, and staff
raises were approved by the Board in 2018. In the past six
months, an additional sales staff member was added,
Jonathan Rodriguez, who, after doing a fantastic job in
helping new member growth and retention overall here at
the Arcadia Chamber, has accepted the position of CEO at
the Irwindale, starting in January 2019.
Independent Contractor Updates
In working with the current Chamber President, Romy Rahmanian, the Chamber reviewed
contracts for Independent Contractors, Kristy Thatcher-Bradshaw (sales associate), Kim Arnold
(Books by Kim), Christine Zito (Pure Media Marketing), and Scott Pauli (Pauli Technology).
Weblink
The Arcadia Chamber successfully converted its database system to Weblink, including
member data uploaded to the new platform, with a complete rollout in 2019. Members will
soon be able to access their directory page via a password to make changes, pay their bill and
make other updates, including RSVPing for events and buying tickets. Other aspects of
Weblink will include billing, invoicing, and updating events and calendar on the Chamber
website. Other exciting updates will follow.
Looking Ahead – 2019
Plans for the future include:
Taste of Arcadia: September 23th,
2019
Upcoming Chamber Events
Love Lunch
January – Villa Catrina
February – Outback Steakhouse
March - Dickey’s BBQ
April – Olive Garden
May – Red Lobster
June – Max’s
The MIX
January – Dave & Buster’s
February – D’Aquino
March – Methodist Hospital
April – Four Seasons Tea Room
May – Mt Lowe
June – Thorson Auto
Chambering 101
3rd Wednesday of each month at the Chamber office
Community Connection
January – Donna Choi – Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association
February – None due to Mayor’s Breakfast
March – Amber Abeyta – City of Arcadia Business Licensing Department
Pop-Up Happy Hour - Check social media!
Events Social Media
Networking Breakfast Facebook
Average Monthly Attendance 75 Likes as of 5/09/17 1,330
Highest Monthly Attendance 100 Likes as of 12/15/17 1,526
Average Amount Received 27.11$ Likes as of 12/15/18 1,790
Highest Monthly Revenue 1,932.00$ Instagram
Number of Events 6 Followers as of 5/09/17 251
Followers as of 12/15/17 442
Mixers Followers as 12/15/18 874
Average Attendance 50
Highest Monthly Attendance 100 Twitter
Number of Events 6 Followers as of 5/09/17 909
Followers as of 12/15/17 1,027
Love Lunch Followers as of 12/15/18 1,115
Average Attendance 30
Highest Monthly Attendance 50 Constant Contact
Number of Events 5 Subscribers in Database as of 5/09/17 2,860
Subscribers in Database as of 12/15/17 3,477
Chambering 101 Subscribers in Database as of 12/15/18 6,281
Average Attendance 25
Number of Events 5 Member Count
As of 12.15.17 12.15.18
Ribbon Cuttings Business 321 388
Number of Events 7 Business Monthly 0 19
Home-based Business 43 35
Community Connection (formerly Gov't Affairs)Non-Profit 51 52
Average Attendance 25 Residential 34 21
Highest Monthly Attendance 30 Total 449 515
Number of Events 5
Retention Member Percentage
Business Award Breakfast As of 12.15.17 62%
Attendance 100 As of 12.15.18 61%
Boardroom Rentals New Members
One-Time Rentals 10 Joined from 07.01.17 through 12.15.17
Monthly Recurring Rentals 10 Business 45
Total Revenue - July through December 2,280.00$ Home-based Business 7
Non-Profit 3
Taste of Arcadia Residential 0
Number of Attendees 1,492 Total 55
Business Showcase Vendors 37
Food / Drink Vendors 46 New Members
Auto Showcase Vendors 5 Joined from 07.01.18 through 12.15.18
Entertainment Vendors 3 Business 38
VIP Tables 22 Business Monthly 12
Volunteers 165 Home-based Business 3
Non-Profit 8
Taste of Arcadia Profit 10,657.16$ Residential 0
Taste of Arcadia Revenue 83,884.16$ Total 61
Taste of Arcadia Expenses (73,227.00)$
STATS - July 2018 through December 2018
Mission Statement
To play a critical and integral role in maintaining a healthy business environment, contributing
to the economic growth of the members, the city, and enhancing the city’s image.
January 2019
to
June 2019
Public Relations
Community Focus
The Arcadia Chamber focused heavily on community during the beginning of 2019, working to
improve its Chambering 101 monthly seminar and assisting the City with a forum to help
educate residents on the effects of Measure A. For the first time ever, the Chamber also hosted a
Blood Drive with City of Hope, attracting 21 people for successful draws. The Chamber will
continue to build on community as the year moves forward, including its Business Showcase at
Westfield Santa Anita and a special edition MIX only for businesses in Downtown Arcadia.
Website
Analytics
www.ArcadiaCaChamber.org
Most reads per day: 2579
Most visited day: 1777
Visitors per month: avg. 28,000
Reads per month: avg. 40,000
Total Visitors 2019 Jan - June: 81,661
Analytics
www.TasteOfArcadia.com
Most reads per day: 985
Most visited day: 960
Visitors per month (July – December): avg. 2102
Reads per month (July – December): avg. 3378
Total Visitors 2018: 24,149
Updates continue to improve and drive the Arcadia Chamber website. Members and non-
members find a wide variety of information on the Chamber itself and on the Chamber’s
biggest event of the year, Taste of Arcadia. TasteOfArcadia.com continues to gain momentum,
with multiple food and business vendors already signed up for the 2019 event.
Social Media
Social media continues to be a motivational
factor for the Arcadia Chamber of
Commerce, with a focus on Instagram and
Facebook live videos, broadcast directly
from various events. Videos also helped
promote events prior to the occurrence and
educate viewers on the Chamber’s events,
promos and membership opportunities, such as the May Membership Madness. The Chamber’s
social media presence includes Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. ‘Like us’ and ‘tag us’ links
continue to drive overall reach on all platforms. Facebook likes started on July 2016 at 979 and
ended May 2019 at 1909. Reach per month averages 16,000. Twitter followers are 1146,
showing a growth of 67 followers over 6 months, with over 11K Impressions this May alone.
Instagram was newly introduced for the Chamber in 2016, starting with 87 followers as of June
30, 2016 and ending June 2019 with 1065 followers. Taste of Arcadia is also on Instagram, with
442 followers. Constant Contact continues to assist with daily email blasts attached to the
Chamber blog and monthly event reminders, with the opportunity to give an RSVP straight
from the email. Snapchat was also added for Taste of Arcadia 2018, with 6,700 views on the
day of the event, from 8 am to 11 pm. 199 swipes and 185 users of Snapchat were recorded, for a
93% usage. The Chamber will once again utilize a Snapchat filter for Taste of Arcadia 2019.
Committees
Committees continue to build momentum for the Board and
Ambassadors, with the Strategic Planning meeting coming
up soon. The Installation Dinner committee put on a
successful event in March, with a baseball theme requested
by incoming president Brian Greene of Methodist Hospital,
including donated baseball memorabilia for a raffle
fundraiser for the Chamber. Retention and New Member
committees continue to improve the overall member base, and an Asian Outreach Committee
was recently formed. A Policy Committee also was added, to assist the Chamber in creating and
upholding new policies for members, prospects, and for the Board and Ambassador teams. On
June 24th, a Community Business Focus Group will meet to talk and answer questions about the
business community. Business members will get a chance to give their input and provide
insight on the growth and changes in Arcadia.
The Ambassador team continues to make progress in helping with retention and overall
engagement of Members. 2019 welcomed new Ambassador chair, David Lamb of Act Now CPR
& First Aid, who revamped the Ambassador points system. Members continue to show interest
in joining the Ambassadors team, which currently is a group of 15.
Membership
In the last six months, to encourage retention, the
Chamber added a monthly billing option, with more and
more businesses excited to join the program. This has
helped grow the overall membership and retain members
overall. Another new program is the Chamber’s
Membership Levels. The Foundation Circle gives members an opportunity to join at a higher
level, with different benefits, and current members can upgrade to join the Foundation Circle,
as well. Levels start at Connector and run up to Champion, and benefits include such things
VIP tickets to the Installation Dinner and Taste of Arcadia, Rise & Shine Arcadia entries and
links on the Chamber website, plus more exciting features.
Member Events
Rise & Shine Arcadia
Rise & Shine Arcadia has grown since its inception in June 2018 to
an average of 85 participants per month; the previous average was
65, and guests Sponsored by Rose Hills Memorial Park and held
monthly, alternating between the DoubleTree and Embassy Suites,
Rise & Shine Arcadia continues to provide members an
opportunity to connect over breakfast, build business,
promote themselves, and just enjoy each other’s
company. Networking activities continue to be the
focus monthly, to help members communicate
effectively and talk about their businesses, to help their
businesses grow. The Chamber recently tried a Human
Bingo networking activity, which was a rousing success.
Mixers
Also held monthly, mixers were rebranded as The
MIX in 2017, and continue to be one of the
Chamber’s biggest draws. This event showcases a
different venue each month, providing multiple Chamber members an
opportunity to promote their venue. Typically attended by a wide
variety and number of guests, The MIX provides networking in a
more casual environment. Popular venues this year included
D’Aquino, where guests gathered in a private wine tasting room,
and Sierra Auto’s showroom drew a large crowd, with multiple
Chambers in attendance. Venues to come in 2019 include Max’s
Mexican Cuisine, Thorson Auto and Methodist Hospital, which
also gathers Duarte and Monrovia Chamber members. The
Chamber participated in a multi-Chamber mixer hosted by
Pasadena’s Chamber of Commerce at Noor this May, which had a
very large crowd with over 14 chambers in the San Gabriel
Valley. Guests included Tim Schwehr of the City of Arcadia’s
Economic Development Department.
Love Lunch
Love Lunches are also held monthly, allowing
members throughout the San Gabriel Valley
the opportunity to promote their business and
encourage guests to try new things, all while
having the chance to network. The casual
environment and earlier time period bring a
different crowd and feel to this event
overall. Love Lunches generally are
attended by 30 to upwards of 50 guests,
with people coming and going as they
please, which helps build overall numbers.
Love Lunch venues included Olive Garden
and Dickey’s, along with Red Lobster, who
hosted their first Love Lunch, attended by
around 35 guests. Another new, upcoming venue is Mooyah in Monrovia, who will host their
first Love Lunch in July.
Chambering 101
Done monthly now in 2019, the lunchtime
Chambering 101 is a chance to learn how to
‘Chamber’ and use what the Chamber offers to
best benefit and grow your business. This seminar
gives members, both new and old, a chance to find
out ‘what the Chamber can do for you.’ Attended
by an average of 25 guests, with food and drinks
provided by a Chamber member such as DoubleTree and El Pollo
Loco, guests are encouraged to ask questions and interact with the
Chamber staff to get the most out of their membership.
Ribbon Cuttings
Members frequently contact the Chamber for a
ribbon cutting to celebrate a grand opening,
specific event, or milestone for that member. This
provides the member an opportunity to promote their
business in a unique way, bringing together members of the
community along with
legislative reps, who generally
present certification the member
can display. Ribbon cuttings are attended anywhere from 20 to
100s of people, depending. Ribbon
cuttings were held at venues such
1A Fitness (above), Blo Arcadia
(right) and First Light Home Care,
which is a residential home for
senior citizens (below).
Community Connection
Community Connection continues to help engage community and
boost participation. The average
number of attendees is 25 people, who
listen to speakers on various topics
affecting the community. Speakers
recently included a
representative from the Downtown Arcadia
Improvement Association, the City of Arcadia’s Business
Licensing Department, the Firefighters Association, and
the County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer and
Business Affairs.
Pop-Up Happy Hour
New to the Chamber for 2018 and gaining momentum in 2019, the Arcadia
Chamber proudly introduced Pop-Up Happy Hour. A venue is chosen
and kept secret until just prior to the event, when it is announced on Social Media. This has
been a success with businesses such as food trucks and
pop-up shops in recent years and will give a Chamber
member a chance to specifically showcase their happy
hour. Pop-Up Happy Hour averages 25 to 35 guests,
and recent venues included the Vendome Arcadia,
Cabrera’s, Monkey Bar in the Westfield Santa Anita,
and the Diplomat.