2011 Annual Report by Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce

2011 Annual Report

The Voice of Business Igniting passion for business success and community prosperity

Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce CORE COMPENTENCIES Create Business Relationships

Castle Rock

Strengthen Our Local Economy

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE and visitors center

Advocate Political Action

“Serving Douglas County”

Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce 420 Jerry Street, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104 303.688.4597 866.441.8508 CastleRock.org VisitCastleRock.org CastleRockeg.com

Promote the Community Represent Business to Government

Annual Report 2011 Our Mission: ♦To support, encourage and promote member businesses in our community; ♦To be a “voice” for businesses to local and regional government; and ♦To foster a livable, vital community where quality of life and positive growth are both possible.

A Message from the Chairman, Linda Watson As we start 2012, I am very optimistic about the future. Maybe I am still basking in the glow of the magical holiday season and my own new year’s resolutions, but people in our community seem much more spirited, joyful and hopeful. Let’s use this as a springboard to continue to challenge ourselves to help our businesses thrive and our Chamber grow. On a personal level, thank you for the support and trust you have placed in me to chair the Chamber board. I have had the pleasure of getting to know many of you and the Chamber staff at an even deeper level over the past months. This Chamber team works tirelessly to provide the very best experiences for the business community and the Town. Their vision and desire to excel is impressive and I am confident that 2012 will be another year of innovation and success. Consider the great partnerships that have been forged over the past months…partnerships that we believe will offer added value to you and the community. Bringing Webster University’s Master’s program to Castle Rock is an incredible opportunity for our business owners, their employees and Castle Rock residents to obtain a graduate degree close to home and conveniently at the Chamber’s office. With input from the community, the Chamber is also starting a new venture with the Healthy Living Expo. For the first time, we are planning a local event that will showcase the benefits of living, working and playing in Castle Rock and Colorado. This will be a day to show off the incredible amenities right at our door steps while profiling the businesses that make this community such a desirable place to live and work. Our Business Boot Camp continues to thrive, providing our small- to medium-sized businesses with mentoring, tools, success strategies and consultations that we believe will increase revenue, workforce numbers and community impact. And the Chamber is expanding its reach outside the community through destination trips and partnerships with the Douglas County Business Alliance and the Southern Colorado Business Partnership. Reaching out to others for new ideas, creating effective partnerships, looking for innovative ways to be meaningful and relevant is what this Chamber does best. But none of this could happen without you, your input and involvement. On behalf of the Chamber Board of Directors, please accept our sincere thanks for your support and commitment. With your enthusiasm, energy and passion, 2012 will be a year filled with promise. We will work tirelessly to bring you the most value for your investment and opportunities to enrich your business through your partnership with the Chamber.

2011 Board of Directors Executive Committee Linda Watson - Chairman, Sky Ridge Medical Center Aaron Barrick - Chair-elect, Folkestad, Fazekas, Barrick & Patoile P.C. Pam Jenkins - Treasurer, Castle Rock Bank Wendy Nelson - Treasurer-elect, B2B CFO Lisa Frizell - Immediate Past Chair, Douglas County Assessor’s Office Pam Ridler - President/CEO, Castle Rock Chamber (ex-officio)

Directors Rand Clark - Genesis Church & Random Productions Jim Diaz - Community Media of Colorado Nino Dimatteo - FirstBank - Douglas County Paul Donahue - Mayor, Town of Castle Rock (ex-officio) Aaron Fritz - Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus Brock Goodwin - Mutual of Omaha Frank Gray - President/CEO Castle Rock EDC (ex-officio) Laurie Lewis - CoWest Insurance Group

Michael Likens - gopixel design studios, inc Sally Misare - Town Clerk (ex-officio) Jim Mundle - Douglas County Living Magazine Jim Riley - Castle Rock Development Company Lori Swager - Premier Pilates & Wellness Mike Tafoya - Estrada Strategies-DTC Jaye Thompson - Colorado Community Bank

A Message from the President/CEO, Pam Ridler Two thousand Twelve. It looks different when you write it out! Happy New Year! I hope that you and your staff are in good health and high spirits as you begin the New Year. The Board of Directors and the staff want to thank you—our incredible members and volunteers—for all of your support to the Chamber and assisting us in accomplishing our mission this past year. January is a good time of the year to reflect on what has gone before and try to peer into the future to set plans for what is ahead. This last year has, in many respects, been a mixed bag; a time of triumph and some discontent. As the Chamber enters the new year of 2012, we continue to feel the energy that was generated during the past year and I feel a mounting excitement about all the new and stimulating work that lies ahead of us. I think it is significant to note as we recap the year that the Chamber has been working tirelessly to promote regional economic prosperity a long side with collaborating in building a stronger local economy through the Castle Rock Economic Partnership (CREP).

Castle Rock Chamber Staff Pam Ridler, CCE Melissa Moroni Joanne Taylor Tammy Cratty Melissa Mares Susan O’Malley Marissa Ginger

Our Vision:

President & CEO Vice President of Programs Vice President of Membership Development Office Administrator Communications Specialist Member Account Executive Receptionist

Igniting passion for business success and community prosperity

Our Core Values: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Accountability – To provide transparent and responsive leadership; acting as good stewards of funds, time and resources Innovation – To inspire new ideas, solutions and opportunities Integrity – To do things right and always do the right thing Respect – To earn trust and to hold others in high esteem Team Work – To motivate and empower one another to do great things Relationships – To build enduring connections and partnerships founded upon honesty, gratitude and commitment Diversity – To honor and value varied ideas, beliefs and practices

2011 in Summary Finances 2011 Funding Use

21%

Economic Gardening 2%

Leadership DC Administrative

51%

Community Mktg Events/Other Programs 20%

2011 Budget by Revenues

16%

22%

Membership Income Town Contract Events/Programs 14%

Sponsorships

48%

*The above graph does not include $175, 875 of in-kind contribution Total Budgeted Revenue: $705,653

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Number of Members

Membership by Profession

Executive Summary Creating a Strong Local Economy Business Support Services--Castle Rock Economic Gardeners (CREG) The mission of CREG is to provide small businesses with the resources used by best-in-class firms, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in the local, state and global marketplaces. CREG revolves around four key program elements: 1) business research data and intelligence; 2) expert advisors; 3) service delivery infrastructure; and 4) group trainings and workshops. ♦

Business Consultations Services Weekly one-on-one free consultation services for start-up businesses and established businesses are provided at the Chamber weekly. A total of fifty-eight businesses received counseling in 2011.

♦

Monthly Business Trainings Fourteen business seminars were conducted during 2011 with a total of 197 people in attendance. These monthly seminars are developed to assist employers and their employees in a multitude of business topics.

♦

Business Boot Camp Designed for established business owners of 4+ years, the Camp provides business training, peer group accountability and leader mentors (9 business professionals) for this high impact workshop series. In its third year, there are 8 established local businesses currently participating in the classes. At the end of this program, each business will have developed an individualized strategic plan for business growth.

♦

Front Range Showcase The Chamber facilitated its 18h Annual Showcase with 83 exhibitors. This two-day business tradeshow promotes local businesses, non-profits and public services to more than 1,000 visitors. The Showcase is free and open to the public. Vendor prize giveaways total more than $10,000. Local restaurants also have the opportunity to showcase themselves by offering food samples.

Check out CastleRockeg.com website which offers businesses an electronic business tool kit and is enhanced with Search Engine Optimization, video streaming and business training calendar. The tools included on this site: Business Start-Up Kit, Loan Payment Calculator, 85 business-related online classes, 750+ business books, new hire procedures, Employer's Kit, a directory of sources of capital and updates on local business training opportunities.

Promoting the Community Chamber Wins 1st Place—Best Web Site Award At the Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.) conference in Los Angeles, California the Castle Rock Chamber was rewarded for many months of planning and re-designing its website in February, 2011. Castle Rock was up against some “heavy hitters” of western region chambers, such as Las Vegas, Nevada and Redondo Beach, California, that won Special Merit and Honorable Mention respectively for their websites. This new website demonstrates the value of Chamber membership and has added many valuable resources available to local businesses that an efficient website provides.

Promoting the Community (continued) Images of Castle Rock Community magazine coordinated with our partners, Journal Communications, promotes the benefits of Castle Rock’s thriving economic, social, academic and civic Structure. Realtors and relocation advocates consider it an extremely effective tool for showcasing the community in print and online. This publication reflects the commitment of the Chamber to develop quality, cutting-edge resources for endorsement of Castle Rock. Business directories and area maps of Castle Rock and Douglas County Available to chamber members, hotel guests, and perfect for visitors to find key locations within our community, business directories and maps encourage loyalty by Castle Rock residents as a “first choice” shopping destination through advertising and partnership with local media. The monthly advertising campaign “Find it Here” continues to be published in local newspapers, magazines and neighborhood newsletters. Shop the Rock This program continues the distribution of Welcome Bags to new homeowners and apartment dwellers. Bags include area demographics, local magazines, directories, maps, etc. The packets showcase Castle Rock as a destination spot for shopping and dining. 2,792 welcome bags were distributed in 2011. St. Jude Dream Home The St. Jude Dream Home giveaway is a community service project to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research hospital. The Chamber assisted with promoting their dream home giveaway in 2011. Pam Ridler, President/CEO of the Chamber was Chairwoman of this project which raised $1.1 million for the children of St. Jude. Over 10,000 guests toured the home before the raffle. This is the first home in Colorado to be built and the highest amount of money raised in a first year campaign. Hospitality & Tourism The Castle Rock experience, where customer attention and uniqueness is emphasized, is showcased on a tourist-dedicated website, VisitCastleRock.org as a place for visitors to Shop - Savor - Play - Stay and includes travel coupons from local businesses. A Castle Rock Hospitality & Tourism (CRHAT) program encourages industry professionals to build a network of support, collaboration and partnership among industry members and endorse tourism in the Castle Rock area. A taskforce has been created marketing directly to tour bus operators to make Castle Rock a physical destination along the bus travel routes.

A Visitors Center is located inside the Castle Rock Chamber building. Efforts are being pursued with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to acquire highway signage directing travelers to this location. The Chamber has also partnered with local organizations to create way-finding signs that assist visitors in locating the Chamber and Visitor Center.

A monthly Customer Service Training educates and rewards businesses and employees for extraordinary service. Begun in March, 2010, the training includes educating local hospitality employees about the amenities in Castle Rock. Employees then become local ambassadors as a result of this training.

Community and regional events To promote ways to keep the citizenry connected and supportive of activities that add to Castle Rock’s lifestyle and sense of community—including enhanced social and cultural experiences, educational excellence and recreational opportunities—the Chamber has taken the lead on facilitating community-wide events which bring visitors to Castle Rock and, in turn, increase sales tax revenues.

Continuing in 2012, the Chamber will present the following events: The Healthy Living Expo (new in February, 2012; Elephant Rock Ride (June-coordination of the 23 non-profit organizations for this event) 9,604 attendance; Castle Rock WineFest (July) 2,078 attendance; Douglas County Fair Parade (August) 13,500 attendance; Colorado Artfest at Castle Rock (September) 21,300 attendance; and Starlighting (November) 15,000 attendance. The Chamber has begun the process of investigating the economic impact of community regional events has on the Castle Rock business community. Starlighting 2011

Castle Rock WineFest

Colorado Artfest at Castle Rock

Douglas County Fair Parade Elephant Rock Ride

Representing the Interests of Business with Government and Political Action The Chamber partnered with the Douglas County Business Alliance, Government Issues Committee and Southern Colorado Business Partnership in 2011. Holding four public issue forums, these partnerships worked to influence decisions on legislative issues that affect business. The Chamber has continued to seek and maintain strategic relationships and alliances throughout the Denver Metro area and the Southern Colorado region.

Developing Business Relationships Through networking and business exposure opportunities, such as the following, the Chamber aids local business people to cultivate relationships with one another. Ambassador Program Annual Banquet Business After Hours Business of the Month Business Over Breakfast Leads Groups New Member Ribbon Cuttings Women of Influence Luncheon Series Turkey/Greece Trade Mission Trip Chamber Golf Tournament

Community Leadership and Development Leadership Douglas County is one of Castle Rock Chamberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most successful training programs. This educational opportunity is offered to mid and upper level employees seeking to develop their leadership skills, academic elements and community service opportunities within our county. Now in its thirteenth year, the longevity of this program speaks to the continuing importance people place on leadership development.

Young Professionals-Castle Rock Stars The CRS has worked hard to provide more services than ever this year, while increasing membership in the program and building stronger partnerships with the Chamber. We continue to encourage young employees and business owners (21-40 years of age) to become actively involved in business and community issues through the Castle Rock Stars young professionals program.

Castle Rock Stars assisting with the Front Street Clean up.

Masters of Business--(New) The Chamber and Webster University Webster University now offers a master's degree programs in Business Administration (MBA) and Management & Leadership (MA). Classes started in January 2012 and are held Thursdays 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the board room of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce. The programs consist of five, nine-week classes per year. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not too late to begin your MBA in Castle Rock-New students are being accepted quarterly.

Castle Rock Economic Partnership (CREP) The Castle Rock Economic Partnership (CREP) is a coordinated multi-entity, public/private partnership, team approach to community economic development projects. The team is composed of representatives of the Town, Chamber, Castle Rock EDC, Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the Downtown Merchant's Association (DMA). This partnership is a platform for exchanging ideas and improving our work product and existing programs. Broad Areas of Responsibility (by organization) Town of Castle Rock Quality development & quality development systems and processes Overall positive business climate Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce Community branding and marketing Business support services Hospitality and tourism Castle Rock Economic Development Council Attraction, retention and expansion of primary employment, retail, entertainment and recreation Database Management Downtown Alliance (DDA & DMA) Downtown development, redevelopment, marketing and programs

2011 Priorities: Creation of a Wedding District Complete an entertainment analysis Creation of an economic development fund--$5m Creation of a retail program

Local Partnerships Castle Rock Economic Partnership (CREP) continues to be an effective and award-winning partnership between the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce, Castle Rock EDC, Town of Castle Rock and the Downtown Alliance .

Regional Partnerships The Castle Rock Chamber enjoys effective and meaningful partnerships with a diverse number of organizations. Partnering provides resources for individual business owners through the Douglas County and Castle Rock Economic Gardeners program. Legislative issues that affect business in Douglas County are influenced through the Douglas County Business Alliance and the Chamber proactively represents Castle Rock and Douglas County through regional partnerships such as the Southern Colorado Business Partnership.