PC Chamber’s annual meeting sheds light on environmental and economic vitality

Park City Photo: TownLift // Rayne Moynahan

PARK CITY, Utah — On August 15, the Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau held its 2022 Annual Meeting at Pendry Park City. The meeting was a celebration of accomplishments as well as a continuation of discussions on headway being made to provide a community and environment-centric focus in the coming years.

In the last year alone, the Chamber welcomed 100 new members to the organization. The new membership now brings the total number to 900 partners.  The drive in membership helped enhance the Chamber’s communications to the public, produce new business education programs for members, and expand its bandwidth to address key issues through signature events like the Wasatch Back Economic Summit and Fall Forum (which will take place again on November 1 this year).

The Chamber’s annual meeting also highlighted the approval of its first-ever legislative policy agenda expressing formal policy statements on issues like business climate, housing, labor and employment, and the environment. This new vision of managing tourism to balance the environment, lifestyle, and economy of Park City was a key topic of conversation.  

The winter and summer ad campaigns launched this year highlighted its primary focus in advertising to deliver messages of visiting with care. After almost two years of exercising caution due to the pandemic, the Special Events Department for the Chamber brought back the Special Event grant. The department expanded its efforts to help manage these events, mitigating environmental and quality of life impacts.  

Looking ahead and what’s to come, Business University continues to lead the charge for members with relevant business training to help them grow as business owners and leaders. The Chamber is creating new avenues to pave the way for businesses to reach out with their own personal business stories, the goal being to connect each business with the local community, the tourist, and even the soon-to-be visitor.

While attracting visitors for the benefit of businesses in Park City is the name of the game, this year’s focus has had a strong emphasis on sustainability and environmental impact of tourism.  With the upcoming launch of the new Sustainable Tourism Plan, which has been discussed in recent months, the lens is shifting.  The stewardship principles prioritized for Park City as a whole are: respecting the health of the environment, fostering local spirit, sharing benefits of the visitor economy fairly, leading by example, and being action-focused.

There will also be a few new names on the Chamber’s board this year. It welcomed Brooks Kirchheimer of Hearth and Hill, VP of Marketing for Deer Valley Susie English, Posh Management Group’s founder Revice Jordan, Rosa Salguero of Top Shelf Services, Rob Sergent of Alpine Distilling, and ED of Mountain Trails Foundation Lora Smith.

To stay up to date with the soon-to-be-released Sustainable Tourism Plan, visit the Chamber’s website.