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About the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber Commerce

Accomplishments

Look what we’ve done!

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has been extremely active creating opportunities for your business to grow and prosper. The vision of the chamber is to promote, protect and improve the Myrtle Beach area as an excellent place to visit, live and conduct business. 

For the Record

Your Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau have been extremely active creating opportunities for your business to grow and prosper. Take a look at what your chamber accomplished during the fourth quarter of 2007:

  • Held the 67th annual membership meeting with Ronda Rich serving as keynote speaker and four highly informative educational breakout sessions. Presented the Business Image, Business Innovation, Small Business and Community Service business awards. Applauded the Hospitality Employee of the Year and Ambassador of the Year, recognized the Volunteer of the Year and Leadership Grand Strand’s 2007 Ann DeBock Leadership Award winner, and named the Citizen of the Year and Ashby Ward Pioneer of the Year. More than 400 people attended the event.
  • Casted out a super fun Take-A-Kid Fishing tournament. This year’s fantastic event saw a huge increase in participation – a whopping 768 kids and adults.
  • Celebrated chamber volunteers during a Volunteer of the Year Reception.
  • Hosted the annual Legislative Luncheon featuring a recap of the chamber’s 2008 legislative agenda and a Q&A session with state legislators.
  • Hosted a news conference on beach renourishment presented by U.S. Congressman Henry Brown and the Army Corp. of Engineers.
  • Held the President’s Gala honoring Greg Everett as Citizen of the Year and Mary Emily and Nelson Jackson as Pioneers of the Year.
  • Held the 2008 Marketing Plan Premier with presentations on upcoming ad campaigns, tourism research and more.
  • The South Strand Council held a complimentary luncheon for South Strand members with guest speakers H.B. “Buck” Limehouse Jr., secretary of Transportation, S.C. Department of Transportation and Joe Young, vice chairman, S.C. Transportation Commission.
  • Celebrated Christmas Towne with a visit from Santa, tree lighting, music and lots of activities with more than 5,000 kids, moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas and the entire gang in attendance.
  • Co-sponsored the 5th annual Motorcoach Festival. Around 400 group tour travelers shared the holiday spirit and were treated to food, entertainment and gifts. The groups originated from North Carolina, Florida and South Carolina.
  • Held one Armchair familiarization meeting with Send Out Marketing.
  • Held seven educational classes: Google AdWords Demystified with 16 people attending; Publisher Training attended by 13 people; Customer Service Boot Camp with 19 people in attendance; Unplugged for Successful Leadership enjoyed by eight people; South Carolina New Workers’ Compensation Regulations Seminar with 36 in attendance; PowerPoint Training attended by 15 people; and Spanish in the Workplace attended by 31 people. The Chamber Academy is sponsored by Myrtle Beach Herald.
  • Booked 64 groups into member properties. Distributed 114 leads to convention and motorcoach lead service subscribers. Serviced 58 groups representing 36,559 people. Exhibited at 10 trade shows promoting to the group market.\
  • Fulfilled 8,465 qualified inquiries. Answered 7,962 phone calls through our call centers. Greeted 18,649 visitors at our welcome centers.
  • Welcomed 95 new members.
  • Introduced 32 members during Warm Welcome, new member orientation.
  • Hosted one Business After Hours with 200 members attending.
  • Celebrated eight ribbon-cutting ceremonies: Chili’s Grill & Bar, T.G.I. Friday’s-Murrells Inlet, Palmetto Shores Church, Dunkin’ Donuts-Hwy. 501, Pure Compounding, United Stone & Flooring, The Bridal House of Charleston-Myrtle Beach and ShipOnSite of Myrtle Beach. Also, celebrated one ground breaking ceremony: Southern Realty–The Vineyard at Keysfield.
  • Held a Connections Marketplace networking event with 43 members attending.
  • Produced 26 news releases, PSAs and media alerts/invitations. Responded to 91 media inquiries and requests. Hosted seven travel writers. Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce was mentioned 143 times in local, regional and national media. Hosted seven travel writers. Myrtle Beach destination was mentioned 89 times in the regional and national media. Myrtle Beach and debate were mentioned 22 times in local and regional media (as of Dec. 31, 2007).
  • Noted 751,010 Web visits at VisitMyBeach.com. Recorded 2,113,415 page views at VisitMyBeach.com. Logged 41,167 click throughs (referrals) to members’ Web sites through the Business Directory on MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com. Recorded 242,250 referrals from paid advertisements (member links on one of VisitMyBeach.com’s main navigational pages–Lodging, Transportation, Dining, Things to Do, Golf, etc.)

Your Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau have been extremely active creating opportunities for your business to grow and prosper. Take a look at what your chamber accomplished during the third quarter of 2007:

  • The chamber’s PR agency M Booth & Associates out of New York City secured the World’s Tallest Sandcastle on NBC’s “Today” show. Team Sandtastic appeared on the show July 3 telling the world about the building of the Myrtle Beach area sandcastle. Overall, publicity for the World’s Tallest Sandcastle equaled more than $3.3 million in advertising value and reached an audience of nearly 35.8 million people.
  • Held several Membership Dues Plan and Stay & Play Advertising Options meetings for chamber members.
  • Co-hosted a public meeting to discuss funding for the Myrtle Beach boardwalk along with other downtown projects.
  • Participated in the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Grand Strand Regional Grassroots meeting.
  • Hosted a South Strand membership breakfast.
  • Celebrated the Beach, Boogie & BBQ Festival over Labor Day weekend attended by around 20,000 people.
  • Helped with registration, scorekeeping and other tasks during the South Atlantic Chapter of the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) national championship competition.
  • Hosted a reception for the South Carolina Department of Transportation commissioners thanking them for their contributions to the local community and our state.
  • Attended a familiarization tour sponsored by T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station.
  • Hosted a chamber membership breakfast meeting with Democratic presidential candidate Gov. Bill Richardson.
  • Welcomed Coastal Carolina University President Dave DeCenzo during a breakfast reception.
  • Hosted a news conference by South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism announcing the 2007-2008 tourism funding for the Myrtle Beach area–$5 million dollars for destination-specific marketing, as part of the state’s new 2-for-1 matching grant program.
  • Held the Grand Strand Fishing Rodeo’s 2007 Fall Pier King Mackerel Tournament.
  • Held 10 education classes through the Chamber Academy: Excel Beginners Training enjoyed by 16 people; Grand Strand HR Law Update and Luncheon with 113 people attending; Getting the Word Out With Online Newsletters with 19 people in attendance; two classes of Intermediate Excel with 35 people attending; ServSafe Alcohol with 12 people attending; Encouraging the Heart with 13 people attending; Outlook Training attended by 11 people; Search Engines Unveiled with nine people in attendance; and Resources From State and Federal Agencies attended by 15 people. The Chamber Academy is sponsored by the Myrtle Beach Herald.
  • Booked 20,509 room nights into member properties. Distributed 141 leads to convention and motorcoach lead service subscribers. Serviced 167 groups representing 40,024 people. Exhibited at five trade shows promoting to the group market and two travel shows promoting to the consumer market.
  • Fulfilled 41,174 qualified inquiries. Answered 14,535 phone calls in our Call Center. Received 8,068 phone calls through the Myrtle Beach Marketing Cooperative.
  • Greeted 27,532 visitors at our welcome centers.
  • Welcomed 98 new members.
  • Introduced 44 members during Warm Welcome, new member orientation.
  • Hosted three Business After Hours with 1,100 members attending.
  • Celebrated 11 ribbon-cutting ceremonies: Designit, Alta Surf Apartments, Mona Vie–Jenafor Braley Distributor, Harry and David #849, Freedom Boat Club, Coastal Academy For Driver Education, Training and Safety Inc. (CADETS), SendOutCards, American Advantage Mortgage Company, Schumacher Homes of South Carolina Inc., Carolina Coastal Restaurants, LLC dba Denny's and T.G.I. Friday’s.
  • Held a Connections Marketplace with 45 members attending.
  • Assisted 57 travel writers and other media. Sent 27 news releases and/or public service announcements. Chamber and CVB received more than 296 mentions in media stories.
  • Noted 993,105 Web visits at VisitMyBeach.com. Recorded 4,019,537 page views at VisitMyBeach.com. Logged 79,659 click throughs (referrals) to members’ Web sites through the Business Directory on MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com. Recorded 676,901 referrals from paid advertisements (member links on one of VisitMyBeach.com’s main navigational pages–Lodging, Transportation, Dining, Things to Do, Golf, etc.)

Your Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau have been extremely active creating opportunities for your business to grow and prosper. Take a look at what your chamber accomplished during the second quarter of 2007:

  • Hosted a news conference for Gov. Mark Sanford to discuss reforms aimed at alleviating insurance cost and access issues faced by residents on the South Carolina coast.
  • Joined with the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association in sponsoring an A-Tax forum.
  • Held a Hurricane Preparedness Conference & Expo with 250 people stopping by to listen to guest speakers from hurricane preparedness agencies and visit the 12 exhibitors.
  • Kicked off the 54th annual Grand Strand Fishing Rodeo Competition. This popular fishing event runs April 1-Oct. 31.
  • Attended a “Thank You” reception for Sen. Hugh Leatherman to applaud his support of the Grand Strand, his work on pending budget proposals before the state, and his impact on I-73, tourism and Coastal Carolina University funding.
  • Hosted a First Year Member Reception with 40 members enjoying networking and refreshments.
  • Applauded as 30 participants from Class XXVII graduated from Leadership Grand Strand.
  • Held a Marketing Forum to discuss tourism trends, research, consumer travel and new advertising opportunities.
  • Celebrated the 56th annual Sun Fun Festival presented by Hawaiian Tropic. Both visitors and locals enjoyed the festivities along with a live video feed of the World’s Tallest Sandcastle at WorldsTallestSandcastle.com.
  • Hosted a press conference in the chamber’s Oak Street office for Gov. Mark Sanford and a group of lawmakers to discuss coastal insurance legislation. The meeting included a ceremonial signing of the coastal insurance law which offers tax credits for more companies to cover property in hurricane-prone areas and credits to homeowners for strengthening their houses. There also is a grant program to assist South Carolina property owners with the retrofitting of their homes to make them more resistant to loss due to hurricane damage.
  • Hosted a luncheon meeting for U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Henry Brown, where the public was updated on the progress of Interstate 73. All six states along the corridor were represented.
  • Held six Membership Dues Plan and Stay & Play Advertising Options meetings for chamber tourism members to discuss a new tiered membership dues structure and 2008 Stay & Play advertising.
  • Enjoyed a networking event with members of the Hospitality Partnership and MBACC. More than 100 members attended.
  • Held 15 educational classes: Hiring, Firing and Staff Discipline with 24 people attending; Publisher Training enjoyed by 13 people; Google AdWords with 17 people attending; Courage to Lead with 14 people in attendance; Strategic Planning attended by eight people; Coaching and Motivating for Team Success enjoyed by 11 people; Shaping a More Efficient Future attended by 51 people; PowerPoint Training with 14 people attending; Idiots Proof Guide to Customer Loyalty enjoyed by 23 people; Introduction to Online Marketing with 12 people attending; Nexsen Pruet Employment Law Breakfast Briefing on Immigration and Wage and Hour Updates with 37 people in attendance; Stress and How it Affects Our Bodies With a Relationship of Detoxing with 11 people attending; Excel Training enjoyed by 17 people; Conflict Resolution: The Road to Win/Win with 10 people attending; and Driving Traffic to Your Web Site with 26 people in attendance. The Chamber Academy is sponsored by the Myrtle Beach Herald.
  • Booked 37,835 room nights into member properties. Distributed 126 leads to convention and motorcoach lead service subscribers. Serviced 103 groups representing 16,319 people. Exhibited at seven trade shows promoting to the group market and six travel shows promoting to the consumer market. 
  • Fulfilled 170,399 Qualified inquiries.
  • Answered 15,594 phone calls in our Call Center. Received 4,285 phone calls through the Myrtle Beach Marketing Cooperative. Greeted 49,495 visitors at our welcome centers.
  • Welcomed 107 new members.
  • Introduced 30 members during Warm Welcome, new member orientation.
  • Hosted three Business After Hours with 775 members attending.
  • Celebrated 14 ribbon-cutting ceremonies: United Chiropractic, Ace Hardware, Department 56, Meridian Management Solutions, LLC, South Carolina Bank and Trust, Studebaker’s, Sea One Family Chiropractic, PA., First Federal, La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, Bonefish Grill South Myrtle Beach, Croissants Bakery & Cafe, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Dream Dinners and Waccamaw Family Medicine PA.
  • Held a Connections Marketplace with 40 members attending.
  • Assisted 40 travel writers and other media. Sent 47 news releases and/or public service announcements. Chamber and CVB received more than 358 mentions in media stories.
  • Noted 1,093,134 Web visits at VisitMyBeach.com. Recorded 4,643,131 page views at VisitMyBeach.com. Logged 77,447click throughs (referrals) to members’ Web sites through the Business Directory on MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com. Recorded 824,898 referrals from paid advertisements (member links on one of VisitMyBeach.com’s main navigational pages–Lodging, Transportation, Dining, Things to Do, Golf, etc.)

Your Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau have been extremely active creating opportunities for your business to grow and prosper. Take a look at what your chamber accomplished during the first quarter of 2007:

  • Joined the S.C. Arts Commission in hosting a free Cultural Tourism Workshop for those interested in applying for grant money for the arts.
  • Celebrated the Impeccable Customer Experience during the first I.C.E. awards enjoyed by more than 500 people.
  • Co-hosted the North Strand Tabletop Business Expo with 100 exhibitors and around 200 attendees.
  • Participated in the induction of Judge Matthew J. Perry and Revolutionary War hero Peter Horry into the South Carolina Hall of Fame.
  • Co-hosted the Grand Strand Legislative Reception attended by over 100 members from the S.C. General Assembly and nearly 180 attendees from the Grand Strand.
  • Assisted the Hospitality Partnership in staffing a booth at the Hotel, Motel, Restaurant and Supply Show of the Southeast.
  • Joined the overwhelming community support of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” to make the Wilson family home a reality.
  • Participated in the Myrtle Beach Marathon expo and races.
  • Held a news conference announcing exciting details of the Canadian-American Days Festival and Sun Fun Festival, including a two-day Carolina-Canada trade and commerce forum. The news conference was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins and Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes.
  • Hosted a breakfast meeting for Sen. Jim DeMint who addressed nearly 100 chamber members while discussing current events in Washington and providing an update on key issues.
  • Saluted the 2007 Canadian-American Days Festival with a Celebration Expo featuring the Can-Am Welcome Reception and the 14th Annual Business & Restaurant Expo attended by over 3,000 people with more than 140 exhibitors.
  • Celebrated the 2007 Canadian-American Days Festival. New events included "A Salute to Canada" joint military band concert, Canada-Carolina Trade and Commerce Forum, and Lonestar and Doc Walker country music concert.
  • Participated in the Travel South Showcase. More than 700 travel buyers, tour and meeting planners, and the media from all 50 states and Canada enjoyed familiarization tours of the Grand Strand. Travel South USA is American’s largest regional travel promotion organization.
  • Hosted a “Myrtle Beach Meets the Big Apple” immersion tour for editors in New York City and subsequent luncheons and desk-side visits to editors throughout New Jersey and in Philadelphia.
  • Held a press conference at the chamber announcing the USBA (United States Basketball Association) National Championship to be held in Myrtle Beach.Mike Minter, USBA director and Carolina Panther, attended.
  • Held a “Celebration of the South Strand” for South Strand members. The event was hosted by the chamber’s South Strand Council.
  • Placed second in Yahoo!’s “World’s Best Beaches” traveler poll. According to Yahoo.com, Myrtle Beach scored an impressive 4½ stars out of five stars in a poll that elicited 679 responses.
  • Held 16 educational classes: Two sessions of “Excel-Basic Training” with 32 people attending; “Business Ethics” enjoyed by 16 people; "Customer Service Boot Camp" with 32 people attending;  two sessions of “Excel Intermediate Training" enjoyed by 28 people; "QuickBooks Review" enjoyed by 16 people; “Getting the Word out With Online Newsletters” with 11 people attending; "Sales Training" with 16 people in attendance; “Next Generation Internet Marketing” enjoyed by 23 people; "Communicating to Influence" with 27 people attending; "Outlook Training" enjoyed by 14 people; "Search Engine Unveiled" with 22 people in attendance; “Leadership Training” enjoyed by 19 people; “QuickBooks Review” with 12 people attending; and "How to Globally Market South Carolina" attended by 82 people.
  • Booked 44,046 room nights into member properties, Distributed 137 leads to convention and motorcoach lead service subscribers. Serviced 52 groups representing 51,370. Exhibited at eight trade shows promoting to the group market and 12 travel shows promoting to the consumer market.
  • Fulfilled 173,794 qualified inquiries.
  • Answered 27,892 phone calls in our Call Center. Received 42,910 phone calls through the Myrtle Beach Marketing Co-op. Greeted 30,377 visitors at our welcome centers.
  • Welcomed 99 new members.
  • Held two Connections Marketplace enjoyed by 107 members.
  • Introduced 58 members during three Warm Welcome Receptions (new member orientation).
  • Hosted three Business After Hours with 819 members attending
  • Celebrated nine ribbon-cutting ceremonies: Valentine Sagefield Vineyards & Winery, Century 21 Coastal Lifestyles, NHC Health Care/Garden City, LLC, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, A & D Tile & Grout Restoration, Waccamaw Community Foundation. Winestyles, World Market and Local Beach Trader. 
  • Assisted 21 travel writers. Sent 26 news releases and/or public service announcements. Chamber and CVB received more than 146 mentions in media stories.
  • The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB hosted 50+ travel editors and writers at a NYC press launch on March 27. Staff members had appointments with several media including the New York Times, USA Today and the Philadelphia Inquirer. These efforts were made possible by the hard work of your chamber PR team and PR agency M. Booth & Associates.
  • Noted 868,760 Web visits at VisitMyBeach.com.
  • Recorded 3,831,171 page views at VisitMyBeach.com.
  • Logged 49,719 click throughs (referrals) to members’ Web sites through the Business Directory on MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com.
  • Recorded 719,668 referrals from paid advertisements (member links on one of VisitMyBeach.com’s main navigational pages–Lodging, Transportation, Dining, Things to Do, Golf, etc.)

Take a look at what your chamber has done the third quarter of 2006:

  • Hosted a visit from U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. Discussion ranged from federal funding for improvements at the Myrtle Beach International Airport to solving illegal immigration.
  • Held a meeting with Rep. Tracy Edge for U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
  • Sponsored a Public Forum on Rising Insurance Rates with more than 1,100 people in attendance.
  • Celebrated a First Year Anniversary Member Reception with 50 members attending.
  • Hosted a Myrtle Beach Tabletop Business Expo with 71 members exhibiting.
  • Held a fun and successful inaugural Beach, Boogie & BBQ Festival.
  • Welcomed 13 freshmen state representatives who came to Myrtle Beach to learn about the needs of the area and its tourism industry.
  • Held the 2006 Fall King Mackerel Tournament.
  • Oversaw four outstanding networking events: Connections Marketplace was held twice with 106 members in attendance and members met two times for Business After Hours with 550 people attending.
  • Celebrated 12 ribbon-cutting ceremonies: Bruster’s Ice Cream and PartyLite Gifts, Classy Clips Pet Salon, Small Smiles of Myrtle Beach, Outback Steakhouse-Factory Stores Blvd., Ground Zero, The Myrtle Beach Wedding Chapel, Coastal Restoration Group, LLC., Cartridge World, CuraeLase-Laser Therapy for Pain, Weichert Realtors Southern Coast and Mulligan’s Classic Sportswear.
  • Hosted three Warm Welcome receptions with 47 members attending.
  • Held three Technology Workshops attended by 43 people; two Small Business Forums with 48 people in attendance; one Personal Development Series with 13 in attendance; one Women’s Business Forum enjoyed by nine people; one Marketing and PR Series attended by 97 people; one Leadership Series with nine people in attendance; and one Celebrate Hospitality enjoyed by 20 people. The Coastal Network Cooperative September Membership Meeting was attended by 49 people, and the extremely popular Team Creativity Disney Style was enjoyed by 150 people.
  • Booked 31,796 room nights into member properties. Distributed 141 leads to convention and motorcoach lead service subscribers. Serviced 199 groups representing 32,130 people. Exhibited at seven trade shows promoting to the group market and five travel shows promoting to the consumer market.
  • Answered 46,496 phone calls. Greeted 89,831 visitors at our welcome centers. Fulfilled 43,963 qualified inquiries.
  • Welcomed 91 new members.
  • Provided information, photography and other assistance to more than 130 travel writers and other media, including “Wheel of Fortune,” The History Channel, The Washington Post and ConventionSouth magazine. Sent 50 news releases and/or public service announcements. Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau received more than 125 mentions in media stories, including “The 700 Club,” ABC Family Channel, Parks & Recreation magazine and The Miami Herald.
  • Recorded 775,531 user sessions and 3,056,131 page views with an average time of 7:08 minutes per session. Noted 6,463 views from Stay & Play digital online guide. Logged 49,365 click throughs to members’ Web sites. Recorded 1,904,115 referrals from chamber Web site business directory (a referral is display of the member’s name). Noted 657,263 total advertising referrals.
  • Top Business Categories displayed most often from online business directory: Coupon-Books/Packets, Discount-Cards, Cruises-Boat Excursions/Sightseeing, Restaurant, Campgrounds-Family, Jet Ski-Jet Boat/Scooter Rentals, Amusements, Attractions, Hotel-Motel, Nature-Based River Trips, Golf-Courses, Theaters-Dinner Attractions, Organizations/Clubs, Theaters-Live, Fishing-Piers, Real Estate-Condos/Cottages.

Take a look at what your chamber has done the second quarter of 2006:

  • Co-sponsored the North Strand Council Mixer attended by 126 local officials, members and community.
  • Joined Gov. Mark Sanford and parents of the SaveSCSummers.com at the ceremonially bill signing of H. 4229, a bill which set the state’s school year to begin no earlier than the third Monday in August.
  • Participated in Hospitality Day at the Statehouse with more than 300 industry representatives joining state legislators and legislative staff for another amazing Taste of South Carolina legislative luncheon.
  • Held the Inaugural Hurricane Preparedness Conference & Expo with 21 exhibitors and 259 people attending the event.
  • Celebrated Administrative Professionals Day with 50 people attending.
  • Held two informative familiarization tours visiting various tourist destinations in the North Myrtle Beach area.
  • Held a Hospitality Partnership Membership Drive.
  • Casted out the 53rd Annual Grand Strand Fishing Rodeo, which will run April through October.
  • Unveiled the upgraded Official South Carolina Hall of Fame kiosk, located at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, and a new Web site at SouthCarolinaHallofFame.com.
  • Celebrated See America Week/National Tourism Week May 13-21.
  • Joined several Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce businesses in hosting the Christian Meeting & Convention Association Spring Showcase.
  • Held the Hawaiian Tropic 55th Annual Sun Fun Festival.
  • Held three sessions of Amazing Marketing Tools, which showcased high quality, cost-effective marketing solutions that meet our members’ budgets and goals.
  • Hosted two BlueCross BlueShield True Blue® Chamber Plan seminars.
  • Received two ACCE Awards: Award of Merit for the Grand Strander newsletter and an Award of Merit for last year’s “Thank You for Visiting” National Tourism Week promotion.
  • Held five outstanding networking events: Connections Marketplace took place twice with 65 members in attendance and three Business After Hours were held with 700 people attending.
  • Celebrated 11 ribbon-cutting ceremonies: Realty Executives Elite, Coastal Carolina Home Watch, LLC, Alternative Health Clinic, Thank You Body, Apex Homes Inc., Price & Company Realty Inc., Awnings of Distinction, Xango-Jenafor Braley Distributor, Tidewater Builders Inc./Kelly’s Cove, Coastal Pianos and Pomodoro’s Trattoria & Bar.
  • Hosted two Warm Welcome receptions with 44 members attending.
  • Held 13 training events: Small Business Series: “Public Speaking” with five people in attendance; “Spanish in the Workplace” with 16 people in attendance; “Your Company and Compliance with Overtime Laws” with 12 people in attendance. Personal Development Series: “Using Positive Relationships to Resolve Problems” with six people in attendance; “Time Management” with 20 people. Marketing and PR Series: “Getting the Word Out With Online Newsletters” with 15 people attending. Technology Workshop: “The Do’s and Don’ts Against Spam” attended by eight people; “Advanced Excel Training” attended by 12 people; “Microsoft Publisher Training” attended by 16 people; “Advanced E-Mail Techniques” attended by 15 people; “Access/Database Training” attended by nine people. Women’s Business Forum: “Breakthrough Methods and Tools for High Performance” attended by 28 people; “Success is an Inside Job” attended by 10 people.
  • Booked 44,525 room nights into member properties. Distributed 129 leads to convention and motorcoach lead service subscribers. Serviced 124 groups representing 17,289 people. Exhibited at three trade shows promoting to the group market and six travel shows promoting to the consumer market.
  • Answered 70,484 phone calls. Greeted 76,115 visitors at our welcome centers. Fulfilled 117,219 qualified inquiries.
  • Welcomed 137 new members.
  • Provided information, photography and other assistance to 80 travel writers and other media (including two visits from Southern Living). Sent 58 news releases and/or public service announcements. Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau received more than 158 mentions in media stories. The chamber also received nearly 400 media mentions solely regarding the World’s Tallest Sandcastle in Myrtle Beach, which resulted in publicity valued at nearly half a million dollars and reached 15 million people.
  • Recorded 834,787 user sessions and 4,407,966 page views with an average time of around 10:28.
  • Recorded 1,885,336 referrals from chamber Web site business directory (a referral is a display of the member’s name).
  • Logged 58,023 click throughs to members’ Web sites.
  • Noted 835,382 total advertising referrals.
  • Top Business Categories displayed most often from online business directory: Coupons-Books/Packets, Campgrounds-Family, Discount Cards, Restaurant, Cruises-Boat Excursions/Sightseeing, Golf Courses, Amusements, Attractions, Jetski-Jetboat/Scooter Rentals, Nature-Based River Trips, Fishing Boats-Charter/Headboats, Fishing-Piers.

Take a look at what your chamber has done the first quarter of 2006:

  • Sponsored a property tax reform meeting attended by legislators and community leaders. The property tax reform would eliminate personal property tax while levying an additional 2 percent sales tax statewide
  • Co-sponsored North Strand Tabletop Business Expo with North Myrtle Beach Chamber, Little River Chamber and Colonial Mall with 110 exhibitors
  • Held three worthwhile networking events: Connections Marketplace with a turnout of 70 members and two Business After Hours events attended by 600 members
  • Showcased Travel Trends and MBACC New Marketing Rollout with 150 people attending. Unrolled new ad layouts targeting “the regular person” to come to Myrtle Beach and introduced VisitMyBeach.com
  • Hosted S.C. Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Ernest Frederick “Fritz” Hollings and William Henry Drayton) with around 800 people in attendance
  • Hosted Grand Strand Legislative Reception attended by 77 legislators and more than 320 guests
  • Held a luncheon for Rep. Bobby Harrell, speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives and one for U.S. Reps. John Mica of Florida and Henry Brown of South Carolina
  • Held a bill signing ceremony at the chamber office. Gov. Mark Sanford joined local business leaders and legislators to sign a bill aimed at expediting the completion of I-73 by allowing tolls to pay for construction
  • Celebrated Canadian-American Days Festival with a kickoff and expo attended by over 3,000 people with more than 60 exhibitors
  • Traveled to Washington, D.C. with 45 community members as part of “Grand Strand Goes to Washington”
  • Held the South Strand Chamber Update with special guest Congressman Henry Brown and 92 people in attendance
  • Co-sponsored two Council Mixers: South Strand mixer attended by 50 local officials, members and community; Myrtle Beach mixer attend by 94 officials, members and community
  • Held 13th Annual Business & Restaurant Expo and Business After Hours with around 125 exhibitors and 1,400 people attending the expo
  • Worked diligently to help pass the late school start bill H. 4429. Gov. Mark Sanford signed H. 4429 on April 8, a bill that sets the state’s school year to start no earlier than the third Monday in August
  • Co-sponsored the U.S. Air Force Academy Winds band free concert performance
  • Participated in the Myrtle Beach Marathon Runner’s Expo and races
  • Held a Warm Welcome Reception with 41 members in attendance
  • Sent out a survey to South Strand members asking for feedback on programs and benefits
  • Celebrated nine ribbon-cutting ceremonies: AAA Vacations, Columbia Sportswear, Inlet Flowers and Gifts, Copter Views, Grand Strand Diversified Development Inc., City Market, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Condustrial Inc. and Habitat for Humanity of Horry County and one grand re-opening at Build-A-Bear Workshop
  • Held 16 training events: Women’s Business Forum: “Dining Etiquette” with 30 people in attendance; “Fashion by Belk,” with 27 people in attendance; “Marketing Your Product by Using Color,” attended by nine people. Restaurant Series: “Is Your Staff Ready for Big Bottles?” attended by 54 managers and owners; “Are You Ready for Big Bottles?” for restaurant staff members and attended by 89 people; “Free Pour Training,” attended by 143 people. Technology Workshop: “The Basic Foundation of Enterprise E-Mail” with 10 people attending; “Developing E-mail Brand Value,” attended by nine people. Small Business Forum: “Customer Service Boot Camp” attended by 39 people; “Proper Interview Questions,” with nine people in attendance. Marketing and Public Relations Series: “Introduction to E-Mail Marketing” with five people attending; “Driving Traffic to Your Web Site,” with 23 people attending. Two Celebrate Hospitality sessions attended by 23 people. Personal Development Series: “Having Crucial Conversations to Avoid Problem Escalation,” attended by eight people
  • Booked 25,045 room nights into member properties. Distributed 205 leads to convention and motorcoach lead service subscribers. Serviced 78 groups representing 19,086 people. Exhibited at 11 trade shows promoting to the group market and 17 travel shows promoting to the consumer market
  • Answered 43,024 phone calls. Greeted 40,757 visitors at our welcome centers. Fulfilled 112,729 qualified inquiries
  • Welcomed 127 new members
  • Provided information, photography or other assistance to 72 travel media. Hosted writers on assignment from World Traveler magazine (Northwest Airlines) and Dayspa Magazine. Sent 66 news releases and/or public service announcements. Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau received more than 169 mentions in media stories.
  • Recorded 555,013 user sessions and 3,822,560 page views with an average time of around 11 1/2 minutes per session. Recorded 728,887 referrals from chamber Web site business directory (note a referral is a click and a display of the member’s name). Logged 60,517 click throughs to members’ Web sites. Noted 1,048,654 total advertising referrals. Top Business Categories displayed most often from online business directory: Amusements, Attractions, Comedy Clubs/Piano Bars, Coupons-Books/Packets, Cruises-Boat Excursions/Sightseeing, Discount Cards, Golf Courses, Theaters-Dinner Attractions, Bars, Nature-Based River Trips, Night Clubs, Theaters-Live, Restaurants

 
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