The History of the Daytona Chamber of Commerce


Welcome Historians!

The Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce has been in our community for 100 years! In our storied past are countless examples of how the Chamber has worked to serve the great city of Daytona Beach and our surrounding community.

Please take a moment to explore the following timeline to learn about the century-long history of your Daytona Regional Chamber and the development of our community over the last ten decades.

Please share photos and content that can be added to the decades as we build this historical picture of our area.  Just email the Chamber your photos and text information explaining your submission.  

 

 

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“Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, 1919” Postcard by H & W.B. Drew Co., courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/163996


  • %u201CAtlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, 1919%u201D Postcard by H & W.B. Drew Co., courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
  • The History of the Daytona Chamber of Commerce
  • The History of the Daytona Chamber of Commerce
1919-1929

1919-1929

With the First World War ending in 1919, Florida began to establish itself as a booming economy, the state’s increased agricultural production setting the stage for the coming real estate boom of the 1920s.


1930s

1930s

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Chamber began to take a futuristic look at its work in the Daytona Beach area. 


1940s

1940s

During the 1940s, Daytona Beach was not immune to the impact of the Second World War.


1950s

1950s

In 1953, the Chamber began to focus heavily on converting tourists to residents, specifically targeting retirees.


1960s

1960s

In July of 1964, the Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce received accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, becoming one of the first in the nation to do so.


1970s

1970s

In 1974, Daytona Beach welcomed its first contemporary shopping mall.


1980s

1980s

By the late-80s, Daytona Beach had overtaken Fort Lauderdale as the top destination in the country for college students on Spring Break, drawing in over 350,000 breakers annually.


1990s

The 1990 film Days of Thunder, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, was set and partially filmed in Daytona Beach.


2000s

2000s

In 2000, the Chamber—then called The Chamber, Daytona/Halifax Area—was instrumental in establishing a U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) presence in Daytona Beach.