By Bert Brantley
When’s the last time you planned a party for 750 of your closest friends, plus a couple hundred other people you’ve never met?
Our team at the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce does just that every year at our annual Savannah-Chatham Day at the Georgia State Capitol. That’s right – our largest event of the year is 250 miles away from our offices.
But we’re not alone in doing this. Our friends at chambers across the state pour blood, sweat and tears into their day at the Capitol as well. Dalton is famous for the beautifully-designed, Georgia-made rugs they deliver to legislative offices each year. Of course, we bring a full oyster roast and seafood feast. It’s our way of bringing some of the Lowcountry to our friends up north. Other areas of the state bring their unique touches from their regions to make sure state officials feel connected to their issues.
“Connected” is actually a pretty good description of why we all put in so much time, effort and money to plan these events. And while the focus of talking points and media coverage is always on creating ties with state leaders, the truth is we always leave Atlanta feeling more connected with each other.
The running joke leading up to Savannah-Chatham Day is that it’s the best Savannah networking event of the year. And there is a lot of truth to that. Over the almost six decades that our Chamber has led the event, local business, non-profit and elected leaders hold the date on their calendar and ensure they spend the day at the State Capitol.
For many of our local folks, it’s the only chance they have all year to be at the Capitol during the legislative session. And while many grizzly, old veterans may take walking up to that building for granted, for most citizens it’s a thrill to see the buzz of all that is happening on an active legislative day. Just one look at the line snaked around the Capitol on Feb. 4 let us all know it would be an especially busy day.
It’s especially exciting for our Chamber team to see so many other events being attached to our day. There are important meetings with legislators and state agency officials scheduled, receptions and dinners planned, as well as impromptu conversations that can be very impactful.
We are honored to be able to represent our members at the Capitol, and we feel it is critically important for them to personally experience a legislative session, if even for only a day. “I don’t see how you guys do it,” is the most common refrain that we hear when we get back home.
Certainly the Savannah region has received our share of support from the state capitol, and while it would be easy to credit our annual event we’re just not that vain. Our delegation works very well together to ensure Savannah presents a united front on our local issues.
The state investments that have been made in Savannah are spurring substantial private ventures, in manufacturing, tourism, logistics and other industries, making us a safe bet for future expenditures. And there is constant pressure on our leaders to ensure line-items in previous budgets are implemented successfully.
The first Savannah-Chatham Day was held 59 years ago, and we continue to work hard to make this annual gathering valuable for our members that attend, and meaningful for legislators and staff that take the time to walk over and spend the evening with us.
And to our fellow Chambers around the state, we wish you the best of luck with weather, traffic and the legislative schedule as you plan your “day at the Capitol.” All the work is well worth it when you stop for just a second and look across the room to see a small business owner from back home talking to the chair of an important legislative committee.
It’s a conversation that would have never happened without your local Chamber.
