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WEEKLY UPDATE       Wednesday, May 11, 2011  

Greetings! 
We hope you will join us at GROW EXPO next Tuesday to celebrate Small Business Week and more specifically Upstate small businesses, which have a HUGE impact on our economy. In fact, based on 2010 data from the US Census Bureau, small businesses account for 93.99% of all employer establishments in the Greenville metro area!

GROW Your Thinking | GROW Your Influence | GROW Your Relationships | MAY 17

GROW2011

Tuesday, May 17th from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Carolina First Center | One Exposition Drive, Greenville, SC 29607

 

GROW EXPO 2011 SCHEDULE


GROW YOUR RELATIONSHIPS Breakfast | 7:30am to 9:00am  

 This GROW EXPO kick-off meeting will be a strategic networking session. No time wasted on small talk here - similar to "speed networking," this event is designed to help you increase your company's visibility, practice your networking skills, build your referral base, and increase your bottom line. A light breakfast is served as the fun starts with each attendee describing their business in 60 seconds or less. Cost to attend is $10 with pre-registration or $15 at the door. PLEASE REGISTER HERE

 

EXHIBIT HALL OPEN 9:00am - 4:00pm
FREE TO ATTEND PLEASE REGISTER HERE 

Concessions will be available in the Exhibit Hall from 11am-3pm/No outside food allowed.


GROW YOUR INFLUENCE Luncheon | 11:30am to 1:00pm  

This forum will feature a panel of procurement professionals and experts who will explain the most effective ways to do business with the most important companies in the Upstate. Invited panelists include representatives from BMW, GE, Michelin, Lockheed Martin, Greenville Hospital System, and the City of Greenville. Cost to attend is $20 with pre-registration or $25 at the door. Lunch is included. PLEASE REGISTER HERE

 

GROW YOUR THINKING Seminar | 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Featuring Keynote Presenter RANDY DOBBS

Randy E. Dobbs currently is a Senior Business Operations/Strategic Consultant and Motivational Leadership Speaker both locally and on a national basis. This keynote presentation will offer thoughts and experience on business growth. Randy is renowned for his insightful development of strategies that emphasize relationship-building and strong operational communications with both customers and employees to drive results.
FREE to attend. PLEASE REGISTER HERE

 

PLUS A SOCIAL MEDIA SMACKDOWN & MORE!

 

 MAKE SURE TO HOP ON THE TOUR DE EXPO:

Attendees will have the option of participating in the Tour De Expo! As you arrive in the Exhibit Hall, you will receive a "passport" to be stamped by participating exhibitors. Completed passports will be entred into a drawing for great prizes, including Roundtrip Airfare for 2 on Southwest Airlines, 1 Year Free Membership at the The Imagine Center, a Dell Computer with Windows XP from Cossban Software & Network, LLC - and more! 

Is Your Facility in Compliance with the Latest Safety Standards?

Mfg Roundtable ResizedThe Chamber's Manufacturers Roundtable, in partnership with SC OSHA, will be providing a luncheon session on Hazardous Communications Standards on May 17th.

 

Van Henson, Training & Education Supervisor, will provide the training.

Cost to attend is only $10, which includes lunch.
Click here to register or contact hhyatt@greenvillechamber.org for additional information.

Help Celebrate International Companies Investing in the Upstate!

FlagGlobeGE Energy will receive the 2011 International Economic Development Award presented by Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. at the Chamber's 19th Annual International Luncheon on Tuesday, May, 24 at the Marriott Greenville.

 

Sponsorships are Available! 

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

FUEL OUR VOLUNTEERS!

OpFUELOperation FUEL is a resource initiative aimed at prompting awareness and obtaining resource commitments. Volunteer teams are soliciting memberships, sponsorships, and scholarships for Chamber programs. From small businesses to corporate giants, members are contributing merchandise and services as prizes to reward our volunteers. We have 15 teams participating and hope you can help us reward them for their hard work! If you would like to make a donation, please contact Jennifer Powell at 864-239-3731 or jpowell@greenvillechamber.org.

Are You Hiring? Post Your Local Jobs for FREE at NationJob!

Greenville NationJob LogoChamber Members can post local job listings for FREE at NationJob! Take advantage of this valuable benefit by E-mailing the job description to njlistings@nationjob.com and note that you are a Greenville Chamber member, or call 888-256-0919 for further details. 

 

 

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

Your company wants to save money. To help our members do this, the Greenville Chamber Windstreamhas

selected the best discount offerings for health insurance, office supplies, and  telecommunications that we could find with our SmartBuys partners BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Office Depot, and Windstream Communications. Start saving today!

More Upcoming Chamber Events:

TOMORROW! The Power of Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing Made Simple with Anissa Starnes from Constant Contact

Date/Time: Thursday, May 12, 1:00-4:00 pm
Who Can Come: The first 75 who sign up!
Location: Greenville Chamber Board Room
Cost: Free for Greenville Chamber Members/$20 for Non-Members
Register:Click here 

 

Youth Leadership Class 5 Graduation

Date/Time: Thursday, May 12 from 6:30-9:00 pm 
Location: Carolina First Center
 Who Can Come: Parents, Sponsors and Guests
Cost: $15, dinner is included/ Register: Click here 

 

THIS FRIDAY/NEW TIME! Legislative Issues Committee Meeting featuring Dan Cooper, Outgoing Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee 

Date/Time: Friday, May 13 from 12/Noon-1:00 pm
Location: Greenville Chamber Board Room

Who Can Come: All Greenville Chamber Members
 LUNCH OPTIONS: Please feel free to bring a lunch (drinks will be provided) or if you prefer, you can place an order with Elizabeth Edwards for a box lunch from Atlanta Bread Company. The cost of the box lunch is $8. If you'd like to order lunch, send an email to eedwards@greenvillechamber.org before 4:00 pm on Thursday, May 12.

 

NEXT WEEK: PLEASE NOTE: May's Business After Hours & Sales Roundtable are CANCELLED due to GROW EXPO!

May 17: GROW EXPO

May 17: OSHA Training - Hazardous Communications Standards
May 20: Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting
May 20: Leadership Greenville Alumni Association Brown Bag Luncheon Series

 

MORE UPCOMING EVENTS

May 24: 19th Annual International Luncheon

May 25: PULSE Leadership Luncheon

May 26: Member Orientation

May 26: Leadership Greenville Class 37 Graduation

May 31: Environmental Issues Committee Meeting
June 1: Leadership Greenville Class 38 Applications Due

June 7 Non-Profit Alliance
June 7 Small Business Council on Growth
June 8 Manufacturers Roundtable - June
June 8 BWIA Lunch & Learn - Productivity
June 9 PULSE Connects Service Project -- DOWNTOWN ALIVE
June 10 HR Forum: Managing Employees' Leave
June 10 Legislative Issues Committee Meeting
June 14 Business Before Hours
June 15 Sales Roundtable
June 17 Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting
June 21 Business After Hours 

(Click here to see a complete calendar.)

Building one of the premier business communities in the world.