Chamber Honors Service Members at 2015 Military Appreciation Banquet
The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce honored our community's military personnel at the  2015 Military Appreciation Banquet on Wednesday, February 25 presented by Bright House Networks. A sold-out crowd of more than 500 attendees, including leadership from all five service branches, was in attendance.
Governor Rick Scott gave a keynote address and Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Chamber leaders recognized the contributions of our local service members. This event represented the 17th year the Chamber has recognized our local military personnel for outstanding contributions to the greater good of the Tampa Bay community.
Stay tuned to our Facebook page for the event photos!
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Now Accepting Nominations for the 2015 Woman of Influence Award
LAST CHANCE! Deadline to Submit a Nomination is Monday, March 2
The Chamber is now accepting nominations for the 2015 Dottie Berger MacKinnon Woman of
 | | 2014 WOI award winner Chief Jane Castor, City of Tampa Police Department |
Influence Award. Do you know an exceptional woman who exemplifies outstanding professional values, demonstrates the ability to go above and beyond the normal expectations of a leader, and serves as an inspiration to the community? Click here to download the official nomination form. The deadline to complete the nomination form is March 2. Questions about the award or nomination process? Please contact Anne Timmel at atimmel@tampachamber.com or
813-276-9440.
The award, established by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce's Women of Influence Committee, will be presented at the annual Women of Influence Luncheon on April 2, 2015 at the A La Carte Event Pavilion. The luncheon will feature keynote speakers Emily Nunez Cavness and Betsy Nunez, co-founders of Sword & Plough, a fashion company that works with veterans to make fashionable and durable bags from recycled military fabrics. Sponsorships and corporate tables for the luncheon are currently available for sale by contacting Staci Fraser at 813-276-9453 or sfraser@tampachamber.com. Individual tickets are now on sale! Click here to purchase.
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Chamber Congratulates Members Named as U.S. Chamber Blue Ribbon Award Winners
Support Your Fellow Members! Click Here t o Vote for the 2015 Community Excellence Award
Bayshore Solutions, Nitro Mobile Solutions and Shooters World were named Blue Ribbon  Small Business Award® winners by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. These companies were recognized for their dedication to the principles of free enterprise and their contributions to restoring jobs and prosperity. Each of the three companies is a past winner of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award.
 The seven regional finalists will be announced on March 18 and the overall winner will be announced at the 11th annual America's Small Business Summit, taking place June 8 - 10 in Washington, D.C. A complete list of this year's Blue Ribbon Small Business Award winners is available here. To learn more about America's Small Business Summit, click here.
All Blue Ribbon Award winners are also eligible for the Community Excellence Award, which recognizes one business that has found notable success in the eyes of its community, generously giving of its time, resources and expertise. The winner will be decided through online public voting between February 19 and March 4. VOTE NOW!
The first step to the Blue Ribbon Small Business Award is competing in the Chamber's 2015 Small Business of the Year Awards program, presented by Bay Cities Bank and Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors. The Chamber is currently accepting nominations. Click here to nominate your favorite small business today! Nominations close on March 6.
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Leadership Tampa: Sports Day
By: Darcy Calhoun, Tampa Bay Rays
 Sports Day! It was finally here. It was a day a lot of us in Leadership Tampa were looking forward to and it definitely lived up to the expectations.
The morning began with us crossing over the bridge to the Tampa Bay Rays -- and what a start to the day! While there, not only were we able to pick the brains of the likes of President Brian Auld and Senior Vice President Mark Fernandez, but we were also presently surprised with guest appearances by the Rays' new manager, Kevin Cash, and Chaim Bloom, vice president of baseball operations. Their transparency and excitement for the new things going on with sports in the region were palpable. We learned some fun facts about team manager Kevin Cash; he was on two World Series teams with the Rays' fellow American League East rivals, the Yankees and the Red Sox. Even more interesting, we learned that Cash considers one of his biggest mentors in the game to be baseball legend Terry Francona. Read more and view photos.
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Member Highlights: February 22 - 28, 2015
Click here to view more details on this week's member highlights including:
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- USF to Name its School of Accountancy to Honor Long-time Donor
- Stageworks Theatre Audition Notice for Ain't Misbehavin'; Stageworks Call for Submissions: 10-minute Plays Set in Tampa Bay
- Englander Fischer LLP Seeking Rainmaker/Complementary Law Group
- Chamber Member Company Now Hiring
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Want to include your organization's news in Member Highlights? Send a brief description of your news or event to news@tampachamber.com. |
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Chamber Ribbon Cutting Celebration
Member Marks Milestone with Chamber Ambassadors
Florida Hospital's Centra Care is excited to announce the opening of their fourth Tampa location at 4001 W. Linebaugh Avenue.
Members wishing to host a ribbon cutting announcing a new opening or expansion of your business should contact Tracy Wilson at 276-9464 or twilson@tampachamber.com.
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Chamber members must login when registering to take advantage of discounted member pricing for Chamber events.
Forgot your login? Click here to have your credentials sent to you.
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Business After Hours - REGISTER TODAY!
Thursday, February 26, 2015 | 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Painters on Demand, LLC , 3201 N. Florida Avenue
The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce invites you to Business After Hours, a great business development opportunity, hosted by Painters on Demand. Join us for complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail while networking with your fellow Chamber members. FREE for members, $15 for non-members. Click here to register. |
ALMOST SOLD OUT!
Pearls of Wisdom - Bridging the Confidence Gap: Making it Happen for You
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 | 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Mise en Place, Inc., 442 W. Kennedy Blvd. Suite 110
The theme of this year's International Women's Day is "Making It Happen." Join your friends and
colleagues to launch this year's celebration and explore practical approaches you can apply to your career that will help you bridge the confidence gap, increase your visibility, enhance your leadership voice, and boost your effectiveness. Applying these approaches will make you more confident in who you are.We will also explore what all of us can do within our organizations to make women's careers happen. Enjoy hors d'oeurves and cocktails while learning from and networking with influential women at our quarterly Pearls of Wisdom event.
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Get Connected
Monday, March 9, 2015 | 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. 
Westin Tampa Harbour Island, 725 S. Harbour Island Blvd.
Get Connected is a facilitated networking program designed to give members the opportunity to make 25+ new business connections in less than an hour! Think of it as "speed networking." Each person is seated at a table with fellow participants and given two minutes to introduce their product, organization or service to the small group. FREE for FITs One & Two; $15 for all other Chamber members; $30 for non-members. Click here to register. Hosted by Westin Tampa Harbour Island.
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Emerge Tampa Bay's The Buzz
Thursday, March 12, 2015 | 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Holiday Inn Tampa Westshore, 700 N. Westshore Blvd.
Join Emerge Tampa Bay for The Buzz, a monthly networking event for young professionals at a Tampa location. This month's event will be hosted by the Holiday Inn Tampa Westshore. Drinks and light appetizers will be provided. This event is FREE for Emerge Tampa Bay members and $10 for potential members. The Holiday Inn will host "Buzz Bingo" starting at 6:00 p.m. There will be fantastic prizes for winners! You don't want to miss this! Click here to register.
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Competitive Edge: Conflict Negotiation
Tuesday, March 17, 2015 | 11:45 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, 201 N. Franklin Street, Suite 201
Join the Chamber for our monthly Competitive Edge Series featuring Bruce Napier, Senior Administrator, Assessment and Organizational Development, for TECO Services Inc. Workplace conflict is unavoidable, but there's a way to allow it to nurture rather than ruin your business. This interactive workshop will provide attendees with the necessary skills to diffuse workplace conflict and determine how to strengthen an organization from the inside.
Attendees will learn how to: - Realize that conflict is inevitable and good for us
- Determine the costs, causes, and approaches to conflict
- Prepare for conflict
- Assess needs and fears
- Value asking questions
Click here for more information and register today! Thank you to our presenting sponsor
Verizon. FREE for FITs One, Two and Three; $35 for all other members; $50 for non-members.
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Coffee Connection
Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | 8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, 201 N. Franklin St., Suite 201
Coffee Connection is held every other month. This event focuses on Chamber members within their first year of membership. It is designed to help engage new members and build relationships. The program is facilitated by Ambassadors who are volunteers and will serve as your contact! This free event is recommended for first-year members, but is open to all Chamber members. Click here to register.
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Emerge Tampa Bay Tour at Port Tampa Bay 
Friday, March 20, 2015 | 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Port Tampa Bay, 1101 Channelside Drive
Join Emerge Tampa Bay for a FREE tour of Port Tampa Bay and learn about Florida's largest and most diversified seaport. Port Tampa Bay's longstanding supremacy among Florida ports is based largely on its leadership in handling of bulk and break-bulk cargos, including phosphate, steel and petroleum, as well as in the shipbuilding industry. Port Tampa Bay over the past decade has impressively advanced its container-handling capabilities and seen a rapid growth in regional distribution facilities. Click here to register.
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Emerge Tampa Bay General Membership Meeting
Monday, March 23, 2015 | 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, 201 N. Franklin Street, Suite 201 
Are you a new member of Emerge Tampa Bay or have you been around for a while but have not found your niche? Join us for the Emerge General Membership Meeting. You will hear from representatives from the Emerge Leadership Team who will be on hand to give you information about the organization. Click here to register. You must be a member to attend. If you are a non-member and interested in joining, click here.
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Business After Hours
Thursday, March 26, 2015 | 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. 
Big Sur Technologies, Inc., 4631 Woodland Corp Blvd., Suite 110
The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce invites you to Business After Hours hosted by Big Sur Technologies, Inc. Join us for complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail while networking with your fellow Chamber members. FREE for members, $15 for non-members. Click here to register.
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Leadership Tampa Information Sessions
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, 201 N. Franklin Street, Suite 201
The Leadership Tampa selection process is rigorous and competitive for the 50-60 seats available in each class. Come find out how to be a successful Leadership Tampa candidate while learning about the history and benefits of the program at these FREE upcoming informative sessions.
- Session 1: Wednesday, April 1, 2015, 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Click here to register.
- Session 2: Monday, April 6, 2015, 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Click here to register.
- Session 3: Tuesday, April 7, 2015, 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Click here to register.
- Session 4: Wednesday, April 8, 2015, 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Click here to register.
- Session 5: Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Click here to register.
PLEASE NOTE: We encourage anyone with an interest in Leadership Tampa to attend an information session, however, you must be a Chamber member to apply. To inquire about Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce membership information, please contact Rosanne Versaggi at 813-280-1456 or rversaggi@tampachamber.com.
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2015 Women of Influence Luncheon
The Journey of Sword & Plough: From Kickstarter to Kandahar & Beyond
Thursday, April 2, 2015 | 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
A La Carte Event Pavilion, 4050 Dana Shores Drive Suite B
Ranked by Forbes as two of the top social entrepreneurs in the country, Emily and Betsy Núñez are recycling and repurposing military gear with a fashionable touch. These young professionals have turned one idea into an up-and-coming fashion brand that empowers veteran employment, reduces waste and strengthens civil-military understanding. Join us and hear their story firsthand and learn why they were named one of the "20 Most Inspiring Companies of 2014." This event is $75 for members and $90 for non-members. Sponsorships and corporate tables of 10 are also available. Click here to register. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, PNC Bank.
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2015 Chamber Challenge Golf Tournament 
Monday, May 4, 2015 | 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.
Combine your Chamber networking with a healthy dose of competition! Don't worry if your skills aren't up to par - there's a chance for everyone to go home a winner with our raffle and course activities. Tournament proceeds benefit the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which supports the Chamber's educational and leadership programs. Limited space available. Click here to reserve your sponsorship now! Foursomes will be available at a later date. Your contribution to the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization, is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Thank you to our presenting sponsors, BBVA Compass Bank and Skanska.
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