FY 2008-09 Business Plan

Mission Statement

“To be the primary advocate of the Dubuque area business community in recognition of our responsibility to sustain the area as a desirable place to live, work and play.”

MEMBERSHIP

• Increase value of member to member discount program by recruiting 25 new members to participate
• Increase membership base by recruiting 8 new members a month
• Incorporate five volunteer appreciation awards with the Annual Dinner
• Create lunch-time (Chamber 101) member information event to be held minimum of 6 times per year
• Create one new sales marketing piece for Membership Calls
• Create one promotional gift for retention call visits
• Conduct one membership survey per month
• Conduct one all member visit event
• Conduct one Regional Business PM
• Create referral cards to be sent out to members a minimum of once per month
• Conduct Annual Membership Drive and recruit 100 new members
• Conduct Quarterly VIP (Very Important Prospects) Breakfasts to recruit a minimum of 10 members at each event
• Conduct four new member orientation events
• Increase distribution of membership directory to 10,500
• Create virtual photo tours of Chamber events on website
• Conduct a minimum of 20 retention visits monthly
• Increase participation of Office Depot Affinity program by adding 30 new members
• Implement weekly membership Monday’s program
• Conduct monthly MAC committee
• Develop one membership interview template as a sales tool

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

• Increase the number of visitors to the Dubuque Area from 1.6 to 1.7 million annually
• Increase travel expenditures to the area from $236 in 2006 to $250 million by FY2010.
• Promote the Dubuque area as a multi-day group tour destination to generate 3,000 mid-week group tour room nights annually.
• Promote the Dubuque area as a state of the art meeting and conference destination to generate a minimum of 70,000 delegates annually.
• Maintain and increase effectiveness of the Sports Marketing Commission by securing up to 12 sport-tourism events creating an economic impact of $8.2 Million
• Provide one community education program to improve the visitor experience.
• Develop one regionalized plan to promote the Tri-State area with an aggressive marketing program funded by multiple sources. 

GOVERNMENT

• Conduct Monthly Government Committee Meetings outside of the Iowa Legislative Session and weekly committee meetings during the session
• Create State and Federal Legislative Agenda, working with the Government Committee and at least 5 Legislative Agenda Roundtables of local business leaders
• Coordinate Washington, D.C. trip focusing on Chamber agenda with at least 50 attendees
• Coordinate Dubuque Day and Dubuque Night in Des Moines with at least 325 people in attendance
• Coordinate one Iowa Legislative Breakfast & Legislator Listening Sessions
• Coordinate one Iowa Legislative Wrap-Up Breakfast & Legislator Listening Sessions
• Coordinate one Governor’s Luncheon with Chamber Members
• Conduct four Transportation Committee Meetings
• Coordinate one Cocktails with the Candidates
• Coordinate one School Board Candidate Forum
• Coordinate one Congressional Candidate Forum
• Coordinate 2009 Tri-State Alliance Summit
• Attend monthly Galena Government Committee Meetings
• Assist in Coordination of one Springfield Legislative Trip
• Assist in Coordination of one Illinois Legislative Breakfast
• Attend four Platteville Government Committee Meetings
• Assist in Coordination of one Wisconsin Legislative Breakfast
• Create weekly Political Source legislative newsletter
• Sponsor one Legislative Cracker Barrel and attend all 3 cracker barrels
• Assist in the Coordination of one Congressional Staff Visit
• Create a Legislative Report Card after the completion of the Iowa Session
• Attend two Iowa Department of Transportation Meetings
• Continuous Lobbying on the Local, State, and Federal Level
• Attend monthly Iowa Chamber Alliance Meetings and participate in weekly conference calls during the Iowa Session
• Increase Legislative Leaders Grassroots Advocacy Program to 350 members
• Meet with legislative staff in D.C. twice outside of the annual D.C. trip
• Communicate with legislators in Des Moines twice monthly during the Iowa session and once monthly outside of the Iowa session
• Attend four Iowa Department of Transportation Passenger Rail Meetings

• Conduct one Congressman Braley Business Issue Forum
• Conduct one Candidate School
• Serve as a Staff Liaison to the Dubuque SCORE Chapter and attend two meetings monthly
• Conduct monthly CEO/Plant Manager’s Roundtables
• Develop Entrepreneur Academy – Partnership with NICC-to be held a minimum of semi-annually with a minimum of 10 participants for each

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

• Recruit 6 partners for the Chamber Marketing Campaign for $60,000 in revenue.
• Negotiate and Project manage Chamber Marketing Campaign for exposure in radio, television, digital billboard and print 365 days a year.
• Launch Chamber Source stand-alone monthly newsletter with direct mail to membership.
• Launch Chamber E-Source weekly email newsletter to membership.
• Maintain and update www.dubuquechamber.com on daily, weekly and monthly basis.
• Launch two issues of a video magazine and photo gallery on Chamber website [ www.dubuquechamber.com .]
• Submit Weekly Press Releases to media outlets.
• Conduct Annual Partnership Cruise for VIP’s to be held in the spring of 2009.
• Project Manage Partnership Program to generate $120,000 in revenue.
• Project Manage Annual Chamber Map Program to generate $10,000 in revenue.
• Produce CVB Priority Collateral items including: 150,000 Visitors Guides, 45,000 Semi-Annual Calendar of Events, 25,000 Visitor Maps, 80,000 Travel Package Postcards, Trade Show invites & materials, Customer Service sponsorship packets & invites, Eagle Watch, Co-Op Advertising, Grants & Sports Commission.
• Implement Variable Digital Printing to create personalized collateral for convention groups.
• Design Prospective Member Sales Kit and Member Packets based on content gathered by Membership Division.
• In partnership with Workforce Division, implement monthly “I love Dubuque” T.V. Program.
• Implement Multicultural pages in Workforce Section of www.dubuquechamber.com to include Spanish content within fiscal year.
• Create one photo slide-show of year’s activities to be shown at Annual Dinner for ‘09

WORKFORCE

• Enhance the tuition reimbursement program with the addition of 10 additional partners
• Develop an internship program for businesses with 20 businesses offering internship opportunities
• Meet with 200 Chamber member businesses to evaluate their internship opportunities
• Conduct three University Road trips with Regional Universities
• Host one welcome back picnic for all colleges at the beginning of school year
• Create and develop one comprehensive publication on internship information for Dubuque area employers
• Conduct four quarterly Workforce Collaborative meetings in keeping with Workforce initiatives goals and strategies
• Meet on monthly basis with GDDC Workforce Development Director
• Increase YP Membership by 10% over the next fiscal year
• Increase attendance of YP Symposium by 10%
• Work with colleges to distribute “I Love Dubuque”/Vacation Discount cards
• Distribute the Resume distribution list to a minimum of 200 registered Chamber members twice a month

EVENT GOALS

• Increase revenue of Chamber events by a net 5% from pervious year.
• Increase the spring golf outing participation by selling out both golf courses [288 golfers]
• Host and organize an expo with 80 exhibitors.
• Increase attendance of quarterly meetings, other than the forecast luncheon, by 100 attendees.
• Hold industry tours with an average attendance of 20 participants per business tour.
• Organize and host a new “Grub Crawl” event with 100 participants.
• Host and organize 2 membership luncheons with a minimum of 100 people in attendance.
• Host Winter Outing with a minimum of 75 Chamber member participants.
• Host Get to Know a CEO a minimum of 9 times in fiscal year with average attendance of 45 people at each.
• Host Manufactures’ Appreciation Week and increase tour participation by 10%.
• Capture pictures of all Chamber events with a minimum of ten photos per event to be posted on Chamber website.
• Organize monthly Techno Tuesdays with an average of 10 participants.
• Organize Tri-State Business PM partnering with other chamber and recruit 100 participants
• Recruit 100 participants for Toot Your Own Horn
• Host Annual Business Forecast Luncheon with a minimum of 400 members in attendance.
• Organize table sponsorship opportunities for membership luncheon with a minimum of 10 sponsor displays at each event.
• Organize chamber wide week-long seminar with a minimum of 400 participants.
• Organize one chamber fundraising event with a net revenue of 4k.
• Organize/coordinate one “Shop Local” event for the Christmas season.