Chamber reports modest visitor gains; plans Fed visit, childcare work and new foundation launch

Ben VanCamp of the Chamber (speaker 8) gave an update on visitor analytics and chamber programming. He said the Chamber's new software shows roughly a 5% increase in visitors year over year and about a 4.5% rise in overnight stays, while the length of stay dipped slightly. He also said the Chamber is hosting a representative from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston later in August for a tour of local industry and a conversation with business leaders.

VanCamp described ongoing childcare stakeholder work (in partnership with Councilor Hopkins and local education partners), the Streetlights networking event on Sept. 9, and a plan to repurpose a dormant 501(c)(3) foundation to pursue grant funding for workforce and childcare initiatives. "We've repurposed that organization to be a broader and more flexible entity to go after dollars to work on things like childcare and workforce development," VanCamp said.