CHAMBER'S TOP 11 ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2020

We're not big on bragging, but this has been a particularly crazy year, and I guess we're kind of proud of our accomplishments. We know how hard it has been for many and we know how fortunate we are to even be working. To be honest, that's what keeps us going - knowing we can be of help. So, without further ado, here are our top 11 accomplishments for 2020.

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1 WE REVISED OUR MISSION STATEMENT
The Chamber is committed to racial equity and inclusion. We are not just against racism, but are working on being actively anti racist and promoting anti racist policies.
We believed that our old mission statement - Making the South Sound the Best Place to do Business in Washington State - included this, but have come to realize we needed to be more direct and intentional. Our revised mission statement is Making the South Sound the Most Equitable and Inclusive Place to do Business in Washington State.
We are seeking outside sources to learn, listen, and help us understand our blind spots internally. We are embracing discussions of racial equity. And we are creating programming that furthers the cause of equity and inclusion. We understand that it can be difficult and uncomfortable, but everybody at the chamber is committed to the this hard work. 
Open Letter Against Systemic Racism 
Washington Employers for Racial Equity

2 WE STARTED THE BUSINESS INFO SERIES BROADCASTS
When the pandemic began, businesses were scrambling to find information on what was going on and how to get help. We started the Business Info Series broadcast to fill that need. Since it's inaugural episode on March 16, we have held 77 broadcasts averaging about 200 attendees per episode with our largest audience of more than 800.
Our presenters have included: US Representatives, the House Speaker, State Reps, Mayors, US Chamber VPs, Port Commissioners, JBLM, Financial Experts, Local Businesses, and more. We have received and answered hundreds of questions from the business community, strengthened community partnerships, and helped hundreds of people and businesses get the information and help they need.
FIND OUT WHAT'S NEXT AND LISTEN TO PAST EPISODES

3 WE CREATED THE RAPID RESPONSE SOUTH SOUND WEBSITE
Once we started the Business Info Series, we found we had many questions that we didn't have time for during the broadcast. Rapid Response South Sound allowed us to amass important information about the pandemic response in one place and make it easy to find. Included on the site was an opportunity to ask a question and have an actual expert on the subject get back to you with answers. Just another way the Chamber is helping businesses get relief.
GO TO WEBSITE

4 SPACEWORKS AND THE DOWNTOWN TACOMA PARTNERSHIP IMPLEMENTED THE RAPID MURALS PROGRAM
In response to boarded-up businesses in Tacoma during COVID-19, Spaceworks and the DTP has partnered with local organizations and businesses to create a rapid mural program. These temporary murals, painted directly onto installed plywood panels, serve to 1) support local businesses, 2) reduce crime and unwanted graffiti, 3) provide income for local artists, and 4) offer civic hope and positive messaging.
LEARN MORE

5 WE EMBARKED ON A CONSUMER CONFIDENCE CAMPAIGN
With restrictions placed on businesses' ability to open and the understandable fear that customers might have of visiting shops, businesses were having trouble staying afloat. We wanted to let people know that businesses were taking safety precautions seriously, it can be relatively safe to shop, businesses truly appreciate the support our community, and that we can get through this together. To get this message out, we created a video with a song written specifically for us, reinforcing community spirit and bolstering consumer confidence. Our campaign reached more than a quarter million people. 
SEE VIDEO

6 WE COLLABORATED ON RESTAURANT RALLY
The food industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Pierce County wanted to get CARES act dollars in the hands of hurting restaurants. In collaboration with the County, Washington Hospitality Association, and Travel Tacoma Mt. Rainier Tourism and Sport, we created Restaurant Rally, a two-week effort which gave customers 30% off their meals and participating restaurants 100% back on their total sales. Ads, posters, stickers, videos, and a temporary website were quickly created to spread the word. It was a win-win for everybody. And local restaurants received over $7.5 million in aid. 
READ ARTICLE

7 WE CREATED THE SOUTH SOUND GIFT GUIDE
With the Holidays coming up, we thought we could give a boost to local shops by encouraging people to shop local by highlighting the many gift possibilities available right here in the South Sound. We originally envisioned a simple video campaign, but that quickly morphed into a full fledged website that helps shoppers find what they're looking for while shopping safely from home.
GO TO WEB SITE - SHOP LOCAL

8 THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL GOT A NEW DIRECTOR
It may seem like Frank Boykin has been with the MIC forever, But that's really just an indication of the kind of person Frank is. He's not just experienced, dedicated, and hard working. He's also thoughtful, thought provoking, interesting, funny, community-focused, and welcoming, and has the comfortable demeanor of someone who has been around for a long time. Truth is, he just started in March - What a time to start a new job! But Frank didn't miss a beat. Since then he has been a tireless advocate for our manufacturing and industrial businesses in the tideflats and throughout the South Sound.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MIC
CONTACT FRANK

9 WE HELD A VIRTUAL SOUTH SOUND SUMMIT
In order to offer the South Sound Summit this year, we had to completely rethink it. It, of course, couldn't be in-person, but we wanted to make sure it still had value for the attendees, the vendors, and the sponsors. And it worked. Our sponsors were seen by the over 400 attendees. Our vendors were able to make personal connections with potential clients and customers. And we were able to offer valuable content over four days including multiple panel discussions covering subjects from marketing, to sports, to equity and inclusion. We ended with an important keynote by Robin DiAngelo, author of the best selling book, White Fragility. 
SEE AGENDA

10 THE DOWNTOWN TACOMA PARTNERSHIP ORGANIZED THE 2020 HOLIDAY HAUL CRAWL
Last year's Holiday Haul Crawl was a great success. Public spaces were activated, downtown business had record sales, and the holiday spirit was palpable. This year's, like many other events, had to be reimagined. And even with pandemic restrictions, this year's Haul Crawl, also was a great success. Each day for 12 days downtown stores offered specials, a dedicated Shop Downtown Tacoma website was created, an elf made its way from shelf to shelf, a social distanced Santa made an appearance, the downtown snow globe reappeared for pictures, and pandemic style horse drawn sleigh rides were offered. It was clear that even this pandemic couldn't kick the community spirit out of Tacoma. 
SHOP DOWNTOWN TACOMA

11 THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TACOMA (WTCT) EXPANDED ITS REACH
Although the pandemic has created obstacles for international trade, WTCT, (another program managed by the Chamber) was able to use the new found reliance on Zoom to its advantage. Usually, WTCT is happy if people from Olympia or Everett join its international trade seminars. During the past few months, however, WTCT has been able to host webinars reaching 16 countries while simultaneously translating for many of them. One of them successfully introduced the NW Seaport Alliance to a few dozen Vietnamese logistics firms - connections that prove invaluable over time and strengthen our local economy.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WTCT

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