Q3 2023 Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

QUARTERLY COFFEE RECAP | SEPT. 15

Nearly 75 attended the Quarterly Coffee on Sept 15 at the Surf Ballroom & Museum, where they received updates from Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Stacy Doughan; Clear Lake Community School District Superintendent Doug Gee; Clear Lake City Administrator Scott Flory and North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corp President and CEO Chad Schreck

Employees with the event’s sponsor Pritchard Companies provided an update on recent successes and future plans, and Colleen Frein representing Child Care Works North Iowa gave a special report on the local initiative to improve access to affordable child care

Plus, new employees and new members were introduced, upcoming events were shared and business accomplishments were celebrated

Miss the event? Find the full video online here, and mark your calendars for our next one on Dec 15!

UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS

Saturday, Oct. 7 | 9 a.m.

Champagne 5K

Downtown Clear Lake

Kick off Harvest Festival with the fun Champagne 5K walk/run featuring bubbly and Barbie-themed T-shirts Sign up for the Champagne 5K here!

Saturday, Oct. 7 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Harvest Festival

Downtown Clear Lake

Stroll down Main Avenue and enjoy wine and beer samples, shopping, vendors and a huge outdoor farmers market Don’t forget about the homemade salsa contest, grape stomp competition, food trucks, live music, hay r and more!

Fridays, Oct 13, Nov 10 & Dec 8 | 1

Monthly Senior Chamber Coffee Chamber, 205 Main Ave

Friday, Oct. 20 | 10-11 a.m.

Membership 101 Chamber, 205 Main Ave

Learn how to maximize your member ben optimize your business directory listin more RSVP to stacy@clearlakeiowa com

Thursday, Nov. 2 | Varies

Clear Lake Retail Holiday Preview

Throughout Clear Lake

Retailers usher in the holiday shopping season with a preview Shoppers get a glimpse at the latest in holiday gift giving and decorations and enjoy discounts and treats

Saturday, Nov. 25

Small Business Saturday

Throughout Clear Lake

A day to celebrate and support our small businesses and all they do for our community

Please join us in supporting our local businesses by shopping at their locations throughout the Clear Lake Area

Saturday, Dec. 2

Christmas by the Lake Downtown Clear Lake

Kick off the holiday season with this family-friendly event featuring horsedrawn carriage rides, a craft show, a petting zoo, a visit with Santa and more as well as a lighted parade and fireworks over the frozen lake

Friday, Dec. 15 | 7:30 a.m.

Quarterly Coffee

Surf Lounge, 460 N Shore Dr New hire, promotion, award, recognition or event you'd like to share? Email ashley@clearlakeiowa com to get on the agenda

alMeeting & Awards Ceremony

ng of Friday, Jan. 26

Western Holiday Lodge in Clear Lake

Let’s celebrate the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce’s accomplishments of 2023 together and kick off a new year! We’ll honor our annual awards winners and recognize incoming and outgoing Board members. Stay tuned for more information and how you can purchase tickets.

Interested in sponsoring this event? Reach out to stacy@clearlakeiowa.com.

3 MUST-READ BLOG POSTS

Fall Fun: Clear Lake‘s Top 10

It’s no secret Clear Lake is the place to be during the summer months, but it also packs a punch in the fall Here are our ten favorites!

Celebrating National Non-Profit Day

Nonprofits serve our communities by fostering civic engagement and leadership, driving economic growth and strengthening the structure within our communities Learn how you can support them

Excellence through the Years

Clear Lake Bank & Trust is a family business that has a rich history in the community since 1934 Revisit the bank’s origin here.

GET WEISS: MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CHAMBER BENEFITS

Holiday shopping season is upon us, and that means now, perhaps more than ever, is the time to start getting your message in front of potential customers

One way the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce helps you do that is the “Shop Local Clear Lake” Facebook Group

The group was started in 2021 to elevate active Chamber member businesses’ social media activity in newsfeeds so they can more effectively promote their products and services

The Facebook algorithm a set of rules that rank content across the platform prioritizes posts in individual newsfeeds shared from Pages and Groups that users are connected to and have engaged with in the past

Oftentimes that means a business post that’s shared in a Facebook group will appear higher, or more frequently, in an individual’s newsfeed than one shared solely on their Facebook page

“Shop Local Clear Lake” currently has about 2,600 members, who have joined to receive information about our Chamber member businesses throughout North Iowa, so it can only help your business by expanding its reach

So how can you get involved and join the fun?

While you’re logged into Facebook as your business or organization, find the “Shop Local Clear Lake” Facebook Group

Once you’ve found it, select Join

You’ll be asked to agree to the rules, “Be kind and courteous” and “Chamber member posts only” by checking the box

Click Submit, and your request will be reviewed for approval by the Chamber team

Once you’re approved, you’ll be able to share the same content you’re already sharing on your Facebook page, whether it’s a change in hours, new products and services, job hiring or more

The more active the group, the more eyes it’ll attract, and hopefully that will mean more dollars for your business or organization Questions? Give me a call at 641-357-2159!

As a member of the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, you can display your business cards (3.5 inches by 2 inches) or tourism-related brochures in our Visitor Center at 205 Main Ave For questions, call Tourism Director Libbey Hohn at 641-357-2159 or email her at libbey@clearlakeiowa.com.

Volunteers Needed!

Harvest Festival | Saturday, Oct. 7

Harvest Festival is returning to downtown Clear Lake, and we’ve added more tasting locations in addition to all your returning favorites. That means we need more volunteers to help with pouring tasting splashes You don't need to know anything about beer/wine to be a pourer (our wineries take care of the wine education part, they just like a little help keeping the lines moving).

All shifts are two hours, so you can volunteer AND enjoy the festival

Sign up here.

By Ashley Weiss Membership Engagement Director

Educational Opportunities

Tech-Driven Productivity

Tuesday, Sept 19 | 8 a m - Noon | Best Western Clear Lake

Join renowned tech expert, Beth Z, Your Nerdy Best Friend, for a half-day workshop that will empower your small- or medium-size business with the perfect balance of cutting-edge technology, including the transformative power of AI. In this dynamic session, Beth Z will demystify complex technologies and reveal practical insights that will revolutionize the way you work. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to learn from Beth Z and join a community of like-minded business leaders Sign up now to embrace the future of productivity and set your business up for unprecedented success.

Registration is free to business partnership members and $69 for all others. To register, click here.

Google Your Way to Success

Want to learn how to utilize Google to grow your business? Register for this free three-part series

Session One: Build Your Online Presence: Establish Domain, Website, and Email

Wednesday, Sept. 20 | 1-2 p.m. | Virtual Event via Zoom

This session helps get your home on the web started by covering the benefits of owning a domain, how to get the most out of your domain, and helpful web terms to know Register for Session 1

Session Two: Unlock Online Success: Reaching Customers with Google

Wednesday, Oct 11 | 10 -11 a m | NIACC Pappajohn Center PC #117

Need to improve your website’s visibility with SEO? We will cover improving your website’s visibility in Google’s organic search results, creating a free Google Business Profile, and how to advertise your business on Google. Register for Session 2.

Session Three: Thrive in a Digital World: Connect with Customers and Manage Your Business Remotely

Wednesday, Nov 15 | 11 a m -Noon | NIACC Pappajohn Center PC #224

With the vastly growing trend of working remotely, this session will help any entrepreneur be able to manage their business remotely Register for Session 3

Ribbon Cuttings

Sprecher Law Office | Friday, July 7

Grace and Strength | Tuesday, July 11

Wilson Yarbrough State Farm | Tuesday, July 11

Nash & Ivy | Tuesday, July 11

Next Level Health and Wellness | Tuesday, July 11 Apple Valley Place Memory Care Unit | Thursday, July 13

Brothers Ace Hardware | Thursday, July 20

Chick-fil-A Tri-State Food Truck | Saturday, July 29

July 4th Celebration: Decades of Fun

More than 150,000 people visited Clear Lake during the weeklong July 4th Celebration this year to enjoy carnival rides, food and fun

The carnival Evans United Shows celebrated its 50th year in Clear Lake with a record-breaking year, and the Evans family was honored as the 2023 parade grand marshals The theme of this year’s parade was “Decades of Fun ”

The event opened on Thursday, June 29, with a ribbon cutting in City Park followed by live music each night, including Sideshow Bob (sponsored by Clear Lake Bank & Trust), Arch Allies (Curries/ASSA ABLOY and Joshua Homes), County Line Drive (173° Craft Distillery), M80’s with Turn Me Loose (Kingland and Renovo Media Group), and Casey Muessigmann (Harrison Ford) The celebration also featured a lakeside vendor market, Bingo, and Family Fun Day activities, sponsored by CL Tel, Woodford Lumber & Home and Pritchard Companies

Nearly 90 entries participated in the July 4th parade, which was attended by more than 17,000 people, and although the fireworks were postponed one day due to the weather, thousands took in the display over the lake The Clear Lake Municipal Band, sponsored by Larson’s Mercantile, played in City Park before the fireworks

The winners of this year’s parade, judged by the First Mates, were: First Place, Lake Theatre; Second Place, Chad Harrison CPA; and Third Place, Elly’s Lounge

Mark your calendars for July 3-7, 2024, for next year’s celebration!

Chamber Golf FUNdraiser: A Day of Community Fun

Twenty-four teams participated in the Chamber’s annual Golf FUNdraiser on Friday, July 21, at Veterans Memorial Golf Club in Clear Lake.

This year’s event followed a new format, featuring a nine-hole tournament with games and activities at each hole, lunch by Smokin’ Mana’s and a social hour open to all Chamber members with appetizers provided by Surfside Hospitality Group

Schoneman REALTORS®, including golfers Cody Schoneman, Lindsey Schoneman, Kyle Schoneman and Beau Haes, took home this year’s trophy

The First Mates relocated their “What the Duck?!” game to Hole 1 and had a great year A special thanks to the dozens of Chamber members who donated merchandise or gift certificates as prizes for the game, which supports the First Mates’ effort to be ambassadors for the Chamber and its mission

Thank you to our presenting sponsor Pritchard Family Auto Stores and our hole sponsors ServiceMaster by Rice, First Gabrielson Agency, Cabin Coffee Co , MBT Bank, CL Tel, Servpro, Farmers State Bank, Clear Lake Bank & Trust, CLB&T Insurance and Financial Services, ATURA Architecture and Bergland + Cram for making this event a success.

Thursdays on Main: 10 Weeks of Family Fun

Thursdays on Main drew nearly 7,000 people to downtown Clear Lake each week to enjoy live music, food and retail vendors and fun for the whole family

The 10-week event featured bounce houses, kiddie train rides and Wayne’s Ski and Cycle’s new Strider Bike Course More than 100 retail and food vendors participated in the event this summer, including a record number of food trucks

The Chamber teamed up with member Mojo Productions of Britt to revamp the classic car show, now known as Mojo’s Main Avenue Cruise-In, and the most vehicles on display in one evening was nearly 90 and about 650 over the course of the summer

There were also special guest appearances from popular children’s characters Bluey, Poppy, Super Mario and Pikachu, and a special Back-to-School night concluded the event on Aug 17 with a dunk tank to raise money for the Clear Lake Kids and Families in Need Fund.

Thank you to the following sponsors for making the 10-week event a success: Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, Sevens Restaurant & Steakhouse, TAP’d, NextEra Energy, Curries/ASSA ABLOY, Apex Clean Energy, Pritchard Lake Chevrolet, First Citizens Bank, Clear Lake Bank & Trust, CL Tel, Mediacom, Kingland, Community Health Center, 173° Craft Distillery, Midland Concrete, Larson’s Mercantile, Hall Realty, Charlie Brown Preschool & Child Care, Cookies etc , Bergland + Cram, Farmers State Bank, Skip’s Kicks, MBT Bank, and Veenstra & Kimm

Educators Appreciation Breakfast: Giving Back to Clear Lake Schools

More than 240 Clear Lake Community School District teachers and staff were treated to a large, hot breakfast on the morning of Thursday, Aug 17, during this year’s Educators Appreciation Breakfast

Thirty-one sponsors decorated tables in the High School vestibule with welcome back gifts from school supplies and snacks to gift cards for each person to honor their dedication to the district’s children at the start of a new school year

Sponsors were invited to sit down and visit with teachers and staff at their table during breakfast, which was catered by Hy-Vee West of Mason City, followed by a brief program

Thank you to the following businesses for helping us provide a warm welcome to the Clear Lake Community School District’s teachers and staff: ABCM Corp /Oakwood Care Center, Athletico Physical Therapy, ATURA Architecture, Bergland + Cram, Brothers Ace Hardware, Cabin Coffee, CENT Credit Union, Clear Lake Bank & Trust, CL Tel, Clear Lake Family Dentistry, Community Health Center, Courtesy Corporation McDonald’s, Country Meadow Place, Farmers State Bank, Fairway Independent Mortgage, Fareway, First Citizens Bank, First Gabrielson Agency, Freedom Boat Club, Harrison Ford of Clear Lake, Kingland, Lake Dental Associates, Lashier Graphics MBT Bank, Michael’s Cookies, NIACC Pappajohn Center, NTI, Ltd , Pritchard Companies, Starboard Market, Surf Ballroom & Museum and The Window Source of Mason City

Questions?

Meet Our Board of Directors

Chair-Elect/Treasurer First Citizens Bank

Carrie Tysdahl Past Chair American Solutions for Business

Mark Dodd Vice Chair of Legislative Affairs One Vision

Robert Barber Vice Chair of Tourism Cabin Coffee Company

Kent Thoe Chair MBT Bank

Aaron Donaldson Lake Theatre

Denni Sue Erickson Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel

Kristi Miles Pritchards Lake Chevrolet

Liz LeFevre First Gabrielson Agency

Amanda Kasten Kingland

Michael Knorr Accord Architecture

Carrie Shannon Hall Realty Kent Beatty CL Tel

Austin Pehl ATURA Architecture Josh Thompson Clear Lake Bank & Trust

Krystal Thoe Oakwood Care Center