We work with our members, partners and investors to accomplish our mission-work. Together, we are the trusted source for growing our region's business, activating high-impact leaders, and building a strong community. Our mission-work builds a place where people want to visit, live, invest, work and play. That achieves prosperity for everybody. This issue reviews how each mission support division is accomplishing that mission-work through the halfway point of 2021.

Marketing Communications

Our Marketing Communications division’s work impacts the Rogers-Lowell Area, Chamber members and partners, and the business community. They deliver easily accessible and up-to-date information about local businesses and our community by sharing stories about the Chamber’s mission, accomplishments, strategic programs and major events. They also help to unify communications and messaging into “one voice” for our community.

2021 Goals

Goal #1: Unify Strategic Communications and Messaging into “One Voice” to the Community
Goal #2: Monetize Chamber’s Digital Advertising Assets to Generate Incremental Revenue
Goal #3: Advertise and Promote Chamber’s Mission Work, Results/Accomplishments, Strategic Programs, and Signature Events (Trade and Cash)
Goal #4: Grow Social Media and Interactions with Target Audiences (Customers, Members, Investors and Community)
Goal #5: Position Chamber as the “Voice of Business” and “Trusted Source” by Informing Target Audiences with timely and relevant and essential News, Information and Resources
Goal #6: Promote RogersLowell.com to Increase Traffic and Convert Visitors to New Members via the Online Application Form
Goal #7: Deliver in-house agency Design Expertise and Creative Production Services to support success of each Chamber’s division and save money for the Chamber
Stretch Goal #8: Develop a new In-Bound Marketing Program for Lead Generation

2021 Outcome Highlights (through May)

-Created strategic messaging for the Mission-5 (five key focus areas of the Chamber’s mission-work) and integrated it into the new Vision 100 Resources Campaign collateral communicating to investors what we do, why we do it, and what we have accomplished over the past five years for a return on investment.
-Total revenue to-date is $70,832.50, 90 percent to budget at mid-year.
-Achieved 5,027 combined YouTube and Facebook views for the 99th Annual Celebration of Business & Community online show in April.
-Launched the weekly Mission Minute video that highlights the Chamber’s programs and work; produced 16 editions that achieved 1,340 views.
-Produced and delivered on-time digital publications including the Annual Report, The Good Life Destination Guide, and monthly Chamber Voice of Business Newsletters.
-Distributed 12 press releases and followed up with media pitches resulting in Media Coverage (broadcast, print and online) for Economic Development Highlights, Annual Celebration of Business & Community, NWA Employment Showcase, grand opening of DTR Market, and Art on the Bricks Art Walk.
-To-date, the division has produced 224 hours of Art and Design Time worth $50,400 (RPV) and 146 hours of Video Production Time worth $29,200 (RPV).
-Updated Brand Book and digital assets for new programs and events.
-Audited Sales Collateral with Member Services and updated with new content.

Accounting & Finance

Our Accounting and Finance division prepares useful, relevant, and clear financial information and statements for the Chamber in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the U.S.  Working with both internal customers and external partners, they provide the right data to the right people at the right time to facilitate our organizational success. They also support the human resource needs of the organization.

2021 Goals

Goal #1: Provide Quality Financial Data; Understandable, Reliable, Relevant Financial Analysis and Reporting
Goal #2: Engage and convene our Finance Support Teams: Audit Committee and the 401(k)Trustee Committee, Facilitating Fiscal Oversight, Monitoring, and Accounting & Finance Guidance
Goal #3: Manage Human Resource Health and Wellness Benefits for a Growing Staff of 45

2021 Outcome Highlights (through May)

-The auditor’s report reflects a “clean, unqualified opinion of the financial statements. The data is fairly presented in all material respects.” John Evan, Landmark PLC.
-Audit Committee will meet with our auditors twice each year, before and after the annual Chamber audit.
-Pre-audit meeting held, February 24th and the post-audit meeting on May 20th.
-We provided auditors with accurate complete information detailing all Chamber finance activities. Auditors had “no findings” to disclose in the management letter.
-401(k) Trustee Committee meeting held May 21st.
-Our investment plan has 100% participation. Our team maintains ongoing monitoring of individual participant portfolio activity and performance, as well as review and evaluation of the Plan portfolio. The annual Form 5500 has been filed and is in review.
-Liaise between employees and providers to facilitate delivery of services.
-Review and document individual deductions, ensuring accuracy.
-We have hired six (6) and terminated three (3). We have provided the monthly Healthy People Newsletter, from OneDigital.

Member Services

Membership in the Chamber is a direct investment in the work we do to grow business and build community. Our Member Services division helps you understand how to connect, invest and grow with us. Whether you are a community partner, member, or both, we provide “over-the-top” customer service by offering valuable information, services and programs to deliver value and return on your investment with the Chamber.

2021 Goals

Goal #1: Provide Five-Star Customer Service to Customers, Members and Investors
Goal #2: Provide Value-Added Member Benefits
Goal #3: Increase Annual Investment Revenue
Goal #4: Utilize Digital Tools for Data-Driven Efforts

2021 Outcome Highlights (through May)

-Staff has continued to connect with our members to educate them on value of their membership and services relevant to their business segment. Member Services staff has personally visited with 76 new members about member benefits and the use of our member portal.
-Financially in 2021, we have seen an increase of program sponsorship dollars. The Annual Celebration netted over $20,000 in revenue over planned and saw an increase of over $33,000 from the year 2020.
-We presented a program that was relevant to our members and put a strong emphasis on the Chamber’s mission-work. The Annual Celebration has been viewed online by over 5,000 people, providing our sponsors more recognition and educating our members of the work we do.
-We debuted the Spotlight Series in May with positive results for this new quarterly seminar series. The concept of putting the right people together at the right time to concentrate on relevant subjects worked as we had a large diverse crowd of businesses learn more about the current and future plans for economic development in Rogers and Lowell. Sponsorships flourished and when sponsors were surveyed, the responses were overwhelmingly positive and full of praise for bringing new concepts to the table.
-Member Services continues to educate our various audiences about the mission-work of the Chamber. We work to engage new members in sponsorship and advertising opportunities to help promote their business while creating revenue for the Chamber. As we visit with members about the Vision 100 campaign, we encourage them to invest in the work the Chamber does.
-We are connecting with businesses to request they invest for the first time in our campaign, encourage current investors to increase their financial support, and urge key members to pledge to increase their annual dues investment in perpetuity. Additionally, we are closely monitoring members who have not yet renewed their membership, to decrease our accounts receivable.

Customer Service

Our Customer Service division has a reputation of delivering excellent customer service to external and internal customers. They ensure cohesion within the Chamber and Community through effective communications, processes and procedures. In addition to supporting the Chamber’s goals, they help our visitors, members, new residents and board members get information they need to know.

2021 Goals

Goal #1: Provide “Over the Top” Customer Service to our Visitors, Residents, Members and Staff
Goal #2: Provide “Over the Top” Customer Service to our Campaign Donors/Investors
Goal #3: Provide “Over the Top” Customer Service on behalf of the Rogers Development Foundation to our Students and Donors
Goal #4: Provide “Over the Top” Customer Service on behalf of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Accreditation

2021 Outcome Highlights (through May)

-Phone Calls 1,665, Visitors 624, Team Meetings 25, Visitor Guides 406, Event Registrations 343, Community Events Added to Calendar 45.
-Kept lobby and meeting rooms cleaned, organized and disinfected, completed all task given to department from other departments, DCR totals collected >$472,000
-Revamped communication process for Vision 100 and delivered thank you letters and receipts to campaign donors in timely manner.
-Collected required paperwork from students and sent funds to schools in timely manner, worked with Rogers Public Schools and provided requested reports, communicated with students as needed to make sure all funds were distributed in timely manner. Distributing $176,549.14 for the Fall Semester and $178,754.40 for the Spring Semester.
-Worked with Dana Mather on needed information for reaccreditation and communicated with staff on what was needed from each department. Sent email reminders of deadlines to staff and reminded staff in meetings about deadlines.

View the full version of each division's report HERE.

2021 Strategic Goals | Program of Work