By ED SALVAS
The Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce created a new job this year in addition to making technology improvements at its office.
These are other announcements were made at the chamber’s first 2014 General Membership breakfast meeting at the VFW.
Attendees enjoyed a breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes and coffee provided by the restaurant Toast. Chamber Executive Director Jackie Pappas said the chamber’s membership stands at 275 and announced that Matthew Whelan has been hired as the chamber’s full time assistant executive director.
“We created a job this year,” Pappas said in announcing that Whelan has been promoted from the part time position he’s held for the past two years. She also said the office has made technology improvements, purchasing a MAC Work Station to help in creating emails and other promotional materials sent to the database of 5,600. The Chamber is also stepping up its Social Media contacts with 4,500 Facebook friends and 1,900 Twitter followers.
“The Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce has a proven track record of annual events that bring people to Asbury Park,” Pappas said. She also disclosed that the annual Oysterfest 2014 will be produced in-house this year after being handled by the Passion Group for the last few years. Other major events in the city include the annual Restaurant Tour on April 27, the Carousel Awards Gala on May 9, the Zombie Walk, which last year entered the Guinness Book of World Records with 9,592 participants, and the monthly “First Saturday” promotions.
Expansion of the Love Asbury Park Loyalty card program is also a priority, The card, introduced last year, is available at participating merchants and provides rewards and personalized offers for discounts at Asbury Park stores.
Pappas said the Chamber also wants to do more recruiting to bring businesses to Asbury Park.
