The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, who reports approximately 1,400 members, held their annual conference this past weekend at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa. The event drew over 500 participants.
So, who made the trip?
Tallahassee Reports analyzed the attendees list and found that our reputation as a “university town” was reflected by those who attended.
Tallahassee Reports found the following:
* There were 232 businesses represented by 390 individuals.
* There were 10 government agencies represented by 80 public servants.
* There were 29 non-profit groups represented by 41 individuals.
In the business category, 30 businesses with 3 or more attendees accounted for one-third of the individuals attending under a business registration. See table below.
Top 30 Businesses Based on Attendees
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| Capital City Bank | 7 |
| Centennial Bank | 7 |
| First Commerce Credit Union | 7 |
| CAMPUS USA Credit Union | 6 |
| Compass Marketing & Consulting | 6 |
| Hancock Bank | 6 |
| Tallahassee State Bank | 6 |
| Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. CPAs | 6 |
| Moore Bass Consulting | 5 |
| NAI TALCOR | 5 |
| SynTech Systems | 5 |
| Architects: Lewis + Whitlock | 4 |
| Farmers & Merchants Bank | 4 |
| Mad Dog Construction | 4 |
| Marpan Supply Company | 4 |
| Prime Meridian Bank | 4 |
| App Innovators | 3 |
| Ausley McMullen | 3 |
| Capital Regional Medical Center | 3 |
| Coldwell Banker Hartung & Noblin | 3 |
| Culpepper Construction Co, Inc. | 3 |
| Electronet | 3 |
| Florida Blue | 3 |
| Proctor Dealerships | 3 |
| Rowland Publishing, Inc./Tallahassee Magazine | 3 |
| Sachs Media Group | 3 |
| Secure Records Solutions, LLC | 3 |
| Tallahassee Democrat | 3 |
| Target Print & Mail | 3 |
| The Naumann Group | 3 |
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The businesses attending the conference were dominated by the banking industry. There were eight banks in the top 30, represented by 48 individuals.
In the government category, higher education had the most attendees with 38 participants. The category was led by FSU and followed by the City of Tallahassee and Leon County government.
Government Agencies Attending Conference
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| Florida State University | 21 |
| City of Tallahassee | 18 |
| Leon County Government | 14 |
| Florida A&M University | 9 |
| Tallahassee Community College | 8 |
| Leon County Schools | 5 |
| State of Florida | 2 |
| City of Gretna | 1 |
| Florida Association of Counties | 1 |
| Office of the State Attorney | 1 |
_______________________________________
The annual conference, which continues to draw record crowds, will move from Walton County next year due to issues surrounding the confederate flag. The new location has not been announced.
Bankers, Higher Education Lead in Chamber Attendees added by Staff on
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Post the list of non-profits. If they can afford lavish junkets to destin, they don’t need my donations.
Sue Dick for mayor!!
Might as well elect Sue Dick for Mayor. After all, it is the Chamber and the Leadership Tallahassee types who run this town.
As for million dollar subsidies to Jet Blue, it is the fat cats, especially those in first class, who will profit the most. This town is of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich, at taxpayer expense.
Meanwhile, children go hungry, and black babies continue to die.
Nothing against my fellow business folks that attended the retreat, but I have not read any reports that the subject of stagnant population growth,fom 3,000-5,000 people a year for 25 yrs. down to 1000 or less per year, was discussed. A low population MSA area makes selling FSU tickets to airline tickets an uphill battle. Some people do not like to hear that steady, manageable, population growth is beneficial until they experience the downside of no growth. We need a cohesive job growth strategy to mitigate state job reductions and decreases in student populations at FAMU and TCC. More people are moving from Tallahassee than to. Our population growth is depending on births over deaths.
Ticket banks do work though. If there are enough actual users willing to prepurchase a year’s worth of tickets, that would prove actual demand (and would guarantee actual use rather than the I’ll-keep-flying-my-regular-carrier-now-that-prices-have-dropped).
One of the first “ideas” being initiated is luring Jet Blue to town with “incentives”. What exactly what means is being kept private and it is not clear if tax dollars are being used or not. The Tall/Chamber is not saying. What we DO know is it does not work. In the past when incentives run out the carrier leaves. Oh, and how do you think that would go over with existing carriers? Typical.
And what did this august group decide?
To implement it will cost how much?