Valley Chamber Name Game

So what do you think about the Mid Valley Chamber of Commerce changing its name to the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce? (If you missed it, there’s a story by Staff Reporter Chris Coates on page 1 of this issue.) In some quarters this may bring a great big yawn but in others I think it could be a big deal and finally force some serious debate on some purely local issues that many people have just danced around for years. Is it time to really seriously think about merging some of the countless organizations that represent business interests in the San Fernando Valley and its neighboring areas such as the Santa Clarita and Conejo valleys? Consolidate into fewer but larger groups? We’ve got 20-something chambers just in the San Fernando Valley. Regionally, we’ve got the Economic Alliance, VICA, VITA, VEDC (what other letters of the alphabet can we put together and then form an organization?). I exaggerate here obviously, but there are a lot of organizations to join and this can be confusing for a businessperson, especially a small businessperson not savvy to the power bases here in our Valley area. But so what? I totally believe in the philosophy of may the best person, organization or company win. Pure and simple. Officials at the Mid Valley Chamber said they changed the name to better reflect that it has become more of a regional chamber for the Valley as a whole. If the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber has the staff, the membership and the creative ideas to serve the entire Valley effectively then the organization should go for it. But this chamber needs to vigorously recruit the members of the other chambers to make it work. And the name change can’t just be a name change. The group must effectively serve members in the East Valley, West Valley, North Valley, South Valley and Mid Valley. This means mixers, events and programs from Pacoima to Encino and from Woodland Hills to North Hollywood and beyond. This could prove difficult. The Valley is a vast place and one area of the Valley can be very different from another in terms of industry mix and identity. And that’s where I think all the smaller chambers come in and can still play a vital role in their respective neighborhoods no matter what another chamber calls itself for business reasons. Besides, many businesspeople belong to more than one chamber because they feel they can get something from each one of them even if it is just a sense of belonging. Business Journal Editor Jason Schaff can be reached at (818) 316-3125 or at [email protected] .