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It was in Marseilles, France; the year 1599 AD. The reason: to “establish policies to govern trade.” And so began what is known today as a chamber of commerce. The underlying idea was “businesses joining together in a mutual effort to increase commerce… and to establish policies to govern trade.” In the United States the oldest chamber of commerce is New York State Chamber of Commerce, which was “chartered by King George III in 1770…today there are over 5,000 chambers of commerce.” Historically, the chamber served as the hub for business enterprises; and today chambers continue to serve as that hub. Recognized nationally as the place to look for business and community information makes them one of the top organizations that businesses call when scoping out potential investment and/or development. They also serve as one of the first places visitors stop when coming into a community to learn about that community, find places to stay and eat, things to do, and where even locals call for community information.
Under the umbrella of chambers is tourism; tourism and business go hand-in-hand. Tourism attracts consumers who invest in fuel and food; overnight and/or vacation stays, sports events, entertainment, hunting and on it can go. Tourism is a strong and vital piece in the foundation of a community’s economy and the Columbus Chamber is at the center for our tourism programs, initiatives, and projects. Established in the Columbus region are many businesses who provide a plethora of products that leaves little need to shop elsewhere. The community also offers multiple activities throughout the region and multiple organizations engage in many areas of service; they all help enhance the quality of life. How does the Columbus Chamber know about these, support them, help them be as effective as possible? By being a hub that connects them together.
Just as the first chamber was established to help “traders banded together…to establish policies in trade,” so, too, is the Columbus Chamber. We are working diligently to grow and strengthen our hub as we continue to serve our members and communities, build and expand our tourism presence, provide information to our general communities, and be that invaluable resource for our businesses to “establish policies and govern trade.”
Reference: https://www. chambernation. com/ historyof- chambers
