Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2026 in Grand Junction

Mayor Laurel Lutz, City of Grand Junction

Wildly Effective Leadership: Leading with Purpose, Creating Value

Chambers do what few other organizations can: bring people together, see what’s ahead, carry the community’s interests, create collective action, and keep moving when the work gets hard. Using leadership lessons from the animal world, this interactive session will explore what nature’s most effective leaders can teach us about the unique role Chambers play in their communities. Through storytelling, reflection, and conversation, participants will reconnect with why their work matters and consider how their Chamber can make an even greater impact. Come ready to think differently about leadership—and leave with a renewed sense of purpose for the work ahead.

• Leadership Track | System Building for Sustainable Chambers
  • Wendy Laros, ACE, IOM Kona-Kohala HI
  • Chamber leaders are often expected to manage immediate needs while also building an organization capable of succeeding for years to come. Without clear systems, institutional knowledge can live with one person, daily work becomes reactive, and growth can create additional strain rather than greater capacity. This session will explore how chamber leaders can create repeatable systems for operations, communications, membership, events, board engagement, and staff accountability. Participants will learn how thoughtful documentation and clear processes can reduce organizational risk, support staff development, and create more space for strategic leadership. Attendees will leave with ideas they can use to build a chamber that is less dependent on individual people and better positioned for long-term success.
• Workforce Track | Your Chamber's Role in Building a Competitive Workforce 
  • Abby Ault,  Innovate Work Consulting
  • Ed Sealover, Colorado Chamber of Commerce
  • Chris Romer, Vail Valley Partnership 
  • Workforce challenges are not limited to finding qualified applicants. Transportation, education, skills development, workplace expectations, and demographic changes all affect the ability of employers to attract and retain talent. This session will explore the role chambers can play in connecting employers with education, government, and community partners. Panelists will discuss successful approaches to industry engagement, workforce advocacy, talent-pipeline development, and regional collaboration. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of where their chamber can add value, how to engage employers meaningfully, and how to avoid duplicating work already being led by other community partners.
• Advocacy Track | Creating Policy Guidelines that Drive Impact
  • Ann Hutchinson, Fort Collins Chamber
  • Effective advocacy requires more than reacting to legislation as it arises. Chambers need a clear and consistent framework for determining when to engage, which issues align with their mission, and how policy decisions will affect their members and communities. This session will explore how chambers can establish policy guidelines that give staff, boards, and committees greater confidence when evaluating legislation, regulations, and ballot measures. Participants will discuss how to gather member input, establish guiding principles, communicate positions, and remain focused on business impact rather than partisan politics. Attendees will leave with a stronger foundation for creating an advocacy program that is credible, responsive, and aligned with the chamber’s strategic priorities.

• General Session | Colorado at a Crossroads and Chamber Foundations
  • Rachel Beck, Colorado Chamber Foundation
  • Colorado’s economic strength depends on leaders and organizations willing to invest in the long-term competitiveness of the state. This session will introduce the work and priorities of the Colorado Chamber Foundation, including how research, education, leadership development, and collaborative initiatives can support a stronger business climate. Attendees will gain insight into opportunities for local chambers to connect with statewide efforts, access resources, and bring relevant research and programming back to their own communities. 
• Lunch Keynote | Energy Demand Growth and Energy Security
  • Christopher Guith, U.S. Chamber
  • The U.S. is experiencing unprecedented demand for energy.  While data centers are part of this growth, they are not even the primary reason.  We are blessed with tremendous energy resources, but are we ready to meet this opportunity and what policies do we need to ensure success?

• Membership Track | From Reactive to Intentional: Creating a Retention Plan
  • Josh Cross, ACE, Atascadaro Chamber, CA
  • Strong chambers grow by earning trust the day a member joins. This session makes retention practical, relatable, and even fun. Attendees will identify why members leave, practice effective renewal and win back conversations, and leave with a clear plan to strengthen relationships, demonstrate value, and improve retention.
• Advocacy Track | Building Relationships with Elected Officials
  • Lisa Hough, IOM, Adams County Regional Economic Partnership (AC-REP) 
  • Jeff Thormosdgaard, Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC
  • The most effective time to begin building a relationship with an elected official is long before a difficult vote or controversial issue arises. Chambers that invest in year-round relationships are better positioned to communicate member concerns, offer trusted information, and influence policy outcomes. This session will explore how chambers can develop productive, nonpartisan relationships with elected officials and their staff at the local, state, and federal levels. Participants will learn how to create regular touchpoints, organize effective meetings, provide useful business perspectives, and maintain trust even when policy disagreements occur. Attendees will leave with ideas for creating a more consistent and strategic approach to government relations.
• Leadership Track | Convening is Your Superpower 
  • Glenn Morris 
  • Few organizations have the ability to bring together employers, elected officials, educators, nonprofits, and community leaders in the way a chamber can. Convening, however, is more than putting people in the same room. It requires trust, intention, strong facilitation, and a clear purpose. This session will explore how chambers can use their relationships and credibility to create productive conversations, build alignment, and move community priorities forward. Participants will discuss how to determine who needs to be at the table, structure meaningful dialogue, manage competing interests, and translate conversation into action. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for becoming more intentional and effective conveners in their communities.

• Membership Track | Executive Level Fundraising: How Chamber Leaders Can Better Use Their Leadership Role
  • Dave Tabor, Chamber Executive Consultant
  • This session presents a different and more effective approach for Chamber CEOs, Executive Directors, and senior executives.  It focuses on what Dave Tabor discovered through hundreds of hours of research and practice, to raise and retain millions of dollars of membership revenue.  This approach better positions chamber leaders as leaders of their community – leaders of their mission, not salespeople.  It’s a mind shift for sure - and it’s more authentic for leaders, more enjoyable for them, and much more effective.  Session topics include a peer-to-peer mindset, executive presence in practice, reframing the sale, the story that opens the sales conversation, and securing a commitment.  Specific examples will be shown and explained.  
• Community Track | Solving the Unsolvable: How Chambers Are Addressing Childcare in Colorado
  • Steffanie Clothier, Gary Community Ventures
  • Kayla Klein, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC)
  • Child care is a workforce and economic challenge touching communities across Colorado—and chambers are uniquely positioned to bring employers, community partners, and local leaders together around solutions. This interactive session will explore what’s happening in Colorado’s child care landscape, lessons emerging from communities across the state, and the range of approaches chambers can take to get involved. Attendees will hear from peers, share what’s working in their own communities, and leave with practical resources and opportunities to engage in child care efforts—whether they’re already leading the conversation or just getting started.
• Tech Breakout | Apps that Transform Your Capacity
  • Zeb Welborn, ACE, CCE, IOM, President & CEO, Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce, CA
  • Small chamber teams are often responsible for membership, events, communications, advocacy, operations, and community engagement at the same time. The right technology can reduce repetitive work, improve consistency, and help staff focus their time on higher-value responsibilities. This practical session will introduce accessible tools and applications that can support project management, scheduling, communication, content creation, automation, member service, and team collaboration. The conversation will also address how to evaluate new tools without creating unnecessary expense or adding more complexity. Attendees will leave with a curated collection of technology solutions and ideas for integrating them into daily chamber operations.

Chamber Exchange: Ask Anything,  Share Everything

General Session with Rotating Table Hosts, facilitated by Candace Carnahan, ACE, Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce

• Trista Borrego, Littleton Business Chamber
• Terri Hayes, Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce
• Jeff Keener, South Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Nola Krawjewski, Golden Area Chamber of Commerce
• Kris Mattera, IOM, Basalt Chamber of Commerce
• Rich Millard, Royal Gorge Chamber Alliance
• Glenn Morris,  Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.)
• Chris Romer, ACE, IOM, Vail Valley Partnership
• Lauren Schwartz, Colorado Chamber

Some of the most valuable conference conversations happen when chamber professionals can speak candidly with colleagues who understand the work. This highly interactive session will create space for practical questions, shared experiences, and peer-generated solutions.

Attendees will rotate among facilitated tables focused on key areas such as membership, advocacy, events, revenue, workforce, technology, leadership, board governance, and organizational operations. Table hosts will guide the conversation, but participants will shape it by bringing forward their own questions, challenges, and ideas.

The goal is not to identify one perfect answer. It is to help attendees gather tested approaches, learn from the experiences of their peers, and leave with new relationships they can continue to call upon after the conference.

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a hosted drink during happy hour while mingling with fellow chamber leaders, speakers, and sponsors before the Chamber Performance Awards Banquet.

The Silent Auction will remain open through the Chamber Performance Awards Banquet. Funds raised through the silent auction help support scholarships for chamber peers. Bidding closes at 8:00 p.m. Please ensure you pick up and pay for your items before departure from the conference.

Dinner 

Join the celebrations as we honor the top achievements in membership, communications, advocacy, and leadership. Awards will be presented in the following categories: Membership Retention, Membership Growth, Membership Dues Growth, Communications, Government Affairs, Best Idea of the Year, Team Member of the Year, and CEO of the Year.