CHAMBER NOTES

West Hartford Chamber of Commerce: How the West Hartford Chamber keeps it local during the holiday season

by Christopher Conway

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for businesses. The National Retail Federation estimates that approximately 19 percent of overall retail sales come in the months of November and December. They note certain sectors see much higher numbers as percentage of sales this time of year. Restaurants see a similar spike due to more eating out, holiday celebrations and gift card sales.

By extension, chambers of commerce are generally very effective in their efforts to drive revenue to the businesses in their communities. The West Hartford Chamber of Commerce is no exception. We leverage several tools and opportunities to encourage people to shop small and shop local.

As a regular feature on our website, we post blogs on a variety of subjects relevant to business. Some recent topics regarding the holidays have been: “7 Ways to Get Your Business Ready for the Holidays”, “Why Shop Small for the Holidays?” and “4 Things to Do For Your Small Business in December.”

Social media is an impactful tool in amplifying messages and calls to action. The West Hartford Chamber is the administrator of the very popular Take Out Time West Hartford Facebook Group. Founded in 2020 in response to the COVID 19 pandemic, the group was founded as a means for restaurants to promote hours of operation, methods of serving and delivery, and specials. With close to 5000 active members, the group continues to be a very effective means for restaurant promotion and community engagement with people sharing positive experiences and asking for recommendations for local restaurants.

During the 2019 holiday season, the West Hartford Chamber’s own social media influencer came on the scene in the form of a plush, frosty friend. Noah the Snowman comes to town each holiday making surprise visits with Chamber members. His exploits and adventures are shared on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. In the past four years, Noah has done over 100 drop-ins with chamber members. With thousands of views, Noah’s goal is to use his status as an influencer to promote member businesses during the holidays. Over the years, he has eaten at many restaurants, done his holiday shopping, worked out, purchased property and had spa treatments - just to name a few of his many exploits. He even has his own hashtag: #WHereIsNoah.

Besides Noah, the chamber staff is constantly sharing posts on behalf of members to help with the amplification of their individual messages. Instagram Stories has proven to be powerful and popular in this process.

Without a doubt, the largest holiday initiative the chamber plays a leading role in is the Annual Holiday Stroll. 2022 marked the 35th anniversary of this classic New England holiday celebration. The West Hartford Chamber partners with the Town of West Hartford and community stakeholders Blue Back Square and West Hartford Center Business Association to highlight the sights, sounds, scents, and flavors of the holiday season.

Each year, on the first Thursday after Thanksgiving, thousands of people fill West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square for this free family-friendly event. Visitors partake in tasty treats, visits with Santa, live performances on three stages, and overall holiday cheer. In an effort to make the event inclusive and reflective of our community, The Holiday Stroll also features a menorah, live nativity, a variety of performances of music, dance and spoken word - many accompanied by sign language interpreters. Over the decades, the Stroll has become one of the most popular holiday attractions in the state.

As an organization, the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce is always looking for meaningful and unique ways to support our member businesses and local community. Like many of the members we represent, the fourth quarter is one of our busiest, and most rewarding times of the year.

Christopher Conway Executive Director West Hartford Chamber of Commerce 860.521.2300 - office 860.810.5663 - cell cconway@whchamber.com www.whchamber.com