Lightning Community Hero Award
The Tampa Bay Lightning honored MacDill Air Force Base as the 46th Lightning Community Hero of the season during the first period of tonight's Game 3 against the Montreal Canadiens. The $50,000 donation that comes with the Community Hero award is being donated to the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Read more...
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Chamber Announces Leadership Tampa Class of 2015 Graduates
 Leadership Tampa, the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce's leadership program, is proud to announce the graduates of the Class of 2015. The graduates were honored at a commencement dinner on Wednesday, May 6.
Jim Porter, Partner at Adams and Reese LLP, chaired this year's class, which participated in nine months of biweekly educational sessions, tours and candid conversations with community leaders on topics ranging from economic development and education to health sciences and sports.
Click here to view photos from the ceremony and the list of graduates of the Leadership Tampa Class of 2015.
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Advocacy Corner
Chamber's Advocacy for U.S. - Cuba connections in the Sunday New York Times
Next week, the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce will conduct its third mission to Cuba, but first, the efforts of the Chamber and Tampa business and elected leaders to reconnect Tampa and Cuba were profiled in the Sunday, May 3 edition of the New York Times. Read more...
Operation Partnership Returns on June 8
Our annual program connecting active duty military with business people returns with Operation Partnership. This program pairs military participants with their civilian counterparts, allowing active duty members to experience day-to-day activities in the civilian workforce before they leave the military. Business people looking to host a military member can register on our events page. Active duty who would like to participate can email Michael Maurino at mmaurino@tampachamber.com. This event is complimentary for active duty military.
Chamber and 927th Air Refueling Wing Host Receptions for Montgomery, Ala. and South  Carolina Delegations
The Chamber and 927th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base hosted delegations from Montgomery, Ala. / Maxwell Air Force Base, and South Carolina / Joint Base Charleston. Members of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors greeted the delegations as they toured Tampa and MacDill Air Force Base.
The Chamber was also presented with the Seven Seals Award by the Department of Defense's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve office.
Legislative Wrap-up, May 20
Tampa Electric presents the 2015 Legislative Wrap-Up on Wednesday, May 20, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Maestro's at the Straz Center. Join our invited Hillsborough legislative delegation members as they discuss the 2015 Legislative Session and Chamber initiatives. For more information or to register, click here.
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2015 Chamber Challenge Golf Tournament Winners
Over 130 players joined us at the 2015 Chamber Challenge G olf Tournament on Monday, presented by BBVA Compass and Skanska. All tournament proceeds benefited the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which supports the Chamber's educational and leadership programs. Thank you to all of our participants for another successful golf tournament! Stay tuned to our Facebook page for photos!
Congratulations to this year's winners:
1st Place - Painters on Demand LLC / M.E. Wilson Co., Inc.
2nd Place - Ryan Companies US, Inc.
3rd Place - Skanska USA Building, Inc.
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 WFLA Daytime: Startup Scholars Startup Scholars Co-Chair Debbie Lundsberg and 2015 Startup Scholars Jacqueline Darna (No Mo Nausea) and Pat Bhava (Pikmykid.com) are featured on this month's segment of Daytime!
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DUE TOMORROW BY 5 P.M.! 2016 Leadership Tampa Applications
Since 1970, Leadership Tampa has been introducing class members to major facets of the greater Tampa community through an intensive nine-month course. The Leadership Tampa program challenges members to see the Tampa community as they never have before while preparing candidates for the next step in their leadership journey. The selection process is rigorous and competitive for the 50-60 seats available in each class. Click here to download the application.
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Leadership Tampa Joins the Military!
 By: Robert Hyde, Commander, U.S. Navy Faithful adherents to various denominations of Islam are at odds with each other; the US is wrestling with a number of poor options in identifying a national policy stance on the Middle East; extremism is increasingly a worldwide security concern. What should we do? Just ask any member of the LT'15 class, as they have the answers. These and other topics were discussed in depth during the most recent visit to MacDill AFB. Read more and view photos...
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Meeting Space Available at the Tampa Chamber!
Hold Your Meeting in the Downtown Central Business District
Is your company in need of space to host a meeting, conference or client presentation? As an added benefit of your Chamber membership, the Skanska Board Room and/or Conference Room are currently available for rental on a full or half-day basis from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Rates start at $125. Contact Vicki Dunn at 813-276-9403 or vdunn@tampachamber.com for more information! Click here to view the meeting room rental form online.
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Get Your Copy of the 2015-2016 Membership Directory & Location Guide!
 The Chamber is proud to announce the release of our 2014-2015 Membership Directory and Location Guide! This edition serves as an all-inclusive resource for individuals looking to navigate the area and those seeking to discover more information about Tampa Bay's local economy, communities, leisure attractions, education and healthcare opportunities, as well as modes of transportation.
The Membership Directory listing highlights the more than 1,300 Chamber member businesses and the wide variety of services they provide to the Greater Tampa Bay market. View the guide here.
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Member Highlights: May 3 - 9, 2015
Click here to view more details on this week's member highlights including:
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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 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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2015 Tampa Bay Rays Luncheon - Player Names Announced!*
Monday, May 11, 2015 | 11:45 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Hilton Tampa Downtown, 211 North Tampa Street
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!
Join us for the 2015 Tampa Bay Rays Luncheon featuring new Rays Manager Kevin Cash, Team 
President Brian Auld, President of Baseball Operations Matt Silverman, and - just announced - Rene Rivera, Steve Geltz and Nathan Karns. Questions for the players will be collected from the audience during the luncheon. Names will be drawn at the end of the event for the opportunity to participate in a limited autograph session. Valet parking is available at the Hilton. Hourly self parking is available at the Fort Brooke Parking Garage. There is a 72-hour cancellation policy on all reservations. This event is $40 for Emerge Tampa Bay members; $50 for Chamber members; and $60 for non-members. Limited seats remain! Corporate tables of 10 are also available. Click here to register. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Tampa Bay Times.
*Appearances of players are subject to change.
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Get Connected 
Tuesday, May 12, 2015 | 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, 201 N. Franklin St., Suite #201
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. Sponsored by Platinum Information Services and hosted at the Chamber offices. Must arrive no later than 4:45 p.m. to participate. Walk-ins will only be accepted if there is space available.
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Emerge Tampa Bay's The Buzz 
Thursday, May 14, 2015 | 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Ducky's, 1719 W. Kennedy 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 Ducky's. Drinks and light appetizers will be provided. This event is FREE for Emerge Tampa Bay members and $10 for potential members. Click here to register.
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Coffee Connection 
Wednesday, May 20, 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. Thank you to our sponsor, New York Life.
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2015 Legislative Wrap-Up
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 | 11:45 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
Maestro's Restaurant at the Straz Center, 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place
The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce invites you to join us for our 2015 Legislative Wrap-  Up at Maestro's Restaurant at the Straz Center. Our state senators and representatives from Hillsborough County will discuss the outcome of the Legislative Session and the Chamber Legislative Agenda. Invited Participants Include:
- State Senators: Jeff Brandes, Bill Galvano, Arthenia Joyner, Tom Lee, John Legg
- State Representatives: Janet Cruz, James Grant, Shawn Harrison, Ed Narain, Jake Raburn, Dan Raulerson, Darryl Rouson, Ross Spano, Dana Young
Parking is available at the Poe Garage for $6. It is connected to the Straz Center by a covered pedestrian bridge. FREE for FITs 3, 4 and Partner; $50 all other members; $55 non-members. Corporate tables of 8 are also available. Click here to register. Thank you to our sponsor, TECO.
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Competitive Edge Series: Increasing Your Online Presence - SEO, Social Visibility & Video Platforms
Tuesday, May 26, 2015 | 11:45 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, 201 N. Franklin St., Suite #201
First impressions are made online. Join the Chamber for our monthly Competitive Edge Series featuring a panel discussion with Lauren Albert (Elevate, Inc.), Leslie Laney (A Media Marketing), and Jenni Walsh (Bayshore Solutions) about getting noticed on the Web. They will explain how to develop a site with high impact and increase traffic by using the following:
- SEO algorithms
- Strategic content development
- Video marketing
- UGC video
- Hashtag campaigns
- Social media
Click here for more information and to 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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Business After Hours 
Thursday, May 28, 2015 | 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Commercial Design Services, Inc., 5805 Barry Road
The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce invites you to Business After Hours hosted by Commercial Design Services, 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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