The Mission 5 Report | Quarter 2, 2022

Q2 Mission 5 Report | Quarter 2 – 2022 released August 5, 2022

Thank You for Investing in Our Community’s Future The Mission 5 Report is a quarterly report highlighting results, accomplishments, and other outcomes from the Chamber’s efforts to be influencers, catalysts, and conveners; the trusted source for growing business, activating leaders, and building community.

Whether you are an investor in our mission-work through Vision 100 or through membership in the Chamber, or both, you are helping to fuel these important outcomes for the Rogers-Lowell Area. Thank you for your investment in our community’s future and taking time to learn more about our mission-work highlights in this first quarter report.

Our Vision is for the Rogers-Lowell Area to be the center of world-class business, welcoming communities, and opportunities for all. This Vision drives our mission-work.

The Chamber’s five key focus areas for its mission-work, called the “Mission 5”, include Economic Development, Community Development, Small Business & Entrepreneurial Development, Destination Marketing & Management, and Advocacy & Government Affairs.

Economic Development

This mission-work creates a pro-business, pro-growth economic environment. It spurs economic growth as a key driver for increasing the sales tax base which funds education, public safety, and infrastructure. We also develop talent pipelines for current and future workforce needs by connecting educators and students with industry. Our resources and support help our community sustain responsible economic development growth from Downtown Rogers to Uptown Rogers and Lowell.

Q2 2022 Highlights: • Rogers has created over 1,200 jobs and the labor force has grown by over 1,000 since January.

• The current unemployment rate in Rogers is 2.1% (second lowest in the state).

• Sales tax collections in Rogers remain above 2021 levels and are at 52% of matching 2021’s record numbers.

• A total of 47 Downtown Rogers businesses are now offering interactive experiences that go beyond selling goods and services.

• The Chamber issued four news releases featuring Downtown Rogers business and development stories resulting in 24 media placements to raise awareness.

• Chamber Staff presented Downtown Rogers economic development programs to three organizations in the 2nd quarter.

• Downtown Rogers is on track to increase the number of multi-family units by 133% in the next two years.

• $1.55 million in capital improvements in Downtown Rogers were reported in the 2nd quarter (compared to $1.64 million in the 1st quarter).

• Four businesses opened in the 2nd quarter and 18 more are coming soon.

Community Development

This mission-work activates a diverse, next generation of business and community leaders.

We champion community engagement and inclusion initiatives by convening and engaging the right people at the right time. Our work also improves our community’s quality of life by supporting quality of place initiatives.

Q2 2022 Highlights: • Arvest First Leadership & L.E.A.D. Rogers Student Program finished the school year with a total of 132 students participating in these Chamber programs.

• A total of 13 Rogers School District students received the L.E.A.D. Rogers Community Scholarships (valued at $1,000 each).

• Year-to-date the Chamber has helped 62 minority entrepreneurs with resources and information including licensing, site selection and planning.

• The Chamber hosted two NWA Emerging Leaders events with a total of 63 young professionals attending: one Emerging Leaders After Hours at Ozark Beer Company; and one professional development training on Hard Conversations in the Workplace.

Small Business & Entrepreneurial Development

This mission-work includes curating essential resources for starting, running, and growing business. We open new doors to new business connections for small businesspeople and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds by delivering educational and networking events. We also listen to our Small Business Council who guides us as the Voice of Small Business and helps understand and represent their needs.

Q2 2022 Highlights: • Staff assisted 123 businesses seeking resources and assistance in the 2nd quarter.

• The Chamber hosted The How of Implementing DEI Programs in the Workplace to educate businesses on workforce retention and attraction

retention calls encouraging members to utilize the member portal to access information.

• The Chamber had a very busy 2nd quarter with four signature events: • Rogers Cycling Festival was a great success

tools that address employment gaps and

as we combined efforts with Ozark Outdoor

workforce availability.

Foundation hosting the Kid’s Crit Race in

• The Chamber partnered with Business and Industry Training to host a 3-part Soft Skills Certification program. It taught participants how to deliver constructive criticism and improve presentation skills to increase hirable skills among our workforce.

• The Member Engagement Committee conducted 48 visits to Chamber member businesses in the

Downtown Rogers.

• A $2,500 donation was made to Arvest for the Million Meals Campaign.

• NWA Spring Job Fair was an overwhelming success with 106 businesses seeking employees and over 200 job seekers in attendance.

• Tee Off at Topgolf was held on May 12 offering a

2nd quarter. This dedicated group of eight business

unique team building opportunity for 15 local

professionals volunteer to help businesses get

companies.

the most out of their membership by connecting, informing, engaging, and supporting them.

• A total of 334 member representatives logged into the Chamber’s website Members Only portal in the 2nd quarter, up 40% from the 1st quarter.

This increase in member logins is a result of staff

• Chamber Picnic kicked-off Lowell Mudtown Days with 150 in attendance.

Destination Marketing & Management

This mission-work activates quality experiences for both visitors and residents and markets our destination by targeting leisure, meetings, and sports groups to visit and conduct their business here. We cultivate tourism to create economic and community development opportunities. Our destination leadership and stewardship help balance responsible economic growth with sustainable tourism and quality of life.

Q2 2022 Highlights: • Visit Rogers, a division of the Chamber, serviced 32 meetings, conventions, and events with a combined attendance of over 16,000 people in Rogers during the 2nd quarter.

• Visit Rogers has sold 11,150 new business room nights through the 2nd quarter, an all-time high for the organization with six months left to build upon that number. The previous record in new business room nights sold for future years was in 2018 at 10,028.

• VisitRogersArkansas.com had 80,000 users on the website during the 2nd quarter, an increase of 40% vs. the same period last year.

• Top feeder metros by number of website users: Dallas-Ft. Worth, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, and Kansas City. Based on a study by an industry leading research firm, Destination Analysts, 38.5% of users of Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) websites are in the decision process on whether to visit. Based on that study’s model, in the 2nd quarter VisitRogersArkansas.com delivered content to nearly 31,000 potential customers to influence them to visit Rogers vs. our destination competitors.

Advocacy & Government Affairs

This mission-work serves as the regional link between business and government to ensure that the Voice of Business is represented and heard. We engage the community in the political process by educating voters, providing contacts for legislators, and influencing the community to get registered and vote.

Q2 2022 Highlights: • The Chamber’s President/CEO and Board of Directors began the process of searching for a new Advocacy and Government Affairs staff person in the 2nd quarter to lead this key focus area of the Chamber’s mission-work. The process included holding focus groups during the quarter with Chamber members and stakeholders to determine a future path for the program.

• Chamber staff helped gather data and input on the future Benton County Jail project.

A county criminal justice committee recommended earlier this year that nearly $250 million be spent on a jail expansion and a courts complex. Justices of the peace previously set the rates for a proposed one-eighth percent sales tax increase to pay for the bond for the expansion and a one-quarter percent sales tax increase to pay for the operations and management of the jail. Money from the one-eighth percent increase would be used to pay off the bonds that would finance the jail expansion.

The tax will end when the bonds are paid off. The ballot measures will only concern expanding the jail because justices of the peace plan to pay for the courts project with existing county money. The estimated budget for the jail expansion project is $206.2 million.

• During the 2nd quarter much progress was made collaborating with local leaders to lay the groundwork for the Northwest Arkansas Regional Agenda for the 2023 legislative session.