Western White Mountain Chamber

Basecamp of the White Mountains in New Hampshire

Board Members & Staff

Our Chamber has proudly been serving the Western White Mountain’s businesses and communities for over 60 years.  Not only are we one of the strongest chambers in the North Country – we’re also one of the strongest tourism-based chambers in New Hampshire.  We draw visitors whose fond memories and time […]

Our Chamber has proudly been serving the Western White Mountain’s businesses and communities for over 60 years.  Not only are we one of the strongest chambers in the North Country – we’re also one of the strongest tourism-based chambers in New Hampshire.  We draw visitors whose fond memories and time spent in our towns of Lincoln, Woodstock, and Franconia Notch contribute to our area’s economic vitality year after year.

Our progressive approach to dues and destination marketing funding gives our organization a stable and sustainable foundation to support and represent our local business community as tested in recent years.

Your Chamber’s mission is to connect businesses and people to create a thriving community. There are a lot of reasons to be proud of the ways in which your Chamber reached this goal again this year. Our intrepid staff, hard-working volunteers, dedicated Board of Directors, and committee members have accomplished the following, in no particular order:

– Our Destination Marketing (DM) program promotes our area through advertising, events, and collaborative partnerships – all with a goal of increasing occupancy and visitor spending in our region.  The Marketing Committee has discussed potential projects on which to spend surplus funds including a member marketing toolkit, community artwork, a lodging reservation widget, marketing opportunities with regional partners like Ski NH, and more.

– In-person events remained strong in 2023 with participation from visitors and locals. The revamped Murder Mystery grew to a one-and-a-half-day event in mid-April. The collaborative week-long event, White Mountains Bicycle Week, returned for a third year during the last week of May and featured family-friendly bike rides and outings around town. Favorable weather allowed the Rubber Duck Regatta to take place on Labor Day, with a strong turnout to raise money for the Chamber’s scholarship fund. Networking events including Chamber After Hours, ribbon cuttings, and coffee breaks provided our business community opportunities to connect.

– We continue to work with the team at LGA Media Group on marketing initiatives and creative messaging.  We saw growth in our social media channels and content marketing with the creation of member-based blogs and content ads.  We’re working to build a new, streamlined website and look forward to its debut for the 2024 summer season.  During FY2023, we secured  matching JPP grants from NHDTTD, increasing the reach of our marketing funds.

– We continue to build alliances with State and regional agencies.  Our strong partnerships with the NH Division of Travel & Tourism (NHDTTD), New Hampshire Travel Council (NHTC), and Business Industry Association (BIA) help keep our organization and members at the forefront of happenings in Concord and beyond.  Kim joined the Board of Directors for the NH Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives this past year.  She also recently attended the NH EconForum hosted by BEA and the New England Chamber of Commerce Executives Conference – both great opportunities for networking and the sharing of resources.

– We welcomed 10 new members to the Chamber in FY2023 and have already added another since the beginning of October.  Our newly revised 2024 Membership Investment Package  highlights the ways in which your membership dues go beyond the dollar value.  Remember that your real benefit comes from volunteering, meeting participation, attending Business After Hours, supporting giveaway requests, and showing up any way you can.

So, although this past year was filled with challenges and uncertainties involving staffing, workforce housing, increased cost of goods and expenses, and unfavorable weather forecasts, we remain confident about the road ahead.  The Western White Mountains is well positioned to continue living, working, and playing in a prosperous and sustainable community.  Thank you for your membership investment and for your participation!

Kate

Kate Wetherell, President
Western White Mountains Chamber of Commerce
Operations Manager, White Mountains Attractions/Lost River Gorge

Current Board Members

Staff
Kim Pickering, Executive Director
Membership Coordinator- Hiring soon!

 

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