Conneaut Lake Area Business Association

What Conneaut Lake Area Business Association does

Conneaut Lake Area Business Association (CLABA) is a private nonprofit business association based in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania, that promotes tourism and supports local businesses in the Conneaut Lake resort area of North Western Pennsylvania. The organization has operated in the area for over 100 years, with the resort destination itself dating to the 1880s as a destination for hunters and fishermen and gaining formal resort status with the 1892 establishment of Conneaut Lake Exposition Park. CLABA is led by an elected board (President Alex Gregor, Vice President Judy Duffy, Secretary Nicole Carter, Treasurer Tish Evans) and a board of directors, and operates from a PO Box in Conneaut Lake, PA.

CLABA's core offerings consist of an annual membership program ($35 for 0-1 employees, $70 for 2+ employees, valid January 1 through December 31) that includes a free listing in its online local business directory of 70+ members, alongside branded merchandise sales (such as a $28 Pumpkin Fest Embroidered Sweatshirt) and vendor booth fees at its flagship community events. Its primary products are the recurring Fall Pumpkin Fest (34th annual in 2025), the Pumpkin Fest Parade, the Festival of the Arts (15th annual in 2026), and the Lakeside Lager Beer Festival, all of which serve as both community-building and tourism-driving assets. There is no proprietary technology, app, API, or AI component; the underlying "platform" is a content website (conneautlake.com) and a Facebook page used for event promotion and member engagement.

CLABA's business model is a hybrid of low-fee recurring membership dues, transactional event vendor fees, and small-scale merchandise sales, supplemented by in-kind promotional support from regional tourism partners including Visit Crawford, Meadville Western Crawford County Chamber of Commerce, Pennsylvania's Great Lakes Region, the PA Route 6 Alliance, and Visit PA. Its customer base is fragmented across local SMBs in categories ranging from automotive and construction to lodging, marina, medical, retail, and services, with revenue inherently tied to foot traffic and tourism in a single rural micro-economy.

Name

Conneaut Lake Area Business Association

Legal name

Conneaut Lake Area Business Association

Website

https://conneautlake.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Conneaut Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: CLABA generates revenue through annual membership dues. Businesses pay $35 (0-1 employees) or $70 (2+ employees) annually. Membership period runs January 1 through December 31 each year.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including Pumpkin Fest Embroidered Sweatshirts at $28 each, sold through the CLABA online shop.
3. Vendor Fees: Revenue generated from vendor registrations and booth fees at community events such as Pumpkin Fest and Festival of the Arts.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CLABA is a nonprofit business association that sells annual memberships ($35 for 0-1 employees, $70 for 2+ employees) to local businesses, providing a free business directory listing on its website and access to networking opportunities. It also generates revenue through vendor booth fees at community events (Pumpkin Fest, Festival of the Arts) and through branded merchandise sales, most notably Pumpkin Fest embroidered sweatshirts priced at $28.

Product overview

The Conneaut Lake Area Business Association (CLABA) operates as a unified platform offering business membership services centered on local tourism promotion and economic development. The primary offerings include an Annual Membership program that provides free business directory listings and runs from January through December, complemented by merchandise sales (Pumpkin Fest Embroidered Sweatshirts) and event sponsorship/coordination for community festivals including the annual Pumpkin Fest and Festival of the Arts. The organization functions as a promotional body for the Conneaut Lake resort area rather than a technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CLABA Annual Membership Annual membership for Conneaut Lake area businesses running January 1 through December 31, providing a free business directory listing on the CLABA website, networking opportunities at monthly meetings, and access to community events such as Pumpkin Fest and the Festival of the Arts. Priced at $35 for businesses with 0-1 employees and $70 for businesses with 2 or more employees.
• Online Business Directory Listing Free online business directory listing included with CLABA membership, providing local businesses with web presence and visibility on the CLABA website across multiple industry categories, with optional website linking and logo upload capabilities.
• Pumpkin Fest Embroidered Sweatshirt Fall Pumpkin Fest branded merchandise — a Dark Red long-sleeve embroidered Gildan fleece sweatshirt priced at $28, available in sizes Small through 3X-large, sold through the CLABA online shop to supporters and event attendees.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and moderate.

• Conneaut Lake Historical SocietyminorOthersPartner organization providing historical resources for the Conneaut Lake area. Listed on CLABA's community resources page with link provided at conneautlakehistory.com.
• Conneaut Lake RevitalizationminorOthersPartner organization focused on community revitalization efforts in the Conneaut Lake area. Listed on CLABA's community links page.
• Conneaut Lake ParkminorOthersKey event partner hosting Pumpkin Fest at Conneaut Lake Park venue. Located at newconneautlakepark.com.
• Visit CrawfordmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism partner - Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Cross-promotional relationship to drive visitors to the Conneaut Lake area.
• Meadville Western Crawford County Chamber of CommercemoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional chamber of commerce partnership for business development and community promotion in the greater Crawford County area.
• Pennsylvania's Great Lakes RegionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism marketing partnership through pagreatlakes.com promoting the Conneaut Lake area as part of Pennsylvania's Great Lakes tourism corridor.
• Pennsylvania's Route 6 AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism corridor partnership along scenic Route 6, connecting Pittsburgh to Erie, positioning Conneaut Lake as a destination on this historic route.
• Visit PAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPennsylvania's Official Tourism Site partnership for statewide tourism promotion and visitor referrals to the Conneaut Lake area.
• Conneaut Cellars Winery & DistillerymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Festival of the Arts & Crafts events. Located at 12005 Conneaut Lake Rd, hosting annual arts festival and other CLABA events.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• National Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE): Professional association for chamber of commerce executives and staff. Comparable ecosystem participant — supporting chamber leaders with training and resources — but serves chambers rather than competing as one.
• Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals: Pennsylvania-focused professional society for chamber executives and staff. Comparable ecosystem participant providing training, networking, and advocacy resources to local chambers like CLABA.

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania's Route 6 Alliance: A corridor-based tourism and economic development organization along PA Route 6. Same heritage-tourism positioning, similar membership/community model, and an existing CLABA partner — closest peer in terms of geographic-corridor business association model.
• Main Street America (National Main Street Center): National nonprofit network supporting local business districts and community-driven revitalization programs. Directly comparable in mission (small-town business support, events, local directory) and operating model (membership + community programming).
• Meadville Western Crawford County Chamber of Commerce: A county-level chamber of commerce serving the same Crawford County, PA geography as CLABA. Highly comparable in mission (local business promotion, networking, events) and overlapping membership with CLABA — they are also an active GTM/marketing partner.
• Visit Crawford (Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau): The regional DMO/CVB promoting tourism to Crawford County, including Conneaut Lake. Directly comparable function (tourism marketing, event support, business referrals) and an existing CLABA partner — a true peer DMO in the same catchment.

Broad incumbents

• Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry: Statewide PA chamber advocating for businesses of all sizes. Comparable business-association model but focuses on statewide policy advocacy rather than hyper-local community programming.
• Destination International: National trade association for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and CVBs. Comparable in mission (destination promotion, event support, member services) but operates at a national/macro level rather than a single community.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The largest national federation of chambers of commerce and business associations. Conceptually comparable as a business association promoting member interests, though orders of magnitude larger and operating at federal policy level.

Regional players

• Erie County Convention Center Authority / Visit Erie: Regional DMO for Erie County, the northern anchor of the PA Route 6 corridor. Operates in an adjacent tourism market to CLABA with the same destination-promotion model and overlaps in visitor funnel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CLABA-Conneaut-Lake-Area-Business-Association-194704481184118
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conneaut-lake-area-ambulance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 Conneaut Lake Area Business Association