Chamber News – May 2024
Welcome: Heather Fogle – Administrator at Tranquility of Rockford and Aylssa Stemen – Branch Manager at First Financial. A round of introductions so everyone gets acquainted with names and business associations.
Financial Report – Amanda Peel – Financials – no updates since last meeting. Will have Spring Fling updates at the next meeting. Donation request – Shanes Crossing Historical Society – log cabin restoration project was discussed at the previous meeting. Our funds have come from the community in supporting our memberships and fundraisers and we want to give back. The Board agreed to donate $5,000 to this restoration project. Will be setting up a presentation / photo at the log cabin. Will send email of date and time in the next couple of weeks.
Old Business:
Spring Fling – “Happiness Blooms Here” – event wrap up – comments and suggestions:
Need better communications. We start planning in February and that is plenty of time for businesses to make decisions on what they intend on doing. Also, if a business allows a vendor in front of or inside the business the fees need to be paid by the vendor or the Business can sponsor the vendor. We don’t want some vendors paying and others not — we need to be consistent. In the past we have went door to door with information – probably need to do that to help with guidelines and communications.
Conversation about another Spring Fling or should we just concentrate on 1 event
per year– Rocktoberfest. Car Show people would like to come back, weather probably kept some away because of possible rain in the forecast. Shopping bags were a hit! Discussed idea of Community Days in the Main street area but that would be another conversation for another day – not sure the committee would be open to that suggestion.
Will be discussing Rocktoberfest at the next meeting – date would be October 26th if we go with Rockford trick or treat like in the past. Seems to be a good time — already a suggestion of tractor rides to from Main St. to New Horizons to United Methodist Church for shuttles between events.
Thank you Ami and Kylie for attending the Parkway Scholarship interviews. Pastor Bill gave some insight that it was well organized and the students gave good interviews. Very impressed with the process.
Would like to discuss giving additional scholarships if we have the funds – for this year the committee decided to stay with what was originally planned 1 – $500 scholarship. We will discuss each February what we can do financially to help out each year. We can adjust each year according to our budget.
Scholarship Presentation – Wednesday – May 15th – 7 pm – planning on Shelley.
September 11th – SOCA meeting — what is discussed “ChamberSaver” ? – tabled to the next meeting.
Business updates –
New Ownership – Dental Clinic – heard has rental sign
Rockford Carry Out – for sale
Tastee Twirl – for sale
Brand It Marketing – Grand re-opening in Rockford
Barrys’ going out of business – not sure of next steps for the property
Mike Bruns set to retire soon.
New Business: suggestions that have come up:
Business Marketing – signage before getting to and in town.
Farmers Market – Main St. – keep simple a yearly fee to sign up and a spot and they can come each week if they want ? Celina and Berne – have Saturday mornings. Decatur is Thursday evenings with live music and food trucks. Van Wert — Tuesdays evenings/ Saturday mornings. This will be a discussion for other meetings — to late to get something started this year. Would need to start promoting information as early as March for day of week, timing and see if there is interest.
Looking Ahead to 2024
- Parkway Scholarship presentation – Shelley
- Community Days Parade – Citizen / Business of the Year / Scholarship Winner
- Mercer County Leadership
- SOCA – September 11th.
- Rocktoberfest 2024
- Citizen of the Year
- Business of the Year
- New Business / Anniversaries recognitions
- Anthem ad / Anthem Presentation
- Small Business Saturday
- Membership 2025
