San Luis Obispo Business
December, 1999

Chamber hits membership milestone

Mark McGuire did it with home runs. "Titanic" did it with Academy Awards. This month the Chamber did it with members. Chamber membership hit an all time high 1,310 members this month—a new record of epic proportions.

"Times are good," said Chamber President/CEO Dave Garth. "I think this new record is an indication that the economy is good and our members are reaping success because of it. Hopefully we've had a hand in that success."

According to statistics gathered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the average number of members for chambers in communities about the same size as San Luis Obispo is just 514. Even the top ten chambers come in below the San Luis Chamber, as their average number of members is 978—significantly less than the San Luis Obispo Chamber. So what accounts for the San Luis Obispo Chamber's overwhelming success? "One of the reasons the San Luis Obispo Chamber is so successful is because they're not afraid of change," explained Dave Kilby, President of the Western Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. "They're constantly reinventing themselves and constantly looking at ways to do better. And, at the same time they really make a conscious effort to meet the needs of their members."

According to Garth, members are the lifeblood of the Chamber. While only 25% of the Chamber's income comes from dues, 90% comes from members—via dues, advertising, promotions and special programs.

"We've tried to keep the dues at a reasonably low level over the years," said Garth. "That allows us to have a bigger membership base and, in turn, a stronger political voice." As the number of San Luis Obispo Chamber members grows, so does its budget.

Last year, the Chamber set another record with its biggest budget ever—$941,648. That figure is even more impressive when comparing it to the budgets of other chambers in the area and chambers across the country. Budgets for the Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and Monterey Chambers are considerably less. And again, the Chamber comes in well above the national average as well.

The Chamber's Membership Operations Division plays an active role in building the Chamber's membership by working to retain those members already on board. "There will always be enterprises that come and go, but the real secret to the growth of the San Luis Obispo Chamber is its ability to retain long-time members by providing fresh value each year," said Jeanne Potter, Vice-Chair of the Membership Operations Division.

Now that the Chamber has set a new membership record and is enjoying the benefits of being one of the biggest and most influential chambers in the country, what's next? "We don't want to get too caught up in patting ourselves on the back because we can always do better," commented Garth. "Ultimately what really counts is how well we serve our individual members. That will always be our focus."

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