Membership Benefits
Thank you for this opportunity to introduce you to the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce. This Chamber has been a driving force in the City of Lake Oswego for over 75 years, promoting success in the business community by fostering a supportive and diverse business environment. In fact, this may be one of the reasons that you chose to locate your business here in Lake Oswego!
The Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce supports your business through Education, Community Partnerships, Advocacy, and Networking.
Education
Our frequent informal lunch programs and quarterly Kruse Way Economic Forums provide information on the important issues that businesses face today in addition to passing on success tips and “best practice” business operations. Leadership Lake Oswego is our premier program that prepares future business-friendly leaders.
Community Partnerships
Spreading the word about our businesses through our Business Directory, website, press releases, partner-links and e-mails! Add to this our links from partners like the city and the Lake Oswego Review’s community website, together receiving over 18,000 visits/monthly from people in Lake Oswego looking for goods and services. See what our Chamber and members are doing to promote business in Lake Oswego and beyond here on our website and through the “Explore LO” publication. Over 10,000 copies of our Membership Directory are distributed by mail and from the Chamber office beginning in February of each year.
Advocacy
For our businesses at the City, County and State level on the important issues that affect our business community. The City now looks to us as the “voice of business” and through our new survey tool we can tell them what you want them to know.
The Chamber advocates for businesses at City Hall, before the County Commissioners, Metro, state legislators and to your congressional delegation. We actively support businesses looking to relocate to or within Lake Oswego and help existing businesses that are seeking information or solutions to issues affecting their business.
Networking
Your business into the larger community. Our activities are designed to connect you with potential clients, customers and vendors. Chamber members meet each Friday morning at a different member business for Networking, bringing together dozens of business leaders each week to share business leads, knowledge and new opportunities. This makes it one of the largest networking groups in the metro area!
In addition, there are a host of Chamber events, committees and task forces throughout the year that offer members a chance to make new contacts and friends, positioning their business to be the first choice for a customer’s needs. Other networking and visibility events include our annual Downtown Wine Walk, Community Leaders Breakfast, Annual Community Awards Dinner and Auction, Business After Hours and the Community Tree Lighting event. Your business can gain visibility with thousands of Lake Oswego residents by supporting and attending these fun community events.
Even if you do little or no business directly in the community, our efforts still provide you with value in government advocacy and quality of life issues. From the beautification of the Village Flower Basket program to creating better employees and new leaders through our Leadership Lake Oswego program, the Chamber works to keep our community strong.
What Else Do We Offer?
Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities:
Members can promote their business through a variety of means:
- Business Directory: The Chamber’s Business Directory is Lake Oswego’s most sought-after resource for business information, printing 10,000+ copies of this annual resource and duplicated visibility on two websites.
- Community Map: One side of this full color glossy map features the Lake Oswego city limits, highlighting street names and points of interest. The other side places Lake Oswego within the context of the metro region. Borders of the maps include business advertising, a calendar of events plus pictures and information about Lake Oswego.
- Sponsorships: These are available for all Chamber events and programs, providing an excellent way to link your business to an event or program that is meaningful to you and highly regarded by the Lake Oswego community.
Community Leadership
Both political and community leadership are demonstrated by the Chamber’s active partnerships with the:
- City of Lake Oswego
- Lake Grove Business Association (L.G.B.A.)
- Downtown Business Committee
- Lake Oswego Corporation
- Arts Council of Lake Oswego
- Lake Oswego Library
- Lake Oswego School District
- Lakewood Center for the Performing Arts
- Neighborhood Associations
- Oswego Heritage Council
- Lake Oswego Hunt Club
- Kruse Way Economic Forum
- Oswego Lake Country Club
- Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation
- Lake Oswego Sustainability Network
Visitor Center
Housed at the Chamber office, providing a center for information on member businesses, local lodging, dining and shopping as well as local, county, regional and statewide tourist attractions. The Chamber works closely with Travel Portland, City of Lake Oswego and the Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs Department.