Chamber News

Dec 01, 2021 Chamber Launches First South Coast Magazine

The Chamber is excited to announce the launch of the first Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce Magazine. The magazine is the premier guide to the South Coast, showcasing businesses across a variety of industries, and the stories behind the people who make our area so special. The publication is the go-to guide for residents, businesses, and visitors with a readership of 75,000. Hard copies can be picked up at the State Street Visitor Center, located at 120 State Street, Suite F. The digital version is now available online, click here.

Dec 01, 2021 Final Request for 2022 Business Award Nominations

The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for businesses from Goleta, Santa Barbara and Carpinteria that have made a significant impact on our community over the last two years. If you know a business deserving of recognition, nominate them today.
To ensure that your recommendations are considered,
please submit a completed form by 9:00 AM on December 10th. To nominate a business, click here.

Dec 01, 2021 Membership Renewal Campaign

As we approach the end of the year, you should have received a membership renewal packet in both your mailbox and inbox.
Renew your chamber membership today to continue accessing our exclusive benefits and resources.
If you have any questions about your membership investment please contact Michele Schneider, Director of Business Development by emailing Michele@sbscchamber.com or calling (805) 967-2500 x105.
Read what our chamber members are saying:
“I love the new Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce! As a former member of the Goleta Chamber I was concerned that the wonderful organization that we had would be diluted or somehow reduced if we merged to include other communities. Wow, was I wrong. The new expanded organization has lots of energy, wonderful leadership, and great connections to strong companies, offering an opportunity for me to grow my own business through the relationships that I have made. In addition, I have been introduced to several small companies that I hadn’t even known existed—benefiting both them and me! I gladly renewed by membership for another year!” – Marie Sue Parsons with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Dec 01, 2021 Public Policy Committee Update on Redistricting

Redistricting was the focus of discussion at the Chamber’s November 18th Public Policy Committee meeting. Redistricting occurs every decade following the new census numbers and has previously been determined by local governments. However, this year is the first time that independent commissions will be determining new district lines based on public comment and participation, rather than elected officials.
Daniel Philips with the National Demographics Corporation, who has been consulting with local redistricting commissions, presented to the committee on the current progress of the state, county, and local city redistricting. While changes to our State Senate and Congressional districts do not have significant effects on the Santa Barbara south coast area, our State Assembly district could change to include all of Santa Barbara County. Currently, Santa Maria, Orcutt, and Lompoc are in a separate Assembly district.
The focus of the committee’s discussions centered on County redistricting, specifically the proposed changes to the 3rd district. Currently Isla Vista is included in a predominantly North County district, but proposed changes could result in Isla Vista’s inclusion in the 2nd district. The committee supports maps that include Isla Vista in the 2nd district, keeping our local college communities together. Several proposed maps split Goleta along the 101 to keep coastal communities together, another concept the committee supported. The committee also recognized that Goleta has already been split between two districts for many years, of which there are advantages for both communities.
The Santa Barbara County Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission has narrowed the choices down to five focus maps, and will be deciding on the final map at their December 8th meeting at 6 p.m. If you are interested in viewing the current draft maps and/or providing public comment, click here.

Nov 23, 2021 Message from the President

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our community as the leading business advocacy group on the South Coast. Our members are what make our mission possible. The past two years we have had to navigate through the challenges of the pandemic and as we head into this holiday season we look forward to continuing to help our member businesses on the road to recovery. Thank you for your continued support as a Chamber member.
With gratitude,
Kristen Miller
President/CEO

Nov 23, 2021 Visitor Center Holiday Promotion

Come explore the Visitor Center Mercantile and shop local this weekend. The Chamber’s State Street Visitor Center, located at 120 State Street, Suite F, features a number of locally made treasures and unique offerings for you to peruse as you plan your holiday gift giving.
Starting this Friday, November 26th, through Sunday, November 28th, we will be offering a special 15% off promotion for all merchandise in the center (excluding ticket sales). The center will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but regular center hours are 11 AM – 5 PM daily.

Nov 23, 2021 Tri-County Chamber Alliance’s 2021 Annual Legislative Review

The Chamber is excited to announce the Tri-County Chamber Alliance’s 2021 Annual Legislative Review will be held in Goleta this year. Speakers include Jennifer Barrera, the new President of CalChamber; Doug Johnson, President & CEO of National Demographics Corporation; and Fred Main, President of Clear Advocacy. The luncheon is on Friday, December 3, from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn in Goleta. The Tri-County Alliance includes chambers from Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. If you are interested in attending, register here.

Nov 18, 2021 Chamber’s Hospitality Committee Hosts Newly Elected Officials

Continuing a long-held tradition, the Chamber’s Hospitality Committee hosted newly elected officials for a reception with business representatives from the hospitality industry. Last Wednesday, November 10th, the Meet the Elected Officials event was held at Rincon Brewery in Santa Barbara. We celebrated with winners Randy Rowse, Kristen Sneddon, and Eric Friedman, along with councilmembers Mike Jordan and Oscar Gutierrez. Attendees enjoyed food, drink, and conversation as they came together to congratulate election winners and set the state for productive working relationships between business and government in the City of Santa Barbara. A special thank you to Rincon Brewery for hosting us!

Nov 18, 2021 Resource: Homelessness Response Directory

As our community continues to make progress addressing the challenges surrounding homelessness, clear communication is becoming increasingly important. Business owners and residents often don’t know who to call regarding their encounters with the homeless population. The Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SB ACT) has been working closely with businesses and has recently created the Homeless Response Directory. To view the directory in English, click here and for Spanish, click here.

This  document provides a list of different situations you may encounter when interacting with the homeless population, who to contact, how to contact them, as well as response times. While this document should prove helpful in many situations, if you’re not sure who to call, please call 911 to be safe. Currently this resource only applies to the City of Santa Barbara, but in the future similar documents may be developed for other areas of Santa Barbara County. We hope the Homeless Response Directory will help business owners see a quicker and more impactful response when they reach out for assistance regarding issues surrounding homelessness.

Nov 18, 2021 Carpinteria Business Committee Recap

This past Monday the Carpinteria Business Committee welcomed guest speakers from BEGA North America and the Alzheimer’s Association. Our first guest speaker was Shawn Webb – VP of Operations at Bega North America, who gave a fascinating presentation on the history of Bega, expansion of the company and BEGA’s commitment to renewable energy in Carpinteria. To view the presentation, click here.

Our second guest speaker was Kathryn Cherkas -Director of Programs at the Alzheimer’s Association. Kathryn gave an overview of the Alzheimer’s Association and provided helpful information and resources for those living with or caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. To learn more, click here.