The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its 90th Annual Installation Dinner at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows on Wednesday, June 10 at 5:30 pm.
This popular yearly gathering of 500 businesses, community organizations, and civic leaders begins with an outdoor reception under the historic Fig Tree in front of the hotel’s entrance.
While enjoying this unique setting, attendees have an opportunity to bid on select items from local businesses and purchase a chance to win exceptional raffle prizes, all to benefit the Chamber.
The event moves to Starlight Ballroom for a sumptuous four-course dinner made with farm-fresh, local ingredients by Yousef, chef of the hotel’s flagship restaurant, Fig. After dinner, Gregory Day, General Manager of Shutters by the Beach will be installed as Board Chair, along with his 2015-2016 Board of Directors.
Laurel Rosen, Chamber President remarked, “For 90 years, members of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce have come together to celebrate the strength of the business community and to thank the Chamber’s volunteer Board Chair and Board of Directors for their dedication in driving the mission of the Chamber forward.” “This year is no exception,” she continued. “We thank Julia Ladd of Santa Monica Place/Macerich and her wonderful board for their exceptional efforts this year and welcome new Board Chair, Gregory Day and wish him the very best in the coming year.”
Also honored at the event will be Santa Monica’s exemplary business leaders: Roy Naylor Award Winner, Dr. Chui L. Tsang, former Dean of Santa Monica College; and Bob Gabriel Award Winners, Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows and Tegner-Miller Insurance Brokers.
The event’s lead sponsors are Santa Monica Place and ETC Hotels, Shutters by the Beach and Hotel Casa del Mar.
Individual tickets are $200 or $150 for non-profits. Silent Auction items needed and sponsorships are also available.
For tickets and more information, visit www.smchamber.com/installationdinner or email events@smchamber.com.
As incoming Board Chair of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, what is your involvement with The Chamber and what do you see as your role moving forward?
Gregory Day: I have been on the board for several years and our company, ETC hotels has been involved in the community for more than 20. Julia Ladd, the outgoing chair, and I began a strategy together a year ago, knowing we would fill the Chairman’s role in successive years. Our goal was to ensure a continuity of platform and that will hopefully be adopted by our Chair-elect for the term after mine. In short, we wanted to provide a greater relevancy for the chamber with not only our nearly 1,000 members, but also the community in which we serve.
Strong local business makes for a strong local community in providing jobs, adding to the already vibrant economy and aides in the city’s tax base which helps to fund services such as police, fire and medical aide.
Why do you think The Chamber is an important part of the community?
The Chamber has been here for 90 years. As I said before, it serves not only as a voice for the business community at large but what the community represents for the citizens is very significant.
What do you enjoy most about your role at Shutters on the Beach?
Well, having the view I have each and every day helps. What I love about my role is that I get to be involved with dozens of different things each and every day. I see my amazing team that I am fortunate enough to work with, and meet guests from all over the world who are just so delighted to be in Santa Monica.
Not being a long-term Angelino, it has not escaped my attention that I absolutely landed in the right part of the Westside and certainly the right hotel.
Can you give any insight into any upcoming happenings at the hotel?
A hotel has something different happening every day, so I suppose it depends on how granular you would like to get. Our owners are without question give more to the improvement of the hotel than any hotel I have ever had the pleasure of working for. To that end, Hotel Casa Del Mar just had a total redesign of the lobby space (by Shutters designer, Michael S. Smith) to include the addition of a second restaurant. Shutters is constantly refreshing; In fact we are in the midst of a project that will see every room refreshed and we continue to partner with really unique brands and designers, such as Eskyael who has designed our new beach towel and Budnitz Bikes who have provided their amazing titanium bikes to augment our beach services offerings.
What do you enjoy most about being involved with the Santa Monica community?
It’s a wonderful city really; It has a little bit of everything for everyone. I believe that is why so many guests come to Santa Monica; It’s not just the beach or shopping or restaurants. It is all those things and more, and it feels so much more authentic than many of the other communities in LA.
