Dear Members:
Director of Member Services Jennifer Veremis and yours truly were among a delegation of chamber leaders representing Illinois at the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) 2024 Convention at the Dallas Omni Hotel and Convention Center from July 16-19.
Also, I was honored to be among a select few of my peers given recognition at the Convention’s Opening Session for having 25 years of gainful employment in the chamber industry.
Chamber of Commerce Month
In celebration of September’s Chamber of Commerce Week in Illinois, our Chamber is sponsoring a month of networking and fundraising events, and offer recruitment incentives for new and reactivating members.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has proclaimed September 8-14 as Chamber of Commerce Week in Illinois and Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin will issue a Mayoral Proclamation declaring September 8-14 as Chamber of Commerce Week in Elmhurst.
New members will have their $25 registration fee waived if they join in September or they can try out a three-month courtesy membership ending in November, with our Chamber website’s new online application module going live in August
September events include “Networking on the 9s,” our Chamber’s 76th Annual Golf Outing at Sugar Creek Golf Outing in Villa Park on September 20, monthly Business After Hours hosted by Ella’s Italian Pub on September 6 leading into the Opening Night of Rock The Block in downtown Elmhurst sponsored by Elmhurst City Centre and the return of a Business Expo at Elm West Banquets on September 26 after a 10-year hiatus.
“Networking on the 9s” also will included participation by members of the Villa Park Chamber of Commerce for the third year in a row.
With fundraising support from ECCI’s Centennial Celebration NFP, the City of Elmhurst will dedicate a First Responders Memorial sculpture outside Fire Station No. 2 on 9/11, following the monthly Membership Breakfast traditionally hosted by Elmhurst American Legion THB Post 187 in the Normandy Banquet Room.
September also signals the start of display advertising sales for the 2025 Elmhurst Community Directory, produced in partnership with the Elmhurst Suburban Life/Shaw Media. Come January, Directories will be Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)-delivered to some 19,800 residential, business and Post Office Box addresses across Elmhurst.
New Teachers Luncheon
On August 6, our Chamber will welcome some 75 teachers new to Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 during ECCI’s 34th Annual New Teachers Luncheon at York Community High School on August 6, as part of the rebranded New Educator Academy.
Some 20 ECCI members will network with their sponsored teachers before Chamber staffers hand out Explore Elmhurst greeter totes filled with goodies donated by members.
June DuPage Hotel Stays Solid
Metrics on hotel stays in Elmhurst and across DuPage County in June showed that hotel revenue reached $42.9 million based on an Average Daily Room (ADR) rate at $122, according to data released by the DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Across the United States, room revenue is forecast to grow 2.7 percent in 2024, primarily from a projected ADR growth rate of 2.1 percent.
Buck-A-Duck Raffle
During 2024, a single Buck-A-Duck winner will split the pot collected at each of our Chamber’s monthly networking events and other selected events.
Russ Caforio of Russell F. Caforio & Associates won $84 at the July 24 Membership Breakfast hosted by the Elmhurst Park District at the Joanne B. Wagner Community Center.
Happy Anniversary
Four members are celebrating Chamber anniversaries in August as follows: 25 years—Francesca’s Amici; 20 years—Generation Law; 15 years—Elmhurst Premier Childcare; and 10 years—Elmhurst Family Dental.
New Member
The following seven businesses joined our Chamber in July: Elderwerks, Hummingbird Pediatric Therapies, Integrity Maid Services, Midwest Express Clinic (North York Street), Skyline Smiles of Elmhurst, Synergy Healing Arts and Webb of Wellness Chiropractic.
Reactivated Members
The following three businesses and not-for-profit organization reactivated their Chamber membership in July: Code Ninjas, Dollars and Sense for Non-Profit Success, and Elmhurst Newcomers & Neighbors Club (ENNC).
Dropped Members
The Chamber dropped six members in July as follows: Bannerville, BMO Harris, Evenhouse and Co., Megan McNamara, The Katris Law Group and UICO.
Gone, But Not Forgotten
It is with regret that I report on the late July deaths of Paul DeMichele (age 80), Brian Jason (50) and Robert “Bob” Schiller (83)—all former members of our Chamber family. DeMichele owned DeMichele Builders and served multiple terms on the ECCI Board of Directors, including service as Board Treasurer. Schiller founded Schiller Real Estate in 1970 and was joined by his wife Anne and many other family members. Jason supported his wife Erin’s Chamber activities during her six-year tenure as the City of Elmhurst’s Business Development Coordinator.