Serving on the board of the Summerland Chamber of Commerce over the past three years has been a rewarding and educational experience for me. I have enjoyed working with chamber staff and fellow board members alike. During this time, I have learned how important it is for the chamber to engage its stakeholders, which is something I believe we can improve on by evaluating the chamber's activities annually.
The Summerland Festival of Lights is a great example of this. Most would agree that this is a great event for our community, however a tremendous amount of time and energy goes into planning the event. In order to continue to grow the event, run it safely and to free up much needed staff time to focus on other chamber duties the board is considering hiring a professional event planner. According to the chamber website, "the chamber strives to provide maximum value and service its members and funders by focusing on three key areas; tourism, member services and business retention, expansion, and attraction." We need to ensure there continues to be a healthy balance in all areas.
As outgoing president, I have also suggested the chamber board and Summerland council examine the agreement with the District of Summerland, to ensure it is realistic and still meets the needs of all parties concerned. Through open and honest dialogue, stakeholders can assess the outcomes of chamber initiatives and determine whether they are on track. I look forward to contributing to the conversation and invite other chamber members to do the same. We are all in this together, and we need to work collaboratively to create the community we want.
Erick Thompson
Past President
