President Kevin Brady called the meeting to order and introduced the officers present. Kevin then went on to give a summary of the organizations activities for 2007 as follows:

Review of 2007 goals and accomplishments (Kevin)

Newly-formed Chamber (from Saugerties Village Business Association)
- Infrastructure improvements
- New board met 11 of 12 months (I believe) . . . maybe 12 of 12
- New bylaws
- New organization (Chair, co-chair, secretary, treasurer, secretarial duties shared by year-end)
- 6 of 8 board members formed a solid nucleus, carried the board workload, and drove Chamber activities for the year
Special events accomplishments
- List of Saugerties special events maintained throughout 2007 and into 2008 (presently 127 events in 2008)
- Chamber Booth arranged at Hudson Valley Garlic Festival and Mum Festival, with info and handouts (a learning year with improvements between HVGF and the Mum Festival and future improvements planned)
- Christmas in the Village organized, offering discount radio ad opportunities to participating businesses

Marketing
- 15,000 copies of a tri-fold printed
- Many Saugerties maps distributed, including as an insert into the trifold
- 80% of the work done on the SACofC portions of the Economic Development Committee brochure . . . marketing impact will hit in 2008
- Holiday in the Village included newspaper and radio marketing
- Holiday in the Village also included a 30-minute video featuring businesses that participated in the HITV event, and was shown 22 times on TWC Channel 23
- Web site reworked
- Amy Bragg award winner for the new SACofC logo went to student from the Saugerties High School
Communication
- Special guests at 2007 meetings included State Assemblyman Peter Lopez, Peter Marotta (Upper Hudson River Alliance), John Eickmann (HITS, Inc.),

Finance
- Brought under control after a shaky start in 2007
- Clear concise budget reports given at each board and members meeting throughout the year
Other
- Health insurance
- Discount fuel oil purchase
- 6 newsletters went out in 2007

Goals for 2008: 

Increase Membership, Do business showcasing each meeting...possibly three members each time
Committees Made their reports

 Bob Cranston, Accounting.....Balance in checkbook

(get this figure on Thursday from Bob)
            
Barbara Budik presented the Marketing overview including:

SACofC upcoming meetings….

Wednesday, Feb 27 at 6:30PM  

Location …Village Pizza, James St. entrance

Election of Board members

Tuesday, March 25 at 8:00AM  

Location … Boys and Girls Club, Partition Street

Tours of the newly completed site

Wednesday, April 23 at 6:30P   

Location … Kiersted House, 119 Main Street

Historical display - original Chamber

Wednesday, May 28 at 6:30PM  

Location … Shelley K’s Jewelers, Partition Street 

Membership Mixer

Tuesday, June 24 at 8AM       

Location … Clifton Renwick House, Barclay Street

Business Breakfast meeting

Dates & locations July through December to be announced

Activities of the Marketing Team:  

Share your ideas and talents in advertising ; Distribute brochures to Town/Village sites; Work in the Chamber booth at Festivals; Invite new businesses to meetings

Mike Campbell, Special Events asked Chamber members to consider joining the Special Events Committee, as 2 committee members had left.  Mike also described a Chamber initiative in cooperation with TV23, where over the course of the next year, interested Chamber members can sign up for a package including a 10-minute feature about your business, plus a 1-minute commercial.  The 10-minute features that are produced will be part of a regular series on Saugerties' public access channel (Lighthouse TV23).  The commercial is for the business' own use.  Total cost per deliverable is $300.  The SACofC will fund $100, so the final price to participating businesses is $200.  This is a brand-new initiative and it's been OK'ed by TV23 and the Public Service Commission.  The program will start slowly, and will evolve over time.  At the meeting, 7 businesses signed up.  Any other businesses interested in participating should contact Mike Campbell (246-5956 or mcampbell@hvc.rr.com).  The programs will be developed in the order in which requests are received.

Deliverable: 10-minute feature about your business + 1-minute commercial
Total cost per deliverable: $300
SACofC will fund: $100
Final price to participating business: $200

Heather Plonchak announced the upcoming meeting of the Membership Committee.

Nominations for positions on the Board were as follows:

Community Services available -

Mery Rosado spoke about fostering the arts and culture in Saugerties - Sherry suggested a Sunset Music Series

Before the meeting was adjourned Sherry of the Cafe Mezzaluna, requested aid for the three families recently dislocated when their apartments in Veteran burned (The Town has to contact the Red Cross)

Heather made a motion to close, seconded by Jo Cicale (The Woodworker).