~ November 2019 ~      
Director's Corner with  K.C. Cloke

Happy Holidays to you all! Like many, this is one of my favorite times of the year. There's lots of great things to see and do within our community to get you into the holiday spirit. A personal recommendation would be to stop in and view the beautifully decorated historic Willmore Lodge during this holiday season. A special thank you to the Master Gardeners and the other amazing volunteers who devoted their time in creating such a breathtaking atmosphere.
As you finish your holiday shopping (or just beginning, if you're anything like me), I hope you will consider to "Shop Local" and help contribute to our economic growth. We are so blessed to have 565+ members each offering unique products and services. Visit our Member Directory online to be reminded of all the many businesses available to shop at within our community.
2019 has been an exceptional year for the Lake Area Chamber, and I'd like to take this opportunity to recap some highlights:
  • We are honored to share that we've welcomed 76 new members since January 1st, and the year's not over yet!
  • We have held over 41 ribbon cuttings this year
  • Our 10 monthly networking socials held thus far we have welcomed over 800 in attendance
  • Successfully launched the first Lake Area Chamber Business Academy and will be rolling out the 2nd academy January 2020 (Register your spot today as seats are limited!- find more details further in the newsletter)
  • The newly adopted Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl was executed successfully, even with ice and snow the day prior we had over 3,400 participants!
  • The Lake Area Chamber Facebook page has grown by more than 38% since last year, now reaching over 8,400 fans with a goal of reaching 10,000 in 2020!
  • Have welcomed over 15,755 visitors to Willmore Lodge Visitors Center & Museum as Nov. 30th
  • Received the "Award of Excellence" from the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Missouri for our virtual trade show LakeHomeShow.com
Lastly, we held our Annual Meeting & Fall Dinner in October and presented our 5 prestigious awards nominated by our membership. Please join us in congratulating the following members:

Distinguished Citizen of the Year
                Jasen Jones - Old Kinderhook Golf Resort
               
Young Professional of the Year
                Cierra Grein - Keller Williams Lake of the Ozarks
 
Large Business of the Year
                Keller Williams Lake of the Ozarks
 
Small Business of the Year
                Anytime Fitness
 
Non-Profit of the Year
                Lake of the Ozarks Idiots Club Inc.
 
 
I am excited to see what 2020 will bring as I know it will be great! Wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
 
To our continued success!

  Sincerly,
K.C. Cloke
Executive Director
 Chamber Activities At A Glance
#LakeChamberAtWork
(November Activities)
 
  • On-Air Monthly Chamber Talk with Mix 92.7, 101.9 The Wave, and KRMS NewsTalk 1150.
  • Supported Economic Development and Workforce by attending and participating in the:
    • LOREDC (Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council) Monthly meeting
    • Bagnell Dam Strip Association Monthly Meeting
    • Eagle Days Committee
  • Participated in the Veterans Day Parade
  • Attended the CCEM (Chamber of Commerce Executives of Missouri) Annual Conference
  • Attended the Camdenton Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner
  • Steered the following Lake Area Chamber & Community Committee meetings:
    • Executive Committee
    • Magic Dragon Car Show Committee
    • Lake Area Chamber Budget
    • Lake Area Chamber Women's Conference Planning Committee
    • Area Beautification
  • Hosted Member Ribbon Cuttings for: Lindyspring Lake of Ozarks, Patriots Bank, and Smart Spot Storage
 





 A ribbon cutting ceremony is a fantastic way to gain exposure for your business at the Lake of the Ozarks! Whether you're a new member or celebrating a milestone occasion (new ownership, new location, major anniversary, etc.) we'd love to celebrate with you! Contact Danyell Borrett today to get your ribbon cutting event scheduled! [email protected]
December Events
Dec. 19    Lake Area Chamber Networking Social @ Willmore Lodge- 5PM to 7PM.  Bring the whole family, Santa will visit at 5:30PM
Dec. 20   Eggs & Issues @ Inn at Grand Glaze 8AM to 9:30AM

January Events

Jan. 4 & 5 Eagle Days @ Willmore Lodge, Osage National,  and Heritage Elementary For more infomation see Lakeoftheozarkseagledays.com 
Jan. 8     Lake Area Chamber Business Academy Session 1-8:30AM @ Willmore Lodge
Jan. 21   Lake Area Chamber Networking Social TBD
Jan. 29   Lake Area Chamber Business Academy Session 2-8:30 AM @ Willmore Lodge
 

Willmore Lodge welcomed 425  visitors during the month of November; which included visitors from multiple states and countries!

* As a reminder, only Lake Area Chamber Members have the opportunity to be showcased in our Visitors Center.
 
Don't miss out on promoting your business to the 16,000+ visitors we welcome each year!  Be sure to provide us with your business brochures  or rack cards to display.


Top States Represented in August:
Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, and Taxes

Countries Represented in August:
Iran and Canada
 

Please help us give a warm welcome to  our
 new Lake Area Chamber Members .



 
Thank you to the following Chamber Members for their renewal to the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. We sincerely value your membership and look forward to continuing to serve you and our community. To learn more about our renewing members, please click on their company name listed below to be directed to their website or to their chamber directory listing. 





Members are the greatest asset to the Chamber. Please support the businesses listed above because they support  and  believe 
in our community! 
 









 

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