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 The ICC-World Chambers Federation is a
founding partner of the World Chambers Network (WCN), and the seat
of WCN's global secretariat. With the rise of 'online'
business and an increasingly networked business environment, the WCN mobilizes the worldwide network of chambers of commerce to work together at one
global Internet portal location....the WCN provides the link
between the virtual and physical chamber of commerce worlds.
WCN is the exclusive web portal designed by chambers of commerce, for chambers of commerce worldwide....providing a platform for our global chamber
network to foster a comprehensive exchange of business information between chambers and their member companies on all continents. Over
14,000 chambers representing over 40 million business members are listed in the WCN Chamber of Commerce
Directory, described in the ::
next segment below
For well over a decade, WCN has enabled chambers throughout the world to develop
online their traditional mission of providing business support. That means providing solid market intelligence, opening up contacts to new customers and suppliers,
developing business opportunities and offer select global 'level-playing
field' and 'common standard' service programs for chambers and
their members (often on a shared affinity program basis, samples
below). The WCN also provides a strong foundation for supporting a
chamber's role in its ::regional
economic development.
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ChamberDirectory is the official global Chamber of Commerce Directory
system - the Internet's
complete
searchable registry of chambers, providing both feature rich
listings about the chamber and hyperlinks to chamber web
sites. WCN manages the system aspects, while ICC-WCF processes the
online chamber applications together with national chamber bodies
...the system covers chambers of commerce and boards of
trade that are...
> local
> regional
> national
> bi-lateral
> transnational
Keeping their ChamberDirectory information updated (please view
sample links below)
is a very good way for
chambers to generate interest and extra traffic to their home pages. Various
:: chamber clusters are also being added by the WCN, further assisting
chambers in trade development and expand their member services. The
free-standing :: chamber
trade info section allows chambers to include
additional information, such as a directory of exporters
Combined with business clusters
described below in programs such as ChamberTrust, these
ChamberDirectory features provide a great set of tools for a
chamber of commerce and industry to work with their government and
regional economic development agencies, including
through private-public sector P3 partnerships.
In short, chambers can truly offer their members and regional
private and public partners a 'think
global - act local' customizable toolset via this and
other WCN chamber service features. More on Chambers and
Economic Development in ::
this segment below
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The age-old chamber brand scores among the highest in trust
among all global brands with important implication for chambers
and their business members. WCN offers a variety of global trust programs
for chambers and business for the 21st century.
Chamber e-Vault
Chamber e-Vault provides the function of a
secure electronic safe with 'auto-notarization' & secure
e-contract room features, to save and protect 'elements of proof'
- a vital new business tool in a globalizing trade
environment. :: Chamber
e-Vault also compliments the ::
ICC IP toolkit for chambers and business
ChamberTrust™
WCN's ChamberTrust program works with chambers to provide chamber
validation of a local company's website,
and offering a feature-rich listing
for the company in the exclusive ChamberTrust
business directory, including generous advertising space, company product
brochures and links to the company's online shop.
ChamberTrust brings visibility and trust for a company entering local, regional & global markets,
which helps prescreen (shortlist) the ChamberTrust company ...includes
priority search engine to find suppliers and partners. ChamberTrust
business member display data can also be clustered, which is in turn helpful
for supporting geographic or industry-type initiatives.
Chamber International Trade Information
Country reports, trade and customs information, etc. produced by chambers of commerce, and available
online at WCN Chamber Trade Information ::
here
Examples:
GBX - Global Business eXchange
Chambers can list their members' specific short-term business opportunities on a
WCN-managed general business opportunity database with an easy-to-operate search facility.
Visit ::
GBX (listings are currently free via special promotion,
otherwise chamber members pay a lower cost)
WCN Company business
e-Cards
...low cost, fixed-price ::
WCN business e-cards
...a first step to online advertising for a small
business (chamber members pay a lower cost)
Trade Fairs & Exhibition Databases
...advertise your and your members' major
conferences, fairs, trade shows, or exhibitions in Fairs and
Exhibitions for free that already contains just under 2000 major events. NEW
for Q3 2008: special category for Chamber events of all sizes (no
cost). Visit :: Fairs and
Exhibitions
Chamber "e-management tools"
WCN has available specialized, hosted no-hassle software for
chambers:
> manage your CCI membership directory,
complete with custom e-mail member notification functions for the
parent chamber, as well as local data backup functions.
Different versions are available, depending on CCI size and
budget. Local CCI member data is kept separate from other WCN data
systems (unless the CCI makes special promotion arrangements with
the WCN)
> MyChamber Survey is a hosted service available for local
chambers that wish to upload a special survey they wish to run
online
As outlined above in detail, WCN offers a
variety of core online database features to agglomerate (cluster)
both chambers and/or businesses together in most any permutation
and combination. WCN also provides additional high-value business
trust and trade services that build on the age-old chamber brand - one of the most trusted
and powerful global brand names.
Given the official status and the sheer size and reach of of the
only official Chamber Directory (14,000+ entries) and the links
provided therein to CCIs representing some 40+ million businesses,
this puts individual chambers in a very
strong position to play a major role in leading
economic development and trade initiatives in their locale, their region
or nation, not to mention specialized transnational industry-type
partnerships, clusters and other related initiatives. For example, CCIs can request incorporation of such initiatives
into the WCN data hub, assuring a global targeted business
audience to new economic development initiatives in their area.
Costs for this are very reasonable, helped by our obvious economies of
scale and scope.
The WCN is involved in
building new clusters and economic development projects with chambers
and private-public sector P3 partners. CCIs are encouraged to
contact us to to discuss economic development projects we can assist
them with. By its very design the of WCN - by chambers of commerce, for chambers of commerce
worldwide - not only are very reasonable cost assured, but
so are strong, positive cost-benefit ratios chambers can bring to
their economic development P3 negotiations.
The WCN has created both chamber clusters
and the 'Discover...program'
for this genre of application. The range of options is essentially
unlimited, but includes:
:. CCI/Chamber of Commerce
and Industry clusters ( :: CCI agglomerations)
:. CCI + business clusters + "Discover..." format and
content (:: Ile
de France; :: Canada)
:. CCI + business clusters + "Discover..." + custom
segment @ WCN (::
TTBX Hi-Tech w/Chambers Ireland)
:. CCI + business + "Discover..." + custom
segment PLUS specialized secure
chamber e-Vault tools such as e-contract room for select
Asia/Europe nations - (ongoing EU project - fall of 2008)
:. CCI + business clusters + "Discover..." format
+e-Vault + plus new custom database (i.e. verified pharmaceutical
manufacturers - pending project)
Other related links:
 World
Chambers Competition World
Chambers Congress
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