We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You!
As the year comes to a close, it’s always a good time to reflect on the progress that each of our organizations have made.
One of the biggest things that has always impressed me about our members, is how you are all committed to the concept of helping each other succeed. When you meet a new member, or “future member” at a Chamber event, rather than just being focused on making a sale, you first see how you can help your fellow Chamber members. So many of you have learned that taking the time to build that long-term trusted partner relationship pays off.
As many of you know, that’s the philosophy we use here at the Chamber, and we’ve made great strides this year.
Truly we could not have done it without the support of our members and our partnership with the City of Leawood.
From an operations perspective, nearly 25% more businesses joined the Leawood Chamber than in 2018, and membership retention is up by 2% over the same period.
This year’s A Taste of Leawood, the Chamber’s largest fundraising event, netted 5.2% more than 2018. Overall, event overall net event revenue was up 2.7% over 2018. Why is this important to you as a member? The more we can net from non-dues sources, the better able we are to minimize our membership dues increases. In fact, for our small business members, we have not had a dues increase in over 3 years.
In order to offer more options for our members who may not be able to attend luncheon meetings, in 2019 we introduced breakfast meetings that include a keynote speaker. We plan to build on those even more in 2020, as well as other exciting new programming opportunities.
We also enjoyed holding many of our events this year at The Venue, right here in Leawood. Our luncheon featuring Tamara Day, Leawood resident and star of the HGTV show “Bargain Mansions”, was a huge hit. Thank you to Julian and his team for providing such great food and service.
Our involvement in Economic Development increased significantly in 2019, and we’re looking forward to several projects finishing up in early 2020, including the opening of Leawood’s 2nd hotel, The Element, in the 135th Street corridor. New businesses also brought hundreds of jobs to Leawood in 2019, and we look forward to helping that number continue to grow. Look for continued activity on 135th, including additional office space and new types of residential projects coming forward.
Customers are the key to success in every business, and the Chamber is no different. You, as our customers, are the key to this organization’s success. We rely on you to tell us what you need to support the success of your business, and trust in the coming year you won’t hesitate to reach out to any of us on staff, or any member of the Board.
Happy New Year to each and every one of you. See you next year!
Kevin Jeffries
President & CEO