It’s official: The 3rd Wednesday in October every year is Chamber of Commerce Day in Manitoba!
Very special thanks to Honourable Cliff Cullen, provincial Minister of Economic Development, Investment & Trade, who formally proclaimed this day in our honour! And in recognition of our 64 hard-working chambers and the hundreds of staff and dedicated volunteers throughout the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce (MCC) network, we want to make a big deal out of it this year, and every year!
As a chamber or a chamber member – whether you’re a MCC direct member, a member of a local chamber anywhere in the province, or you’re a chamber staff or board member – there are so many ways to acknowledge and amplify chamber contributions to economic development and competitiveness, community, and prosperity, today, Wednesday, October 19, 2022 (and every day, really!).
Here are 4 easy ways you can help us celebrate Chamber of Commerce Day in Manitoba and build the chamber brand:
1)
- Post about this special day and feature your chamber on social media! While not quite as popular as Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve (yet!), Chamber of Commerce Day in Manitoba should be a celebration, and we look forward to building momentum in years to come. Come up with your own post or use our sample text and graphics in our toolkit.
- Where you’re able (on social media platforms with longer character limits), we encourage you to personalize the message to share your local chamber’s impact. Maybe the team was instrumental in attracting a large enterprise to your region. Tell everyone about it! Or maybe they played a significant role in designing a successful “shop local” promotional campaign, launching a gift card program, or working on the community’s behalf advocating with government on a regional business issue. Express your appreciation by sharing with your social network, and if you’re posting, incorporate the hashtag so we can track the conversation: #MBChamberDay
- Leverage our video! Manitoba Chambers of Commerce President & CEO Chuck Davidson recorded a short video announcing the proclamation – you can find that here and share it.
2)
- Stop in to your local chamber office to say hello: Chamber leaders benefit from direct connections to and insights from members, and learn about opportunities, obstacles, and challenges through open conversations. Plus, nothing could be better than a chat over coffee and a high-five to fuel your local chamber team.
3)
- Provide a testimonial explaining why the network is important to you: Every chamber has super-fans and enthusiastic cheerleaders—businesses and employers who love their chamber and find great value in membership. If you’re one of those members, and you have a story to share about how the chamber has championed you or your industry, create a testimonial.
- Send a quick email to your local chamber office detailing your positive experience, post your authentic thoughts on social media, or record a quick, casual video message on your smartphone. Then your chamber can repost, share, and even use that meaningful content in their marketing materials to help strengthen the member value proposition! Testimonials are powerful tools– and given that chambers are fiscally-responsible not-for-profit organizations, your endorsements have a tangible impact with real value.
4)
- Reach out to your local/municipal government to add another layer to the celebration! The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce would be thrilled to see Chamber of Commerce Day take on a life of its own, so contact your RMs, civic governments, town councils, etc and encourage them to follow suit with local proclamations! Make the ask of your local elected officials, and let’s honour the hard work of our chambers of commerce and the difference they make every day.
