Wednesday, Dec. 07, 2011

Garner Chamber readies for membership drive

While many chambers of commerce struggle through their annual membership drive, the Garner Chamber of Commerce will host a membership event like no other.

For two and a half days, more than 100 volunteers will work against the clock and against each other to sign up new chamber members while creating greater community awareness of the important role of the Garner Chamber of Commerce.

On Nov. 28, more than 50 chamber board members, business leaders and elected leaders gathered to learn details of the upcoming campaign and start recruiting others for the three-day event.

Participants were a little surprised when event organizer Jimmy Cusano, dressed in a zoot suit, greeted each with a "high five."

Cusano is with a group called Your Chamber Connection. Its specialty is high-energy membership campaigns that allow volunteers to conduct "out of the box" membership fun while building the membership base.

"It's about business," he said. "The chamber of commerce is the business community.

"This project brings everyone together to build our chamber. It's a membership-based organization coming together in a competitive, fun setting to tell the chamber story. When others hear about everything the chamber does, all of a sudden you have a great deal of enthusiasm for the chamber and a great deal of support."

The Garner Chamber of Commerce membership event will start Dec. 13 and conclude Dec. 15. For more information on how you can be involved, call the chamber at 772-6440.