Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

On September 10, 2008 the Lewis and Clark Riverboat left the dock with nearly 70 Chamber volunteers aboard. And though the riverboat launches frequently, this launch also officially began the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber’s first annual Total Resource Campaign.

Thank you to our Campaign Chairman, Jerry Splonskowski, and his company, Northwest Contracting, Inc., for sponsoring our Kickoff event! Jerry's energy and enthusiasm for The Chamber, and the Bismarck-Mandan area in general, was evident as he welcomed the group.

We spent a fun afternoon on the water enjoying a delicious lunch, meeting our Campaign Leadership, and hearing some great goals from our Team Captains. We look forward to seeing everyone again next Wednesday morning, the 17th, for our first Rewards Session!



September 17th, 2008
Thanks to ALL!

Thank you to all who attended our first Reward Session this morning! It was fun to start the day by handing out money! We also had a great time recognizing our top performers for the Campaign so far. Please take a minute to congratulate them when you get a chance.

Our Top 3 Teams to date are: David Straley's Team - Team USA with $22,950 , Tom Todd's Team with $21,075, and Eric Aldinger and Steve Delap's Team - American Bank Center with $12,065. Congratulations!

Our Top 3 performers to date are: Al Christianson of Great River Energy, Tom Todd of Northwest Contracting, and Matt Reichert of Aspen Group. Congratulations!

And now for the NEWS:

Kelvin’s TRC Executive Challenge
Here’s the Pitch:

Kelvin Hullet has issued a challenge to all TRC participants. As of 8:30 a.m. on September 17, the grand total for the TRC is $116,765.

If by noon on September 23, the TRC total is $275,000, Kevin will spend the awards meeting the next morning in a dunk tank!

Want to dunk the man?

$275,000 gets him in the tank, but getting him in the water is a personal accomplishment. So, here is how you earn a throw!

1 signed contract = 1 ball to throw
4 signed contracts = 2 balls to throw
7 signed contracts = 3 balls to throw
10 signed contacts = 4 balls to throw
12 signed contracts = 5 balls to throw
15 signed contracts = 6 balls to throw
All $275,000 on your own…walk up and hit the paddle!

Questions? Concerns? Need more of a Challenge? Want to heckle Kelvin?

Please feel free to contact The Chamber at 223.5660 or email us at info@bismarckmandan.com. And don’t forget to check out the standings of the TRC at www.bismarckmandan.com.


September 17th, 2008
Due to Kelvin's fear of the cold morning waters, we are moving next week's Reward Session to 4pm here at the Chamber Building. We have faith that our TRC Volunteers will be dunking him many times next Wednesday! We are also hoping that more of you will be available to pick up your cash and prizes - you must be present to claim your checks! Thanks and see you all on Wednesday, September 24th at 4pm!




October 2nd, 2008

We had a great day at the Chamber yesterday with our TRC Volunteers! We met with our Vice Chairs and Team Captains yesterday afternoon for an update and strategy session and an update of the first half of the Campaign was shared. Here's where we stand going into October.
We currently have $153,780 which is 30% to our goal of $550,000.
We are half way through the Campaign.
Of our 100 Volunteers, 38 are at $0 and 28 only have their own company’s business. So, we currently have 34 Volunteers actually working the Campaign.

A couple of highlights:
Team American Bank Center has had 7 of their 8 members turn in additional contracts.
Tom Todd’s Team is 2/3 of the way to their Team Goal.
Aaron Moos has been working the most consistently, with small contracts being turned every few days

Some new strategies and additional selling tools will be shared with all Volunteers in the coming days. Also, watch for a letter to be sent to all members early next week reiterating that sponsorships will only be available now and will not be available throughout 2009 like they are used to.

Once we got through our business, we turned everybody loose for our Reward Session and social.

Lots of praise and quite a few checks were handed out, as well as another trip to Las Vegas! Tom Todd has earned spots for himself and a guest this coming February! Several people are very close to earning their own spots and we are looking forward to presenting those next week.

So, stay tuned for more updates and see you all next week Wednesday, October 8th at 7:30 am in the Chamber Board Room!




Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

Here are the news and updates for the week! See you all soon!

Reward Session Agenda
October 15th, 2008

Welcome and breakfast

Acknowledge the top three teams and the winner of Kelvin's Team Challenge (Dinner at Pirogue Grill with Kelvin and Jerry!), our top 3 performers for last week, and our top 3 performers to date! * In the lead so far are Nicole Morrison-Mathern's Team, Aaron Moos's Team, and Cassie Bauer's Team....who will come out on top by tomorrow at 5pm?!

Individual recognition and distribution of Incentive Checks - Helping us with our congratulations will be a Special Guest to be announced tomorrow! And a new special guest will be joining us next week!

As each check winner collects their reward, we will hear one sucess story or training tip on how they have been working the TRC.

Our next Team Challenge - from now until next week Tuesday, October 21st, at 5pm, the top producing Team will win ***?**?**?***. Be present for this week's prize unveiling!!

10 to 15 minute Q & A Session on our Sponsorship opportunities and Events

5 to 10 minute lead-generating brainstorm

Closing


Next, we have received a message from our Campaign Chairman Jerry Splonskowski that he asked me to forward along to all of you...

Dear Volunteers:

To start, I want to extend to you my thanks for your efforts in the Chamber’s first annual total resource campaign. Many of you are working hard and gaining commitments from our Chamber partners. The Team’s leading last week included: Nicole Morrison Mathern’s Team, David Straley’s Team USA, and the American Bank Center Team. But the race is close enough for any Team to jump to the top for week’s end.

Unfortunately, we have without a doubt, picked one of the more volatile economic periods in the last 100 years to conduct this campaign. Even still, we are very optimistic about our future in Bismarck Mandan. Our sales tax collections remain strong and the balanced economy of our community and state is remaining stable in this difficult time.

We have received feedback a number of times that many members are asking for more time to finalize their 2009 budgets. To accommodate our member’s needs, we are going to add three weeks to the end of the campaign. It will now end on Thursday, November 20.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at 255 7727 or Kelvin at 223 5660.

Jerry


So, you will have a little more time to earn those trips to Vegas! Also, our Victory Party will be moving to November 20th. Stay tuned for more details on that.

A few things to consider while you continue talking to your fellow Chamber Members:

* Sooner is still better than later - some sponsorships are starting to sell out and they are listed below.

* Marketing opportunities could be more important than ever in 2009 to make their business stand out.

* The Member2Member key fobs have arrived and are available for delivery so that local businesses can benefit now from increased traffic. Discounted pricing for large batches makes this an even more valuable employee benefit and retention tool!

* And everyone needs a Patio Brick! :)

The Sold Out list is growing!

As we will see more of with the Total Resource Campaign, sponsorships are flying off the shelves faster than the Christmas ornaments the day after Thanksgiving. For our volunteers and those still thinking about how to get involved with The Chamber, below is a list of the sponsorship levels that have SOLD OUT.

Annual Dinner - Platinum Sponsorship, Video Sponsorship
Golf Scramble - Hole Sponsorship, Driving Range Sponsorship, Tee Prize Sponsorship
Breakfast B4 Business - 1st Quarter Breakfast, 2nd Quarter Breakfast, 3rd Quarter Breakfast
Celebrate Bismarck-Mandan - Gold Sponsorship, Award Sponsorship
Celebrity Shootout - Celebrity Sponsorship, Lunch Sponsorship
Fridays at the Chamber - Presenting Sponsorship
Junior Achievement Monopoly - Electric Company, Free Parking, Connecticut Ave, Vermont Ave., Baltic Ave.
Chamber Tailgate - Grill Sponsorship
Holiday Mixer 2009 - Presenting Sponsorship
The President's Round Table - September Lunch Sponsorship
TRC 2008 - Kickoff Party
How to Start a Business Booklet - Financing Section
Chamber Academy - Accounting Sponsorship
Leadership Bismarck Mandan Program - Presenting Sponsorship

Also a special mention that the Holiday Mixer 2008 is nearly sold out!! There are only a limited number of individual booth sponsorships and major sponsorships left - get them while you can! Also, if you have not already done so, now is the best time to reserve your 2009 Holiday Mixer choices.


October 30th, 2008

Thank you to all who joined us our at Apple Creek Country Club for our Mid-Campaign Rally! About 40 of our TRC Volunteers had an awesome time enjoying food, drinks, cash, and comraderie! Special thanks to our Chairman of the Board, Wally Goulet for joining us, as well as to Jerry Renk, President of BNC National Bank, for being our keynote speaker. We appreciated it! Here was the line-up for the evening, in case you missed it.

Mid-Campaign Rally Agenda
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Apple Creek Country Club 4pm to 6pm

4:00 Welcome and Thank you for joining us today! Please help yourself to refreshments!

4:10 Campaign Update ………………………....... Jerry Splonskowski and Kelvin Hullet

4:20 Introduction of Speaker …………………………………………Kelvin

Keynote Speaker …………………………………………………

4:30 Team Prizes…………………………………………...……………. Jerry and Kelvin

The top 3 Producing Teams for last week: # 3. Todd Steinwand’s Team with $2375
# 2. BNC National Bank Team with $2575
# 1. Blue Cross/Blue Shield Team with $4700
Congratulations Blue Cross/Blue Shield! You have won free drink tickets for each team member tonight!

The teams with all team members pledged to be in attendance today: American Bank Center Team, Nicole Morrison-Mathern’s Team,


We will now draw from those teams for their very own Team Table at the Celebrate Bismarck-Mandan Awards Luncheon. And the winner is….

4:40 Reward Checks and top producer prizes……………… Jerry, ______ and Kelvin

** 44 people will receive checks totaling $5,550! **
*** We also have another trip winner to congratulate! ***


Jeneanne Bischke Cross Country Courier $25
Candace Christopherson Cross Country Courier $25
Emily Fuhrer Wells Fargo Bank $25
Beth Haider AAA Travel of ND $25
Clarice Kesler ND Assoc. of R. E. C. $25
Pam Kostelecky Starion Financial $25
Kris Magstadt $25
Michelle Nyhus Eide Bailly, LLP $25
Mike O’Keefe Farm Credit Services $25
Tami Rust Starion Financial $25
Mike Seminary Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson $25
Tami Emter American Bank Center $50
Scooter Pinks Aspen Group $50
Cindy Romine Gate City Bank $50
Beth Splonskowski Verizon Wireless $50
Cassie Bauer Aetna $100
Renee Daffinrud Starion Financial $100
Heather Fried Blue Cross/Blue Shield $100
Rick Keller Gate City Bank $100
Terry Koehler Blue Cross/Blue Shield $100
Cheryl Mikkelson Blue Cross/Blue Shield $100
Scott Olson Ulteig Engineers $100
Melissa Pinks Starion Financial $100
Steve Redding Montana-Dakota Utilities $100
Jerry Renk BNC National Bank $100
Julie Schirado Blue Cross/Blue Shield $100
Susan Sisk St. Alexis Medical Center $100
Ryan Svalen Acme Electric, Inc. $100
Dan Ulmer Blue Cross/Blue Shield $100
Wes Engbrecht Capital Electric Coop. $150
Kristi Howes It’s About Time $150
Jennifer Wollmann Spherion $175
Doug Zinke Wells Fargo Bank $175
Rebecca Albers Odney Advertising $200
Jill Duemeland Duemelands Commercial $200
Kevin Dykema American Bank Center $200
Julie Jeske American Bank Center $200
Todd Kovash American Insurance $200
Lori Bowker Eide Bailly, LLP $300
Tom Froelich Missouri Valley Petroleum $300
Aaron Moos Gold’s Gym $300
Chad Reisenauer Basin Electric Coop. $300
Tom Todd Northwest Contracting $375
Matt Reichert Aspen Group $450
Roxanne Jacobson BNC National Bank Trip for Guest to Las Vegas!

4:55 Closing Comments…………………………………………………..Jerry and Kelvin

5:00 Social Hour!! Enjoy!

** Next Week’s Reward Session **
Wednesday, November 5th at 4pm at the Chamber Building

Team Challenge: The top producing Team from now until Tuesday, November 4th at 4 p.m. will receive Team recognition on their very own Perpetual Patio Brick on the Chamber Plaza! 