The work we do day in and day out at the CHQ Chamber is focused on our mission: to build vital connections, provide professional resources, and champion our local businesses in Chautauqua County. We also keep a close eye on our vision: to be a critical partner in achieving consistent economic growth, resiliency, and prosperity to increase the collective opportunity for local businesses and organizations in Chautauqua County. As we look back at our efforts throughout 2024 we see plenty of examples of working on mission to achieve our vision. At the same time, we wanted to look at the actual numbers to support that, so here’s a quick review.

Having recently completed a strategic plan, we knew our next step had to be a rebranding process. The plan clearly pointed out some issues that had to be addressed; noting the array of committees and names by which the Chamber was known, despite having formed as a countywide entity in 2000. We engaged Mr. Smith Agency in Buffalo to work with our board and staff on a new brand, beginning with a discovery session that offered up insights about our values and goals, and included several follow-ups, finally resulting in a new name and new visual representation of our brand. The new CHQ Chamber logo incorporates our name in a way that is dynamic, connective, and structured. We were proud to unveil the logomark and brand materials during a special launch party at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in July.

Also in 2024, the CHQ Chamber was noted as the third largest business advocacy group in Western New York. Each year Business First of Buffalo surveys regional business associations on a variety of issues including budget and membership. The fact that we are in the top three is worthy of note, since we are in the mix with the more urban areas in the immediate Buffalo vicinity.

2024 was another outstanding year for business openings countywide. The CHQ Chamber helped to plan, assist, and attend 67 ribbon cuttings for new businesses. That includes service businesses, retailers, restaurants and other hospitality businesses that opened in every corner of the county from Silver Creek to Frewsburg to Westfield and all points in between.

We saw 87 new members join the Chamber in 2024. Membership remains the backbone of our business, as those annual investments help to cover the costs of services for businesses that would be impossible for smaller organizations to provide. Those services include our popular ShopLocalCHQ Gift Card and human resources compliance programs which are substantial benefits for Chamber member organizations.

Attendance at CHQ Chamber functions had another strong showing in 2024. 1,643 people turned out for Chamber events including our Business After Hours networking events, Business Builder Workshops, legislative events, and annual Golf Tournament, Awards Banquet, and Annual Meeting. That number does not include the thousands who showed up for community-wide events offered by the Chamber including the popular First Fridays in Westfield, the brand new Made in Falconer day, the Mayville Winter Festival, and others. If you attended a Chamber of Commerce function in the past year, we hope you made some new business contacts and will come again in the future and bring a friend or colleague. Participation remains one of the best ways to get the most out of your Chamber membership.

The ShopLocalCHQ Gift Card program closed out 2024 with a strong showing. The last six weeks of the year continues to be the heaviest sales period for these popular gift cards. 1,657 cards were sold when we completed the count just before Christmas. Over 165 businesses countywide now accept the ShopLocalCHQ Gift Card. The purchaser buys the card for its face value, with no add-on fees or taxes, and the card holder can redeem it for any purchase through a participating merchant. Those gift card purchases create a direct impact on our local economy and help boost sales at small locally owned businesses. Because of the costs associated with this program, we require only that merchants be Chamber members to participate.

The Chamber of Commerce has once again stepped up its social media game in the past year. With an emphasis on Facebook activity and live-streaming grand opening celebrations, we saw a 59% increase in Facebook reach to 127,580. That’s above the 75% increase we had in 2023. The CHQ Chamber uses its social media pages to help promote local businesses and events, keep people informed, and to manage community-based promotions that help to drive traffic into local businesses.

We like to spend just enough time looking back to help us move forward. These numbers create some guidelines for us as we move into the new year, helping to evaluate our successes and to see where we can improve. The Chamber of Commerce staff is already putting together a calendar of events and opportunities to serve local businesspeople in 2025. We hope you’ll join us in the months ahead. We wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year!