DUNCAN – The Duncan Cowichan Chamber won the 2015 Communications Award at the British Columbia Chambers Executives (BCCE) Annual Conference held earlier this month. The Award was created to celebrate a Chamber of Commerce with 201 – 500 members, which has demonstrated exceptional quality in communicating the work of their Chamber to members, the local community and the public.
“Keeping connected with our members and the community is a core priority for the Chamber,” said Executive Director Sonja Nagel. “Our goal is to inform and engage, to raise the profile of our members, advocate for business and maximize the tourism experience and spending in Cowichan. Continued growth in membership and the increasing number of Visitors we serve, indicates that the messaging resonates with our audiences.”
The Chamber has literally 10’s of thousands of touch points with members, the public and government representatives throughout the year. The organization is active on social media, has regular columns and articles in local and regional papers, and holds 50 events per year – most welcome both members and non-members. The website receives more than 300,000 hits annually, and the busiest pages by far are the Events Calendar, and the Business Directory – that links prospective customers to members. The Chamber also provides an optimized mobile listing for every member.
Events and Membership Manager Elizabeth Croft said, “We pay keen attention to how we deploy our resources and the entire communication portfolio is highly strategic – we’re delighted to be recognized.”
Duncan Chamber President Julie Scurr stated much of the credit for the award has to go to the efforts of the office’s staff, “We’re fortunate to be part of a vital business community. On behalf of the Board, I’d like to thank the Chamber staff for their dedication and professionalism; this Award is well-deserved.”
