Revolutionizing Business Grassroots Advocacy
Today’s professional needs a revolutionary new tool to impact the public policies that will be in the best interest of their business. And a chamber should be the source to make it easier to strengthen the business voice throughout the region, state and nation.
The Long Beach (CA) Area Chamber of Commerce has become the source. It has taken legislative advocacy to a whole new level of effectiveness with a special website: The website is dedicated to all aspects of advocacy and lists a dozen bills, including a brief description of workers' comp issues, that are of importance to their member businesses.
A new way to promote advocacy.
Launched early 2003, LongBeachAdvocacy.biz was built entirely in-house. According to 21-year chamber veteran, Randy Gordon, President and CEO of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, “In the fall of 2002, we developed our public policy priorities for the next two years and then looked for a new way to communicate our priorities to our membership. We saw the internet as an opportunity to make that happen.”
What is unique about the Long Beach website is that it is separate from the chamber site. No other chamber in the country has created a special website solely dedicated to public policy, with the commitment to update it on a daily basis.
The site was an instant success, largely because it is so responsive to the needs of the membership. It provides current information on the implementation of the chamber’s public policy platform, links to media, vote records of Long Beach state legislators and more. Because it is so up-to-date and comprehensive, it provides tremendous support to the business person who may feel overwhelmed by the system.
The future of Long Beach advocacy.
Long Beach is hoping to revolutionize grassroots lobbying by being the business advocacy service center for its members and the Long Beach region. A database of users will be updated regularly so that it is available when needed to write letters or to contact local legislators.
The site is a value-added benefit to a Long Beach Chamber membership. The focus of the site is the advancement of member businesses. It is designed to ensure that political forces continue to understand the needs of the community. By way of commitment to their members, Long Beach has determined to coexist with users and be responsive to feedback; provide advertising opportunities for members; be a content-driven site and provide daily updates.
Charged up by the success of this new website, the Long Beach chamber staff is working tirelessly to find new ways to effectively communicate the chamber’s involvement in public policy development, the status of policy priorities and the promotion of advocacy events. The revolution is on a roll.
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Shaun R. Lumachi is Vice President for Government Affairs at the Long Beach (CA) Area Chamber of Commerce.
Photo caption: Randy Gordon, President and CEO, Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce accepts the “2003 Advocacy Chamber of the Year Award” from Alan Zaremberg, President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce.