Program areas at Vermont Chamber of Commerce
Travel and tourism: the Chamber publishes and distributes one tourism guidebook annually, the Vermont annual inspiration guide, and manages a statewide tourism business directory. Members and non-members can purchase advertisements and listings in the magazine and directory, which are both print and web-based. Members are provided a discount as a benefit of membership, which furthers the Chamber's mission to create an economic climate conducive to business growth. Expenses related to travel and tourism consist primarily of printing and distribution costs, as well as the salaries and benefits for advertising sales and support staff.
Membership: the Chamber's membership base is comprised of roughly 1,000 Vermont businesses that pay dues annually in an amount based on the size of the business. Membership program expenses consist primarily of those relating to sales personnel and member recruitment and retention.
Events: the Chamber hosts several events throughout the year, generating revenue from sponsorships, exhibition booth sales and general admission. The largest events include the Vermont economic conference, the manufacturing summit and the citizen of the year awards. Expenses related to events are related to event management and support personnel, as well as facility rental, catering and promotional costs.
Governmental affairs: there are four lobbyists employed by the Chamber who advocate on behalf of Vermont businesses on issues identified as important to members. This is viewed as a significant benefit of membership in the Chamber and does not generate direct revenue. Expenses are primarily personnel-related, and also include any outside consulting fees paid. Vace: the Chamber was the administrator for the vace insurance program, a group dental and vision insurance association plan. The vace association plan covered nearly 1,000 small businesses in Vermont. All premium billing, enrollments and customer service were handled by the Chamber staff. Revenue to the Chamber was in the form of monthly administrative contract fees based on the number of subscribers at the end of each month. Expenses relate to salaries, benefits and postage.