As positioning goes, casting the future of our well-established Saline Area Chamber of Commerce (SACC) now as “Chamber 2.0” set the bar on expectations rather high, indeed. [1]
When our own chamber was first established in 1975, such outfits were largely seen as first point-of-contact for visitors and incoming enterprises. Cheerleaders. Then repositories of expertise for counsel and liaison where needed. They could serve as unified voice on behalf of stakeholders. [2]
And within their circumscribed geographies, the best among them reliably provided regular opportunities to make connections, to take pulse of what was necessary to know.
As a dues-paying member of SACC ourselves since the mid-1980s, Saline Journal has not only covered this history as its unfolded over the last several decades. We’ve personally documented the benefits of that association here.
In promoting its February 20 unveiling event as “Chamber 2.0,” the obvious implication was that all of the above must be viewed as “Chamber 1.0,” or at best a preceding one-point-something version that had not until that night reached the tipping point necessary to be regarded as revolutionary. [3,4]
The event setup itself certainly felt that way.
Choice of Emagine Theatre literally positioned the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce on a stage unparalleled for presentation technology and class experience. One of its screens was then maximized from the start with a truly exceptional five-minute video produced by Eze Creative, filmed in (and above) various area locations, including Artismo Studio Share. [5-8]
Symbolically, selection of Emagine Theatre physically underscored the core theme of a Chamber mission that cannot effectively serve any member from a hyper-local mindset. This it is noteworthy that Eze Creative opened with its first video testimonial by featuring Saline Area Schools Superintendent Scot Graden who characterized the area as “a one high school town” — with that high school notably located outside of city limits, in Pittsfield Township. [9-12]
Further to this point, Pittsfield Township Supervisor Mandy Grewal PhD was significantly featured here. She characterized herself to Saline Journal as “a regionalist.
I am a planner by trade, so I have always had a macro view. ‘Geographic boundaries’ are created for reasons that have no constituents. This was my view when we were developing our first Master Plan in 2009, to look independent of jurisdictional boundaries, at the larger whole. We must work in a larger, inclusive whole. [13]
This is the only way to perform day to day within an increasingly strained fiscal space. The Saline Chamber is our chamber.
More broadly still, after stepping up to guide the longer live Chamber 2.0 presentation, SACC Executive Director John Tripolsky surrendered the microphone to only one other speaker: State Representative Donna Lasinski of the 52nd Michigan House District. She spoke to the competitive, workforce, and business development fit that bridging chamber organizations have an opportunity to uniquely provide with Lansing. [14,15]
The standing-room-only audience was a veritable Who’s Who of area stakeholders from a wide range of disciplines not typically seen at Chamber events. Intent on having the directions set out here as “re-innovation” as opposed to “re-invention,” Mr Tripolsky had started out gently with assurances that what has come to be valued will continue, with improvements; he praised those who have served as executive directors before him. [17]
At the same time, he pointed out that Chamber 2.0 is already rolling out.
Chamber Chatter is now up-and-running with its first two episodes available on a variety of platforms. Not surprisingly, the inaugural interview with Lucy Ann Lance started out with her reference to the need for bringing together a larger community of common interests as a necessity to all — crediting her partner Dean Erskine for the idea. [18,19]
Episode 3 of Chamber Chatter was recorded yesterday morning at Emagine Theatre in Saline and features both CEO Paul Glantz and General Manager Paul Rutter. [20]
The strategic structure under which all of the above comes together appears to be called “Chamber Collective,” although John Tripolsky appears to be focused for now on having its elements dominate discussions in advance of assertively labeling their whole. The Saline Area Chamber of Commerce was solidly set to substantiate that on Day One of its launch this week.
At this point, members will feel the day-to-day impact of Chamber 2.0 by interfacing with the Chamber as they always have, but taking note of the bigger impacts those interactions are set to have for them.
References
- Saline Area Chamber of Commerce (home page).
- “Steps Have Been Taken To Debrief John Olsen Before His Tenure With Saline Area Chamber Of Commerce Closes” Dell Deaton (October 2, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “2.0” Oxford Dictionaries.
- “Web 2.0” Collins.
- Emagine Entertainment (home page).
- Eze Creative (home page).
- Artismo studio share (home page).
- “Imagine Your Own Camera For Video Or Still Photography, And A Great Idea: What Could You Do With That In A Pro Studio?” Dell Deaton (November 20, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “Here’s A Look Back At 2018 For Clues About What Are Likely To Continue As Some Of The More Important Stories Of 2019” Dell Deaton (December 31, 2018) Saline Journal.
- Saline Area Schools (home page).
- “Saline High School” Saline Area Schools.
- Pittsfield Charter Township Michigan (home page).
- “Master Plan” Pittsfield Charter Township Michigan.
- “Donna Lasinski: District 52” Michigan House Democrats.
- “Michigan House Representative Donna Lasinski set another high bar in constituent accountability with Saline Q&A today” Dell Deaton (January 11, 2009) Saline Journal.
- Who’s Who (home page).
- “Day 2 On The Job, And Our New Saline Area Chamber Of Commerce Director Has Little Desire To Sit In The Big Chair” Dell Deaton (December 11, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “‘Chamber Chatter’ podcast aims to deliver area business information through a channel audiences increasingly prefer” Dell Deaton (January 28, 2019) Saline Journal.
- “Lucy Ann Lance Show” AM 1290 WLBY (home page).
- “Exclusive Interview with Paul Glantz on Disney-Fox Studios Deal, Part 1” Dell Deaton (February 8, 2018) Saline Journal.
