As a host town, Sacramento is making history among chamber of commerce executives in the United States. More than 1,000—the largest American Chamber of Commerce Executives convention ever—will gather Aug. 1-4 at the Sacramento Convention Center to discuss domestic and international challenges.

The national convention was recruited to Sacramento by the Metro Chamber and the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau. Among highlights will be the celebration of former Sacramento Metro Chamber CEO Rusty Hammer, who is being named in an Aug. 3 event a Life Member of the organization for his decades of management excellence and community leadership.

“We’re looking forward to accentuating the best of Sacramento for our counterparts from around the country and the world,” said Matt Mahood, president and CEO of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, the host chamber for this year’s ACCE convention. “Sacramento is a superb community in which to live and do business, and the attendees of this ACCE conference will be able to see it firsthand.”

Two years ago, Mahood lobbied the ACCE board to hold the annual convention in Sacramento. Of the 1,000 confirmed registrants, more than 800 are chamber presidents, CEOs or executives.

Steve Hammond, president and CEO of the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) heralded the arrival of the chambers of commerce as an honor for the city and an important piece for the city’s meetings portfolio.

“This group brings substantial economic impact and future credibility for the SCVB in terms of marketing Sacramento to other meeting planners,” said Hammond.

The conference requires more than 2,700 hotel room nights and will bring more than $1.2 million in economic impact to the area.

“In terms of positive advertising for our community, this is a group that we certainly want to impress,” continued Hammond. “Conventions like this bring in executive level attendees that have influence with the other organizations they belong to—and this generates referrals for future conventions and trade shows. Having chamber of commerce executives from all over North America visit Sacramento is a real coup.”

Over the convention’s four-day run, attendees will identify and analyze trends, improve management effectiveness and share ideas to build stronger communities. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary,
Michael Leavitt, as well as renowned business and economic experts Steve Forbes and Knight Kiplinger, are among the meeting’s keynote speakers. More than 70 educational sessions will focus on domestic and international economic challenges and opportunities, as well as quality of life issues.

For more information on the conference, session and speakers, see www.acce.org/convention07.