Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Wins National Award for Communication Excellence

The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, one of 3,000 Chambers in the country, was awarded the Award for Communication Excellence (ACE) by The American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). The annual ACE awards recognize outstanding communications efforts by chambers of commerce.  Only eleven Chambers were honored in 2013 in the Advertising & Marketing category; The Alexandria Chamber was also one of only 3 in its size category to be recognized. 

The Award for Excellence was earned by The Chamber for its rebranding campaign.  Beginning in 2013, the Chamber undertook this campaign to professionalize its products and media related to its events and programs.  “The objective was to increase awareness of the events through attractive, intriguing outreach and provide our sponsors with a professional product” according to Shari Bolouri, Director Events & Communications.

For each event a specific logo was developed that would be used on all communication and media vehicles.  This logo incorporates aspects of the main logo to maintain a brand consistency.  Further, the events are grouped into categories either annual events or reflecting the Chamber buzzwords:  Advocate, Educate and Network.  Each event’s logo would reflect one of these, where appropriate.   As Dennis Belmont owner of Belmonster, the graphic designer who partnered with the Chamber for the campaign noted: “Establishing a typographical style and basic guidelines for graphic imagery, allows for the flexibility to differentiate between programs while maintaining a distinct and consistent look that automatically tells the viewer that it is from the Chamber. “

The branding was used in all Chamber event collateral and was then integrated with a more robust communications campaign, including social media, ads, event programs, eblasts, and webpages. “The ACE award has a special place in my heart” stated John T. Long III President & CEO of the Alexandria Chamber. "Not just because of ACCE prestige, but also because it validates our belief that to be successful as a Chamber, you can't fear to be different. Good marketing is about being different and, at the same time, being absolutely and fiercely true to who you are.”

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The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce is one of the oldest chambers in the country, having been founded in 1906, before the United States Chamber of Commerce.