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January 14, 2010
CGS -Volume 1, Issue 1

Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce’s 122nd Annual Meeting is January 19

Where will you be on January 19th? Hopefully you’ll be joining 600+ other Chamber members at the Annual Meeting. Get connected…innovate…and be successful in 2010 as you hear keynote speaker William C. Taylor (Check out his blog here – he’s going to be great!)

More information about the event is available at www.grandrapids.org/annual-meeting. To register, follow the link on that page or call the RSVP hotline at 616.771.0303.

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 19
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Location: DeVos Place, Steelcase Ballroom
Cost: $50/Chamber members, $75/future members, $700/Corporate Tables of 10

Attention New Chamber Members! Next “Connections” meeting is Feb. 2

New Members: mark your calendars now for our next New Member Connections meeting on Tuesday, February 2, from 7:30 – 9 a.m. This event is exclusively for new members who have joined the Chamber from July 2009 to present. Join us for a light breakfast, networking, and more great information about your involvement with the Chamber.

Register for this event through our RSVP hotline at 616.771.0303. For more information, please contact Mark Allen at 616.771.0348.

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 2
Time: 7:30 – 9 a.m.
Location: Country Inn & Suites East, 3251 Deposit Drive NE
Cost: None

Sponsored by:

Partnership for a Sustainable Community launched: Join the effort today!

On Wednesday, January 6 the Chamber launched the Partnership for a Sustainable Community, a new benefit offered to members free-of-charge aimed at helping local companies, large and small, “green” their operations and reduce costs.

Members joining the Partnership for a Sustainable Community (PSC) will receive an innovative, easy-to-use carbon footprint calculator designed to guide any business through a sweeping review of current energy consumption practices while offering dozens of suggestions for steps to improve energy efficiency and the bottom line.

30-Day Challenge
The Chamber is issuing a "30-Day Challenge" to urge businesses that join the PSC before February 8th. If you join, you will receive discounts from Office Depot on recycled paper orders and will be entered to win a "green" office printer from Hewlett-Packard.

For more information about the Partnership, or to sign up as a participant, please visit www.grandrapids.org/sustainability or email sustainability@grandrapids.org.

2010 Candidate School

The Chamber, in partnership with the Commercial Alliance of REALTORS® and the Grand Rapids Association of REALTORS®, will host a day-long Candidate School for individuals interested in running for public office.

Whether you are a serious candidate, working on a campaign, or exploring your options, this event is for you! From school board to U.S. Senate, candidates for public office and campaign workers will learn what it takes to run for office and win.

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 17
Time: 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Grand Rapids Association of Realtors, 660 Kenmoor Ave SE
Cost: No cost for Chamber members

Click here to register!

Government Affairs survey yields great response

The recent survey conducted the Chamber’s Government Affairs division drew a resounding response. More than 600 members of the area business community from a variety of industries participated, and 33% of the total respondents were owners of small businesses.

Members shared their opinions on a series of public policy issues and the results will be used to help guide the Chamber’s 2010 advocacy efforts. It was of little surprise that the survey showed the economic climate of Michigan as the utmost concern, followed by the national economy and management of the state budget.

A more detailed summary of the survey can be found here.

2010 Public Policy Breakfasts: Sign up for the entire series today!

This is your opportunity to join the West Michigan business community in an open dialogue with lawmakers at various levels of government. Public Policy Breakfasts are some of the Chamber’s most anticipated events because of the direct access to elected officials and valuable networking opportunities.

For 2010, the Chamber is offering a “Buy 5, Get 1 Free” special. For just $75, you can represent the voice of your business face-to-face with legislators six times during the next year. Save the dates below. Click here to register and for more information.

February 22, 7:30 – 9 a.m., sponsored by Clark Hill
Western Michigan University, 200 Ionia Ave. SW

March 22, 7:30 – 9 a.m., sponsored by Davenport University
Davenport University W.A. Lettinga Campus, 6191 Kraft Ave. S.E. (We apologize for the sponsor misprint in the January 2010 issue of The Chamber News.)

April 26, 7:30 – 9 a.m., sponsored by WMCAT
Location TBD

May 24, 7:30 – 9 a.m., sponsored by Amway
Location TBD

August 23, 7:30 – 9 a.m. Sponsorship available – call 616.771.0357 to sponsor! Location TBD

October 25, 7:30 – 9 a.m.
Location TBD

Cost to attend: $15/Members; $20/Future members or late registration; $75/Series (Members Only)

Register online, call the RSVP Hotline at 616.771.0303, or download a fax-back form.

Is Your Business Ready for the Fix on I-196?

I-196 will be closed for reconstruction from April to early August in 2010, diverting more than 70,000 cars a day.

The project will certainly have an impact on downtown Grand Rapids and the region as a place of business and tourist/visitor destination, but we will benefit from the improvements to the highway for years to come.

Click here to learn more about the project.

Maximize your Chamber Membership through low-cost advertising

One way to utilize your Chamber membership is to market your business to other members affordably through Chamber channels. Advertising is available in publications, including The Chamber News, and Member 2 Member eNews, through ads on the Chamber’s website, and in our newest ePublication, Connect, Grow, Succeed.

New! Connect. Grow. Succeed eNewsletter ads
Be one of the first to advertise in the Chamber's newest ePublication, Connect. Grow. Succeed! Sent directly to the inboxes of more than 5,000 decision makers, Connect. Grow. Succeed. features news from the Chamber and about our members, including expert advice articles, members in the news and more.

Ad specs
Banner ads: 728 w x 90 h pixels
$99/month; $499/six months; $899/annually

Small ads: 120 w x 90 h pixels
$59/month; $299/six months; $499/annually

Contact Leslee Fritz at 616.771.0357 to place your order and for more information.

The Family Business Alliance Presents our first workshop of 2010 - “Non-Family Management in Family Owned Businesses”

Join the Family Business Alliance for an open discussion on the working dynamics of a non-family president in a family-owned business. Professional management talent has enabled many great family-owned companies to reach new levels. Come hear West Michigan’s management talent discuss the challenges and rewards of non-family leadership in a family-owned business.

Panelists include:
Haworth Corporation—Franco Bianchi, Non-Family President
Grand Rapids Spring and Stamping—Jim E. Zawacki, Next Generation Family
Nucraft—Bob Bockheim, Non-Family President
Facilitator—Roger Jansen, CEO of ThinkWise Inc.

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 27
Time: 7:30 - 10 a.m.
Location: Meijer Regency Room, GVSU Downtown Pew Campus
Cost: No cost for FBA underwriters and members (based upon level of membership). Non-Members are $40/person pre-registered, $50/person at the door

To register, please contact Ellie Frey at 616.331.6827 or Ellie_Frey@gvsu.edu.

CEO Roundtable Spring Enrollment Deadline is March 5

Connecting executives and creating success is what the CEO Roundtable Program has been known for since its inception in 1987. Now is your opportunity to get involved!

The types of roundtables currently offered for the President, Partner, Owner or CEO of the company are:
- Original Roundtable (non-specific mix of businesses/industries)
- Family Owned Business
- Nonprofit
- Manufacturing

If you are the Vice President of a division of your company you may be able to join a Roundtable focused on:
- Sales
- Marketing
- Finance/Accounting

Visit www.grandrapids.org/ceo-roundtable-program to download a brochure with registration information, and return to the Chamber by Friday, March 5. The spring session will begin with a mandatory orientation in late March and your first meeting with your roundtable will be in April.

The CEO Roundtable Program requires a one-year commitment with a cost of $60.

Contact Bridget Meyers at meyersb@grandrapids.org or 616.771.0342 for more information.

Chamber University: Author, Panels & the Chance for YOU to be a Presenter

Chamber University 2010 kicks off February 16 with Jeff Beals, author of Self Marketing Power. He will talk about the three philosophies of personal branding, eight rules of self marketing success, how to develop your own self marketing expertise and how to get better results from your networking efforts.

Self Marketing Power
Date: Tuesday, February 16
Time: 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Location: Thousand Oaks Golf Club, 4100 Thousand Oaks NE
Cost: $30/members, $45/future members, continental breakfast included
Follow up Jeff Beals’ presentation with a panel of Chamber member experts as they share tips on how to market yourself and your business effectively.

Marketing Yourself & Your Business - Expert Panel
Date: Wednesday, February 24
Time: 8 – 10 a.m.
Location: The Rapid Central Station - Multipurpose Room (second floor), 300 Ellsworth Ave. SE
Cost: $20/members, $35/future members, continental breakfast included
Register for either of these events online at www.grandrapids.org/events or by calling the RSVP hotline 616.771.0303.

Want to get involved as a presenter for Chamber University? Visit www.grandrapids.org/chamber-university for the Request for Proposal to be a panelist in March or this summer!

Questions about the Chamber University can be directed to Bridget Meyers at meyersb@grandrapids.org or 616.771.0342.

Chamber University is underwritten by Huntington Bank. Other levels of sponsorship are available. To see how your company can get involved contact Leslee Fritz at fritzl@grandrapids.org or 616.771.0357.

NEW! The EPIC Awards

Mark your calendar for Wednesday, May 19 for the inaugural EPIC Awards. This year, tree existing events, the Small Business Celebration, Minority Business Celebration and Salute to West Michigan Business, will be combined into one “epic” event!

EPIC stands for the Entrepreneurial, Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative – some of the traits EPIC Award recipients are expected to exhibit.

Awards to be given include:
Excellence in Business - open to Non-Profits & For-Profit organizations
Small Business of the Year - open to Non-Profits & For-Profit organizations
Young Entrepreneur of the Year – open to business owner/operators age 35 or younger
Minority/Woman-Owned Business of the Year – open to businesses at least 51% Minority- or Woman-Owned.

Any current member in good standing with at least one year of membership that fits the criteria is eligible to be nominated.

Nomination criteria and forms will be available at www.grandrapids.org/epic-awards on January 20. Nominations will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. on February 18. Questions about the event or the nomination process can be directed to Bridget Meyers at meyersb@grandrapids.org or 616.771.0342.

EPIC Award event sponsorships are available for every budget. Contact Leslee Fritz at fritzl@grandrapids.org or 616.771.0357 to see how your company can get involved!

Announcing a special Microsoft launch event!

Chamber member NEXT I.T. is eager to show you how Windows 7 Professional and Microsoft Office 2007 can help you make your business smarter, leaner and safer. Attend this no-cost session!

Date: Tuesday, February 9
Time: 8 - 10 a.m.
Place: Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, 111 Pearl Street
Cost: None. Breakfast included.

Please pre-register by calling 616.771.0303. View more information at www.grandrapids.org/chamber-university.