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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.