The board of directors of the Watertown Belmont Chamber of Commerce announce that the organization will be closing after nearly half a century of existence.
In an announcement sent to members and other members of the community, the board of directors said that they believe members will be better served by being part of a larger chamber group, and encouraged members to join the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber of Commerce. The NNRCC is offering WBCC members a 50 percent off the annual membership to join.
The Watertown-Belmont Chamber has been without a permanent executive director for more than a year, and moved out of its office space on Main Street in February 2017.
Among the events the Chamber hosts in Watertown is the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. The Newton-Needham Chamber is expected to host events in Watertown.
The Chamber of Commerce sent out the following announcement:
On behalf of the Board of Directors we send our best wishes for a healthy and prosperous New Year.
At this time of new beginnings, we write to announce some important news for the Watertown-Belmont Chamber of Commerce.
For nearly five decades, our Watertown-Belmont Chamber has adapted to changing social, business and economic environments to deliver the best services and advocacy to our Chamber members. In turn, our Chamber has experienced both growth and recognition for its efforts to foster economic and civic value for all.
We recognize that the ways that business owners and non-profit leaders are connecting and thriving continue to change. With a view to the future, the Chamber leadership has made the difficult decision to close the Chamber as of 01/01/18. Following a long history of involvement, we felt the interests of our members and our communities would be best served by leveraging the resources offered by a larger, regional chamber, namely the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber of Commerce (NNRC).
While the WBCC is not merging or affiliating with the NNRC, we have met with its leadership and board and can recommend to you the value that they bring to members as a result of their reach, expertise and diversity of membership. To this end, the NNRC would like to extend the following offer to all current and recent Watertown-Belmont Chamber of Commerce members:
Any current or recent Watertown-Belmont Chamber member who is not already also a member of the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is invited to join the Newton-Needham Chamber for twelve months at a discount rate of 50 percent of their most recent Watertown-Belmont Chamber dues. In addition, each new member will receive one complimentary ticket (value $50) to our annual tastings event Spring Seasonings on April 9, 2018 at the Newton Marriott. This special discount offer expires on February 28, 2018. After February 28, 2018, the NN Chamber’s regular rates will apply.
Please visit http://www.nnchamber.com/ to learn more about the NNRC or contact Lise Elcock at (617) 244-1864 or info@nnchamber.com to sign up or answer any questions.
The Watertown-Belmont Chamber will host a Membership Appreciation event on Thursday, February 8, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Oakley Country Club, 410 Belmont St. in Watertown, to recognize our achievements over the years and thank our members. This will be a FREE event for all members, non-members, past members, Watertown and Belmont businesses, non-profits and town representatives.
We encourage you to attend and meet the leadership and membership representatives from the NNRC who can answer your questions and assist you in joining, if you are interested. We feel this is an exciting opportunity for our existing members and all area businesses.
If you have any questions, please contact Paul Airasian at paul@wbcc.org or (617) 270-3951 or leave a message at the Chamber’s voicemail (617) 926-1017 and we’ll return your call.
We greatly appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you on February 8.
Sincerely,
WBCC Board of Directors