 | |
| Founded | 1906 |
|---|---|
| Focus | Business advocacy & federation |
| Location | |
Key people | Steve Rosasnky, President & CEO Jeff Parker, Chief Operating Officer |
| Website | NewportBeach.com |
The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce is a Newport Beach, California-based business organization of almost 1,000 members representing over 25,000 employees. The Chamber consists of five councils, committees, staff and members, and works with city officials, local businesses and the community to promote the local economy.
On March 12, 1907, sixteen men calling themselves the "Harbor Boosters" established the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce. Each man contributed five dollars to cover the initial expenses of the first commercial body formed in the city. [1]
Within its first year of creation, the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce launched free rides for Orange County residents over the entirety of Newport Bay (California). [2]
When the final reclamation of the bay was complete thirty years later in 1936 nearly all of the Charter members were gone, but many of them devoted their lives to the creation of Newport Harbor. Through its life, the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce played an active part in improving the city, through harbor, industrial and municipal matters, but also by initiating and sponsoring various celebrations and civic events.
For a period of eight years, from 1919 to 1927, there existed two chambers, Balboa Island and Newport Beach. In 1927, the chambers merged into the Newport Harbor Chamber of Commerce. The city was divided into six districts, each of which was entitled to two directors on the board of twelve. These sections were: 1) Newport Heights and West Newport, 2) Newport Beach, 3) East Newport, 4) Balboa, 5) Balboa Island, and 6) Corona del Mar.
In 1976, the word "area" was added to the name to better reflect the character of the surrounding communities, which compose the membership. In the same year, the Newport Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce reached a significant milestone when it moved into the new headquarters building of 10,000 square feet (930 m2) at its present location at 1470 Jamboree Road.
In 2001 the Chamber’s official name was changed to the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce to better associate with the Newport Beach name. As of February 2017, the Newport Beach Chamber, which started on March 12, 1907 with only 16 Charter members has grown to nearly 1,000 members, representing a cross-section of the harbor area, and is one of the largest regional Chambers in Orange County. The Chamber is funded 100% by member dues and special event income.
In 2007, the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce celebrated 100th year in the city. [3]
The city of Newport Beach, California works closes with the Chamber of Commerce in "designing and implementing programs to enhance the economic vitality of the community." [4]
Orange County is a county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, and more populous than 19 American states and Washington, D.C. Although largely suburban, it is the second-most-densely-populated county in the state behind San Francisco County. The county's three most-populous cities are Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine, each of which has a population exceeding 300,000. Santa Ana is also the county seat. Six cities in Orange County are on the Pacific coast: Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente.
Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 85,000 in southern Orange County, California, United States. Located about 40 miles (64 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime industries. Today it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island draws visitors with a waterfront path and easy access from the ferry to the shops and restaurants.
Seal Beach is a coastal city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,242, up from 24,168 at the 2010 census.
Corona del Mar is a seaside neighborhood in the city of Newport Beach, California. It generally consists of all the land on the seaward face of the San Joaquin Hills south of Avocado Avenue to the city limits, as well as the development of Irvine Terrace, just north of Avocado. Corona del Mar is known for its beaches, tide pools, cliffside views and village shops. Beaches in the area include Corona del Mar State Beach as well as Crystal Cove State Park south of Corona del Mar, accessible by paths winding down a steep hillside. Corona del Mar has a representative to the Newport Beach City Council. Residents use a mailing address of Corona del Mar with the 92625 ZIP code.
The Irvine Company LLC is an American private company focused on real estate development. It is headquartered in Newport Beach, California, with a large portion of its operations centered in and around Irvine, California, a planned city of more than 300,000 people mainly designed by the Irvine Company. The company was founded by the Irvine family and is currently wholly owned by Donald Bren.
Balboa Island is a harborside community in Newport Beach, California, accessible to the public via bridge, ferry and several public docks. The community is surrounded by a paved concrete boardwalk open to pedestrian traffic, designated as a public walking trail by the city.
The Balboa Peninsula is a neighborhood of the city of Newport Beach, Orange County, California. It is named after Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the first European to sight the Pacific from the Americas. Balboa is primarily residential with some commercial areas.
The Orange Coast is the string of cities and neighborhoods fronting the Pacific Coast in Orange County, California. From northwest to southeast, these cities are Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente. There are also two small unincorporated areas, a portion of Crystal Cove State Park between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach and Emerald Bay, a gated community located between two neighborhoods of Laguna Beach.
Wyland is an American artist and conservationist best known for his more than 100 Whaling Walls, large outdoor murals featuring images of life-size whales and other sea life to call attention to the plight of whales throughout the world.
The Balboa Island Car Ferry is a ferry service in Newport Beach, California.
The Balboa Fun Zone is a family destination located on the Balboa Peninsula in the city of Newport Beach, Orange County, California. The Balboa Fun Zone offers both an ocean and harbor experience for an estimated seven million annual visitors to Newport Beach.
The recorded history of the Newport Beach, California region began when the area was first explored by Europeans in the 1500s. Prior to that time, Native Americans such as the Tongva and Juaneño/Luiseño people had been living in the area for thousands of years. Explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo mapped the coastline in 1542, but it was 200 years before Europeans settled the area. In 1769, Newport was a small portion of the land grant of Don José Antonio Yorba I, first under Spanish and then Mexican rule. After the Civil War, the land was developed by American settlers: for ranching by James Irvine and for shipping by James McFadden. A small settlement was built around McFaddens’ Wharf and it became the largest business of Orange County, California. Following the opening of the San Pedro Harbor in Los Angeles in 1899, the commercial shipping industry in Newport declined. Newport Beach developed into a tourist and recreational boating community. in August 1906, Newport Beach became incorporated as a city.
The Balboa Bay Resort is a 160-room resort hotel in Newport Beach, California, United States on 15 acres (6.1 ha). The facility was founded in 1948 as the Balboa Bay Club, a private yacht club. The Balboa Bay Club includes a 130-slip marina, private beach, waterfront pools, private restaurant, a spa and fitness center, and 145 apartments on the Newport Beach Harbor waterfront on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County is an MTV reality television series, documenting the lives of several teenagers of affluent families in Newport Harbor, a seaside community located in Orange County, California, United States. It differs from the usual reality show in that it is structured as a traditional narrative than a straightforward observant documentary style.
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is Southern California's largest not-for-profit business federation, representing the interests of more than 235,000 businesses in L.A. County, more than 1,400 member companies and more than 722,430 employees.
The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is a Christmas ships festival in Newport Beach, California, United States, established at the turn of the 20th Century by John Scarpa and Joseph Beek.
Bay Island is a small island located halfway down Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California. It is the only island in the Newport Beach harbor islands that does not allow car traffic. The island is accessible via a small bridge that will only accommodate golf carts. The island is not accessible to the public by land, though public access to its beaches is protected by the California Constitution. It has 23 residences, a botanical garden, courtyard garden, tennis court, and several beaches.
Balboa Yacht Club (BYC) is a yacht club located in Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, Orange County, California. It is located near the entrance of the Newport Harbor.
The Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival is an annual event held at the Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach, California. The festival celebrates wooden boats of all sizes including wooden canoes, kayaks, and dinghies, as well as yachts and tall ships.
The place of McFadden Wharf was designated a California Historic Landmark (No.794) on July 3, 1964.
