Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Rancho Mirage Chamber reports membership growth; Sunnylands outlines exhibitions and events
Loading...
Summary
Nicole Kent of the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce and Ken Chavez of Sunnylands told the Rancho Mirage City Council on Oct. 16 that the Chamber added about 40 members in September and Sunnylands reopened Sept. 10 with a new exhibition and upcoming Día de los Muertos events.
Nicole Kent, director of sales and marketing at the Ritz‑Carlton Rancho Mirage and board member of the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, and Ken Chavez, director of media and community relations at Sunnylands and chamber board member, gave a joint presentation to the Rancho Mirage City Council on Oct. 16 updating the council on recent Chamber and Sunnylands activities.
Kent said the Chamber added about 40 new members in September and hosted a sold‑out marketing summit on artificial intelligence aimed at local businesses, thanking the Rancho Mirage Library for supporting the event. She said the Ritz‑Carlton Rancho Mirage expects to finish the year with roughly a 10% increase in total revenue year over year and highlighted the Edge Steakhouse (now open year‑round) and the State Fair Bar and Kitchen as contributors to improved performance.
"We are excited that the Chamber is seeing fantastic growth for the month of September with 40 new members," Kent said. "We are projecting to be up almost 10% total revenue year over year, which we're really excited about."
Chavez said the Chamber moved to new offices nearby and is planning a ribbon cutting at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24. He said the Chamber plans a new flagship spring 2026 event titled "State of Healthcare," to feature Eisenhower Health and city support and to highlight healthcare‑sector topics including innovation and access.
On Sunnylands, Chavez said the site reopened Sept. 10 for its 15th season and is hosting an exhibition titled "Curating Canopy: Trees at Sunnylands" featuring photography by David Loftus. He said Sunnylands will observe Coachella Valley Day of the Dead events Oct. 29–Nov. 2 with altars and a Nov. 2 screening of the animated film Coco on the Great Lawn; Sunnylands also resumes regular wellness programs in early November and maintains free admission to the gardens and center.
Council response: Mayor Weil and council members thanked Chamber representatives for the update and acknowledged the Chamber’s role in supporting local businesses and community programming. No council action was taken; the presentation was informational.
Speakers quoted in this article are taken verbatim from remarks made at the Oct. 16 council meeting.
