It turns out this Chamber is full of talent! The Poinciana Area Council made a creative pandemic pivot last week by hosting their first ever virtual paint night via Zoom. The Poinciana Area Council has offered a scholarship award to graduating Poinciana-area seniors for over a decade. Since 2017, the scholarship has been largely funded by PAC’s signature event, PoincianaFest. This popular community and vendor festival has been held at the new Valencia College Poinciana Campus each October and drawn crowds of people who come out to meet local businesses, watch area students perform, create take-home crafts, and hear from community leaders. With the pandemic still in full force last October, it was not possible to host this event and benefit from the fundraising it provides.
2021 PAC Chairman Crystal Bethea of Riviera Spa Massage developed the idea of a virtual paint night to help supplement the scholarship fund as PAC prepares to reward two local seniors this spring. Attendees at this virtual event learned the step-by-step process of creating their own artwork from the comfort of their homes. Each attendee received a 12×16 inch canvas, table-top easel, and set of acrylic paints and brushes to complete their masterpiece under the direction of Valencia College art student Marie Scott.
The event, which ran from 8:00 to 10:00 pm, was fun and informative and attendees, many of whom made it a family affair with spouses, parents, and children, enjoyed showing off their works to each other via Zoom. The evening was sponsored by Riviera Spa Massage, Soni Family Practice, Quick Solutions, and Osceola Community Health Services. Check out some photos of the “Drippy Moons” created by our members below.
The Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce (“Kissimmee Chamber”) is currently seeking proposals from parties interested in working with the Kissimmee Chamber to develop a cohesive brand identity and a comprehensive branding strategy for our large, multi-faceted, notfor-profit organization. The goal of this branding initiative is to enhance recognition and awareness of this organization as “champions for business and community” in Osceola County and its surrounding regions. Renaming of the organization and its related entities is an appropriate recommendation, but not required depending on the discussion. A sub-component of this initiative is to update the Kissimmee Chamber’s nine area council logos, overall brand standards, and corporate identity package.
BACKGROUND
In accordance with chapter 501.973 of the Florida State Statute, a Chamber of Commerce is defined as “a voluntary membership, dues-paying organization of business and professional persons dedicated, as stated in the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the organization, to improving the economic climate and business development of the community, area, or region in which the organization is located.” The state statute also notes that “this section imposes no requirement for oversight or regulation of a business entity name, trademark, trade name, or other requirement for filing or registration under any provision of law.” Though we have traditionally touted the Kissimmee Chamber as founded in 1924, historical research indicates that the “Kissimmee Chamber” and/or “Kissimmee Board of Trade” predated this going back as early as 1910, and a Florida State Board of Trade was also founded in Kissimmee in 1912. As such, Kissimmee and Osceola County’s history of business advocacy and comradery has been central to the region for over a century, and the area has played a role in business concerns at the state level for just as long. Over the years, the Kissimmee Chamber has been the driving champion for business in and around Osceola County, Florida. Osceola County’s 350,000+ population makes their home in a diverse community situated amongst two municipalities surrounded by large expanses of unincorporated county land, within a dynamic, fast-growing region of our state. The business community in our region reflects this. To ensure that we are situated as the primary champion for business in this community, the Chamber is divided into nine miniChambers known as “Area Councils.” These area councils more directly reflect the specific needs of our various demographics and geographic regions. Current area councils are as follows:
We also have other subsidiary groups, including our Chamber Ambassadors and five leads groups.
Each council, leads group, and the Chamber Ambassadors are branded with an acronym and logo that reflect the universal Chamber logo. All area councils and other related subsidiaries are included in the Chamber’s one EIN tax number.
In addition to traditional chamber business, we also house a 501(c)(3) organization known as The Chamber Foundation, Inc.
As a chamber, we host several major events per year. Among the list are:
These events currently have, to varying and inconsistent degrees, branding reflective of our universal Chamber branding.
Past names of the Kissimmee Chamber have included The Kissimmee Board of Trade (early 1910s), The Kissimmee Chamber of Commerce (mid-century), and The Greater Kissimmee Area Chamber of Commerce (1970s).
From a marketing and branding perspective, several key concerns need to be assessed and addressed:
The details of the funds available to be awarded as a result of this RFP process are as follows:
Award Floor:$10,000Estimated No. of Awards:1Award Ceiling:$30,000Total Funding Available:$30,000
NOTE: The below listed expectations outline the ideal set of outcomes for this rebranding process. As part of their response, applicants should detail which of these outcomes can be achieved within the parameters of the funds available, as indicated above.
The selected firm will work with the Kissimmee Chamber Rebrand Committee to accomplish the following:
Please include the following in your response:
Please include a cover sheet as the first page of your proposal. This cover sheet should include:
Please include on the cover sheet of your proposal a statement that you have read all specifications and conditions of this proposal; agree to all terms, conditions and provisions; and are currently licensed to do business within Osceola County, the state of Florida, and the United States for the service you will provide to the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce.
Insured? Y/N
_________________
SCHEDULE
March 1, 2021 Release date for Request for Proposal
March 12, 2021 Final date to receive written questions
March 17, 2021 Release date for Addenda to answer written questions
April 1, 2021 Closing Date, delivered by 4pm
April 1-9, 2021 Written Evaluations (Committee)
April 13, 2021 Committee Shortlist Meeting
April 26, 2021 Oral Presentations
May 13, 2021 Recommendation of Top-Ranked Firm to the Board of Directors
May 13, 2021 Board of Directors Approval
In the interest of sustainability, interested parties should submit:
Please submit the above items in person or by mail to:
Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber
ATTN: John Newstreet
1425 E. Vine Street
Kissimmee, FL 34744
All mailed submissions must be delivered by April 1, 2021 at 4pm EST. No exceptions will be made for late deliveries.
The Kissimmee Chamber reserves the right to reject any or all offers, to waive informalities, and to accept all or any part of any offer as may be deemed to be in the best interest of the Kissimmee Chamber. The Kissimmee Chamber also reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted and to request additional information of one or more respondents after the deadline for request for proposals. We desire to engage as many of the Kissimmee Chamber’s stakeholders as possible, and our goal is to complete this work by December 31, 2021 and unveil it at the Kissimmee Chamber’s Annual Meeting in late January 2022.
As a reminder, all proposals must be received in the Kissimmee Chamber office NO LATER THAN April 1, 2021 at 4pm. There will be no exceptions to this deadline. Proposals received after this deadline will automatically be disqualified.
Please direct all questions to my attention at 407-847-0108 or via e-mail: JNewstreet@theosceolachamber.com.
Our Area Councils are slowly starting to test the waters with small, socially-distanced in-person events. Last week the Downtown Kissimmee Area Council hosted our friends from the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida at Kissimmee Lakefront Park for a Chamber-to-Chamber Evening of Networking. The goal was to bring AACCCF’s regional membership base to see what Kissimmee has to offer and find new businesses with which to work and form partnerships, and for DKAC members to broaden their list of Black-owned and operated businesses in Central Florida with whom they can work and do business.
Over the summer, when racial tensions were high, the DKAC was looking for ways to patronize Black-owned businesses in our community. Since that is not a metric that the Chamber or the City typically track, the board got creative to find ways to bring Black business owners in Kissimmee and its surrounding areas, those who are making an effort to work with Black-owned businesses, and those working to expand their knowledge of our larger community, together. Obviously, the pandemic posed its own set of challenges, but in the end a small evening networking affair seemed the way to go.
LaVell Monger of RTW Photography, who is a member of both Chambers, put in months of creative thinking, along with other DKAC board members and Chamber staff, to put a fun spin on the evening – and it paid off! Even with a limited capacity, turnout was great. Excellent catering was provided by the students of Florida Technical College, who were glad to again have an opportunity to gain experience in the field. Attendees enjoyed round robin-style speed networking that helped everyone break the ice and meet new people. The weather was nice, and all-in-all this was a great first step back to in-person activities.
Both Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber President/CEO John Newstreet and AACCCF President Tanisha Nunn Gary were present and had the opportunity to address attendees. Tanisha summarized the evening well in stating, “The African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida is proud to have joined forces with the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce to host the Chamber to Chamber networking mixer. Floridians look to support small, local, and diverse businesses now more than ever. What better way to continue to stand firm in providing resources, advocacy, and opportunities for sustenance than to create a *socially distanced* space for members to mingle and generate business? The member feedback has been phenomenal and we look forward to a continued partnership with the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber. We are better and stronger together!
"John added, “During this past year it has become more obvious than ever that our small businesses thrive on connection and support from community and fellow businesses. This event is a great example of coming together to support small businesses and forge partnerships with those for whom it is their mission to do so. We look forward to continuing this partnership with the AACCCF and creating more opportunities to bring people, and business, together.”
A few other area councils are planning small in-person ventures soon. Hospitality and Tourism Council will have a tourism industry mixer at Old Town on March 10, and the Celebration Area Council plans something similar for early April. If you prefer to stay distanced, please join the Poinciana Area Council in creating your own work of art from the comfort of home at their Virtual Paint Night on March 5.
