Throughout my 21 years as a chamber executive, there was one analogy I used over and over with our members:
The chamber is a bus—but it’s up to the members to drive it.
Every business owner has a bus. It’s their company, their employees, their customers, and ultimately their future. Chambers work hard to create member benefits, resources, and opportunities—including networking, business education, advocacy, leadership development, and more.
But resources alone don’t create results. They only become valuable when members recognize the opportunity and choose to use them.
I’ve seen chambers create incredible programs with great intentions, yet participation was limited. Was the program the problem? Usually not.
Sometimes members don’t know the resource exists. Sometimes they don’t see how it applies to their business. And sometimes they are simply too busy running their business to take advantage of the opportunities available.
That’s why member engagement is so important. Most chambers don’t have a value problem—they have a value activation problem. Chambers work hard to create member benefits, resources, and opportunities. The challenge is helping members discover those benefits, understand how they can support their goals, and make it easy for them to take action.
Every conversation, newsletter, event invitation, and personal connection is an opportunity to remind members why they joined and how the chamber can help them succeed.
The best chambers don’t just create programs—they create participation. They don’t measure success by how many resources they offer, but by how many members use those resources to grow their businesses.
As chamber professionals, we can provide the route, the fuel, and the map. But the member still has to decide to start the engine and drive the bus.
That’s when true return on investment happens—not because the chamber offered another program, but because a member chose to use the resources available to help move their business forward.
Sara’s Challenge: This month, reach out to one member who isn’t actively engaged. Ask what they’re working to accomplish this year, then connect them with one chamber resource that can help them get there. Sometimes all a member needs is someone to point them toward the driver’s seat.
About the Author
Sara Ritter is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management (IOM) and the Economic Development Institute (EDI). She is a former Chamber President with more than 20 years of experience in chamber leadership, economic development, and business engagement.