News from Sandwich Chamber of Commerce

Join Us! On Tuesday, May 22, 2007 from 5:30 - 7:30pm for the next Sandwich Chamber after hours business to business networking opportunity at Oak Crest Cove, 34 Quaker Meetinghouse Road, Forestdale. Enjoy the great scenery this venue has to offer while sampling appetizers provided courtesy of Compass Rose Catering. A cash bar will be available. Bring a raffle prize and take advantage of the opportunity to tell us about your business. Members attend free of charge. Non-members $10.00. For more information please call 508-833-9755 or email sandwichchamber@comcast.net.

Greetings!

DeaconEldrege Have you been thinking about becoming more involved with your local chamber? The Sandwich Chamber of Commerce wants you!!! Within this organization of 270 members there are great opportunities to effect real change and positive growth within this community many of us both live and work.

To become a member of one of the following committees please contact the chamber office at 508-833-9755 or email sandwichchamber@comcast.net.

Program Committee

Creates and supports the production of events for the Chamber through monthly Business After Hours, Annual Meeting and community events.

Monthly Meetings: 1^st Tuesday, 8:00am at Cape Cod 5

Gayle Olsson, Chairman

Issues & Alliances Committee

Created to establish a healthy environment where all facets of town, (business, government and individuals) understand the issues facing the community and work together to do what best serves the Town of Sandwich.

Monthly Meetings: 4^th Thursday, 7:45am at the Dan'l Webster Inn & Spa

Steve Catania, Chairman

Marketing Committee

Created to support the efforts of the Chamber in general, its' events, membership retention and expansion, and more specifically by assisting the SCC committees with there marketing needs.

Meetings: 2^nd Thursday every other month, 8:30am at the SCC office

Rose Provencher, Todd Herrman, Chairmen

Membership / Ambassador Committee

Created to increase membership by recruiting area businesses and individuals to further the mission of the SCC. The Ambassadors promote member retention by providing personal contact.

Monthly Meetings: TBA

Dean Coe, Chairman

Holly Days 2007

Created to provide town wide holiday events that promote the Chamber member businesses as well as the community.

Meetings: TBA

Kirby Holmes, Jacqui Kingsbury, Chairmen

Sincerely,

Marcie Trefny

Executive Director

Sandwich Chamber Attends Discover New England Summit

The Discover New England Tourism Summit (DNE) was held on March 26 - 28, 2007 in Manchester Village, Vermont. Gayle Olsson, Jacqui Kingsbury and Marcie Trefny attended on behalf of the Sandwich Chamber.

DNE promotes and represents all sectors of the tourism industry in New England. DNE presently targets the markets of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Ireland, Netherlands and Japan. The principal focus is for both large and small tourism businesses to know as much as possible regarding how they can be a part of New England's fastest growing tourism sector. This regional initiative is a proven and an excellent investment for the six New England states. The concept of selling New England as a region, rather than six independent states is reinforced by the international travel community. Those representing the Sandwich Chamber had the opportunity to individually meet with several international tour operators and freelance travel writers boasting Sandwich as the perfect destination that allows visitors to enjoy the Cape Cod experience while being centrally located to the incredible Southeastern coast of New England. Sandwich Chamber members are invited to learn more about the contacts made at the Summit. For further details call

508-833-9755.

Harry Potter is Coming to Sandwich

Sandwich will be a popular destination for the release of the last Harry Potter book on Friday, July 20, 2007.

The Cape Cod Central Railroad will become the Hogwarts Express and will run from 10 a.m. -3 p.m. from the Sandwich Train Station. Sandwich High School Library will coordinate activities on each car and all proceeds will benefit the High School Library. Up to 1125 people can ride the Hogwarts Express. Of course, there will be the traditional midnight party at the Sandwich Public Library for 300 people, too!

Local businesses are encouraged to become involved and take advantage of the literally hundreds of people that will be in town on this day. The organizers would like to create a Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade to enhance the experience for all. Look at the links below to see what you could create at your location! We are all familiar with the great success of Holly Days and the business the train brought to Sandwich the last two years in December. We hope you will join us in making July 20 a day to remember as well.

Who can take part? Any business, museum, restaurant, hotel or other organization with something to add to the day and who might benefit from all the people in Sandwich. If you would just like to volunteer to help, we'd love to hear from you, too!

How will people find out about the events? We will send out press releases and schedules of events to all regional media. Each participating organization with an email newsletter will be asked to send out information to their own mailing list (we can provide the information for you to forward). There will be a national listing of Harry Potter events. Since our plan with the train is quite unusual, we think we will have a chance at some wide (possibly national publicity). Other ideas? Let's think big!

What will it cost you? Our sincere hope is to keep the expenses to an absolute minimum and just make this an opportunity for you to gain business and have fun, too at little or no cost to participate.

Need some ideas? You don't have to read the books to take part! There are lots of resources for Harry Potter activities, food, games, decorations, etc. We would be happy to advise you! Create a Harry Potter meal at your restaurant, sell candy and other items related to Harry Potter, hold an activity to draw people into your business, create a Harry Potter window display. Anything you do related to Harry Potter will be listed in the schedule. Here are two links to some of the many websites available:

Diagon Alley Ideas

Hogsmeade Ideas

Would you like to offer an activity on July 20? Have some great ideas to do?

Would you like to receive emails to keep you informed about the event?

Please let us know!

For more information please contact:

Vicky Uminowicz

Titcomb's Bookshop

508-888-2331

Or: Marcie Trefny

Sandwich Chamber

508-833-9755

Sandwich Chamber 2007 SCORE Award Winner

Bob and Joanne Guertin of Robert E. Guertin Jewelrs, Inc., have been selected by the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce to receive a Build a Better Moustrap Award from Cape Cod SCORE at its fourteenth annual awards breakfast to be held Tuesday, June 5 at Old Yarmouth Inn.

Robert E Guertin Jewelers, Inc. is a full service jewelry destination with attention to personalized service for all its customers. After 27 years in the Cape Cod Mall Bob and his wife Joanne, decided to relocate his small shop to Merchant Square in Sandwich. The move from the Cape Cod Mall in 2001 was one of the best things that ever happened to Bob and his family. As a jeweler, Guertin has carried on the family tradition. His father Emile and Uncle Valmore stared Guertin Brothers' Jewelers on Main Street in Hyannis where they invented the Mother's Ring, a customized ring featuring children's birthstones.

Bob founded his own store in 1970 and the business has grown by leaps and bounds. He left his 300 square foot space in the mall and now resides in a 1500 square foot shop Merchant Square. They found the perfect space on the west side of Merchant Square that compliments his full line of jewelry, glass and pottery. Guertin, a true Cape Codder, with his laid back and generous attitude, is sure to stop and give you a handshake no matter how busy he is at his bench. Custom made jewelry and repair work of the highest standards are still done on site by both Bob and Joanne who have 60 years combined experience. Their daughter is now carrying on the family tradition by designing and crafting her own line of jewelry that is sold in the store, a fine addition to the "Guertin" name in the jewelry business.

Top honors at the SCORE awards breakfast go to the Small Business Owner of the Year who is selected from among the counseling organization's small business clients. Various chambers of commerce select those who receive SCORE's Build a Better Mousetrap Awards which this year will go to seventeen small businesses that have survived the critical first five years of operation and appear to be headed for long-term success.

Congratulations Bob and Joanne!

Thanks for reading thethe Sandwich Chamber of Commerce e-Newsletter. If you have any information you'd like to add to the Newsletter, please email us. Look for new issues every month.

Sincerely,

Sandwich Chamber
Sandwich Chamber of Commerce