Gilroy Chamber of CommerceOFFICERSchair of the board ERIC GEBHARDT • Hilton Garden Inn

Past chair ERIC HOWARD • Bruce’s Tire, Inc.

chair of the board-elect DEBBI SANCHEZ • Fortino Winery

secretary/treasurer DAVID MATUSZAK, Ed.D. • Santa Clara County R.O.P., South

Vc oPeratioNs & deVeloPMeNt JAN PEAT • McDonald’s of Gilroy

Vc Public affairs GREGG GIUSIANA • Retired Police Chief

Vc busiNess PrograMs & serVices DEBBI SANCHEZ • Fortino Winery

Vc MarKetiNg & coMMuNicatioNs LISA CASSARA • Coldwell Banker

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BRIGITTE NICHOLLS • Union Bank CHAR MARRAZZO • Marrazzo Financial LLOYD LOWREY • Noland, Hamerly, Etienne & Hoss MARK TURNER • South Valley Community Church CHERYL ELLEMBERG • ABD Promotions GINA LOPEZ • State Farm Insurance

CHAMBER STAFF Susan Valenta • President/CEO Michelle Garcia • Administrative Assistant Chris Bevilacqua • Administrative Assistant Rosie Vogel • Administrative Assistant Sue Thurman • Business Relationship Manager

WELCOME CENTER STAFF Jane Howard • Executive Director Pam Gimenez • Office Manager

edc staff Tammy Brownlow • President/CEO Candace Van Sambeek, Administrative Assistant

focus ProductioN staff EDITOR • Susan Valenta, President/CEO Gilroy Chamber of Commerce

PRODUCTION & DESIGN • J. Chris Mickartz InfoPOWER Communications

PHOTOGRAPHY • Larry Mickartz InfoPOWER Communication

7471 Monterey Street • Gilroy, CA 95020 web: www.gilroy.org e-mail: chamber@gilroy.org phone: (408) 842-6437

Page 2 Gilroy Business Focus I May 2013

ERIC GEBHARDT2013 Chair of the BoardGilroy Chamber ofCommerce

SUSAN VALENTA President/CEOGilroy Chamber ofCommerce

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, my column has been from the Hilton Garden Inn perspective. It has been a deliberate way of giving a business person’s view on the cause and effect of various factors within our local sectors.

As you know, my business attracts guests from all over the world and becomes the home to thousands of guests every year – some for a day, a week, or even a month. Although these guests are in my ‘home’, they play an integral part within the micro-economy of Gilroy.

For example, in the month of April, Syngenta Flowers held their Spring Trials. Attendees from countries in Europe, Asia, and South America made Gilroy their home for a full week. Everyone has since gone home with their Gilroy experience – whether

Welcome to my homeit was their stay at our property, shopping in our local centers, eating at our restaurants, visiting our wineries, or using other local services. On our part, they were a valued guest, and we generated transit occupancy taxes that went directly to the City of Gilroy in the general fund.

July is just a few months away, and the Hilton Garden Inn as well as other properties throughout the area will be home to guests visiting the 35th annual Gilroy Garlic Festival. We all have an opportunity to treat each guest to a memorable stay in Gilroy and to give a lasting, positive impression of Gilroy.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is all about fun, food, and fine hospitality. With an expected attendance of over 120,000 guests, we have a

BEFORE I BEGAN WORKING for the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce a little over 24 years ago, I had a small business. It started as a home-based venture and then expanded out to an office location. Looking back, the most difficult challenge was developing a client base. A very limited budget meant trying everything from putting up flyers to leaving a stack of business cards at complementary-type businesses.

But there was one thing I did that became my most effective market-ing tool -- I joined the Chamber. The Chamber became my marketing partner and gave me the forum to reach out to a wide audience that was impossible to do without a tremendous outlay of resources. The Chamber investment was nominal in comparison to the thousands of dollars in sales generated for my business.

Admittedly, it still was challenging to develop clients, but the chamber provided the opportunities – the opportunity for relationship-building, the opportunity to have my busi-ness name referred when someone

Chamber — where membership pays

prime opportunity to prepare Gilroy for this grand event and entice people to visit us throughout the year. Whether you are a business, resident, vendor, or volunteer, we have a vested interest in the micro-economy of Gilroy. We all have the chance to have our guests consider Gilroy a place to call ‘home’ – even if it is only for a day, a week, or a month. Join the Hilton Garden Inn in extending a memorable experience to every guest who comes home to Gilroy!

called the chamber office, and the opportunity to access hundreds of other businesses. But, it meant that I had to take advantage of every opportunity if I was going to make my business profitable.

Today, I still feel just as strongly about the role of chambers in helping businesses succeed. We continually expand the number of opportunity “knocks” at the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce. Now, with technology playing such an important role in business, our member businesses are automatically linked from our website directory, our Facebook has an Open Wall for members to post their comments with

a reach of 2.5 million impressions, our lobby is heavily trafficked, and the Gilroy Business Focus is direct mailed to 9,000 households, 700 businesses, and is placed on our Home Page.

As a value-added service to our members, this month the Gilroy Business Focus features the second in a series of member coupons specifically designed to introduce the community to products and services – and save some valuable dollars.

If you are reading this column and have thought about joining the chamber but kept putting it off, call us today. We have a program that will bring customers to your business if you are willing to work the opportunity “knocks”. Like anything, opportunity knocks, but if you don’t answer the door, your prospect is moving on.

… the Chamber provided the opportunities … for relation-ship-bulding … to have my business name referred … to access hundreds of other businesses

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