Social Media Allows Los Fresnos Chamber of Commerce to Adopt New Strategies

by Tony Vindell/LFN

The traditional function of a chamber of commerce has undergone radical changes and faced many new challenges with the advancement of technology.

That’s what Los Fresnos Chamber of Commerce members had to say during a recent board meeting of the Community Development Corporation of Los Fresnos.

Val Champion, the chamber president, and Manuel Abrego, a former city manager, told the board the LFCC is now using social media to help relay their message.

“The chamber was chartered in 1947,” Abrego said. “And for some time, it was a like a social club and a place to have lunch.”

That, however, started changing over the years since, and especially moreso with the recent advent of social media.

Champion said the city of Los Fresnos has been growing by leaps and bounds.

He said the town of some 1,500 people now has about 7,000 people and covers a market area of more than 30,000 people.

Champion said the chamber has jumped on the social media bandwagon using Twitter and Facebook as tools to promote the city, its members and new business startups.

He said thousands of emails are sent out each month reaching tens of thousands of people all over the area and the country for that matter.

And the need for more exposure is there, particularly since one of the chamber’s newest goals is to promote Los Fresnos as an eco-tourism/birding destination.

The chamber operates on an annual budget of $60,971.

It gets $17,500 in membership dues and $34,200 from the city sales tax allocation and has been getting a $1,000 a month from CDC.

But under a new proposal submitted to CDC, the chamber will now get $800 a month for its new budget. The decrease was requested because the chamber will move into the new city hall still under construction so its expenses will be less.