Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024!
A New Year's Greeting from the Executive Director
I never can believe how quickly another year flies by.
2023 was a great year for our team with several firsts; see below! 2023 also struck me, personally, as less trend-setting and energizing than previous years. After five years in this position (known as the "wood" anniversary - even the commemorative name is dull!), I've experienced thrilling years full of NEW NEW NEW everything, and less- thrilling years of arduous behind-the-scenes work that make those other ones possible.
Instead of unveiling a ton of new initiatives and making giant announcements all year, we had a year focused on maintaining and cultivating our recent continuing accomplishments. I think this particular focus is critically important for a business of any size. As a matter of fact, I think this consistent day-to-day continuation of effort is equally if not more important than splashy new announcements.
That being said...
We did launch some remarkable deliverables into the world in 2023 (insert mischievous upside-down smiley emoji here). My personal favorites include:
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In 2023 we launched “57785,” a brand new community and tourism magazine specifically for Sturgis! We are so proud of this new publication and happy to finally have a magazine that shows who we are, all 365 days of the year. Issue #2 coming soon!
- We rocketed into the live music sphere with our first-ever Legendary Sturgis Battle of the Bands in June of 2023! This event, alongside our Sturgis Art Festival, is already one of our largest events drawing visitors from across the region to our beautiful community. Our events portfolio continues to grow - we're more than a town of motorcycles, and we're proving it.
- We doubled down on member promotion, offering free multi-media business featurettes and even more opportunities for brand recognition to our member businesses. Our team expanded to achieve this vision, and our members responded favorably to this hands-on approach to mentorship and partnership.
So what's ahead for 2024?
This year please keep your eyes open for information about membership rate changes coming soon. Our last rate change was way back in 2017, so we are definitely due for an adjustment to keep up with inflation and to continue offering our services to you. As a nonprofit, your dues are the primary funding that keeps us running.
In more exciting news, you may have heard that the Sturgis Welcome Center and our offices are undergoing an interior renovation. We have saved up for several years to cover this cost and can’t wait to unveil the results later this spring. This project will be a fresh first impression for visitors, and a statement about who we are as a business community. It will offer shared workspace and education-friendly amenities for our members. The Welcome Center will finally reflect our energy and pride for Sturgis!
Lastly, you can look forward to all of the great events and programs you've come to expect from your Chamber again in 2024. Check out our full 2024 events "Save the Date" poster, our 2024 Business Mixers poster, and a schedule of our monthly Lunch & Learns coming soon to your mailbox. We've also added some fantastic affordable advertising add-ons and outlined how you can be more involved in building our community.
Thank you for another phenomenal 12 months. Your collaborative and financial support continue to be critical in making advancements for Sturgis.
Sincerely,
Veronica Grosek
Celebrating 5 YEARS as your Executive Director!
Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau