Ask the Expert columns are written by members with helpful information relevant to other member businesses and/or the general public.  Articles are published on the blog, shared on the Chamber' Facebook Page, and linked in the Weekly Update email to members.

How to participate:  Send your article text, along with relevant photos (if possible) to Amanda.  Be sure to include an "About the Author" clip and photo to be included!

  Member Features highlight big accomplishments or newsworthy items from our members.  Features generally cover things like major anniversaries/milestones, new locations/expansions, awards, etc.  Like our "Ask the Expert" columns, Member Features are published on the blog, shared on the Chamber' Facebook Page, and linked in the Weekly Update email to members.

How to participate:  Send a press release with photos (if possible) to Amanda, or simply let us know you have something big going on, and we will write the feature ourselves.  Be sure to include or provide info for an "About Us" section - A few short sentences summarizing your business.

We're excited for a brand new program featuring our amazing members.  The "Thankful for our Community" Raffle will showcase multiple prizes every day in the month of November, with extra exposure for our donors in the months prior, when shoppers are preparing for holiday shopping!

Donors will be promoted and tagged in an individual Facebook Post prior to November with a prize image including business logo.  Images will also be saved in a Raffle Album.

All prizes and donors will be listed (with link to donor website or Facebook page) on the raffle webpage at www.washmochamber.org/raffle.

Donors receive an additional mention on social media when their prize is awarded.

We hope to have our prize list complete by September 1st, and will begin selling raffle tickets in mid-August.  Tickets will be available at the Chamber Office, or through Chamber Board members, Staff, and Ambassadors.  Interested in donating?  Complete our form!

Together, the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce and Washington Missourian are recognizing the up-and-coming generation of area leaders. Following are the rules for the “Outstanding Young Professional Awards.” Awards will be presented at a Chamber luncheon on Monday, October 5, 2020.

ELIGIBILITY
Nominees shall be an employee of a company or organization which holds a membership with the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce.  Nominees must be 40 years or under as of January 1, 2020.  View our Member Directory.

PROCEDURE

Nominations are due at the Chamber Office by August 21, 2020.
Nominations shall consist of the Official Nomination Form, including the following three questions

• How has the nominee gone above and beyond the call of duty for his or her employment position?
• What sets the nominee apart from other young professionals?
• What participation, involvement, or leadership roles has the nominee held in their community?

The persons selected to receive awards will be notified to ensure attendance at the Chamber Luncheon.

JUDGING
Judging will be done by a committee of five: three from the Membership PR committee of the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce and two from the Washington Missourian. The committee reserves the right to determine additional persons for consideration.
 
​The Outstanding Young Professional Awards were created in 2013.  To date, the Chamber and Missourian have honored 90 recipients.  Information on past honorees is available at www.washmochamber.org/PastAwardWinners.

As part of our ongoing efforts toward Member engagement and satisfaction, we are scheduling some Zoom meetings to review benefits of the Chamber and expand on some ways businesses can maximize their membership!  The meetings will also give members a bit of face to face (via screen) time, with part of the call dedicated to member introductions.  Each call will last approximately 30 minutes.  Participants will have a chance to ask questions and offer feedback to help us build a better Chamber and community!  Pre-registration is required, and Zoom information will be e-mailed to participants the morning of the call.

Click a date and time below to register.  You can also access details and registration from the Community Calendar on the Chamber's website.

Tuesday, July 28 - 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 30 - 10:00 a.m.
Monday, August 3 - 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 11 - 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, August 13 - 2:00 p.m.

Can't attend a scheduled meeting?  Feel free to contact the Chamber Office (636-239-2715) for an introduction to our online member system, and check out these Member Resources!  Top 10 Membership Benefits  ~  Getting the Most Out of Your Membership  ~  Membership Guide

We know our members have fun facts and little-known information about their history, their operations, and more!  We thought this would be a great time to showcase that trivia for our community to learn more about our local businesses.  It's a great opportunity for exposure on social media! 

In order to have a successful campaign, we'd like to have at least 20 trivia pieces to feature before we begin to post them on the Chamber's Facebook page.  If you have something you would like to submit, please e-mail your fun fact and your business logo to ​trivia@washmochamber.org.  

Need ideas for your fun facts?  Here are some suggestions to jump-start your creativity!

• Do you manufacture something people don't realize you make?
• Does your building have a unique history?
• Have you been given a shout-out by a "famous" fan?
• Does your business name have a special meaning?
• Do you have a funny story from your early days in business (it doesn't matter how long ago that was!)?

​The Washington Police Department asked us to share the following information regarding street closures for upcoming peaceful protests.

Saturday, June 13

March and candlelight vigil, starting at 7 p.m. in the area of Lowe's.
The walk will travel to Hwy A and then back to Hwy 47.
Vigil will be on shoulders of Hwy 100 & 47 and could impact traffic in that area.

Monday, June 15

Starting at approximately 9:00 a.m. - Main Street and Lafayette Street in the area of the Missourian will be closed to traffic.

​Have you seen the promotional videos featuring Washington?  
Catch up with them on the community website, www.washmo.org,  or the @washmochamber Facebook Page or YouTube Channel!

The video series is a joint project from the City of Washington and the Chamber, led by the Young Ambassadors, a group established specifically to complete this project and promote the area to Young Professionals throughout the region.

Special Thanks to Show Media for producing the videos.  Chamber members specializing in video production were given the opportunity to bid on the project, and Show Media submitted the winning bid.  The business also provided a unique perspective, as it was created by three young entrepreneurs, including one that lives in Washington.

An extra special thank you goes to the following businesses that sponsored the video series - Bank of Franklin County, Bank of Washington, Citizens Bank, and First State Community Bank.
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