Cape May County Chamber Celebrates Chamber of Commerce Week

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — The week of Sept. 12 kicks off Chamber of Commerce week for 2017. The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce extends its appreciation to the businesses who invest in the Chamber through membership, the volunteers who devote their time and talents to achieve the mission of the Chamber, and the Cape May County community of businesses and residents who support our local businesses.
A chamber of commerce is a membership of organizations formed by a group of businesses whose common goal is to promote local industries. The term “chamber of commerce” originated in 1599 in Marseille, France when a group of businesses, merchants and craftsmen met to discuss issues they faced. Fast forward to 1916 when businesses from Cape May County’s barrier island communities formed the Seashore Association Chamber of Commerce, known today as the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, to promote tourism.
While their mission is generally the same, chambers of commerce across the country are as different as the communities they serve. The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce differs from others locally as it is the all-encompassing business organization for the whole county and is the recognized and respected voice of the county’s business community. According to Vicki Clark, President of the Chamber, “The Cape May County Chamber is the business and tourism advocate in our community. Working with elected officials on issues important to the success of our businesses – which in turn provides jobs for residents in our community – is a primary role of this Chamber.”
In Cape May County, tourism is the economic driver, and the Chamber devotes much of its time and resources promoting and advocating for the unique needs of businesses in a tourism-driven economy. Most recently that has meant fighting against plans for offshore seismic testing and offshore oil drilling, and protecting the J-1 Visa Summer Work Travel program – both issues that could have devastating impacts on the county’s tourism industry.
Since the early beginnings, networking with others in the business community has been an important aspect of chambers of commerce. Tom Piratzky, Chairman of the Board for the Chamber since 2015 and Vice President at Cape Regional Health Systems, considers networking with other businesses an important benefit. “The Cape May County Chamber is an excellent resource for individuals and businesses in the county. Being able to network with the business community has been a huge benefit to me both professionally and personally.”
The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce is located at 13 Crest Haven Rd. in Cape May Court House, just off Garden State Parkway exit 11, where the Cape May County Visitor Information Center is located. The chamber balances its role as business and tourism advocate with a full menu of tourism promotion services which includes operating the Visitor’s Center, publishing guides, maps, calendars and other tourism literature, and operating a virtual information center online.
For more information, visit www.capemaycountychamber.com.