Which business chambers and networking organisations should a newcomer join?

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Join the Greater Phoenix Chamber for the broadest business network, your city’s own chamber for local contacts and permits gossip, and an industry group that fits your sector. Ethnic chambers such as the Arizona Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Hispanic Chamber are active and welcoming to newcomers, and GPEC and the Commerce Authority host events where the economic-development people gather. The Greater Phoenix Chamber is the metro-wide business organisation, with networking events, a member directory and small-business programmes; most cities also have a chamber of their own, and the Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe and Scottsdale chambers are strong in the East Valley and north, which is where you learn how a particular city actually works. For companies rather than sole proprietors, GPEC’s investor events and the Commerce Authority’s programmes bring together the people who run incentives, sites and workforce programmes, and are the fastest way into the regional economic-development conversation. Industry associations, notably the Arizona Technology Council for tech firms, run the sector calendars. Newcomers from abroad often find the quickest footing in the ethnic and international chambers, which combine business networking with practical help from people who made the same move, and in ASU’s public lectures and entrepreneurship events, which are open to the community.

Which business chambers and networking organisations should a newcomer join?

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