by Page Michel, San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce President
In this monthly column, my goal is to help you discover what exactly a Chamber of Commerce does! Today I want to talk about one of our most important roles: bringing people together. The San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce serves as a convener year-round, creating opportunities for connection and collaboration among businesses, nonprofits, civic leaders, major employers, and government agencies. These relationships are vital to a strong, thriving community that works together toward shared goals.
Every month, the Chamber hosts a variety of events designed to make these connections easy and accessible—many at no cost, thanks to generous business sponsors. From early-morning Coffee & Commerce gatherings to after-hours Mixers, the Corridor Women’s Network and Young Professionals, each event brings together a diverse group of people from the community. These aren’t just social gatherings—they’re relationship-building opportunities where collaboration starts, ideas are shared, and meaningful partnerships begin.
One of the largest annual events — the Business Showcase: Tailgate Edition! – is coming soon on August 28 at the San Marcos Conference Center. The Daily Record is our #1 Media Partner for this dynamic expo, which is free and open to the whole community. Attendees can interact with over 100 local businesses and civic organizations—all in one place—to discover what’s new in the community. The result? Valuable connections that help us support each other’s work and strengthen the impact.
But convening goes beyond networking events. The Chamber also coordinates initiatives like the Education Partners Committee, a group of educators from San Marcos CISD, Texas State University, San Marcos Academy, Community Action and other resource providers and business leaders who are ready to invest in our local students’ futures. This committee sparks impactful collaborations, including our current focus on the Summer Teacher Externships program to better connect classroom learning with real-world careers.
More details about Summer Teacher Externships will be covered in this column next month. Reach out by email to find out more now about the Chamber’s education programs!
Why is this work important? Because often we find that educators doing great work in one area may not know about complementary efforts happening across town! When programs operate in silos, opportunities are missed. The Chamber’s goal is to amplify their impact by bringing people and resources together, aligning efforts, and encouraging support that leads to stronger outcomes. The results include new collaborations, and even funding sources, to move important goals forward.
Now when you see the San Marcos Chamber logo on an event or flyer, you’ll know that it represents more than business advocacy. It displays a commitment to unity, progress, and continuous improvement across our entire community. We invite you to get involved, stay connected, and be part of something bigger—because great things happen when we work together.
Reach out to us the Chamber of Commerce at any time by email to chamber@sanmarcostexas.com or call during business hours 512-393-5900.
