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Wednesday, December 22, 2004 New chamber group snares adult businesses, others
By EMILY KUMLER
Two disgruntled Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce employees have left their jobs and formed the Sin City Chamber of Commerce, which now has 85 members, monthly mixers and members raving about its referral benefits. "My membership paid for itself within the first three weeks," said an employee at the Postal Penguin, an adult industry mail company. "They charge $700 for three years, and I got enough referrals through them that I could not get one more referral and it would have been well worth paying for." While the Sin City Chamber markets itself toward adult industry businesses, Michael Russell, business development director for the Sin City Chamber, said 85 percent of its members are not in the adult entertainment business. Rather, they are accountants, mortgage brokers, disc jockeys and others. Russell said one of the reasons a new client, the Chicken Ranch, joined was to offer employees more resources. The brothel enlisted its two businesses, the ranch and nevadabrothels.net as well as all of the women who work at the brothel. Part of the membership, aside from the subsidized health care the women will receive, included an agreement that the Sin City Chamber would send accountants and health care specialists to the ranch to educate the women every month. "When we first sat down with the girls at the Chicken Ranch, they were skeptical, thinking `What are these people selling?' " Russell said. "But by the end they were so thankful. They were hugging Loretta (Holt, the chamber's president) and saying, 'Thank you so much, it's about time people realized we're working people too.' These women earn cash so they need tax help and accounting help, and health care advice." The idea for the new chamber began when Holt and Wayne Bridge, then employees at Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, claim they learned that the Las Vegas Chamber was denying a member publicity and was planning to deny its membership renewal because the chamber mistakenly accepted the business not realizing it was in the adult entertainment industry, Russell explained. Holt and Bridge quit the Las Vegas Chamber in July and formed the new group in August. Cara Roberts, public relations director for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce; Mike Varney, vice president of marketing; and Mary Jane Dennis, Varney's executive assistant; did not return phone calls Tuesday seeking comment. Holt and Bridge realized that there was a need for a business association that would cater to all kinds of businesses, would give back to the community and would not exclude any business based on services it provided. "We are not trying to be the adult-industry-membership chamber, we are trying to be an all-inclusive chamber," Russell said, adding that the chamber plans to donate 10 percent of its sales to charity. Marissa Garcia, owner of Vegas Hot Girls, said she was thrilled when she received an e-mail about the new chamber three months ago. "The other chamber doesn't allow our industry," Garcia said. "This chamber is a great place to network and the people aren't so judgmental." Michael Pearlmutter, owner of a Las Vegas logo company, Desert Specialties, belongs to both chambers. "The business trade-off is better," Pearlmutter said about the Sin City Chamber. "Just based on sheer numbers at events, it's 150 at this one versus 1,000 people at the other one (LV chamber). Small businesses can get lost in that shuffle." Pearlmutter said that out of the two events he's attended hosted by the Sin City Chamber, he has meet a number of people who want to use his services. "People needed logo merchandise and someone else had a tax situation, so I introduced them to an accountant," he said. "The events are more fan-friendly." Other chamber groups in the Las Vegas Valley include the Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Urban Chamber of Commerce, the Latin Chamber of Commerce, the Internet Chamber of Commerce, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce and the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. |
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