A World of Opportunities

Realized with exceptional results in 2015!

by John S. Cox, CCE, CEcD, IOM President & CEO

The theme above was introduced at last year’s chamber gala by Vicki Tracy, Director of The Arlington and Chamber Board Member—we pursued those opportunities in every way! Along the way we were able to incorporate nearly 600 different volunteers from businesses large and small who aligned themselves with us to accomplish our Mission: To make Collier County the best place in America to live, work and visit.

Listed below are a number of highlights reflecting this incredible World of Opportunity!

MEMBERSHIP

307 new members added since June 1, 2014.
68 alone were added during the Ambassadors

Membership event in September of 2014

150+ Ribbon Cuttings
126,253 hits on the Chamber website from June 1,2014 – April 12, 2015
Three New Member Orientations held with an averageof 30 attendees.
5,000 issues of Business Currents distributed monthly
As of May 31, 2012 – 1,879
As of May 31, 2013 – 1,920
As of May 31, 2014 – 2,038
Membership revenue up 5% from year ago

EVENTS

10 Business After Five events with an average of 125 attendees
Four Executive Club meetings with more than 200attendees
10 Wake Up Naples with an average of 153 attendees
11 Accelerated Networking Luncheons with an average of 60 attendees
168 attendees at the Excellence in Industry Awards Event
408 attendees at the 2014 Annual Dinner. With 460attending the 2015 SOLD OUT! event
100 attendees at the 2014 Golf Tournament. With 132 registered for 2015 (SOLD OUT!)
106 Trade Show booths and 615 attendees; This year’s event, “Destination Paradise:

Limitless Opportunities” is schedule August 27 at the Naples Grande Beach Resort

365 attendees at the 2014 Chamber Holiday Party • 26,948 visitors since June 1, 2014
90 volunteers in the VIC.

LEADERSHIP COLLIER

2015 Leadership Collier Foundation class sizes:
44 in Leadership Collier
42 in Growing Associates in Naples (GAIN)
33 in Youth Leadership Collier
SRO number of applications for each class!
Five LCF Alumni Association Leadership Lunches with an average of 65 attendees
150 attendees at the Leadership Collier Foundation Holiday Party
400 attendees at the Leadership Collier Graduation in 2014

OPPORTUNITY NAPLES

Opportunity Naples Economic Development Strategy was finished on September 25, 2014 and approved by the Collier County Board of County Commissioners on November 18, 2014. Pre-Implementation launched on February 1, 2015
Four Steering Committee meetings held since June 2014; Two Implementation Committee meeting held on February 19th and April 16th
Communications Work Group formed with nine members; held six meetings; created a FAQ and PowerPoint.
The Collier County Board of County Commissioners approved a capital investment incentive program for Position Logic in February
2015 as a way to retain high-skill/wage jobs as well as create additional jobs in Collier County
The Collier County Board of County Commissioners approved Project Coleman for the state’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund
program. The project will create 40 new jobs at an average annual wage of over $63,000
Project Drive applying for Quick Response Training Grant with a projected 200 new jobs created
London Bay Homes approved for a Quick Response Training Grant for 49 new jobs in Collier County
Launched case study with Growth Management and Project Reverie to gain insight on the permitting and review process
The Partnership became the primary point of contact for Enterprise Florida in June 2014 and began populating their website with Collier County properties as well as attending their events in an effort to promote Collier County

OUTBOUND MARKETING ACTIVITIES

Attended the MDM Tech Conference in New York City June 9-12, 2014, CoreNet in National Harbor, Maryland October 25-29,
2014 and hosted an outbound Site Selection Consultants’ event in Atlanta on November 3, 2014 as a part of the Southwest Florida Economic Development Alliance

PUBLIC POLICY

Six Public Policy meetings held through April 10, 2015
Topics covered include: Fire Consolidation, Workforce Housing, Incentives, Economic Development; Land Use/Rural Fringe, Hispanic
Business Community
Public Forum: Eroding Public Records Access
Candidates’ Forum with United States House of Representatives for District 19
Legislative Delegation Luncheon with NABOR and CBIA
Luncheon with United States Representative Curt Clawson, NABOR, and CBIA
Blue Zone presentation as major public policy issue • Annual business climate survey completed in conjunction with Hodges University
Collier County Public School Board candidate interviews with Naples Daily News
Promotion of Artificial Reef Project
Support of and promotion for identity theft forums and legislation
Opposition to sequestration/support for FAA contract tower program funding
Support for Emergent Technologies Institute at FGCU
Support for Collier County Incubator Accelerator project
Support for beach renourishment
Support of and promotion for Step Smart Naples

The Value Proposition—the Vision of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce is to create economic opportunity for every person in Collier County. Our 2000 members invested more than $2.2 million this year and allowed us to deploy nearly 600 different volunteers to achieve Mission and Vision goals. In hundreds of events, large and small, we have worked across the community to create a common Collective Impact. We have worked hard to earn your trust. Thank you for your support and thank you for what you do every day in your business, employing people, creating products and generating economic base in Naples. You prove what we’ve been saying, “Naples works and when it does Opportunity happens!” Thank you again for being part of our world of opportunities!