On December 13th, in the Lowell Sun, there was a Letter to the Editor that we feel is very important to reply to.
Here’s a copy of the letter (we also encourage you to visit the Lowell Sun online – we are proud to have them as a member and this by no means is a response to them publishing the letter)
Hold Chamber event in members’ facility
On Dec. 4 I attended the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting at the Wyndham in Andover.
New directors were installed and introduced, speeches were made, jokes were told and there were a few award presentations. Overall it was a very nice function and I think everyone enjoyed it.
The Greater Lowell Chamber includes Lowell, Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Tyngsboro, Westford, and Tewksbury. Its mission, according to the website, states in part that “the Chamber will work to create a healthy and competitive environment where businesses can grow and prosper.”
Apparently the “competitive environment” part of the mission statement has yet to be fulfilled as the Chamber’s management decided that the place to hold its annual meeting was in Andover, a town that is not part of its geographic membership base.
There may have been a reasonable explanation as to why it was held in Andover, but I am sure there are a lot of businesses in the membership area that could have provided the buffet breakfast for which they charged $40 per person or $400 per table.
I hope some thought and sensitivity is given to where future meetings will be held because if I were a member business that provides those services, I would be very upset.
The GLCC’s Response
On December 4th, we hosted our Annual Meeting at the Wyndham Andover. While our primary geographic area consists of Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro and Westford, we do have members from other towns and cities because they want to do business in Greater Lowell.
The Wyndham is a member of the Greater Lowell Chamber. We have and always will support them through the same means as we would a member who is based out of Greater Lowell. The Chamber hosts a handful of major events every year and we give all of the hotels and function halls, who are members, the opportunity to host these events. We would never deny an Andover based hotel this opportunity since we firmly believe in fairness for all Chamber members.
Lastly, we have an excellent relationship with the LRTA and value them as a partner, member and friend of the GLCC.
Danielle McFadden, President & CEO of the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce