Greenville Chamber Logo

WEEKLY UPDATE           Thursday, March 31, 2011  

We hope the first quarter of 2011 was good to you and your business. A few items of note this week:

Have You Reserved Your Booth for GROW EXPO on May 17th?  Early Bird

Pricing ($100 off booth price) ends this Friday, April 1st!

GROW2011GROW EXPO is the Greenville Chamber's salute to regional businesses and celebration of National Small Business Week! It's the region's largest business-to-business trade show with hundreds of members exhibiting and more than a thousand attendees.


Special pricing for past exhibitors ends this Friday! 

Click here for exhibitor and sponsorship information!

Congratulations to our Small Business of the Month: Arnett Muldrow & Associates!

AMAArnett Muldrow& Associates was formed to make better communities. The firm specializes in downtown revitalization, economic development, community branding, and historic preservation. Since its founding in 2002, Arnett Muldrow has helped communities across the Country rebuild their aging downtowns, reinvigorate their urban neighborhoods, and create economic development opportunities. Partners Aaron Arnett and Tripp Muldrow formed a friendship in Clemson's Masters of City and Regional Planning program. They worked individually at various public and private planning agencies, ultimately forming the company that is now in its tenth year.

 

Arnett Muldrow has worked in over two hundred communities in twenty-seven states. Their clients include local governments, non-profit revitalization organizations, and economic development agencies. While their client base is generally in the Southeast, Midwest, and New England, Arnett Muldrow has also worked for a number of Upstate communities including Greer, Simpsonville, Travelers Rest, Easley, Spartanburg, Pacolet, and Anderson. Arnett Muldrow has been fortunate to work in Greenville on several projects, most notably the West End Master Plan, as well as the recently completed Sterling Neighborhood Master Plan. The company was deeply honored to work in five Mississippi Gulf Coast Communities to help their downtowns recover after Katrina. For this work, the firm and its partners were honored by the Mississippi Main Street Program for Design Excellence.

Learn more at http://arnettmuldrow.com/

Looking for tips on using Social Media to engage your customers and
grow your business? If so, the 7 Experts-7 Tips-7 Minutes on April 14th is for you!

The hot topic for our next 7-7-7 is Social Media Success. Join us on Thursday, April 14th from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Greenville Hilton. Each panelist will have precisely seven minutes to offer you one actionable tip to help you  focus, save money, time or anxiety. Panelists Include:

  • Amy Wood, WSPA
  • Stacy Coulter, The Spa At West End
  • Chris Manley, Engenius
  • Jon Evans, Social Media Barista
  • Steve Wiley, Special Services Corporation
  • Richard Blackwell, Upstate Alliance
  • Marie Dunn Blough, Red Hype

Moderator: Hal Westmoreland of AccessAbility Services, Inc.
Sponsor: GreenvilleHD

Cost to attend is $20 if you pre-register or $25 at the door. Click Here to Register.

Washington Update with U.S. Representative Trey Gowdy April 19th!

Gowdy

United States Congressman Trey Gowdy will provide Greenville business leaders with a legislative update from Washington on April 19th at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Greenville. 


Registration and networking will begin at noon. Lunch and program will start at 12:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $25, which includes lunch. This event is open to Greenville Chamber members only. Space is limited.
 
Register here by Wednesday, April 13th.

You're Invited to Salute to Quality April 29th at the Chamber!

Eddie

We asked Eddie to help us create an invitation for our upcoming
Salute to Quality event. To our surprise and delight, he utilized one of our program's Quality Tools - an If... Then Chart* - to relay the message!
 
Eddie Zahiu is a third grade student engaged in the Greenville Chamber's Carolina First Center for Excellence program at partner school Ellen Woodside Elementary. 
 Eddie If Then Chart Invitation
 
*If... Then charts are used for predicting the consequences of proposed changes. They provide a safe method to study the ramifications of potential changes within a system and allow for looking further into the future that just identifying the next step.

 

Come see our Center for Excellence partner schools display their use of Quality Tools and Principles at this annual event!

Salute to Quality

Thursday, April 28
4:00 to 6:00 pm

Greenville Chamber

There is no cost to attend and we hope you will bring guests. Click here to register!
 

Congratulations to Our Ambassador of the Month: Paul Brickell!

Paul BrickellPaul Brickell was recognized this week as our February 2011 Ambassador of the Month. 

 

Paul is a U.S. Air Force and Vietnam veteran and a graduate of Clemson University's College of Architecture. His design firm, Brickell Architects, focuses on commercial, consulting and residential projects with an emphasis on renovations and additions to existing buildings and homes.

Accepting Nominations for the Leadership Greenville Distinguished Alumni Award!

LG Alumni LogoLeadership Greenville Alumni recognizes an outstanding graduate of the Leadership Greenville Program for their outstanding civic and community contributions each year. Past winners include Carl Sobocinski, Merl Code and Michelle Shain. Click here to learn more and download a nomination form.

Help Celebrate the Upstate's Diversity Champions on May 3rd!

UDLAD NEWCelebrate Upstate organizations and individuals who demonstrate leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion as an important mission.

The Upstate Diversity Leadership Award Winners will be announced at the 7th Dinner on Tuesday, May 3rd at the Carolina First Center.
Click here for ticket and sponsorship information.

Sponsorships Available for the 19th Annual International Luncheon on May 24th!

FlagGlobeGE Energy will receive the 2011 International Economic Development Award at the Chamber's 19th Annual International Luncheon on Tuesday, May, 24 at the Marriott Greenville.

Click here for information about sponsoring and/or attending this important event to recognize the investment and employment by international companies in the Upstate!

Are You Saving Your Company Money with the Chamber's SmartBuys Programs?

SmartBuys Logo

The bottom line is this: Your company wants to save money. And to help our members do this, the Greenville Chamber has selected the best discount offerings for health insurance, office supplies, and  telecommunications that we could find. Our SmartBuys partners are BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Office Depot, and Windstream Communications.

Click here to start saving money with SmartBuys today!

Here's What's Happening Next Week @ the Chamber:

Small Business Council on Growth

Date/Time: Tuesday, April 5, 8:00 - 9:30 am
Who Can Come: All Chamber Members
Topic: Accessing Census Data for Small Businesses: Census Bureau representatives will conduct hands-on training to help small businesses understand and utilize data collected.
Learn about the range of data collected by the Census Bureau, including American FactFinder and American Community Survey, new features of the data, comparability issues and qualifications, and practical applications.
Location: Greenville Chamber Board Room
Cost: Free, breakfast included
Register: Click here
  

Non-Profit Alliance

Date/Time: Tuesday, April 5, 12:00 1:30 pm
Who Can Come: Chamber member executive directors of area non-profits or their designates.
Topic: What Foundations are looking for when you approach them for a grant. A candid discussion featuring:
  • Bill Bridges, the Graham Foundation
  • Bob Morris, The Community Foundation
  • Todd Ripley, Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation
  • Carol Browning, Bi-lo Charities
Location: Greenville Chamber Board Room
Sponsor: SunTrust Bank
Cost: Free for Chamber Members, lunch included ($20 for Non-Members)
Register: Click here
  

Legislative Issues Committee Meeting

Date/Time: Friday, April 8, 8:00 - 9:00 am
Who Can Come: All Chamber Members
Location: Greenville Chamber Board Room
Breakfast Sponsor: Bank of Travelers Rest
No Registration Necessary

Mark Your Calendars for More Greenville Chamber Events!

  • April 10: Leadership Greenville Alumni Family Fun Day
  • April 10: PULSE In the Arts Greenville County Museum of Art Event
  • April 11: BWIA Women Business Owners on the State of the Economy
  • April 12: Business Before Hours
  • April 13: Manufacturers Roundtable 
  • April 14: Healthcare Providers Network
  • April 14: 7 Experts - 7 Tips - 7 Minutes on Social Media Success
  • April 15: Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting
  • April 15: Leadership Greenville Alumni Brown Bag Lunch
  • April 19: Washington Update with U.S. Representative Trey Gowdy
  • April 19: Business After Hours at Spectrum Lasik
  • April 20: Sales Roundtable
  • April 27: Upstate Young Professionals Annual Hangar Party
  • April 28: Salute to Quality
  • April 28: Regional Busienss After Hours
  • April 29: Trends in Corporate Retirement Plans-What You Need to Know for 2011
  • May 3: Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards Dinner 
  • May 17: GROW EXPO
  • May 24: International Luncheon

  • Click here to see the Greenville Chamber's Events Calendar!

               Building one of the premier business communities in the world!