The Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce, based out of St. Johnsbury, has more than 440 members throughout the tri-county region known as the Northeast Kingdom - the counties of Caledonia, Essex and Orleans.
The Northeast Kingdom Chamber is the largest and only full-service chamber in the region, handling travel promotion, community/economic development, legislative/governmental relations, business training and promotion of regional projects.
REFERRALS
The NEK Chamber handles an estimated 40,000 phone, mail, relocation/business relocation and Welcome Center inquiries per year. These inquiries result from strong and aggressive advertising, brochure production and distribution efforts, Welcome Center services; and coordination with other chambers of commerce and business associations. The chamber also sends out hundreds of relocation packets each year, complete with membership directory. This information is given to persons moving into the Northeast Kingdom and sends specific information to prospective customers and clients of chamber members.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
The Northeast Kingdom Chamber publishes an annual 80-page directory of chamber members that is distributed each year to members and to individuals, both locally and in response to requests coming from all over the nation. Members get a free listing in the directory and the opportunity to advertise in the publication at low cost. Members can obtain labels of the chamber membership for a nominal cost.
THE REGION'S MOST EXTENSIVE WEB SITE
Membership dues entitle member businesses to a free listing on the Northeast Kingdom Chamber web site, free 50-word description, free picture and free web-site and e-mail linkss on the Northeast Kingdom Chamber web site, the most extensive web site in the region. The web site includes tourism, relocation, business relocation, chamber member information, community profiles, general regional and business information, and a regional calendar of events. The site is the region’s best web resource guide for business and tourism inquiries. Chamber members may link from the chamber site to their own site. The web address is www.nekchamber.com. Chamber members are also given the opportunity to have a web page for their business on the chamber site for a reasonable cost. The web site is averaging about 3,000 visits per month ... and growing. Chamber members may also choose to promote their business through a reasonably priced banner ad on the chamber's web site.
ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
The newsletter features items of interest about chamber programs, new members, upcoming events and is distributed to 500 businesspeople within the region. Chamber members can submit materials to the newsletter free. Newsletters are e-mailed to members about two times a month, and members are encouraged to send in submissions for news items. This is a great way to promote your business to the greater chamber membership at no cost
PUBLICATIONS
The Northeast Kingdom Chamber prints and distributes more than 100,000 brochures per year. The chamber believes it should aggressively promote its own members and region through its brochures and web site. The chamber believes membership in the Northeast Kingdom Chamber and its initiatives and the additional association with the Northeast Kingdom Travel & Tourism Association makes a great one-two marketing/promotional punch for members.
NEK Chamber publications include:
Tourism & Services Brochure - Between 50,000 and 60,000 printed each year. Distributed to all rest areas, all tourism/relocation inquiries, co-op advertising efforts, mailings and travel & trade shows, etc.
Bed & Breakfast Brochure - More than 25,000 printed each year. Distributed to all rest areas, all tourism/relocation inquiries, co-op advertising efforts, mailings and travel & trade shows, etc. One of the only B&B brochures in the state.
Snowmobile Map for Kingdom - More than 5,000 printed each year. Distributed to shows, inquiries and all advertisers and outlets throughout the region. The only snowmobile map for the entire tri-county region.
Regional Map - More than 20,000 printed. A tear-off, two-sided map of the Kingdom distributed at all rest areas within the state and Kingdom outlets. Back side of map includes advertisers who are helping to subsidize the cost of map by their ads.
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
The Northeast Kingdom Chamber sponsors and organizes a number of events throughout the year including:
Annual Meeting - Held in late January. About 225 to 250 members attend.
Monthly Legislative Breakfasts and Chamber Briefings.
St. Johnsbury Fall Foliage Festival - Upwards to 2,000 to 3,000 people take part in the festivities.
Business Celebration - An event held to celebrate our member business accomplishments. About 250 people attend each year.
Super Raffle - The chamber’s biggest fund-raiser, held in July, with more than $5,000 raised for the chamber in one night.
Citizen of the Year - Celebrates the good deeds of local citizen.
And many other events and activities.
SEMINARS AND WORKFORCE TRAINING
Classes and training is done in conjunction with area business and professional people, as well as guest experts on subjects of interest to our members.
SAVING MONEY, PURCHASING POWER
Additional benefits include:
Health Insurance Plan with one of the nation's largest insurance companies, CIGNA.
Low-Cost Elective Insurance Plan with one of the nation’s largest such insurance companies, Worksite Solutions/AON Insurance (one of only five chambers in the state to offer the plan).
Low-Cost Long-Term Care Plan, providing nursing home/assisted care help for employers and employees.
Low-Cost Long Distance and Local-Service Telephone Services with the Connect One Plan (one of the only chambers in the state to offer this plan).
Chamber bulk-mail permit number for bulk mailings, which saves members money.
Certificate of Origination Verification Services, for members wishing to ship items or products out of the country.
Networking possibilities at chamber mixers and our many events.
Low-Cost Advertising co-op possibilities in chamber publications and co-op ads.
Membership Labels at a nominal cost.
NEK Chamber Member Discounts and membership discounts to those bringing in new memberships.
Grant-support Letters, for those seeking alternative funding.
Advocacy on issues that affect our region.
MISSION STATEMENT OF THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM The Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce consists of businesses, professional firms and individuals from Northeastern Vermont. The chamber initiates and supports efforts to increase the prosperity of our regional economy while preserving the distinctive quality of the Kingdom and its people.
CONTACT:
Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce
51 Depot Square-Ste. 3
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
(802) 748-3678,
fax: 802-748-0731,
www.nekchamber.com
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