Our Mission Statement:

The Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce (GHCOC) is organized for the purpose of promoting the civic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, economic, social, cultural and general interests for the citizens of Greater Hampstead. The Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce shall be a non-partisan, non-sectarian and non-profit organization.

What Does the Chamber Do for the Community?

The Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce office is the source for information to area residents, as well as to visitors, companies and individuals interested in relocating to the area. As Hampstead remains unincorporated, our Chamber receives an unusually high volume of telephone and e-mail inquiries. This gives us a tremendous opportunity to help you promote your business, while being of service to our callers. We pride ourselves on providing accurate and timely responses to each and every inquiry we receive.

In addition, the Chamber hosts a website at www.hampsteadchamber.com. This website spotlights our members under various business classifications, along with a description of their business and a direct link to their website. It also gives highlights of our area that are of interest to residents, visitors and newcomers.

The GHCOC partners with area government, schools and various non-profit organizations in a tireless effort to strengthen our local business-community connection. Though Hampstead and its surrounding areas have a small-town feel, our vision at the Chamber – just like our population – is constantly growing and developing in an upward direction!

What Can the Chamber Do for You?

Your Chamber of Commerce membership provides a multitude of ways to assist you in the increased promotion and furthering of your business, including:

• Helping to expand the market reach of your business, by providing access to a variety of marketing and partnership opportunities designed to increase your visibility and create local market loyalty.
• Helping you establish additional business contacts and build business networks.
• Providing you with opportunities to meet and interact with other business representatives on a regular basis, for the purpose of exchanging ideas and information; sharing problems and concerns; undertaking joint projects and activities; and exploring business opportunities.
• Improving the overall local business climate through cooperative action.
• Keeping you informed about significant activity within local and state government which could affect your business both directly and indirectly.
• Referring customers your way! As we mentioned above (but feel like it’s value is worth mentioning again!), the Hampstead Chamber receives a large number of office inquiries by newcomers and locals alike looking for our direction and recommendations on various types of businesses they’re anxious to locate. Of course, we can’t refer them your way if your not a Chamber Member! However, upon joining, your Membership will allow us to share all of your business information with potential customers.

What Can You Do for the Chamber?

BECOME INVOLVED…Membership is not a spectator sport! Our dedicated Board of Directors and volunteers are made up of business people just like you, who offer their time and talents to organize and promote Chamber events and services. We welcome your ideas and your help, and we value the unique qualities and talents you bring to our organization. We recognize that, as a business owner, your time and resources are at a premium, however we also know from experience that our members who benefit most from their Chamber affiliation are those who “actively participate” and take advantage of all of the services and opportunities we have to offer. At the end of the day, the success of your membership – just like that of your business – is largely dependent on the level of your commitment. This is not to say that we aren’t willing to doing our part. After all, we are here to serve you and your business needs! What we are trying to say, though, is that you will reap the greatest results from sewing the most “Chamber seeds” and allowing us to partner and collaborate with you actively and regularly!

TALK IT UP…Help us spread the word that our Chamber is active, growing and on the move! Member participation (including verbal!) is a critical part of ensuring the vitality of your Chamber of Commerce. As an investment, this is perhaps the best way to secure that the Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce will consistently pay bigger and better dividends to its Members – and you! Become a  GHCOC Ambassador - this is sure to be a wonderful opportunity for new and seasoned members to get out in the community, meeting and greeting both current and prospective business members for a shared cause. We invite you to contact our office for additional information on this and other member-involvement programs.

Where are we located?

The Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce office and public display area is currently located at 20184 US Hwy 17N, Hampstead, in the Thread FX/Cruise One building.  Visitors to the office may browse the attractive display of brochures for maps, information on the Hampstead area, local sights and local business services. Your business brochure will be a welcome addition to our display.

Our office is open Monday – Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

 

Membership Has It’s Benefits!

The following contains information and details on each of the Membership services and opportunities to which a Chamber Membership will entitle you. If you happen to have previously been involved in another chamber, we always love hearing new ideas for additional Member benefits (and of course the areas in which you’ve been most successful volunteering in the past!).

 

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Grand Openings and Ribbon Cuttings: This is a way to celebrate and promote your new business, location, renovation, additional services or expansion. Your Chamber assists you in the planning and handles e-mail/newsletter announcements, and Member RSVPs at no additional charge to you. We will ask you to fill out a Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening Ceremony Information Sheet in order to maximize our service to you, as we assist you with the accurate and timely promotion of your event.

 

“Alive@5!” Business After-Hours Events:  Famously misnamed (as these events almost always take place beginning at 5:30 or 6:00 pm!), the Chamber’s “Alive@5!” social networking events are sponsored typically the second or third Thursday of each month by a different business. These events provide an opportunity to meet with and get to know other Chamber members, discuss new ideas, and exchange business information in a totally relaxed atmosphere. Food and beverages are served and provided by the business hosting the event. In return, the business sponsor gains increased visibility and recognition in the business community, and also retains all business contact information from the event.   At a nominal administrative fee, your Chamber will assist you in planning, handling e-mail/newsletter announcements, and RSVPs. The Chamber will also provide a door prize (such as a bottle of wine) and organize a 50/50 raffle to help maximize attendance and fun! To heighten the event’s appeal, oftentimes businesses will choose to provide additional raffle items such as gift certificates or gift baskets from one of our local retail shops. The drawings for these raffle items take place 30 minutes prior to the event ending. If you’re interested in hosting an “Alive@5!” event at your business location, or teaming up to co-host with another business member, let us know right away as these dates book up well in advance.  All business hosts will be asked to sign an “Alive@5!” Event Agreement prior to the date of their respective event. Upon joining the Chamber, you will be provided with an “Alive@5!” calendar of events. You’re encouraged to bring your staff members with you each month, and we also welcome you to bring a business associate who may be interested in joining the Chamber with you for a taste of what the Chamber has to offer. To help you plan ahead for both attendance and scheduling purposes, January's “Alive@5!” event is replaced by our Annual Banquet, and December’s “Alive@5!” event comes in the form of our fabulously fun Holiday Mixer.

GHCOC Website: Membership in the Chamber affords you the opportunity to be highlighted on our website with a business category listing, as well as your business name listed on the Home Page of the GHCOC website – both linked directly to your business website.

Bulk Mail Permit: The Chamber has a bulk mail permit which it gladly makes available for use by its Business Members, to help you significantly reduce the costs of large mailings, such as notices of business sales, special events, etc. Simply contact our office prior to your mailing preparation, regarding USPS label, size, etc. requirements and provide us with a copy of the contents of your mailing. Once the Chamber office has given approval of the mailing piece, we will provide you with either our imprinted bulk mail stamp or email you a copy of our bulk mail imptrint, so you can have your printer copy onto your bulk mail envelopes/post cards, eliminating the need for you to individually stamp each piece. After you have completed preparation and prior to your going to the post office, call us so you can stop by our office for a Bulk Mail Approval Form and USPS forms required to be presented to the post office.

E-Newsletter: The Chamber staff produces a twice-monthly E-newsletter that reaches an audience of approximately eight hundred (800)! Want to announce a new product, service, or business accomplishment? You can advertise it in our weekly e-newsletter free of charge (for a text only ad) – or for a nominal fee, ads including a website link, logo or graphics. Ads should be e-mailed to the Chamber office in final, edited form, containing ".jpg" formatting, one week prior to the publication date.  Upon joining the Chamber, you will receive information regarding fees, deadlines, formatting requirements, etc. regarding ads for the E-Newsletter.

E-Blasts:  An E-Blast is an email to all GHCOC Chamber Members, with your business advertisement, press release, special promotion, upcoming event, or notice.  Each GHCOC Member is entitled to one (1) E-Blast per month, free of charge.  Upon joining the Chamber, you will receive information regarding formatting requirements, etc. for an E-Blast.

Annual Chamber Events:

The Annual Banquet hosted in January begins a bright new opportunity for the Chamber at the start of each year. The election and introduction of the new members to the GHCOC Board of Directors, presentation of our traditional yearly awards of Volunteer and Citizen of the Year, and review of the previous year’s financials represent the business portion of the evening. On the festive side, a social hour precedes the evening’s events, followed by a sumptuous banquet and delightful entertainment. It is an evening for renewing old friendships and making new connections as members look ahead and plan for the coming business year. This is a once-a-year opportunity you won’t want to miss (Platinum Members receive a special member discount on up to four tickets), so mark your calendars early and plan to arrive in style!

The “Taste of Hampstead” Fall Wine Fest is a tradition that began in 2009, and became an instant favorite! Featuring an array of delicacies provided by our local area restaurants, live music and an inspired selection of extraordinary wines and craft beers, this venue truly provides a perfect opportunity to both fellowship and network with members of the Chamber and local community. Tickets are limited, so be sure to reserve yours early!

The Holiday Mixer is our festive, fun celebration where we enjoy and share the Holiday spirit, while looking forward to the great opportunities & possibilities that the new year will bring!  GHCOC brings 'the spirits'…everyone brings a dish…and we all have a merry ol' time!

 

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As a non-profit 501-(c)-6 organization that looks to keep it’s membership rates “user-friendly,” the GHCOC participates in a number of Fundraising Activities each year to help us sustain a healthy budget and continue to be an active and viable organization. As we plan these events each year, we look to our members for guidance, support and continuous feedback on what you'd like to see us do in the future, to benefit both the Chamber and the local community.