National Tourism Week Luncheon – May 8, 2015

Please join us on May 8^th to celebrate the economic impact tourism has on Santa Clara and the region. Santa Clara benefits greatly from leisure, business, and convention visitors who eat at city restaurants, shop at city businesses, visit city attractions and stay in city hotels.

Santa Clara visitor attractions include Levi’s Stadium events and tours, California’s Great America theme park, Intel Museum, retail shopping, art museums, Mission Santa Clara, Santa Clara University, numerous special events, and much more. The economic impact will be greater than ever in February, 2016 when Super Bowl 50 is played at Levi’s Stadium. See details below for our planned National Tourism Week Luncheon. You can register online at http://goo.gl/CDgxsz

GUEST SPEAKERS:

• Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews
• California’s Great America General Manager Raul Rehnborg
• Special Guest Speaker: Keith Bruce, CEO of San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl Host Committee

Spotlight on Pyramid of Leaders: UCSC Silicon Valley Extension

Dr. Lynda Rogers, Dean of UCSC Extension

For the past 50 years, UCSC Silicon Valley Extension has provided high-quality career development for working professionals in more than 40 fields. UCSC Extension made Santa Clara its home in 2009, thanks in part to the community support and leadership of the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce.

“As a provider of higher education, we exist to serve the community,” says Dr. Lynda Rogers, Dean of UCSC Extension. “Understanding and connecting with local business leaders is critical, not only to our success, but to the success of the city. The Chamber introduced us to local service organizations and helped anchor us in the community. Over the last five years, we’ve felt very supported, and our staff and students have really thrived.”

As Santa Clara grows, UCSC Extension plans to grow too, expanding its courses and programs to reflect the job skills that the community needs the most. That’s why Extension’s involvement with the Chamber of Commerce is so vital; by learning about the challenges and opportunities facing local professionals, it is able to best serve the needs of the community.

Spotlight On Pyramid Of Leaders: Irvine Company

With roots dating back to 1864, the Irvine Company is one of California’s oldest and most successful real estate companies, best known for the master-planned communities we’ve planned and developed in the state.  For nearly 20 years, we’ve applied our design and planning expertise to the Silicon Valley, with a focus on creating special live and work communities featuring a balanced mix of housing near jobs, stores, restaurants, trails and other community amenities.

Unlike many community planners and builders, we never sell our properties, choosing instead to invest and reinvest in them to ensure they retain the same outstanding quality and appeal as the day they opened.  This unusual commitment to long-term ownership, combined with our proven master-planning approach to each project we undertake, is guiding our efforts in the City of Santa Clara.

Our goal is to build upon the sense of community felt by those who live in Santa Clara, and create great places to live, work, shop and play.  These include communities that:

• Are walkable and attractive
• Provide new housing choices near the City’s growing job base
• Expand residents’ specialty retail and dining options
• Attract both established and up-and-coming companies to Santa Clara and its highly-educated workforce

We are proud to work with the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce as we provide some of our most ambitious master-planned projects locally to date and the benefits they provide to the City. 

Silicon Valley Chamber Business Xpo 2015!

The second annual Silicon Valley Chamber Business XPO will take place on Thursday, April 23 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Featuring over 125 exhibitors from various chambers in Silicon Valley, attendees will have the opportunity to network with local business representatives and owners. Participating chambers include: Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Silicon Valley, Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce, Silicon Valley Chamber Coalition, and the Sunnyvale Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce. There is no cost to attend the XPO, but advanced registration is recommended. Prior to the XPO there will be seminars ranging from how to promote your business through the media (radio, print and television) to HR essentials to Networking 101. Separate registration is required for the seminars. Cost to attend the seminars is $10 per session. Seminars will run from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and 4:45-5:45 p.m. More details are available at tinyurl.com/ChamberXPO2015.

Sponsors of this year’s event include: Luxul Technology (Silver Sponsor), Silicon Valley Business Journal (Media Sponsor), and Alaska Airlines (Business Sponsor). Sponsorship opportunities are available through April 10 – please contact the Chamber office at (408) 244-8244 to learn more.

Chamber of Commerce and Convention- Visitors Bureau President & CEO Resigns

Van Dorn, former CEO of the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce & CVB.

After 13 years in charge of the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce and Convention Visitors Bureau, President & CEO Steve Van Dorn ended his tenure on March 31, 2015. Van Dorn has overseen much in his time in Santa Clara, managing both the Chamber of Commerce and Convention-Visitors Bureau and the Santa Clara Convention Center.

Van Dorn was a visible proponent of Levi’s Stadium, appearing in TV commercials for Measure J and conducting a joint economic benefit study of the stadium with Team San Jose. He also serves on the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee. Van Dorn was awarded the Hospitality Achievement Award in 2012 by the Silicon Valley Concierge Association and recently completed a year as Chair of the Western Association of Chamber Executives.

In his management of the Santa Clara Convention Center, Van Dorn oversaw the Center’s construction of its Mission City Ballroom expansion and numerous accolades such as being named Best Event Venue from the Silicon Valley Concierge Association and receiving top meeting planner awards.

He leaves at a time when Santa Clara hotels are coming off their best occupancy and Average Daily Rate (ADR) year ever recorded.      

The Chamber of Commerce and Convention-Visitors Bureau Board of Directors is working to re-imagine the organization and is committed to continuing its advocacy and support for its key stakeholders. Roy Truitt will serve as the interim CEO until a new CEO is hired permanently.

Focus on Santa Clara – Outlook 2015

Interested in learning about what’s going on with all the building growth in Santa Clara?  Want to know what Santa Clara will look like 5-10 years from now?  Then plan on attending Focus on Santa Clara – Outlook 2015.  Join members of the region for a no-host reception where you can network and mingle.  The program will include Santa Clara’s Mayor Jamie Matthews state of the city update, letting you know what’s currently happening in the City and where it’s headed. Steve Van Dorn, President & CEO for the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce will host a discussion with Steve Eimer, Executive Vice President of Related Cos. and Joshua Howard, Executive Director of the California Apartment Association, Tri-County Division.  Each will give highlights of what their organization is doing to enhance business and residential growth in our area.

Registration is $30 for Chamber Members and $45 for non-members.

Corporate sponsors include California’s Great America, El Camino Hospital, Graphic Packaging International, Inc., Hilton Santa Clara, Hyatt Regency Santa Clara, Intel Corporation, Irvine Company, Kaiser Permanente, Marvell, M.E. Fox & Company, Inc., Menlo Equities, Oracle, Related California, San Francisco 49ers, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Southwest Airlines, SummerHill Housing Group, and UCSC Silicon Valley Extension.

Santa Clara’s All New Convention Calendar is Here!

The Santa Clara Convention Center has a new Convention Calendar (conventioncalendar.com/sc) which is now available on your smart phone, tablet, and PC.  Planning your next event at the Santa Clara Convention Center just got easier!

The new calendar is a great way to keep up with featured events at the center.  The new calendar receives thousands of visitors planning for their event in Santa Clara each month.  We also have sponsorship opportunities available for businesses seeking exposure to visitors and exhibitors coming to town for their event.  If you are interested in showcasing your business to this lucrative target market, please contact us to reserve your space.  Also, be sure to visit the new calendar to enter your eMail address to sign up for alerts on featured events.

CVB Launches Selfie Contest

The Santa Clara Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is encouraging visitors to take selfies in front of Levi’s Stadium and at other visitor attractions and events throughout the city. The winner of the photo contest will receive two tickets to see the 49ers play the San Diego Chargers on December 20th. Runner-up prizes include six Target gift certificates and “Red Zone Rally” tailgate tickets.

The contest requires users to follow the CVB’s “Visit Santa Clara” Instagram page and also take a selfie with one of the “49 Awesome Things To Do in Santa Clara,” posting the photo using hashtag #SantaClara49. A user’s Instagram privacy setting must be turned off in order for the selfie photo to be viewed. You can find a complete list of the 49 suggested photo sites at visitsantaclara.wordpress.com.

According to David Andre, Vice President of Marketing & Communications for the Santa Clara Convention and Visitors Bureau “our goal is to publicize the vast number of visitor attractions and events here in Santa Clara and to increase our number of Instagram followers.” The contest continues through mid-December.

Member of the Month: SuperGreen Solutions of Stevens Creek

SuperGreen Solutions of Stevens Creek is Silicon Valley’s premier sustainability center.  Their goal is to help you select the best products for your specific needs and aid you in reducing your energy consumption. They carry a wide variety of products, providing energy efficient solutions which are unmatched in the SF Bay Area.

In addition to solar and wind power, LED lighting and Electric Car Chargers, SuperGreen Solutions has solar and lighting solutions for recreation, emergency preparedness, and day to day living. Their franchiser and network of stores is continuously researching the latest technology, bringing you quality state-of-the-art products of the best value. They service home owners, businesses, municipalities, and contractors. Volume discounts and contractor discounts are available.

SuperGreen Solutions of Stevens Creek is now part of the PG&E Commercial Distributor LED Program. This means your business can get PG&E Rebates instantly on eligible Energy Star LED Lights! The rebate is taken off the price of the bulbs! See our specials to get your rebate.

SuperGreen Solutions is now a partner in the Santa Clara County Hazardous Waste Recycling & Disposal Program. They are also part of the Watershed Watch Program aimed at preventing mercury and other chemical contamination in our lakes, streams, bay and ocean.  Residential customers can recycle their fluoresecnt and CFL bulbs (which contain mercury) at SuperGreen Solutions of Stevens Creek and receive a 5% discount on any LED bulb!

SuperGreen Solutions is located at 5155 Stevens Creek Blvd., Ste. 100 (near the intersection of Lawrence Expressway and Stevens Creek Boulevard).  You may reach them at (408) 244-2887.

Member of the Month: Star One Credit Union

Star One Credit Union is one of Silicon Valley’s largest, member-owned financial institutions. Star One offers financial services to more than 92,000 members worldwide. With assets over $6.8 billion, Star One is ranked tenth in total assets among nearly 6,700 credit unions nationally.

As a member-owned financial institution, Star One is focused on providing long-term financial solutions to all of its members. As a result, they are able to return their profits back to members in the form of money saving benefits, including:

• Higher interest on saving accounts
• Lower interest rates on loans and mortgages
• Reasonable, if any, fees on products and services like checking, credit cards and real-estate loans.

The Mission of Star One is to help members improve their lives by delivering valuable financial services.  To learn more about Star One Credit Union, please visit their website at www.starone.org.