The South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce welcomes you to join a dynamic fellowship of businesses bound together to develop and support business on the Island and in the surrounding area.

The Chamber exists for one reason - to promote business. Whether this means drumming up publicity or keeping an eye on local legislation, the Chamber of Commerce is here to help our member's businesses thrive and grow.

By joining the Chamber, you are opening your business to a variety of new opportunities for networking, promotion, information and advertising. Displaying a Chamber of Commerce membership plaque demonstrates credibility to your customers and a willingness to contribute to your community.

However, what you get from the Chamber depends on you. To reap the benefits of being part of the Chamber, you must participate in Chamber events. Attending mixers, luncheons and special events allows you to network with other business owners and decision-makers, reading the monthly newsletter keeps you informed of upcoming activities, and participating in Chamber activities demonstrates a community spirit.

 

• All Chamber members receive a free listing on the Chamber's website. If your business has a web site, the Chamber will link to your page for free!

• The Chamber offers your business an opportunity to direct mail our members by including a flyer with our monthly newsletter which is emailed to our members and available on our website. This service is offered free of charge. The Chamber also allows members to bulk mail information at cost, using the Chamber bulk rate. We also provide members with ready-to-use mailing labels from our member list. The cost for labels is $25 for members and $175 for non-members.

• To increase your visibility, the Chamber offers many sponsorship opportunities, including annual special events such as Ladies Kingfish Tournament and the Gala and Scholarship Fundraiser. Other sponsorship opportunities include monthly All Member Meetings and quarterly Public Affairs Luncheons. All event sponsors are listed on the Chamber website and a link provided to the sponsor's website.

• Announce your new business or business expansion with a special Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony! These ceremonies are photographed and featured in our monthly newsletter. Is your business not located in the immediate area? Does your business do not have a storefront? Take advantage of the Quarterly New Member Showcases that provide a mini-tradeshow atmosphere for our members in just these situations.

• Feature your business in the Chamber newsletter as the Member Spotlight of the Month. A photo and article will appear in the Chamber newsletter and on the Chamber website.

• The Chamber of Commerce publishes the official Guide to South Padre Island. This beautiful and detailed visitor's guide is a valuable resource for visitors and individuals and businesses interested in relocating to the Island. There is a minimum of 150,000 copies printed and distributed throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. The annual publication comes out in December of each year. All Chamber members are also given the opportunity to advertise in the next edition of The Guide to South Padre Island at reduced prices.

• Legislative Impact. The Chamber works to influence legislation at city, county and state levels through support of bills and resolutions on issues such as the Texas school calendar, state level funding for transportation projects and other areas of interest to local businesses. At the local level, the Chamber works to protect and promote the business environment by keeping an eye on ordinances and resolutions that impact businesses.

• Networking Opportunities. Attend Chamber mixers, grand openings, special events, monthly All Member Meetings, education seminars, and committee meetings. Check our calendar to see where we’ll be next!

• Stay Informed. The Chamber of Commerce produces a monthly newsletter, the Business News, which is distributed the last Thursday of the month. The newsletter provides information to Chamber members about upcoming events and Chamber activities. The newsletter also provides informative articles to help business owners and managers with everyday operations. Fax alerts and e-mails are also sent from the Chamber office to provide members with vital information that will impact their business, such as Special Town Aldermen Meetings and legislative alerts.

• Eligibility to serve on Action Committees. Your opportunity to help the Chamber carry out its role of supporting business in the community.

• Chamber members work together to encourage quality education opportunities for area high school students through the Laguna Madre Education Foundation scholarship program.

• Workforce education and development is supplemented by the Chamber's ongoing efforts to provide seminars and hospitality training programs.