Benefits of Membership
The Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau offers you and your business access to seven vital tools we utilize to meet our mission. These vital tools are:
Business Referrals
We send our member business quite literally thousands of referrals every year. If for no other reason, this is a very compelling reason to become a member. We receive requests for service recommendations daily through email, phone and in person and staff always recommend our members services first and foremost.
Marketing
We bring customers and clients to your door through promotional programs that attract visitors to our area. Our marketing program is diverse and we encourage you to learn how we can help promote your business.
Representation
The Bishop Chamber offers your business representation at the local and state level. We have diligently developed positive relationships with our land management agencies and elected officials to serve our community at its highest capacity. We truly are your representative and attempt to meet the needs of the membership at large.
Visitor Service
The Visitor Center staff is a vital link to bringing business to your door. We offer area visitors information and a compelling reason to stay in the Bishop Area. Our trained staff has the information and access to information that meets the requests and needs of our visitors. Visitor service is your critical and personal link to visitors that consistently become our friends, our customers and our economic life line in building your business and our community.
Networking and Educational Opportunities
As a business owner, you like others, consistently reach out to build relationships to bring customers through your business doors. What we offer is the opportunity to meet the local business owners at quarterly mixers. We further offer training or education to assist you and your employees in developing the skills needed in your business.
Governance and Decision Making
The Chamber offers you the opportunity and encourages you to become involved in the governance and decision making process we go through in developing our program. Our 13 member Board of Directors contributes countless years of experience and expertise in best representing the membership at large. Your contribution is important to us and we encourage your participation.
Community Service
Your contribution of skills, knowledge and time are an important component of our program. Your ideas, relationships and spirit to contribute to a greater cause are what bring value to our community. The Bishop Chamber sponsors the Christmas holiday events, trout derby, press reception and mixers where your involvement is embraced.
Need more? Below are further detailed descriptions of the programs, opportunities and events of the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.
Promotional Programs
The marketing program utilizes our web site, BishopVisitor.com, print advertising, local advertising and media relationships to promote the greater Bishop Area. Our membership reaches businesses from as far north as Carson City, NV to Lone Pine and we offer members the opportunity for advertising in our annual Vacation Planner, newspaper bulletin and by posting your business brochure in our visitor center. We promote and disseminate our vacation planner at regional trade shows, 123 businesses along the Highway 395 corridor and through advertisements and fulfillment requests. This extensive outreach promotes the natural beauty of the area, and offers potential visitors compelling and convincing reasons for year round visitation.
www.BishopVisitor.com
BishopVisitor.com provides our membership and visitors to the Bishop Area insight and information to make visiting, receiving relevant vacation information and a direct link to the events the chamber is bringing to our community. This important resource assists and provides information 24/7 and continues to be an excellent source for referrals for our membership.
Visitor Center
The Visitor’s Center located on Main Street adjacent to the Bishop City Park, is open 362 days a year and hosts nearly 15,000 domestic and foreign visitors annually. Visitor information including publications, brochures, and souvenirs are distributed, along with member business information.
Bishop Chamber E-Newsletter
The newsletter is published once a month and is received by more than 300 businesses and individuals and contains informative articles about current and special events, marketing activities and promotions, and other newsworthy items. It also highlights new members and provides educational information on a variety of topics.
Board of Directors Monthly Meetings
Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 10:30 am (location varies). These meetings give the opportunity for public comments from members or the general public, it also gives the board and members time to receive staff reports, marketing and membership updates and legislative information. Where action is required or requested of the board, the request needs to be submitted two weeks in advance of the board meeting to allow review time by Board members.
Networking Mixers
Informal membership gatherings are designed to give members and guests an opportunity to meet one another and to promote their products or services. The mixers are typically held at member business locations. These informal mixers also afford the opportunity to exchange and learn about the challenges other local business owners have.
Legislative Representation
During the course of daily business, the staff Researches and gathers information regarding legislation which might affect tourism, and the general economic well-being of the community. This information is organized and the Executive Director and staff meet with our state legislators and agencies whose decisions might have an effect on the area.
People dream in our backyard. Photo of North Lake
Opportunities for member involvement:
The Bishop Chamber sponsors events, attends trade shows and has opportunities where the Board of Directors and staff require additional member involvement to meet our program goals. Get involved by becoming active in our Christmas parade, Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, Blake Jones Trout Derby, Press Reception or in our regional Trade Shows. These are just a few of the many ways you can become involved in the mission of the Chamber of Commerce. We also encourage your Membership in Other Organizations. The Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau maintains active membership in several tourism and business oriented organizations to help further its mission and goals.
Those organizations include:
- US Travel Association
- California Chamber of Commerce
- Visit California
- High Sierra Visitors Council
- Inyo Associates
- Sierra Business Council
Your Management team at the Chamber office are:
Tawni Thomson, Executive Director
April Leeson, Membership & Events Coordinator
Joe Pollini, Guest Host Supervisor
Please feel free to call or email us at your convenience should you have any questions. We look forward to joining us a valued member of the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.