Local News
Steinbach Chamber celebrates growth and accreditation at national conferences
It has been a busy few weeks for Steinbach Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tessa Masi, who recently returned from two national conferences where the local chamber was both recognized and featured. National recognition for growth and excellence Masi first attended the Chambers of Commerce Executives of Canada Conference in Mississauga, Ontario, joining over 100 executive directors and general managers from across the country. “The Steinbach Chamber was actually asked to give a presentation at this conference at the national level, which was pretty exciting,” said Masi. “Most likely because we were named the second fastest growing chamber in Canada in the medium and large category.” She says the presentation focused on member retention, recruitment, and some of the unique events that have contributed to the Chamber’s success. “One of the questions was, what is Burger Days? And I didn’t know that there were other areas that hadn’t explored that opportunity yet,” said Masi. “I was very happy to talk about how we highlight local restaurants, how we bring in over $150,000 in revenue and burgers in ten days. It was incredible.” Steinbach’s growth and stability stand out While other chambers across the country struggle with membership turnover, Masi says Steinbach’s business community is notably steady. “In Steinbach, we have a very stable business community. When businesses find us and they’re a good fit, they generally are not leaving. Our retention rate is very, very high,” she said. She explained that recruitment happens naturally, with new members joining after seeing the value of networking opportunities, mixers, and advocacy work. “We’re sitting at just over 520 members and are really, really pleased with that because in a small community, I think we’re punching above our weight class here.” Accreditation marks a milestone for the Chamber The second conference Masi attended was the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting, where policy debate and national collaboration take centre stage. She says one of the highlights was recognition for chambers that have earned national accreditation, a milestone Steinbach achieved this year. “The Steinbach Chamber has joined that group of accredited chambers for the first time,” said Masi. “It shows that we’re striving for excellence and that we’re hitting those targets of being managed well.” To become accredited, chambers must demonstrate strength in nine key areas of governance and operations. “For our members, they can be really assured that we’re doing great and that our practices are good,” Masi explained. She also shared a moment of pride when she discovered a local image featured in the Canadian Chamber’s 100-year celebration video. “One of our photos is featured in that video. It was actually our Chamber Challenge, which is our young entrepreneurs event. I recognized it instantly,” she said. “How exciting to be something that’s being discussed at the national level.” Looking ahead to the Business Excellence Awards Back in Steinbach, Masi says the focus is now shifting toward one of the Chamber’s biggest annual events. “The Business Excellence Awards are less than a month away,” she said. “November 13th, we’re getting together and celebrating businesses that are winning awards for being incredible in a whole bunch of different categories.” This year’s event will include a longer networking mixer, remarks from Mayor Earl Funk, and recognition for outstanding local businesses. “We’re adding a fun component this year, which I’m excited about,” said Masi. “It’s going to be great... come to the event, have a glass of wine and some appetizers, mingle with your friends, and cheer for businesses that really deserve to be recognized.”