Leaders of LGBT chambers of commerce throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region came together at a recent National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) Council of Chambers and Business Organizations (CCBO) Summit to share ideas and best practices, and left inspired.
The Independence Business Alliance (IBA), the NGLCC affiliate for the Philadelphia metropolitan area, hosted the regional NGLCC CCBO Summit in Philadelphia April 29 to May 1.
"We got together to discuss strategies for best practices and for moving our chambers from where we are today to the next level," said Mark Guenther, executive director of NGLCC's Washington D.C.-area affiliate chamber, Capital Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CAGLCC). "We had a peer-to-peer think tank to see who was succeeding in their methods. I took away a lot and learned how the other chambers operate."
Although the chamber members generally had heard of each other, most had not formally met or been introduced to the missions and objectives of their fellow chambers. Guenther said one of his takeaways from the even was how similar the chambers are, especially with mission statements and the operation of their organizations.
"This was such an affirmative experience for everybody," Guenther said. "Everybody walked away feeling better about their chamber and more energized and feeling like we're not doing this alone."
Meeting one another was one aspect of the summit that Bill Gehrman, president of IBA, said the participants were particularly thrilled about.
"I think that while the summit was a successful two days, what might have been the most important thing to come out of it was just the camaraderie and networking—people were really thrilled to meet their counterparts," Gehrman said. "It lays the groundwork for continued sharing of ideas year-round."
"Ambitious summits like this one will guarantee the continued growth of local chambers as board members and chamber executives strengthen their skills while learning new strategies," said Kate Karasmeighan, the NGLCC's chief of staff and director of affiliate relations. "We always see great results when chamber leaders come together to network and share information."
In addition to board members from IBA and the CAGLCC, other attendees came from Greater Boston Business Council, Connecticut Alliance for Business Opportunities, Central Pennsylvania Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Hampton Roads Business OutReach. NGLCC also had board members representing them at the summit.
After the success of the summit, Karasmeighan said she is looking forward to welcoming all attendees to Washington for the 2010 NGLCC National Business and Leadership Conference in November.
