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Chamber 101

What is a chamber... and what is the Midstate Chamber of Commerce?

We are the connector in the community. We refer businesses to other businesses, entrepreneurs to funding partners, students to industry leaders, and elected officials to the public, to name a few. Heck, we even had a wedding in our office a few months ago! We partner to host job fairs, seminars, and business expos while helping to extend the reach of your marketing efforts in the community through our targeted digital/print campaigns. 

Our four action cornerstones guide our work:

Advocate Educate Promote Connect
 
How do we ADVOCATE for our members?

The Midstate Chamber of Commerce takes a proactive leadership role in improving the communities we serve. This requires vision and action through leadership. We engage our membership in economic, workforce, and business development projects.

Some examples of our Advocacy Initiatives:

How do we provide resources and opportunities to EDUCATE our community?

We strive to connect businesses with the resources for support at every stage of development. We raise funds throughout the year to award high school seniors to go on to pursue college and support workforce initiatives to help employees advance in their careers.

We provide resources to educate our members and provide connections between educators and the community, whether it be in schools, the adult ed population, or in the workforce.

In the past, we've actively hosted events and organized programs including:

  • Cradle to Career initiatives and support
  • Pitch contests
  • Ongoing partnership with MEDCO and the City of Meriden Economic Development assisting with grant initiatives
  • Workshops and seminar series
  • Sanford S. Shorr, HOLA, and YBLCT Education awards
  • School-to-business partnerships and mentoring programs
  • Health and Wellness Council initiatives, including monthly walks and health fairs
How do we partner with businesses to PROMOTE their goods and services?

We've cultivated our audience for over 125 years: we share that resource with your business!

Our digital/print campaigns supplement and extend your marketing dollars and you gain greater market exposure through our active online presence.

Basic marketing membership benefits include:

  • One hyperlinked business category listing in our membership directory (on our website and in InSight magazine)
  • Member spotlights to highlight your business, announce organizational changes, celebrate anniversaries, etc.
  • Opportunities to list your news, events, employment opportunities, and member-to-member deals

For an additional cost, you gain access to:

  • Additional business classification listings in our membership directory
  • Advertising opportunities in our annual four-color InSight magazine 
  • Web banner digital advertising
  • Opportunities to sponsor and exhibit at business expos throughout the year, including participation in the Daffodil Festival
  • Advertising opportunities to be included in our monthly mailing to chamber members
  • Opportunity to host a networking event at your location to showcase your business to the Chamber community
  • Sponsorship opportunities at our annual golf tournament, which directly raises funds to support Chamber programs, including the Sanford S. Shorr Education awards
  • A special opportunity to extend your marketing reach even further by joining the Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce at a discounted rate through the Nutmeg Chamber Alliance
How do we provide leadership opportunities to CONNECT and support our members?

We offer our members numerous networking opportunities throughout the year, connecting business leaders to foster growth.

And it’s not all about the events- we regularly offer networking and prospecting seminars to help improve your toolbox.

Each chamber event contains a networking component.

Some network to sell, some network to prospect, and some network to socialize; all are great reasons! Being involved as a member of the Midstate Chamber of Commerce is the best way to make connections for your business. Whether it is passing out cards to introduce your business or connecting with individuals to improve your circle of influence, this is the place to be!

If you are not already a Chamber member, you can join today!