Why Should I Join?
Benefits of a Chamber Membership
• Referral Service
Anyone who contacts the Wray Chamber of Commerce, whether it be in person, by phone or by e-mail, will be referred to members of the Chamber only. The Wray Chamber office averages 10-15 calls, per week, asking for business referrals.
• Publicity & Public Relations
The first benefit you will receive as a Chamber member is your picture in the Wray Gazette receiving your first dollar of profit from the director of the Wray Chamber of Commerce. Your company name, address, phone number and, if given, website and e-mail address will be published in the directory on the Wray Chamber website at www.wraychamber.net. This website receives 200-300 hits per month.
• Sponsorship & Donor Opportunities
The Wray Chamber of Commerce puts on a number of events each year and for many of these events we seek out sponsors to help defray the costs or donations for door prizes or for silent auctions. Sponsorships range in price from $50 to $1000. We only contact Chamber members to sponsor these events. For example, each summer during Wray Daze Fun Night, we seek out a sponsor to bring in a band to entertain the crowd. A few examples of other events that we seek out sponsorships or donations for are the Quilts of the Plains, the Wray Daze Parade and the Christmas Festival Parade.
• Social Media & Marketing Counseling
Our Executive Director, Kyle Hansen, has extensive experience and knowledge in the legal issues and use of many social media websites such as Facebook & Twitter and also organizational marketing for businesses and non-profits. If your business or organization is needing some help with marketing or social media, Chamber members may seek out his help for free.
• Social Gatherings
The Chamber holds up to 4 socials/meetings per year. Our 1st quarter social is our annual banquet held each year around late February or March. This is also our annual awards banquet where we award the Outstanding Large Business, Outstanding Small Business & Outstanding Non-Profit of the Year. Our 2nd quarter social is a casual pot-luck style dinner and is normally held in May or June and our 3rd quarter social is also casual but may be either a catered meal provided by the Chamber or a pot-luck dinner and is held in late August or early September. Finally, our 4th Quarter social is also our annual business meeting where we elect, or re-elect, our Board of Directors. It is normally held in October or November and is held at a local Chamber member restaurant.
• Use of Chamber Member Directory
All Chamber members are welcome to request a copy of the member directory for their business uses such as mailings and announcements. The Wray Chamber of Commerce does not sell any information to anyone and does not give out any information to third party sources who are not Chamber members. Some information is public due to the online directory, but what is not listed is not given out to non-member third parties. The Wray Chamber prohibits any member who requests a copy of the directory from copying it or selling it to a third party and any member caught doing so will be subject to all legal ramifications allowed us by the State of Colorado.
• E-mail Services
The Wray Chamber of Commerce has a number of e-mail addresses in its database and although we do not release e-mail addresses, we will forward on such things that are deemed relevant to the good of the public such as event announcements and public health & safety issues. We will not forward on sales announcements or business or non-profit newsletters. We also reserve the right to refuse to forward e-mails at any time which may detract from our mission or may cause harm to our organization or community.
• Board of Directors
The Wray Chamber of Commerce is managed by a Board of Directors and is made up of owners/employees of current members. We attempt to get members from all different types of businesses and non-profits and elections are held each year at our 4th Quarter social. Any owner or employee of a Chamber member is eligible for a seat on the Board of Directors. Board meetings are held monthly at the Chamber office and are open to members. It is recommended that we receive advanced notice of your attendance so we are able to prepare. • Quantity Membership – If you own more than one business you are eligible for our quantity membership program. If you feel you are eligible for this benefit, please contact the Chamber Director for details.
• You Are Helping to Boost Our Community & Region
The Wray Chamber of Commerce puts on a number of events to boost the tourism in our community such as Wray Daze, Quilts of the Plains and the Greater Prairie Chicken Tours. All of these events bring in thousands of people from around the world and bring in tens of thousands of dollars to our local economy. The Wray Chamber also serves as an information center for tourists and new residents. Your dollars also help to pay for the Chamber director to serve on regional committees like the Northeast Colorado Travel Region Committee, the Eastern Colorado Workforce Board and the Rural Philanthropy Days Committee. These committees serve to boost the NE Colorado region by bringing in new tourism and commerce.
For more information on joining the Wray Chamber of Commerce, you can e-mail Executive Director, Kyle Hansen, at director@wraychamber.net. You can also call the Chamber office at 970-332-3484.
