NEW SAMELOGO,MISSION

Rebranding Symbolizes The Union Of The Central Palm Beach County Chamber And The Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce Of Palm Beach County

The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County recently held a launch party at the Wellington International showgrounds to celebrate the unveiling of new logos and branding for the jointly run organizations.

The new logo outlines a white palm tree in blue, green and gold colors. Mary Lou Bedford, CEO of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber, said that the goal of the rebranding is to solidify the message of the union between the two previously separate organizations as one.

“In the summer of 2020, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce expressed interest to join with our orga- nization as its area encompassed a large portion of the Hispanic businesses, and our missions were aligned,” Bedford explained. “During the pandemic, we saw a trend across the nation’s chamber organizations, partnering to give a stronger, more collective voice to the business community.”

The Central Chamber’s board of directors voted to move forward with the Hispanic Chamber as part of a unified organization.

“However, after almost a year and a half of the partnership, the message still wasn’t clear that we are one organization with two entities within it,” Bedford said. “If you are a member of one, you are a member of both. It’s important for our members to realize that the Central

Chamber remains focused on economic sustainability, development and advocacy for our businesses, but now we had an additional opportunity with the Hispanic Chamber as part of the organization to serve a larger demographic of businesses countywide. It gives members of both chambers a broader networking pool.”

In 2022, at the suggestion of current board chair Pam Tahan, CEO of Wellington Regional Medical Center, they put together a focus group of members from both organizations.

“During the focus group sessions, it was determined that a rebranding of the chambers would be effective with our new strategy as an organization,” Bedford said.

Maria S. Antuña has been the CEO of the Hispanic Chamber for eight years and continues in that role, in charge of business development/Hispanic affairs for the unified chamber group.

“The decision to join the two chambers brings combined efforts in the areas of economic impact, marketing opportunities, workforce development strategies and a stronger combined effort in the advocacy area,” said Antuña, noting that the Hispanic Chamber has been around since 1996. “The Hispanic Chamber and Central Palm Beach County Chamber overlapped in pockets of the county. With the Hispanic Chamber covering all of Palm Beach County, it made sense to join forces, and both chambers benefit from creating a solid, strong partnership.”

She believes that the rebranding effort will create clarity and a strong perception of a unified organization. The new logo better represents the joining of the two chambers, Antuña said.

Krissy Robbs, marketing manager for both chambers, was involved in planning the Rebranding Launch Party held in February at the Wellington International showgrounds.

“The Village of Wellington partnered with the chambers for this event,” Robbs said. “The main objective for having the Rebranding Launch

Party at Wellington International during the Great Charity Challenge was to increase awareness of the partnership of the two chambers.”

Chamber Vice Chair Michael Stone, president of Wellington International, led the invitation-only event and revealed the new logo to the board of directors, members and guests.

“Guests mingled and watched the equestrian activities while enjoying dinner,” Robbs said. “The Village of Wellington’s council members and Mayor Anne Gerwig made a proclamation at the event honoring the equestrian season. Guests were gifted favor bags as a token of appreciation from the chambers. ProForma Turnkey Marketing donated the bags and the items inside. Inside the bags were bamboo water bottles, a notepad and pen, and hand sanitizer — all with the new branding of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Palm Beach County.”

Stone was excited about how the rebranding has been received. “The rebranding was essential to show how the Hispanic Chamber and the Central Chamber are clearly working together to help businesses both large and small in Palm Beach County,” he said.

Bedford noted that the unified chamber, which operates out of an office in

Wellington, represents not only a huge coverage area, but also a large slice of local history.

“The Central Palm Beach County Chamber, formerly known as the Palms West Chamber, is celebrating 40 years this year,” she said. “We became the Central Palm Beach County Chamber in 2012, after a merger with the Lake Worth Chamber, expanding our footprint to one-third of the county. The Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce had been in existence for more than 100 years at that time, so there’s a lot of history in this organization.”

Bedford believes that the recent rebranding will help unify the local business community.

“It will bring a more unified business community, that has a strong, diversified representation of business leaders and organizations in all industries,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to support initiatives that impact a larger demographic of the business community. Our organization will continue to be a voice for advocacy in all areas of industry, throughout Palm Beach County, to ensure a healthy business climate for all.”

Antuña believes that the future is strong for the Hispanic Chamber.

“With the help of our newly formed diversified Hispanic Advisory Council, the Hispanic Chamber will continue providing a platform for the Hispanic community, serve as a voice for the Hispanic community, and provide opportunities for businesses to contribute to the economic growth in Palm Beach County,” she said. “Both the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Central Palm Beach County Chamber are proud in serving all of the county, contributing to the economic growth of the area while representing and supporting diversity and inclusion.”

For more information about the two chambers, visit www.cpbchamber.com and www.hispanicchamberpbc.com.

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