PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce is really unique in the United States, Executive Director Marc Abshire told an audience at its first monthly luncheon of 2024.
Abshire delivered his remarks Wednesday as part of his State of the Chamber address, where he detailed the organization’s income and expenses.
While most chambers get 40 percent to 50 percent of their income from member dues, the Port Angeles chamber gets 7 percent of its income from membership dues, he said.
However, it still is a good source of income since there are no expenses involved, Abshire said.
“That’s an important profit number,” he said.
Events account for 55 percent of the chamber’s income, Abshire added.
The chamber breaks even on the 6-year-old Winter Ice Village, which provides 25 percent of the chamber’s annual income and takes up 25 percent of its expenses, but it does benefit other businesses, Abshire said.
“The Winter Ice Village was very successful,” he said.
The venue received increased revenue from doubling its snack shack prices from $1 to $2 and not seeing any dropoff in sales, Abshire said.
The chamber added a volunteer coordinator and a paid operations manager to run ice village, everything from getting a refund to helping people with their skates.
The hours changed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to noon to 9 p.m., which was better for the volunteers because it was “a much more civilized time when you are preparing the ice,” Abshire said.
It required paying for more security between 9 a.m. to noon, but it still worked out better, he said.
Abshire said the Winter Ice Village had numerous sponsors and also received numerous in-kind donations, including forklifts, Jersey barriers, all the electrical and wifi work plus free lodging for the Ice America employees who put up the rink.
The Winter Ice Village did get lodging taxes from the City of Port Angeles in its first two years, but it didn’t this year because Abshire wanted to set an example that events should stand alone with sponsorships, he said.
The chamber owns a lot of equipment for the Winter Ice Village due to previous city lodging tax funding, but it didn’t cover operational expenses for the last three years, Abshire said.
The chamber’s summer roller skating rink was a $10,000 hit to its finances, Abshire said.
“They had a lot of skaters but lost money on it,” he said.
Another event, the Ride the Hurricane cycling tour held in early August, provides 10 percent of the chamber’s income but only costs 6 percent in expenses. It drew 800 cyclists and sold out in early June.
Cruise ship visits provide 18 percent of the chamber’s income but cost 17 percent expenses, Abshire said.
“Cruise ship tours are not an economic benefit to Port Angeles. People want to go to Hurricane Ridge. They buy their food and alcohol on the ship. They don’t spend their money here.”
The visitors center provides 12 percent of the chamber’s income and accounts for 12 percent of its expenses, which are reimbursed by the city through lodging tax revenue, Abshire said.
“This is the busiest visitors center in a municipal area in the state,” he said. “We couldn’t do the visitor center without our 35 volunteers who work three hours per week, and we could use more. They tell visitors how to navigate their time and this area’s unique geography.”
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached by email at brian.gawley@peninsuladailynews.com.
