Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce

Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce has Plans for a Rebound Season!

By Mark Berger

With the ocean and scenic backdrops, Newport is viewed as a “destination.” Since last year at about this time, the pandemic curtailed would-be activities because of federal and state closure mandates. As 2021 has emerged, the region is resurging from local business leaders and official contributions.

One local organization continues as a strong advocate for small businesses.

The Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, located on 513 Broadway, has been leading the forefront in regional businesses remaining vibrant and proactive. That means spending and investing in programs to navigate through these turbulent times. Executive Director Erin Donovan-Boyle has seen these changes firsthand and believes the best is coming soon.

“Since the pandemic started, we have been pivoting our organization while serving the whole community, both members and nonmembers, through this economic uncertainty,” said Donovan- Boyle, who has served in numerous professional capacities before taking her current post six years ago. “The area is well rounded with sole proprietorships and main street businesses to larger defense and tech companies and all business stages and sizes in between. Our business community is made up of many primary industry sectors, which makes for a healthy and robust regional economy,” she added.

The Chamber works toward making their members’ voices heard through regular advocacy at the municipal, state, and federal levels. They are heavily involved in government relations and economic development initiatives, which has been an important component of the organization’s ability to serve the needs of the community and ensure the demands of the small businesses are met. “Our business leaders have pulled together and partnered in many ways. We understand why the hospitality industry, who have been hardest hit, is so important to the Greater Newport region. They help to provide a quality of life and quality of place that attracts and retains talent for all sectors. We are looking forward to helping to build back up the hospitality industry and further diversify our regional economy to become even more resilient,” Donovan-Boyle said.

Erin Donovan-Boyle

Newport will always draw interest from residents and non-residents alike. People plan trips, weddings, and engagements in Newport because of the world-class destination and amazing venues that are attractive for such occasions. These events lay the foundation for future visitors and residents who want to return to the region. While 2020 was a down year for the tourism and wedding industries because of the pandemic, 2021 presents more opportunity - more businesses are opening their doors, the public is getting vaccinated, more large-scale events are scheduled, restrictions are being reduced, and consumer confidence is growing.

While events have changed because of the pandemic, the Chamber has adjusted to meet the local demand. The Chamber hosted more than five-dozen events in 2019, and pivoted in 2020, to host over 50 virtual events. They are hoping to have more outdoor, in-person events in the coming season and are looking forward to their first large-scale event on May 26th to honor their Excellence in Business Awards’ recipients. They are also planning their Women in Business Luncheon in July at Rosecliff. All events are subject to the rules of the day. Donovan-Boyle feels optimistic that protocols will be relaxed to the point where residents and visitors will be able to enjoy the events.

Donovan-Boyle also touts the 34-member Board of Directors for their counsel during the last year. They are a composite of many business owners and leaders from throughout the region that work in tandem to advise and advocate for the region.

They have roughly 1,000 members, down slightly from the 1,100 members they had in 2019. Donovan-Boyle cites the closing of some companies, retirements, and the pandemic as reasons for the reduced numbers. She expects more people to consider membership once the economic climate changes.

In the interim, Donovan-Boyle said that the process of building a more resilient Greater Newport regional economy continues.

“As a Chamber, we helped businesses with several state and federal programs that became available with the CARES Act. Technical assistance for funding resources, direct outreach, marketing and communications, and distribution of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) were just some of the actions taken to serve the business community,“ Donovan-Boyle explained.

The ‘Take it Outside’ initiative was quite popular with area restaurants and the Chamber was able to provide heaters and tents from local vendors. The Chamber was also able to help coordinate supply chain needs between sectors to meet local needs. When it became difficult to purchase or rent tents because of the great demand in the region, some businesses were able to repurpose their skills and products to meet that demand and support their community. One example is of a local sail company being able to switch gears and produce tents for restaurants, allowing those establishments to remain open longer into the season.

“It was truly an example of how the Chamber can act as a business development tool for organizations and how our network of businesses can not only lead to new opportunities, but also a chance to support your local economy,” Donovan-Boyle said.

The Chamber recently relocated its office into the Innovate Newport building on Broadway. The 33,000 square foot, 100 year old building was converted from a former school to an innovation hub. It sits downtown with additional office space for other office tenants, as well as co-worker opportunities and first class event and meeting space.

The Chamber is always actively seeking new members. Business owners who are interested in joining the Chamber can share in its benefits and impact to the economic development and vitality of the region. Other amenities upon joining include numerous professional development and training opportunities, significant marketing and advertising offerings, access to important and current business related information, and being part of a growing network of businesses.

“Chamber membership and engagement should be seen as one of the most affordable business development tools available to all small businesses, which has a broad impact for all. Investing in our regional Chamber is not only affordable and worthwhile, but the return on investment can be measured in the success of the entire business community,” Donovan-Boyle added.

More details can be found by visiting their website at www. newportchamber.com. Or, please call their office at 401847-1608 during normal business hours.