Business

Chamber recruits 158 new members, smashing goal

Jimmy Cusano leads the volunteers in a make-believe toast.

By Bill Moss, Published: August 24, 2012

The economy is bad. Businesses, restaurants and stores are trying to find ways to cut back. The future is uncertain.

An army of volunteers overcame those obstacles and recruited 158 new members for the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce in a three-day blitz led by a fast-talking huckster in loud suits and boundless energy. The number of new members recruiters signed up raised the total membership by more than 15 percent and smashed the goal of 100 to 120 new members.
The chamber of commerce had promised a membership drive "like no other," led by Jimmy Cusano, a high-energy recruitment leader from a group called Your Chamber Connection.
Vince Rees"It's just a great community. People of Henderson County pulled together and made the impossible possible," said Chamber chairman Vince Rees. "We just had a group of people that refused to participate in the recession."
Cusano played the role with flair, wearing a turquoise suit and leading the volunteers in an awards and thank you celebration on Thursday afternoon at Lake Pointe landing's auditorium. The chamber appointed team leaders who recruited other community leaders and chamber members to help make calls to businesses and professionals who were not chamber members.
"Everyone call their own network," Rees said.
During an orientation, chamber officials and others explained to recruiters how the Chamber of Commerce works to advance the community's overall interest.
"We talked about jobs, we talked about economic development, we talked about roads and infrastructure and our school system," Rees said.

While most Chambers of Commerce struggle through their annual membership drive, the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce will host a "Membership Event" that is like no other. For two and a half days, over 100 volunteers will work against the clock and against each other to sign up new members and create a greater community awareness of the important role in the Chamber of Commerce. The event is organized by Jimmy Cusano and a group called Your Chamber Connection. Their specialty is high energy membership campaigns that allow volunteers to conduct 'out of the box' membership fun while building the membership base.
"It's about business," says Event guru Jimmy Cusano. "The Chamber of Commerce is the business community. This brings everyone together to build our Chamber. It's a membership-based organization and most people don't like 'membership drives.' With a Membership Event they come together in a competitive fun setting and tell the Chamber story. When others hear about everything the Chamber does, all of a sudden you have a great deal of enthusiasm for the Chamber, and a great deal of support."