Your Chamber At Work
Organizational Priorities
ADVOCACY
Representation through local , state , and national channels . Membership Partners and Affiliations : U . S . Chamber of Commerce , Minnesota Chamber , MN DEED , Minnesota Retailers Association , Explore MN Tourism , SW Transportation Coalition
NETWORKING
Monthly luncheons & Coffee Connections , Chamber After Hours , Annual Golf Scramble , Chamber Ambassadors , Holiday Social , Waconia Young Professionals , Business Education Network
RESOURCES
Professional staff : Use our office as an extension of yours Learning resources : Opportunities for seminars , speakers , etc . Connections to area business leaders and professionals Notification of city and legislative information
TOURISM
Advertising the Waconia community with : Explore MN Tourism , Minnesota Travel Guide , Minnesota Bike / Hike Guide , and other local publications
Collaborations , Coalitions & Partners
The Waconia Chamber of Commerce is proud to be a part of these important initiatives :
B . E . N . Business Education Network
Business Education Network seeks to find a solution to employers ’ urgent needs to find skilled , qualified and ready workers for jobs available in communities across our state . In collaboration with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce , the Teachers in the Workplace program is a way to provide teachers real job experience to enhance their curriculum , and for employers to understand what teachers need in the classroom . Additionally , the B . E . N . group established the 1st Annual Waconia Works Signing Day in 2021 .
Grow ! Minnesota
Grow ! Minnesota is a business retention and economic development program in partnership with private sector businesses , the Minnesota Chamber and local Chambers throughout the state . As members of the program , we have committed to calling on about 18 % of our membership annually to fill out a questionnaire . The information collected is then entered into a database and used to track business trends throughout the state .
Southwest Corridor Transportation Coalition
The Waconia Chamber of Commerce is a member of the SWCTC and provides support as they work on transportation upgrades and expansions in the southwest metro area , like Highways 5 and 212 .
Waconia Tourism Bureau
The Waconia Tourism Bureau operates under the umbrella of the Waconia Chamber of Commerce and is funded solely by a 3 % tax levied on lodging facilities in the City of Waconia . These dollars are spent promoting Waconia as a visitor ' s destination . The Waconia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors acts as the governing board for the Tourism Bureau .
Waconia Chamber Bucks
Waconia Bucks is a program offered by the Waconia Chamber of Commerce to encourage local shopping and the patronage of Chamber members . Waconia Bucks is a check program that does not cost the giver / user anything over and above the face value of the check . These checks can be spent like cash at any Chamber member business . Over $ 80,000 worth of Waconia Bucks were purchased for use in Waconia in 2021 !
2022-2023 Membership Directory 15