St. Ignace Chamber Makes New Membership Appeal
Enrollment Drop of 40 Sparks Board Campaign
By Ellen Paquin

An enrollment drop of 40 members has St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce board members strategizing about how to compensate for a loss of $9,000 in their budget this year. Pointing out that "it's still not too late to join the Chamber," Director Janet Peterson said the organization is appealing to businesses to learn more about the services it offers and how it fits into the community as a whole. They hope to bolster the Chamber's $40,000 budget with more enrollments in early fall.

If trends continue along the present pattern, the Chamber will have no funds by the end of December, and no new income until membership bills go out in June.

In an August tally of membership renewals, the board learned that 190 businesses will participate in the Chamber of Commerce this year, compared to an average over the last decade of 230 to 240. Mrs. Peterson attributes the sudden drop in renewals this year to three factors: The Visitors Bureau split from the Chamber, taking some motels with it and leaving other business owners confused about the roles of each organization; changes in the billing system and fee structure following the split; and a flat summer tourism season that may have left some potential members short of cash.

Because dues are paid on a sliding scale according to business category, the loss of several restaurants and larger motels has made the biggest impact on the Chamber's budget, she said, while many of the smaller retail establishments and restaurants continue their memberships. Base dues range from $265 plus $11 per employee to $310 plus $1.50 per seat for restaurants (see rate schedule at story's conclusion). Businesses that fall into more than one category pay fees for each.

"With any Chamber of Commerce, any place, the biggest struggle is membership and member retention," Mrs. Peterson said. "The reality is, this is a business and we need to run it like a business. The change in the fee structure between the Visitors Bureau and the Chamber has put a big crunch in our budget. This is what we anticipated 18 months ago," when the Chamber and Visitors Bureau split.

For years, the Chamber of Commerce and the Visitors Bureau operated jointly, publishing and distributing the annual Vacation Guide, offering referrals to member businesses, and maintaining a St. Ignace Web site. Members of the Visitors Bureau, mostly hotel owners, were once required to be Chamber of Commerce members, but no longer.

The two agencies have different goals. The mission of the Visitors Bureau, which is funded by a two percent room tax paid by motel guests, is to increase motel occupancy. The mission of the Chamber of Commerce, funded by membership dues, is to promote local commerce and the community.

In January 2005, after a planning session to sharpen its goals toward marketing the hotel sector, the Visitors Bureau shifted its participation in some community programs and re-established its office at a new location, splitting from the Chamber of Commerce. The requirement that hotel owners pay Chamber of Commerce dues was eliminated.

Soon after, a new fee schedule developed by the Visitors Bureau offered businesses a listing in the Vacation Guide and on the Web site for a $100 fee. To some business owners, Mrs. Peterson said, this looked like a bargain over paying traditional Chamber of Commerce dues. The bureau also set up an associate membership, costing $500, that entitles any non-hotel business, such as retailers or boat lines, the opportunity to serve on the Visitors Bureau board and have a vote in proceedings.

Kelly Simmons, director of the Visitors Bureau, said memberships in that organization remain at 38. Nine associate members joined the Visitors Bureau this year, she said, and most are also members of the Chamber of Commerce, which indicates they did not replace Chamber memberships with Visitors Bureau associate memberships.

Business owners who pay to be listed in the Vacation Guide without full Chamber membership are losing out on valuable services such as telephone, fax, and e-mail referrals, health insurance discounts, brochure distribution, and bulk mailing discounts, say members of the Chamber board. That is the message they will bring to business owners in the coming weeks.

"It's possible they don't feel like they're getting value for their money, but there is a lot to understand about Chamber membership," said Cheryl Schlehuber, president of the board, while pointing out the services offered by the Chamber.

W h i l e some business owners question whether the Chamber of Commerce provides a valuable tool or directly benefits their business, Mrs. P e t e r s o n wants them to also consider the agency's role in the community.

The Chamber of Commerce has a positive impact in the community, Mrs. Peterson said, by coordinating events for groups who don't have interest or experience in logistical planning. The Chamber of Commerce coordinates Autumn Apple Days, Sidewalk Sales, the Community Yard Sale, the Home for the Holidays Parade, Men's Shopping Night, Ladies' Shopping Night, the Underwater Treasure Hunt in conjunction with the Straits Underwater Preserve, Bayside Live and Locals on the Bay concerts with the Downtown Development Authority, Arts Dockside with a group of volunteers, the St. Ignace Salmon Derby with a group of volunteers, and the Gold Wing Midnight Ride with Kewadin Casino. The Chamber also takes some registrations for St. Ignace auto shows and sends mailings and takes registrations for three winter events on Moran Bay, the Ice Chip Golf Scramble, snow softball, and snow volleyball, as well as distributes thousands of information packets, called "goodie bags," each year at the St. Ignace marina and campgrounds.

"For example, for the Salmon Derby, we develop the brochure, send mailings, take registrations, and answer phone questions for the Straits Area Sportsmen's Club and Pete E v e r s o n , because they do not have the time or capacity to handle those projects, but they know how to run the fishing contest," Mrs. Peterson said.

In similar capacity, the Chamber of Commerce agreed Wednesday, September 13, to adopt and coordinate the Moran Mud Runs next year, taking over the event from Mackinac County Sportsmen's Off Road Vehicle Association and Jim and Bridget West of the Mackinac Mudders.

"Having this office here is valuable," Mrs. Peterson said. "We provide information on these and all community events. If someone wants to do a new event, we can help. That's what we do. Each event, whether it's a race, a fishing tournament, or a sled dog competition, draws its own unique target market to our town. I don't see the same people coming to the [now defunct] sled dog races that are coming to the Autumn Apple Days. We try to develop a broad, diverse base of people to draw from."

Mrs. Peterson said having a strong, committed volunteer Chamber of Commerce board and having time this fall to recruit more members are two strengths the agency can draw on to face its current financial difficulties. The nine-member board of directors has not yet discussed a strategy for any budget cuts owing to declining enrollment, she said.

"We still want to serve the community and the people coming in," Mrs. Peterson said. "We have a positive group of people who have, in their hearts, the wish for St. Ignace to do well. They have a strong concern for our community and are willing to donate their time and energy."

Despite the present financial difficulty, it's a positive sign that all members have said they are interested in continuing their terms of service in the October board election, she said, when three seats will expire on the board.

Serving on the Chamber of Commerce board are President Cheryl Schlehuber, Vice President Jane Weiss, Treasurer Merv Wyse, Shirley Sorrels, Julie Lipnitz, Lora Brown, Elizabeth Brown, Rod Nelson, and Cathie Sposito. Mrs. Peterson serves as the board secretary.

"Our members have run the spectrum of opinions, asking themselves, 'Does the chamber do anything for my business?' They also should ask, 'Does the chamber do anything for the community?'" Mrs. Peterson said.

"If some of our business owners spent a day in this office, they would be amazed at the questions we get," she said. "The community has regarded the chamber as a source of information for more than just business."

Mrs. Peterson, who has been with the agency for 21 years, and seasonal employee Eileen Evers field the questions that come into the office, which will be staffed five days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October, with slightly reduced fall hours after that.

"What if the chamber does disand solve, who is going to answer those questions?" Mrs. Peterson said. "I can't imagine that, in this community."

Chamber Member Fees

The following fee structure is in place for membership in the Chamber of Commerce:

General Business, $265 plus $11 per employee. Professional, $265. Attraction, $295. Industrial, $350. Lodging with 10 units or fewer, $240 plus $3 per unit. Lodging with more than 10 units, $310 plus $3 per unit. Campground, $265 plus 50¢ per campsite. Restaurant with liquor, $310 plus $1.50 per chair. Restaurant without liquor, $265 plus $1.50 per chair. Drive-in Restaurant, $265 plus $1.50 per chair/spot. Boat Line, $310 per boat. Service Club/Nonprofit/ Church, $100.

For businesses that fall into more than one category, such as a restaurant with liquor and hotel on one property, all applicable membership categories will be charged.