Summer – Celebrations and Conventions

Wow. Last weekend’s Minnesota Yacht Club Festival was a fabulous success! I heard someone describe it as a cross between Woodstock and the State Fair.  And by the looks of it, all over social media, the description was accurate. In case you don’t realize, Saint Paul’s Parks Department deserves a major shout-out. According to 5 Eyewitness News (if you hadn’t seen it for yourself!) the entire area was completely under water just a week prior and they had to do some serious clean-up to be ready. Congratulations, Saint Paul!

While you all were celebrating, I was at the national ACCE convention in Dallas, learning more about how to serve this region. The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) is our national association. I recently was voted in as a Board member, and am honored to serve with other chamber executives who lead the nation’s largest – and even smallest! – chambers. Lots to share!
 
Regarding the Association of ACCE convention -  this was my first convention and I was beyond impressed. I learned more about leadership, programming, chamber challenges nationally. I also saw some friends – including the Minnesota Chamber, Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber, and Greater Des Moines Partnership.  ​

Of special interest was our learning about ACCE’s plan to update the Horizon 2025 Initiative. This report originally was published in 2017, and laid out trends shaping the future of the chamber industry. I discovered this report and ACCE itself soon after arriving at our Chamber, and it has guided much of our progress. Into 2025, this report will be updated. I am so encouraged to spend time with other chamber leaders who face similar challenges to those in our region. The trends ahead?  Digital transformation; political and social polarization; changing expectations of chambers; business model disruption; demographic shifts; balancing technological innovation and responsibility; upskilling at the speed of business; diverse and inclusive economic growth; leadership churn; and the expanding role of chambers as “unifiers.”

More to come on all of this, but know we remain hard at work to continually improve on your behalf!

See you in the trenches,
 
​B