Update: We have obtained the slides from the presentation and have embedded them at the bottom of this page.
The Sun News has responded to the presentation. That story is here.
First Report: On Thursday afternoon, The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce held a special membership meeting specifically to address what the Chamber calls misleading and false information published by The Sun News.
Two projector screens were used as a part of the presentation given by several Chamber leaders at the Convention Center meeting room. On the left screen was a direct quote from The Sun News and on the right screen was the Chamber's rebuttal (slides below). At first the presentation avoided direct mention of any particular media or reporters, but it was quickly revealed that the meeting was directed at The Sun News and David Wren. It seems like the last straw was the recent article that questioned the Chamber's use of public funds, involvement with Coastal Uncorked, and Brad Dean's salary.
Former board member, Steve Chapman said he was "disgusted" by the writings of The Sun News. Chapman also later said, "I don't understand if The Sun News is unwilling or unable to report the facts."
Billy Huggins of WPDE stated, "What The Sun News has done is unethical, immoral, and perhaps even illegal." David Wren from The Sun News was in the audience as were Myrtle Beach Council members Wayne Gray and John Rhodes.
Below are the specific issues the Chamber wanted to address to their membership. The statements are paraphrased from the presentation. We have tried to link to the specific Sun News articles that the Chamber is referring to.
On membership strength...
Membership count is nearly at an all-time high and revenue from membership dues and contributions has steadily increased over the past 5 years.
On dependence on public funds...
Chamber revenues from local business contributions are significantly more than the cost of operating overhead.The Chamber says it can't use public money to pay the cost of managing the public funds.
On reporting use of public funds...
The Chamber maintains that it meets or exceeds all requirements for reporting finances and use of public funds.
On Coastal Uncorked...
The chamber did not provide any public funds to Coastal Uncorked. But it did facilitate the marketing of Coastal Uncorked through the South Carolina's "2 for 1" marketing program which requires private funds to be invested. Once the Chamber realized Coastal Uncorked wasn't going to receive non-profit status before the end of the year, they decided to withdraw their involvement with Coastal Uncorked.
On Brad Dean's salary...
The Board of Directors hired consultants to advise an appropriate salary based on other organizations of similar size and budget. Steve Chapman said that was 3 years ago with a smaller budget and he personally believed Dean may be deserving of a pay raise.
On Brad Dean's leadership...
The Chamber spokepeople stated numerous times that Brad Dean and his staff does not act on their own accord. They carry out specific directions from the Board of Directors.
On out of market promotion effectiveness...
The Sun News questioned the claim of reaching 10 billion individuals. The Chamber says that metric is not individuals reached but rather impressions and is only one of several metrics used to measure performance of marketing efforts.
On gifts to public officials...
Mike Wooten showed a plaque and pencil holder as an example of gifts given to local politicians. The Chamber says they do not provide gifts to elected officials in expectation of favor, promises, or commitments. The Grand Strand Business Association is the lobbying arm of the Chamber of Commerce and they are a separate entity to be in compliance with S.C. Ethics laws.
After the presentation, the Chamber went on to summarize their strategic goals for 2012 which included more legislative involvement, expanding out of market promotion, and increased networking opportunities for members.
