Events play a key role in capitalizing on networking and business opportunities for an association, organization, and especially a chamber of commerce. However, it's increasingly common for chambers to organize events that follow a predictable format, resulting in members anticipating similar experiences.

This familiarity can sometimes lead to decreased excitement or perceived value among attendees.

To address this challenge and ensure that your chamber stands out, we've prepared a list of the top 18 event ideas. These range from innovative concepts that break the pattern to tried-and-tested approaches known for their effectiveness in facilitating meaningful connections and driving business growth.

Read on to discover how you can inject fresh energy into your chamber's events and deliver exceptional value to your members.

Key Takeaways

• To avoid predictability and maintain member interest, chambers should explore a variety of event ideas, ranging from traditional seminars to seasonal festivals and sports events.
• Engaging with the local community and involving members in decision-making processes fosters a sense of belonging and strengthens chamber-community relationships.
• Celebrating member achievements and contributions not only boosts morale but also enhances the chamber's reputation and member satisfaction.
• Event management software like Glue Up offers comprehensive solutions for event marketing, analytics tracking, community engagement, and financial management, streamlining event execution and maximizing success.
• Glue Up provides essential features such as event website building, branded invitations, social media integrations, engagement analytics, mobile apps, and empowering chambers to deliver outstanding events that drive member satisfaction and engagement.

1. Help Businesses Recruit Top Talent with a Job Board on your Chamber Website

Businesses constantly seek talented professionals to fill their ranks. According to reports, job openings reached a record high of 12.0 million in 2022. While the demand for skilled individuals is immense, finding the right fit can often be a challenge, leading to less-than-ideal experiences for member businesses.

As a chamber, you have the opportunity to make a difference by assisting your members in recruiting top talent. One effective strategy is to establish a job board on your chamber website. Utilizing your extensive network and broader reach, you can transform this initiative into an online event like a job fair.

By facilitating the process of connecting businesses with potential employees, you not only showcase your value to the community but also enhance member attraction. Here's how you can make this job board easily accessible for everyone :

• Prominent Placement: Ensure the job board link or tab is prominently displayed on the chamber's website homepage for easy access.
• Clear Navigation: Make the job board section easy to navigate with clear categories and filters for job seekers to refine their search.
• Mobile Compatibility: Ensure the board is mobile-friendly, allowing job seekers to access it conveniently from their smartphones or tablets.
• Regular Updates: Keep it updated with the latest job postings to provide job seekers with current opportunities.
• Integration with Social Media: Share links to the job board on the chamber's social media channels to reach a wider audience of job seekers.
• Email Alerts: Offer job seekers the option to sign up for email alerts to receive notifications about new job postings matching their preferences.

2. Provide Training to Your Chamber Members and Their Staff

Another event idea to promote networking within your chamber is to provide training to your member businesses and their staff. This can be accomplished in several ways, including:

• Workshops and seminars
• Online courses and webinars
• Mentorship programs
• Peer-to-peer learning groups

In addition to these options, you can develop and add a learning management system (LMS) to your chamber. An LMS serves as a library of resources and provides access to various training materials and educational content for members to enhance their skills and knowledge base.

By offering diverse training opportunities and implementing an LMS, your chamber can empower members to grow professionally and build meaningful connections within the business community.

3. Promote Networking Among Members

Another idea that has been effective for ages is networking. Simply providing members with more networking opportunities can result in numerous benefits:

• Collaboration on promotions: Members can collaborate on joint promotional activities to reach a broader audience and amplify their marketing efforts.
• Sharing business learnings: Networking enables members to share their experiences, insights, and best practices, facilitating mutual learning and growth.
• Bouncing new ideas off like-minded people: Members can exchange ideas and brainstorm with peers who share similar interests and goals, fostering innovation and creativity.
• Tackling local business challenges together: Networking provides a platform for members to come together and address common challenges facing their businesses, leveraging collective expertise and resources for solutions.

Remember, if your members grow, you will eventually grow.

Hosting in-person conferences, trade shows, workshops, seminars, or in-person events over virtual events can greatly facilitate networking among members. According to the trade show exhibitor survey 2022, 95% of respondents prefer in-person events over virtual ones.

Therefore, arranging such events for your members can significantly enhance their networking opportunities and contribute to their business success.

4. Share Your Members’ Success Stories

We all appreciate the recognition, and so do the members.

Show your appreciation by sharing their success stories. This not only gives them a sense of recognition within the chamber but also encourages other members to strive for excellence.

Whether it's through a video, a social media post, or a meeting, take the time to celebrate and highlight the achievements of your members. By showcasing their accomplishments, you demonstrate that their chamber cares about their success and values their contributions to the community.

5. Webinars on the Latest Developments, Especially in Finance, Business and Technology

Another effective way to stay in touch with your members is to keep them informed about the latest updates, new technologies, regulations, and business insights. This can be achieved through various channels, such as webinars or conferences, aimed at providing members with valuable information on the latest trends and insights, particularly in the finance, business, and technology sectors.

By keeping your members well-informed, you empower them to make informed decisions and stay ahead of the curve in their respective industries.

6. Interviews With Young Entrepreneurs and Inviting Business Students to Attend It

Maintaining public relations and spreading your chamber's name within the local community is crucial for long-term success.

One effective strategy is to recognize individuals within the community, such as young entrepreneurs or aspiring business students, and provide them with a platform to share their insights and ideas.

This initiative offers several benefits:

• Connecting generations: Facilitating interactions between different generations promotes knowledge exchange and creates a supportive environment for aspiring entrepreneurs.
• Attracting young talent: Providing opportunities for young individuals to showcase their talents attracts new talent to the community and brings innovation.
• Expanding member network: Engaging with a diverse range of individuals expands the chamber members’ network and strengthens community connections.
• Strengthening member connections: Recognizing local success stories builds a sense of camaraderie among members and strengthens their connections with the chamber.
• Driving business growth: By showcasing local success stories, the chamber becomes a trusted resource for businesses and individuals alike, driving economic growth and prosperity in the community.

By highlighting local success stories, the chamber becomes a household name, staying ahead of trends and identifying potential partnerships with young and emerging businesses.

This proactive approach not only attracts new businesses but also solidifies the chamber's position as a leader in promoting economic development and entrepreneurship within the community.

7. Inviting Influencers to Deliver a Speech and Inviting Members to Attend It

Influencers wield significant influence within the community, particularly in the age of social media, where celebrities and social media influencers hold considerable power to attract large numbers of attendees to events.

Inviting influencers to your chamber events can be an innovative strategy to increase attendance and engagement.

By promoting these influencer partnerships within your member base and community, you can generate excitement and interest, encouraging more people to attend your events. This, in turn, leads to enhanced networking opportunities and increased business opportunities for all attendees.

Utilizing influencers' reach and impact can significantly amplify the success of your chamber events and strengthen your community connections.

8. Celebrate the Moment with Seasonal Promotions

Capitalize special occasions by celebrating with your members through seasonal promotions and events. Consider offering:

• Summer Season Outdoor Services: Highlight outdoor services or activities that are popular during the summer months.
• Springtime Cleaning Tips: Share tips and tricks for spring cleaning to help businesses freshen up their spaces.
• Holiday Buying Guides: Provide curated guides to help members and customers navigate holiday shopping.
• Seasonal Celebrations of Business Anniversaries and New Members: Recognize and celebrate milestones such as business anniversaries and new member additions to the chamber.
• Buy-One-Get-One Promotions Across Multiple Businesses: Collaborate with members to offer special promotions, such as buy-one-get-one deals, to incentivize customer engagement.

These celebrations can be promoted through various channels, including email campaigns, chamber newsletters, social media campaigns, and direct mail.

By engaging your members and the community in these seasonal festivities, you not only foster a sense of camaraderie but also drive business growth and engagement within the local economy.

9. Get Your Local Community in On the Action

Engage with the community by asking for their favorite local shops, both overall and among your chamber members.

Encourage community members to provide feedback and suggestions, promoting a sense of involvement and connection. Then, leverage this input to design a compelling social media campaign aimed at spreading the word about your member businesses within the community.

Use appropriate hashtags to amplify your message and reach a wider audience. By involving the community in this way, you not only promote local businesses but also demonstrate your chamber's commitment to supporting and showcasing the vibrant local economy.

10. Networking Breakfast, Lunch or Happy Hour

Food serves as a powerful catalyst for bringing people together, as everyone enjoys good food. Combining food with networking can be a groundbreaking initiative for your chamber.

Consider organizing various gatherings such as breakfasts, coffee meetups, lunches, or brunches, and invite speakers to engage with your members.

These events can include sponsorship presentations, ice-breaker activities, and educational talks, creating valuable opportunities for networking and collaboration within the chamber community. By providing delicious food and meaningful interactions, you can foster connections, inspire innovation, and drive growth for your members and their businesses.

11. Professional Development Workshop

Organize a professional development workshop tailored to meet the specific needs of your members.

Start by identifying the areas where your members require assistance, whether it's related to a specific skill or technology. You can gather this information by conducting a poll or survey directly among your members.

Once you've pinpointed the needs, follow these steps to arrange the workshop effectively:

1. Choose a Relevant Topic: Select a topic that aligns with the identified needs of your members and is relevant to their professional development goals.
2. Find Qualified Speakers or Facilitators: Secure knowledgeable and experienced speakers or facilitators who can effectively address the chosen topic and provide valuable insights to the event attendees.
3. Consider Format and Delivery: Determine the format and delivery method of the workshop, whether it's a traditional hands-on training session, seminar, or webinar.
4. Set Workshop Goals and Objectives: Define clear goals and objectives for the workshop to ensure that participants understand what they can expect to learn and achieve by attending.
5. Develop Engaging Content: Develop engaging and informative content for the workshop, including presentations, case studies, exercises, and interactive discussions, to keep participants actively involved and interested throughout the session.
6. Market and Promote the Workshop: Utilize various channels such as email marketing, social media marketing, website announcements, and direct communication to promote the workshop and encourage maximum participation among your members.

By following these steps and customizing the workshop to address the specific needs of your members, you can provide valuable professional development opportunities that empower them to enhance their skills, stay competitive in their fields, and achieve their career goals.

12. Speaker Series

Organize a speaker series featuring esteemed speakers with expertise in industry-related topics, such as business coaches, motivational speakers, and entrepreneurs. Invite speakers who have a strong command of their respective fields and can provide valuable insights and inspiration to your members.

Choose a designated week or a few days to host the series, allowing members to join and listen to their favorite speakers. During the series, participants will have the opportunity to learn from the journeys and experiences of these speakers, gaining valuable knowledge and insights that can benefit their own professional and personal development.

13. Seasonal Festival/Market

Seasonal festivals are not only fun to attend but also present excellent opportunities for businesses to maximize their revenue. Your chamber members may eagerly anticipate participating in festivals such as:

• Floating Lanterns Festival
• Oktoberfest
• Mardi Gras
• Harbin Ice Festival
• Art Basel
• Burning Man Festival

These festivals offer unique experiences and draw large crowds, providing businesses with a platform to showcase their products or services and increase customer engagement and sales. Encourage your members to capitalize on these festive occasions to boost their visibility, attract new customers, and drive business growth.

14. Auction

An auction can be an excellent way to generate engagement from both your members and the community. Consider organizing an auction where your members can showcase their products or services for a charitable cause or sale.

Encourage your members to contribute items or experiences to the auction and promote the event through various channels to ensure maximum participation. Not only does an auction provide an opportunity for members to gain exposure and generate sales, but it also allows them to give back to the community and make a positive impact.

15. Business Expo

Organize a business expo where members can showcase their products or services to a wide audience. Business expos and trade shows are immensely popular, with attendees eager to explore new products and stay informed about industry trends. In fact, statistics suggest that 92% of trade show attendees cite their main reason for attending as seeing new products and staying up-to-date with industry trends.

By hosting a business expo, you provide members with a valuable opportunity to showcase their offerings, connect with potential customers, and stay competitive in the market. Encourage members to participate and exhibit their products or services, and promote the expo to attract a diverse audience of attendees.

16. Annual Business Excellence Awards

Organize an annual awards ceremony at the end of the year to recognize and honor member businesses that have demonstrated exceptional performance throughout the year. Similarly, acknowledge other members for their contributions and efforts in various areas. Additionally, honor those individuals who have played a significant role in making the chamber a success.

The annual awards ceremony serves as a platform to celebrate the achievements and contributions of members, fostering a sense of pride and appreciation within the chamber community. By acknowledging outstanding performance, dedication, and contributions, you not only motivate members to strive for excellence but also strengthen relationships and camaraderie within the chamber.

17. Member Appreciation Day

Show your appreciation to your members who have been with you throughout your journey. Arrange a day, perhaps over coffee or sandwiches, and invite your members to stop by your office. Take this opportunity to express your gratitude for their continued support and dedication.

Let them know that you value their contributions and that you are committed to standing by them. A simple gesture of appreciation can go a long way in strengthening your relationship with your members and promoting a sense of belonging within the chamber community.

18. Sports Events Such as Race or Tennis Events

Consider hosting sports events as a highly engaging activity for your members and the community. From races to tennis matches, tug-of-war competitions, and even sports galas among your members, there are plenty of options to choose from. Sports events not only promote physical activity and healthy competition but also provide opportunities for members to bond and connect outside of traditional business settings.

Maximizing Event Success with Glue Up

Now that we’ve introduced event ideas to boost networking and business opportunities, it’s time to bring them to life with Glue Up’s event management solutions.

Here’s how Glue Up supports chambers of commerce in making standout events:

Event Marketing

• Event Website Builder: Create professional event pages with easy drag-and-drop templates.
• Branded Invitations: Reflect your chamber’s brand with impactful, custom invitations.
• Social Media Integration: Expand reach by promoting events on social platforms.
• Sponsor Promotion: Feature sponsors for increased event credibility.
• Email Campaigns: Launch targeted campaigns with customizable templates.
• Media Sharing: Share photos, videos, and more to engage audiences.

Analytics Tracking

• Live Engagement Analytics: Track attendee participation in real-time for engaging, responsive events.

Community Engagement

• Groups & 1-1 Chat: Build a community with dedicated forums and private messaging.

Surveys

• Event Feedback: Collect insights from attendees to improve future events.

Invoicing & Payments

• Streamlined Payments: Provide simple, invoiced transactions for attendees.

Speed Networking: Automated speed networking pairs attendees in a round-robin style, helping them exchange contacts quickly. Reports and ROI insights are available in real-time.

Mobile Apps Manage events on the go with Glue Up’s mobile apps, My Glue and Glue Up Manager.

Glue Up’s features help chambers run events like workshops and ceremonies seamlessly, from promotion to payments. Ready to elevate your events? Book a demo today to see Glue Up in action!