Consistent with our Vision- "Develop our country's most effective chamber leaders" and Mission- "Provide resources that maximize chamber leadership to create a strong business climate for our communities", we provide our members with a variety of conferences, workshops and seminars to meet the need for continued professional growth.

(For current information & updates, click on the event names below.)

Winter Conference:  This two-day conference, usually held in mid-February, features top notch speakers, a variety of nuts-and-bolts management sessions in breakout groups, product & service exhibits, plus great networking opportunities with your peers.
Annual Meeting:  Held in conjunction with the Winter Conference, this is when we celebrate the achievements of the past year, unveil the plans for the coming year, and honor those of our peers who have distinguished themselves in our profession.

Summer Networking Conference:  Held in 2nd or 3rd week in July, this laid-back event gives you the opportunity to do some serious networking with your peers and colleagues from around the state in a relaxed no-pressure environment.  This is also a great opportunity to discover valuable products & services provided by the conference sponsor.  Learn from others – and share with others – about successes in member-investor recruitment & retention, new revenue ideas that work, branding & marketing your chamber, software & technology issues, and much more!

Board Leadership Symposiums are held at 5-6 different locations around the state between late October-early December.  Through presentations & discussion groups, the focus of these half-day afternoon sessions is to maximize your chamber’s effectiveness & relevancy by strengthening the skills & commitment of your chamber’s governance team (board of directors).

Staff Development Workshops:  These popular half-day morning workshops for chamber staff of all levels focus on the “nuts-‘n-bolts” of chamber operations to help the participants gain new insights, knowledge & practical take-home ideas.  These regional workshops are held at the same dates & locations as the Board Leadership Symposiums.

Institute of Organization Management (IOM) is a four-year chamber management course sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at various universities and colleges around the country. It consists of four one-week sessions. Most participants choose to attend one session per year over a four-year period at a consistent location. The U.S. Chamber provides some scholarships to help offset the cost to attend. Institute graduates earn the "IOM" distinction which often opens new doors for professional advancement.  For enrollment deadlines and other details, click on the link above.  2008 Institute Schedule:
     Midwest  --  June 8-12, 2008  --  Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
     Southeast --  June 22-26, 2008 --  Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA
     West  --  July 13-17, 2008  --  Loyola Marymount Univ., Los Angeles, CA
     Northeast  --  July 27-31, 2008  --  Villanova Univ., Villanova, PA
     Winter  --  Jan. 4-8, 2009  --  Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ