Santa Cruz Chamber Networking Mixers
Sponsoring a monthly networking mixer with the Santa Cruz Chamber is an excellent opportunity to showcase your business, meet prospective clients, and build relationships with business people from small, mid-size, and large Santa Cruz companies. The Chamber advertises your mixer with an invitation e-mail to the Chamber community, in the online calendar, and on the Chamber website.
The Chamber’s services include:
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Consultation on making the most of your event
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Participation of Chamber principals – customarily a director and one or more Chamber Board officers
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Recruitment of appropriate City/County officials – elected and Economic Development
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An announcement or invitation to Chamber members
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The Chamber will provide marketing including at least two email announcements, web & social media presence, and inclusion in the bi-monthly newsletter and website calendar. Please provide the Chamber with 700 copies of your flyer so that we can distribute them in our newsletter. (Contact the Chamber for the next newsletter deadline.) All emails or flyers advertising the mixer must be approved by the Chamber in advance – please consult with the Chamber before having them printed.
The host is responsible for:
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Setting up 2 tables and 2 chairs for check-in at the entrance. Check-in is managed by Chamber staff.
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Providing a non-alcoholic beverage and wine (additional beverages are optional)
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Serving hot and/or cold hors d’oeuvres of your choice.
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Supplying cups/glasses, ice, beverage openers, napkins, plates, and utensils as needed.
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Collection and disposal of trash.
Make the most of the Networking Mixer
Your business should:
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a.
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Set goals for how many guests you'd like at the Mixer
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b.
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Develop a marketing plan to achieve those goals
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Develop invitations/announcements list
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Identify important event participants
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Arrange for:
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Decorations, food, marketing materials
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b.
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Invitations or flyers and/or advertising
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PR including press releases and local calendar listings
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Photographer, videographer
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Follow-up to event – optimize marketing
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On the day of the event:
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Set-up business for the event
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Prepare your staff to make the most of guest interactions
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Support your vendors’ set-up (food, photos, etc.)
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d.
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Have a great time!
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General Information:
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Average attendance at mixers is 100 people. You should make sure your location can comfortably accommodate that number of people and provide enough parking for everyone.
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The Chamber charges $5 for SC Chamber members and $10 for non-members to attend the mixer. As a host, your employees get in free. If you would like to pay for your customers or prospects to attend, please provide a guest list and we will admit those guests without charging them. We will invoice you after the event for $5 per person on your list who attends the mixer.
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To be a Mixer Host you must be a Santa Cruz Chamber Member. You may co-host the mixer with another business, caterer, or winery that is not a member of the Chamber with approval from the Chamber. If you are not yet a member and would like to host a mixer, please call us. We’d love to sign you up and may be able to help you increase the value of both you membership and the mixer.
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Some Mixer Hosts would like to have a more formal welcome, make a brief speech, promote a product or service, or have a drawing for a prize or giveaway. Please let us know if you would like to have a more formal moment and how you would like the Chamber to help, e.g., to introduce you, speak about your businesses, etc.
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Mixer hosts are not permitted to sell raffle tickets or charge for food or drink or assess other fees for participation. Exceptions may be made in unusual cases. Raffles may be held only with the proceeds to benefit the Chamber.
Networking Mixer Application
Please complete the form below to apply to host a Santa Cruz Chamber mixer. The Chamber holds only 12 mixers each year so sponsorship of a mixer is subject to availability. Please contact the Chamber at (831) 457-3713 or info@santacruzchamber.org with any questions about mixers. We will let you know if there is an opening in our mixer schedule for you.