About Us
Mission
The mission of the Glenwood Springs Chamber is helping business thrive and community prosper.
Vision
We envision a vibrant and thriving community where businesses flourish, collaboration is celebrated, the unique spirit of our community is preserved and enhanced, residents are engaged, and visitors experience the warmth of our hospitality.
To carry out our mission, we focus on five core competencies:
- Creating a Strong Local Economy
- Promoting Community
- Building Business Relationships and Business Development Opportunities
- Representing the Interests of Business with Government
- Engaging in Political Action
Our Story
The Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association is the longest-standing community and business organization in Glenwood Springs. Since 1919, the Chamber has provided quality programs and services to drive the economic prosperity and sustainability. Creating a climate of growth and success has involved efforts to improve opportunity, infrastructure, development, tourism, and education.
An organization of over 400 diverse member businesses and organizations, we serve a population of 10,000 in Glenwood Springs and an economic trade area of over 60,000.
Tourism was the mainstay of Glenwood Springs’ economy when the Glenwood Springs Chamber of Commerce was founded over a century ago. In 1989 the chamber merged with City and local tourism functions to create a world-class destination marketing organization. The organization’s name was changed to the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association to reflect the chamber’s commitment to tourism as economic development. In 2017 the Glenwood Springs Chamber Foundation, a 501(c)(3), was created to promote and help execute the chamber’s mission and goals.
Please use our website to find many of the answers available at our visitor center, including information on the Glenwood Hot Springs,Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, Hanging Lake, Sunlight Mountain Resort, Yampah Spa and Vapor Caves and the Hotel Colorado.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definition of a Chamber (Source: Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives)
A voluntary organization of the business community which unites the efforts of business and professional individuals to improve the economy, build a better community and enable businesspeople to accomplish collectively what no one person or organization can do individually. Power in numbers!
Across the U.S., nearly 4,000 chambers of commerce serve their communities, each one tailored to local needs. By providing a clear understanding of the Glenwood Springs Chamber’s structure and the nuances of how we operate, we can help clarify why we do what we do.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber is a nonpartisan, independent 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization with over 400 business members and governed by a board of directors.
MISION: The mission of the Glenwood Springs Chamber is helping business thrive and community prosper.
VISION: We envision a vibrant and thriving community where businesses flourish, collaboration is celebrated, the unique spirit of our community is preserved and enhanced, residents are engaged, and visitors experience the warmth of our hospitality.
We stand by our mission and vision, knowing that a strong business community is key to the well-being of Glenwood Springs as a whole. Our program of work focuses on helping retain and sustainably grow existing businesses by providing tools, resources, promotion, connection, and education while cultivating an environment that both new and existing businesses need to succeed.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber is also dedicated to building a community that’s not only thriving economically but also a great place to live, work, and play. The Chamber is a trusted partner in this, always focused on solutions and bringing together visionary leaders to drive positive change for our future.
Across the U.S., nearly 4,000 chambers of commerce serve their communities, each one tailored to local needs. Some chambers operate as the economic development organization and/or the destination marketing and management organization. In our case, the Glenwood Springs Chamber serves as the city's contracted partner for destination marketing and management, operating Visit Glenwood Springs and the Glenwood Springs Visitor Center. Through the tourism department of the Chamber (Visit Glenwood Springs), we sustainably promote Glenwood Springs to boost the local economy while enhancing residents' quality of life.
The Chamber receives a fee for this service, which is part of the organization’s operating budget. However, our main sources of revenue come from membership investments, programs, sponsorship, advertising and events. It is important to note that the Glenwood Springs Chamber’s operating budget and the Destination Marketing and Management budget are separate.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber is not part of the city or any other organization. The Glenwood Springs Chamber is a nonpartisan, independent 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization with over 400 business members. We are a contracted vendor for services (Tourism Marketing and Management and Visitor Center Services) for the City of Glenwood Springs.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber also holds memberships and works closely with various local, state, regional and national organizations including the U.S. Chamber; Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE); Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE); Colorado Chamber; Colorado Chamber Alliance; the Mountain Chamber Alliance (MCA) and others. These partnerships are important to our success, but we are not obligated in any way to follow, approve or endorse any other organization’s positions or initiatives.
In some cases, we do utilize the positions of these and other organizations to help guide our own. To assure a local perspective our Business Advocacy Advisory Board researches and recommends the annual legislative agenda and convenes regularly to review legislation. The Glenwood Springs Chamber does not endorse candidates.
Advocating for the business community and the overall well-being of Glenwood Springs is central to the work of the Glenwood Springs Chamber. We engage with local, state, and federal policy issues when they align with our mission and oppose those that don't. We believe that the best solutions come through collaboration with businesses, community partners and government including the City of Glenwood Springs.
While the Chamber collaborates with the city on various projects and initiatives, it’s important to clarify that the Chamber does not always align with them on every issue. In fact, the Chamber has actively expressed our disagreement and offered alternative solutions on several matters, presenting our views respectfully to the City Council.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber also works to build relationships with local, state and federal elected officials. We strive to make sure elected officials and other community leaders are aware of the concerns of the business community.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber’s legislative strategy is to support policy proposals that fit our mission and oppose measures that do not. The Chamber generally does not support “one size fits all” proposals and believes in solving issues locally when possible.
2024 Priorities: Workforce Housing, Transportation, Health Care/Insurance, Workforce Development & Education & Water and Natural Resources Stewardship.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber does not endorse candidates. However, we host Issues and Answers election forums to help educate the community during election season.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber is a 501 (c)(6) nonprofit organization. Revenues are derived from membership investments, sponsorship, advertising, events and programs.
As noted, chambers in different communities are structured in different ways. Some chambers operate as the economic development organization and/or the destination marketing and management organization. In our case, the Glenwood Springs Chamber also serves as the city's contracted partner for destination marketing and management, operating Visit Glenwood Springs and the Glenwood Springs Visitor Center.
Through the tourism department of the Chamber (Visit Glenwood Springs), we sustainably promote Glenwood Springs to boost the local economy while enhancing residents' quality of life. The Chamber receives a fee for this service, which is part of the organization’s operating budget. However, our main sources of revenue are derived from membership investments, sponsorship, advertising, events and programs.
It is important to note that the Glenwood Springs Chamber’s operating budget and the Destination Marketing and Management budget are separate.
Tourism Promotion Fund creation in 1985
The Tourism Promotion Fund (TPF) was created by a Chamber-led initiative and approved by the Glenwood Springs voters in 1985, to allow for an accommodations tax to be collected by lodges (and paid by consumers) to create a reliable, sustainable and appropriate funding mechanism for continued marketing of the primary industry in Glenwood Springs. Since that “bed tax” was instituted, the Chamber has sought and gained voter approvals twice to not only renew the tax, but to increase it to its current level of 2.5% and to remove the sunsetting clause (approved 2000).
Initially this fund was administered through the City of Glenwood Springs government through a council appointed tourism commission. The commission hired an advertising agency, and the Chamber responded to visitor information requests and information, events for visitors and public relations functions such as hosting travel writers. Another organization called Central Reservations dealt with hotel reservations. The process was fragmented and inefficient and a more streamlined approach was undertaken in 1988.
Chamber Resort Association formed in 1988
The Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association (GSCRA) was incorporated in 1988 and formed by a merge with the City of Glenwood Springs tourism commission, Central Reservations and the Glenwood Springs Chamber of Commerce. Since that time, the GSCRA has managed the accommodations tax-based tourism promotion fund and executed its annual tourism marketing plan. The GSCRA was formed with the input and vision of the mayor, city manager, chamber leadership, hotels and activities businesses in the community as an economic development initiative. The leaders recognized that tourism was the main industry in Glenwood Springs, and that there should be continuous investment to sustain and grow annual tourism business.
The Glenwood Springs Tourism Management Board is a committee of the City of Glenwood Springs Municipal Government, tasked to govern the Tourism Fund. In accordance with Resolution 2021-31, the Tourism Fund is derived from an 85% portion of accommodations tax receipts from September 1 through August 31 of the year prior to budget. Under current city legislation, the total collected accommodations tax funds are to be appropriated with 85 percent toward destination marketing services and programs and 15 percent toward support of tourism-related events or impacts as determined by the city council. The resolution also requires a marketing reserve fund balance at a desired level of 15 percent of prior year's collections (September 1 through August 31). As a committee of the City of Glenwood Springs, the Tourism Management Board must follow open meetings laws in noticing meetings with more than two members in attendance.
The Tourism Management Board determines policy, reviews the budget and expenditures, sets goals and establishes the overall focus to maximize return on investments with Glenwood Springs’ tourism marketing dollars. Accountability, oversight, and override authority is provided by the Glenwood Springs City Council. The over-arching goal of the Glenwood Springs Tourism Management Board and its role in the stewardship of the Tourism Fund is to grow tourism business for the economic benefit of Glenwood Springs.
The nine-member Glenwood Springs Tourism Management Board is comprised of community and tourism stakeholders, appointed by the City of Glenwood Springs Council. In close collaboration with the Tourism Management Board, the Glenwood Springs Chamber’s Tourism Department (Visit Glenwood Springs) develops, executes and reports on the annual marketing plan and budget and is accountable to the Glenwood Springs Tourism Management Board and City Council.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber frequently serves as a convener, uniting diverse voices and perspectives to address challenges. Organized in the 1980s, Community on the Move is an ad hoc committee of the Glenwood Springs Chamber that was co-founded by Molly Downs and Jack Metzger. It was created to envision a better Glenwood Springs.
When we come together to solve challenges, great things are possible. In partnership with the City’s request for assistance on tax matters, we’ve established a citizen-led committee process that unites diverse business leaders, key stakeholders, and community members. The committee’s mission is to understand the need, create a balanced solution, and educate the public to inspire voter support to ultimately make our community even better.
In today’s world, where communities face unique challenges, citizen-driven committees are more valuable—and necessary—than ever. We’ve seen that clear public education is essential for ballot issues to succeed, as informed communities can make decisions with confidence and clarity.
Community on the Move is credited with initiating and/or passing several successful initiatives, which are responsible for West Glenwood streetscapes, sidewalks and lighting; the City’s raw water delivery system; the City Hall and Community Center buildings; the Municipal Operations Center; trails; parks; streets; the fire station and equipment; sustainable funding for emergency and ambulance services; transportation maintenance and RFTA; funding for the arts and Glenwood Springs Historic Society and the formation of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). More recent efforts include the 2 Rivers Park improvements, South Midland improvements and funding earmarked towards South Bridge and 6th Street improvements.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber holds annual events and forums to inform businesses and the community on a variety of issues.
Ready to join?
Call us or use this website to learn more about the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association and how we can help your business succeed.