Last month, before rolling full steam ahead into 2023, I shared the Chamber’s top 10 2022 highlights as part of our annual report and membership meeting. It was a great opportunity to see how much was accomplished.
In 2022, the Chamber coordinated several events in support of our local business community, and the engagement was off the charts. Thousands came out for the Christmas Stroll, 140 attended the Ignite Conference, 200 participated in our Lunchtime Conversations About Open Spaces series, 65 attended our Chamber Coffees, and 1,950 attendees joined us at Business Before and After Hours and Chamber Lunch Programs.
We also partnered again with Sheridan County Cattlewomen, 4-H and Fair Association to host the Buyers’ Dinner prior to the Youth Livestock Sale and coordinated the Boot Kick-Off for WYO Rodeo.
Your Chamber advocated for our businesses and community through the U.S. Chamber, Wyoming Business and Industry Federation Partnership, Sheridan-Johnson Counties Critical Air Service Team, New West Manufacturing Partnership and the Economic Development Task Force, completing a housing study and community review with a whopping 945 survey responses.
We celebrated excellence by recognizing 20 businesses, organizations and individuals at our Awards of Excellence program and recognized 20 local leaders who completed our 10-month Leadership Sheridan County program, which now boasts more than 400 alumni, many who serve in leadership capacities in their businesses and the broader community.
As the community’s front door, we responded to hundreds of requests for referrals, information and relocation packets and provided 3,500 welcome bags to visitors, distributed 9,000 community guides and produced 11,000 community maps.
We kept members and the community informed by distributing 87 newsletters, which had an above average open rate of 45% and click rate of 4%. That equates to over 65,000 opens and 5,000 click throughs.
We also held six candidate forums for the primary and general elections in Sheridan and the Tongue River Valley, with 5,000 in-person and livestream views. And we hosted the annual Legislative Forum with 25 presenters and 100% participation from our state senators and representatives.
As a catalyst for business prosperity, we held 75 ribbon cuttings for new Chamber members, grand openings and other celebrations, and we championed National Manufacturing Day, with 13 businesses in Sheridan and Johnson Counties hosting tours of their manufacturing facilities.
We also closed out the year with 163,500 visits to our website’s membership directory and listed 275 employment opportunities on our job postings page, with over 2,300 views, in addition to realizing over 7,000 social media followers and 850 members in our Live Life Local Facebook group.
We were so pleased to end the year with our third-highest year of Chamber Bucks issued at $168,360. These dollars are spent at local businesses and turn over to strengthen our local economy. And, at the end of 2022, your Chamber had 757 members and a 91% member retention rate.
As you can see from our 2022 top 10, it was another full and active year for the Chamber. We’re able to accomplish all of this and more, thanks to the efforts of a great team and hundreds of volunteers who serve on our board and committees.
Dixie Johnson is CEO of the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce.
