Chamber holds membership drive
Team leaders (L-R) Tabitha Ivey, Kate Gray, Lou Gailipeau and Felecia McInnish are all competing against one another in the 7 for 700 Membership Drive.
The Madison Chamber of Commerce’s membership drive is back.
The chamber decided to make the event more festive this year, and solicited members to help out with the drive. Four staff members volunteered to head teams to see who can get the most members in a seven-week period, and thus, the 7 for 700 Membership Drive was created. The drive began Oct. 1 and will end Nov. 19.
Those four team leaders are Chamber Managing Director Kate Gray, team leader of Kate’s Konquerors; Manager Investor Relations Lou Galipeau, leader of Lou’s Losers; Benefits Coordinator Felecia McInnish, leader of Felecia’s Force; and Membership Specialist Tabitha Ivey, leader of Tabitha’s Tornadoes.
“The best way to grow your membership is by your members helping you,” Galipeau said. “You can’t do it with a staff of four people. That’s why, last year, we employed a new ambassador, and this year, we want to really expand it by getting the members involved.”
Last year, the five-week drive was much smaller. Two teams, three males versus three females, were pitted against one another and a total of 26 new members came on board by the end of the drive. This year, 34 people are on all four teams and eight members joined in the first week alone. Ivey’s team won in week one with three new members brought in; Gray and McInnish tied for second with two; and Galipeau’s came in third place with one.
“The three girls’ teams are going down,” Galipeau said.
Ivey said Tabitha’s Tornadoes are “going to wipe the slate clean like a tornado.”
Galipeau said this friendly competition encourages and inspires current members, who, in turn, inspire new people to become members. He said two years ago, chamber membership was 320 people, and currently, they are in the 600s, so their formula is working.
“This is really exciting,” Galipeau said. “There is a lot of energy present in the members because they can see the success of other people. The drive is really a lot of fun. It really builds energy and it builds a cad of friendly competition. It’s basically the three girls against me, so we’re having a lot of fun.”
McInnish said that while getting the work done, they all like to have fun, so there’s nothing like friendly competition to make the membership drive goals a reality.
“Ultimately, all MCC members are the winners of this contest,” she said, “by gaining more ‘community’ connections through our chamber. Like our motto says, ‘invest, connect, grow.’”
