W.A.C.E. Snapshot Survey | August 2026

​If it feels like securing event sponsors has gotten harder lately, you're not imagining it — and you're not alone.
​Our August Snapshot Survey asked chamber professionals three focused questions about event sponsorship. The results paint a clear picture of where the industry is right now, and how chambers are responding.

Chambers are being asked to tackle increasingly complex community and economic challenges, including workforce shortages, housing, economic development, advocacy, regional competitiveness, and more.  While these issues fall squarely in the universe Chamber’s should be engaged with, in many cases, the scale of the opportunity is larger than any one organization can effectively address alone.
That reality is the idea behind W.A.C.E.’s newest member resource, the Chamber Collaboration, Partnerships & Mergers Playbook, part of the W.A.C.E. Toolkit Series.

Glenn Morris, President & CEO, Western Association of Chamber Executives

​Recently, I’ve had several conversations with Chamber professionals about how to ensure the sustainability of their organization. Many of those discussions surfaced the same concern:
The expectations placed on the Chamber are growing faster than its capacity to deliver.

Members want greater value. Communities need leadership on workforce, housing, economic development, advocacy, civic engagement and other increasingly complex issues. Staff want to respond. Boards want greater impact.

The answer is not to retreat from those expectations. But neither is the answer to keep asking Chamber professionals to do more with the same or fewer resources.
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Over the next three months, I want to explore three themes growing out of that tension: the Capacity Gap, the Priority Problem and Leadership Continuity. I encourage Chamber staff to share these articles with Board leadership and put the questions they raise on the agenda.

Angie Anderson, CCE, IOM, ACE, President & CEO, Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association

​Recognition matters. It is one of the ways we celebrate and shine a spotlight on the great work happening across our industry, share best practices and new ideas, and remind our colleagues (and their respective communities) that their efforts make a difference.
Over the past six months, the W.A.C.E. Awards & Recognition Committee has taken a deep dive into our awards and recognition program. They looked closely at what is working, what could be improved and how we can make the awards more inclusive and accessible to the full range of individuals and organizations that are part of W.A.C.E. today.