02/13/2025
For Immediate Release
February 3, 2025
Keystone Chamber to Reorganize in 2025
For our Chamber members and the Keystone community, the Board of the Keystone Chamber would like to provide a quick update on our plans for 2025 and beyond.
As you probably know, the Town Board decided last fall to discontinue its long-time partnership with the Chamber to provide visitor marketing for Keystone. They have now hired a firm in Rapid City to handle promotion and advertising.
Since the marketing funding from BBB tax revenue was our main source of income to promote Keystone, the Chamber is now facing some big decisions about the future. In response to the loss of BBB funding from the Town, the Chamber Board decided to survey our members and ask how or if they want the Chamber to move forward.
The results were clear. Our local businesses told us clearly they want the Chamber to keep working for them but they want us to explore new ways to support them and promote a strong local economy in Keystone. The volunteer Board Members listened to this feedback and decided that in 2025, the Chamber will:
1) Move forward without a paid Executive Director at this time. We will use our reserves from past membership dues to maintain our website, visitkeystonesd.com, network with local businesses and keep supporting our members.
2) Continue to seek input from our members and the Keystone community on new ways to promote local businesses in the future.
3) Use this input to develop a strategic plan that reimagines and reshapes the Chamber into a more impactful champion for Keystone.
4) Waive membership dues for 2025 as we plan for the future and continue to work hard for our community and our members. Future dues will be determined once we finalize our direction.
5) Pledge to support and work with the Town Board and their new marketing team to ensure that critically important promotion efforts do not miss a beat this year.
The Keystone Chamber has been working to promote local businesses for over 50 years and has more than 100 members in and around town. We are invested here and we love this community. Our Board and our members are dedicated to promoting Keystone in new and creative ways for the next 50 years!
If you would like to share ideas or get involved with the Chamber, please send us an email at [email protected]. We would love to hear your thoughts on building a bright and prosperous future for Keystone!