377 Members Respond to Chamber Annual Survey

More than 370 Chamber members took the time to respond thoughtfully to our request for honest feedback through the survey in May. Last year’s survey received only 112 responses.

An overview of the information was shared with the Chamber’s Board of Directors at their June meeting and each of the four Chamber sector groups will have information from their sectors in a short time. This information will be valuable as each group and our Chamber committees move ahead to identify their top program or event opportunities in the coming months.

We believe it’s important for all members to see the data as well as the open ended responses so we have included a link that will take you to the completed survey information. In your role as a member or a participant in any of the Chamber’s initiatives or committees this may prove to be valuable to you. As with any survey — especially one not conducted by a professional research firm — some flaws can be found in the data, but relatively speaking with this high a response, we believe a fairly accurate picture can be drawn.

Comparing 2012 to 2011 there were slight increases in ratings in nearly all categories except readership of the Monday Monitor which is slightly down. We will continue to refine our approach to achieve a balance of the information you need as we move ahead.

In response to the new program feedback we have already planned to add three initiatives to the Chamber’s offerings in the coming 12 months. First, because so many of you said you would consider attending next year, we will plan to co-host the community/company picnic at Road America next June. This will be a great opportunity for you to invite your employees and their families to enjoy a day at the races, food, refreshments and a variety of other activities. Secondly, the Chamber and its newly formed travel task force will host an information night for anyone interested in possibly visiting China in April of 2013. About 71 members showed interest in this very low-cost exciting opportunity. This will be the first foray into travel at preferred pricing for our Chamber members and we welcome any and all feedback.

And lastly, with a growing interest from business owners and executives in round tables (140 showed interest), you will begin to see these opportunities available through the Chamber. As a participating member you could be placed in a small group of no more than 15 participants to solve issues, build relationships and generally support each other in bettering your business.

This is just the beginning. We have also identified a number of Chamber members with interest in participating in various Chamber committees and that’s a very good thing.

If you have any observations after viewing the data and the comments, please share them with us. We will continue to analyze and plan around the feedback we received. Our staff and volunteers are eager to improve and expand the programs they provide and the value of your membership.

2012 Annual Survey Results