The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce has been named a finalist for the 2018 Chamber of the Year award for the third consecutive year.  
 
The Chamber of the Year award is presented by the Virginia-based Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) and is North America’s only award recognizing the leadership role chambers have in their communities. Chambers of Commerce that have received the Chamber of the Year award have made an impact on community priorities such as education, transportation, business development and quality of life.
 
Organizations entering the Chamber of the Year competition must meet minimum thresholds in at least three of five key performance areas, including net revenue, net assets, membership account retention, and membership dollar retention. In addition to meeting these benchmarks, nominees profiled two programs or initiatives which demonstrate the chamber’s advocacy work.
 
The Saskatchewan Chamber’s application detailed the creation of the Energy Efficiency Strategy, created to encourage businesses to conserve energy as a logical first step towards
reducing carbon emissions, lowering energy costs, and improving the Saskatchewan industry competitiveness. The Energy Efficiency Strategy also intends to create greater awareness and to help foster a culture around on-site energy management.
 
The second project profiled in the application was #TransformSK. The aim of the #TransformSK project was to bring together ideas from communities around the province on how the province could achieve a solid foundation for Saskatchewan’s future growth through “transformational change”. The result was a report called The Upstream Economy, which includes 45 recommendations to create long-term social and economic prosperity in Saskatchewan.
 
The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce is honoured to be nominated in the State/Province category of the Chamber of the Year Award alongside the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.
 
“It’s wonderful to be an ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist again this year. Our chamber staff, board and volunteers are continuously working to ensure our chamber stays relevant and supports business in Saskatchewan. It’s an honour to be among the top state and provincial chambers across North America,” said Steve McLellan, CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.
 
The Saskatchewan Chamber has also been recognized in the Top 10 for Member Retention, along with the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce.
 
“We’re proud of our excellent member retention rate as we continue to provide tangible benefits to our members through our advocacy efforts as a business organization. I would also like to congratulate the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce for their outstanding achievement in this category,” said McLellan.
 
Judging, and the subsequent presenting of awards will take place in Des Moines, Iowa at the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives annual conference, from July 17 – 20, 2018.