Winning Chamber of the Year is a highly sought-after designation amongst chambers of commerce across the country. Many dream of it but never get there. It’s one thing to apply, but another to actually win. And yet, here we are, the Greater Memphis Chamber in possession of the highest accolade one can receive in the industry. This award is a recognition of our chamber’s excellence in operations, member services, and community leadership.
It all began when our President & CEO, Ted Townsend, told the team he wanted us to apply for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives’ (ACCE) Chamber of the Year award.
The last time Memphis applied for the award was roughly 20 years ago, and then, we didn’t even make it past the first round. Since then, we’ve attempted to apply every so often—starting the application, but realizing it’s too involved of a process, we didn’t have the necessary information, or simply being too busy with other Chamber projects to complete the application. But now was the time. We had the people, we had the programs, and we had the support of our investors.
Thus, started a months-long journey to Chamber of the Year.
Becoming Chamber of the Year
What does it take to be Chamber of the Year? The application is extensive. Tax documents, membership strategies, marketing plans, supporting materials, thousands and thousands of words, and pages upon pages all make up the application. Not to mention, to even be allowed to apply, we had to qualify in at least 3 of 5 ACCE’s key performance areas in operations.
And that’s just the beginning.
Only three applicants in each category are selected to be a finalist, but there are over 1,700 chambers in the country. That means narrowing down the selection to only 12 finalists is an intense process. Now, not every chamber applies, but dozens upon dozens of chambers apply across all four categories.
The fact of the matter remains: this was not an easy win.
On June 5th, ACCE announced the finalists, and our name was one of the few. Hoots and hollers erupted down the halls of our office. Being a finalist is an accomplishment in and of itself.
Now, we enter the next stage—the interview.
The Interview
Once it was announced, we selected our interviewees, Ted Townsend and Chief Government Affairs Officer, Bobby White, knowing they would represent our chamber well and be able to talk about all aspects of it, from the day-to-day operations to specific projects. Our team got together for weekly meetings (sometimes even multiple in the week) over the next 6 weeks. We reviewed the application, going over each portion regardless of how big or small it might be.
Finally, we held a mock interview. We called on two partners, Ernest Strickland, President and CEO of the Black Chamber of Memphis, and former County Commissioner Mike Carpenter, founder of Carpenter Civic Strategies. These two have knowledge and expertise in the work we do, and we knew they wouldn’t shy away from asking tough questions. It was this mock interview paired with our weekly sessions that really helped us win the award.
Fast forward to Tuesday, July 22. Ted and Bobby walked into the conference room at the Philadelphia Convention Center with their game faces on, ready to complete the interview.
Everything up to this point was arguably the easiest part. The hardest part was in the waiting. We waited until 7 p.m. the next day to know where we stood.
Winning the Championship
ACCE hosted their annual awards recognizing members with outstanding communications, lifetime achievement awards, and more. The very last award was Chamber of the Year—specifically category 4, which was our category.
“Chamber of the Year…” “Category 4…” “Greater Memphis Chamber.”
We jump out of our seats with laughter, excitement, and astonishment. We did it. We are the Chamber of the Year. Best in the country.
The Impact of Chamber of the Year
But what does this mean for the rest of Memphis?
Our President & CEO likes to say, “We are creating a culture of winning.” And he doesn’t just mean within the Chamber. He means within our city, our region. Not only is this win a recognition for the work we do internally, but it is a recognition for our city’s ability to take on new challenges, persevere, and adapt to change. It’s a testament to the desire that runs deep in this city to do more for our community. It is a signal to other communities, other businesses, and even other individuals outside the area that Memphis has something special. If you aren’t here, you are missing out. It is the beacon for the vibrant future we have ahead of us.