The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce

What The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce does

The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit business membership organization founded in 1924 in Santa Monica, California, that advocates for and represents the interests of the local business community. The Chamber serves 650+ member organizations spanning real estate, healthcare, hospitality, banking, insurance, legal, technology/biotech, entertainment, and nonprofit sectors. Its core product is a tiered annual membership program priced from $470 for nonprofits or single-employee businesses to $3,800 for businesses with 100+ employees, with separate restaurant tiers ($620-$750) and a $50 one-time administrative fee for all new members.

The Chamber's service platform is built on the third-party ChamberMaster membership management system and includes an events and networking platform, a searchable member directory, a member-to-member deals marketplace, and Chamber Web Offers promotional content. Members gain access to networking mixers, speed networking sessions, breakfast meetings, educational seminars, and specialized committees covering Government Affairs, Land Use, Hospitality & Tourism, Membership Development, and Rebuild (for builders, contractors, and architects). The Chamber operates a subsidiary 501(c)(3) Santa Monica Chamber Foundation focused on educational programs, mentorship, and professional development, and offers a Green Business Certification Program in partnership with the city.

Distribution and go-to-market are sales-led: the Chamber acquires members through direct outreach, networking events, member referrals, social media on Instagram and X, and email newsletters, with self-service application and renewal via an online member portal. The revenue model is subscription-recurring membership dues supplemented by event fees and tiered gala sponsorships (Host, Chair, Gold, Director, Supporting) from partners including Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Ace Parking, Kaiser Permanente, UCLA Health, Snap Inc., Southern California Edison, Metropolis Technologies, and Santa Monica Travel & Tourism. The organization is led by Interim CEO Genevieve Morrill and a small leadership team (Membership, Events, NextGen, Rebuild & Recovery Directors), and is governed by a Board of Directors. No AI/ML capabilities are in evidence; the technology footprint is limited to ChamberMaster and standard calendar/social integrations.

Name

The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce

Legal name

Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce

Website

https://smchamber.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit business membership organization founded in 1924 that represents 650+ member organizations across Santa Monica, California, offering tiered annual memberships, networking events, government advocacy, and community programs via its ChamberMaster platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues based on employee count or business type. Tiered pricing ranges from $470 for nonprofits/1 employee to $3,800 for 100+ employees. Restaurants have separate pricing tiers. All new members pay a $50 administrative fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce sells tiered annual memberships to local businesses and organizations, providing access to its 650+ member network, networking events, advocacy with the City of Santa Monica government, educational seminars, member-to-member deals, and a searchable member directory. Membership dues range from $470 per year for nonprofits and single-employee businesses to $3,800 per year for organizations with 100+ employees, with separate pricing tiers for restaurants ($620-$750). The Chamber additionally produces signature events including the annual Toast to Santa Monica Board Installation Gala and operates an affiliated 501(c)(3) foundation for educational programs.

Product overview

The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce operates as a membership-based business organization providing a unified platform of services centered around its core Membership Program. The Chamber leverages ChamberMaster-powered technology for event management and member services. The product portfolio includes the core membership with tiered pricing, an Events and Networking Platform for business connections, a Member Directory for 650+ organizations, and supplementary modules including Member-to-Member Deals marketplace, Chamber Web Offers promotional content, Committee Programs (Government Affairs, Land Use, Hospitality, Rebuild), the Santa Monica Chamber Foundation for educational initiatives, and the Green Business Certification Program. The organization also provides strategic planning resources including a 2025-2030 five-year strategic plan and a centennial history ebook.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 650+ member organizations served
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Fairmont Miramar Hotel & BungalowsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHost Sponsor for Toast to Santa Monica Board Installation Gala. Long-time partner providing venue for Chamber events and support for member hotel operations.
• Ace ParkingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChair Sponsor for Toast to Santa Monica Board Installation Gala
• Metropolis TechnologiescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for Toast to Santa Monica Board Installation Gala
• Kaiser PermanentecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for Toast to Santa Monica Board Installation Gala
• Santa Monica Travel & TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for Toast to Santa Monica Board Installation Gala
• UCLA HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for Toast to Santa Monica Board Installation Gala
• Snap Inc.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDirector Sponsor for Toast to Santa Monica Board Installation Gala
• Southern California Edison (SCE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting Sponsor for Toast to Santa Monica Board Installation Gala
• City of Santa MonicaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for business advocacy and community development. Chamber provides conduit to City Hall, City Manager, and City Attorney for member businesses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce: The largest local chamber in the LA region, serving a similar membership-based business advocacy and networking function across the broader LA metro. Direct peer given overlapping member types, tiered dues model, and government advocacy role, though operating at a much larger geographic scale.
• Pasadena Chamber of Commerce: Established LA-county local chamber with a similar tiered membership and committee structure. Direct peer serving a comparable mix of SMBs, professional services, and enterprise members in a single city context.
• Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce: Neighboring LA-area local chamber with a comparable member profile of SMBs and enterprises in a single affluent city. Direct comparable in scope, tiered dues structure, government advocacy focus, and event-driven member engagement model.
• Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce: LA-area local chamber serving Long Beach businesses with a similar tiered dues model and government advocacy function. Direct peer at a moderately larger scale, useful as a comparison for tier-pricing and member engagement benchmarks.
• Culver City Chamber of Commerce: Adjacent LA-area local chamber serving Culver City businesses with a similar tiered dues, committee-based, and government-advocacy model. Strong comparability given geographic proximity and overlapping member types including entertainment and tech firms.
• Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce: LA South Bay-area local chamber with a comparable small-city business advocacy and networking model. Comparable in scale, member composition, and event-driven engagement approach.
• West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce: Neighboring LA-area local chamber serving West Hollywood businesses with a comparable hospitality-, retail-, and professional services-heavy membership base. Direct peer in business model, member engagement approach, and government advocacy function.

Broad incumbents

• California Chamber of Commerce: State-level chamber of commerce providing broader business advocacy and policy representation across California. While not directly competing for local Santa Monica membership, it offers overlapping advocacy capabilities at scale and serves as a federated counterpart in the chamber ecosystem.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: National-level chamber organization offering policy advocacy, business resources, and networking at a federal scale. Comparable in mission and member-driven structure but operates at vastly larger scope and does not compete directly for local Santa Monica members.

Regional players

• Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber serving Silicon Valley businesses with a tech-heavy member profile. Comparable in chamber structure and advocacy model, but operates in a different geography with a distinct industry mix focused on technology rather than Santa Monica's diversified SMB base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Santamonicabiz
• Instagraminstagram.com/smchamber
• Facebookfacebook.com/smchamber
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/santa-monica-chamber-of-commerce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce