Chamber OnLine
News from the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce
Message from the President

 

 

Hard to believe 2014 is already behind us and we're halfway through the "teens" decade.  Which reminds me, did we ever come up with a name for the 00-09 decade?  Regardless, we enter 2015 at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce with a sense of optimism and excitement.  With the local economy continuing to improve there are a lot of good things going on at your Chamber to look forward to in the upcoming year. 

 

Read more...    

43rd ANNUAL CHAMBER AWARDS RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

 

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce has announced the recipients of their 43rd Annual Business of the Year Awards.  This year's honorees are Business of the Year - Applied Business Systems, Inc.; Industry of the Year - Muller Quaker Dairy; Agricultural Business of the Year - Corcoran Custom Services; Innovative Community Contribution of the Year - Merrill Lynch; Special Service Recognition of the Year - Genesee Cancer Assistance, Inc. and Geneseeans of the Year - Peggy Lamb of Oakfield and Bill Schutt of Basom.

 

The Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 28 at the Clarion Hotel, Park Road, Batavia.  The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres, entr�e tables and cash bar (no formal sit-down dinner to be served). The Award Program starts at 7 p.m. where desserts and coffee will be served.  

2015 CHAMBER BUSINESS WORKSHOPS

 

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce will be holding a series of business workshops in 2015 designed to help small businesses improve their skills and grow their businesses.  The business workshops are FREE to all Chamber members and their employees and will be made available to non-Chamber members for a small fee. The 2015 schedule is as follows:  

February 11 - "Marketing Your Small Business"; March 11 - "Financing Your Venture";  April 8 - "Home-Based Business Strategies for Success";  May 13 - "Selling and Succession Planning"; June 10 - "Woman-Owned Small Business Workshop";  September 9 - "Holiday Marketing - Tips for Small Businesses"; October 14 - Profit Improvement Strategies"; and November 18 - "Customer Service That Wins Sales".  Look for more information regarding times, location and other details in the upcoming weeks.

Home Show Vendor Booths Filling Up Quickly!
 

Plans are gearing up for the 2nd Annual Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Home Show to be held March 27-29, 2015 at the Falleti Ice Arena, Evans Street, Batavia. Last year's inaugural Home Show was a smashing success with over 2,000 people attending.

 

Applications are now being accepted for vendor booth space at a cost of $375 per booth for Genesee County Chamber members and $475 for non-members. Last year's booths sold out quickly and we are anticipating another sell-out this year. Don't be left out - contact Kelly Bermingham at 585-343-7440 ext. 26 today! Click here to download the vendor application.

Did You Know?

 

How much would it cost you to rent window space on Main Street in Batavia to promote your business?  As a Chamber member you can use our Main Street window space for FREE!  What a great way to get your message out and get more exposure for your business.  And it is all a part of your Chamber membership.  Contact Melissa George at 343-7440 ext.  27 or by email at [email protected] for more information on how you can reserve space in the Chamber's window.


Travel with the Chamber
 

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is offering four incredible travel tours for 2015: 

  • National Parks of America on August 8-19
  • China (All New Itinerary!) on October 14-22
  • Thailand/Hong Kong on October 31-November 8
  • Spain's Costa del Sol & the Portuguese Riviera on November 5-17

Click here for more information on all of the Chamber's travel trips.


2014 IS ENDING, BUT THIS WAVE OF TECHNOLOGY DISRUPTIONS IS JUST BEGINNING

 

Changes in technology are happening at a scale which was unimaginable before and will cause disruption in industry after industry. This has really begun to worry me, because we are not ready for this change and most of our leading companies won't exist 15-20 years from now. Here are five sectors to keep an eye on:

 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2014-ending-wave-technology-disruptions-just-beginning-vivek-wadhwa

 

Chamber Welcomes New Tourism Staff

 

After 4 years with our Chamber's tourism program, Elissa Leuer has moved on to become the Tourism Director for the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce.   We are thrilled for Elissa and are pleased to be able to continue working with her on regional tourism initiatives, such as the Country Byways and the Haunted Trail programs. 


 

Read more...

Send Us Your Event, Festival, & Special Occasion Info!


The Chamber manages multiple community and tourism events calendars (both online and in print) and would like your event info.  Please send us any upcoming event information that you would like promoted.  Additionally, please let us know if your business or location is celebrating a special anniversary or occasion in 2015.  To submit event info, click here for the event submission form and fax (585-343-7487) or email it to the Chamber. 

BUSINESS EDUCATION ALLIANCE NEWS

 

Be sure to check the BEA website and Facebook page for upcoming events!  www.beagenesee.com

 

Feb.26th is "National Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day."  The BEA will be hosting an assembly for girls in grades 7-12 who are interested in possibly pursuing a career in engineering.  The assembly will be held at the Batavia High School Auditorium.  More details to follow!

 

Junior Achievement classes will gain momentum this Spring as our students are allowed the opportunity to participate in this unique and effective programming!  They will learn about business and life skills such as budgeting, making good consumer decisions, how communities work together, and more!  If you are interested in becoming involved as a sponsor or a volunteer, please contact Eve at [email protected]

 

High School students throughout the County will be looking for Job Shadow opportunities this year as they try to learn what type of career may be in their future.  Please let Eve know if you are interested in hosting a 2 hour job shadow.  This is a valuable learning experience for our future workforce!  


Quote of the Month

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do."

 

                                                            -Mark Twain

Your Chamber Resources:

Kelly Bermingham, Director of Membership & Special Events
 
Ginny Elsasser, Staff Accountant
 
Melissa A. George, Executive Assistant

Eve Hens, BEA Coordinator/Chamber Membership Assistant

Brena Hurlbutt, Tourism Assistant

Kelly Rapone, Tourism Marketing Director

Tom Turnbull, President
January 2015

Thank you Chamber Champions!

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce would like to thank our Chamber Champions:

Alex's Place  

 

Clark Patterson Lee

 

Freed Maxick

              

Lawley Genesee

 

National Grid               

 

Terry Hills Golf Course, Restaurant, & Banquet Facility

 

Turnbull Heating & Air

 

The Bank of Castile/

Tompkins Insurance  

 

United Memorial

Medical Center

 

These businesses have taken the lead role in investing in our Chamber's mission of enhancing business and community development in Genesee County.  To find out how your business can become a Chamber Champion, contact Kelly Bermingham 

at 585-343-7440.


Thank you Premier Members!
Upcoming Events

 

Business After Hours at Reed Eye Associates.

 

Thursday, January 22 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

 

Reed Eye Associates is located at 39 Washington Avenue, Batavia NY 14020. Parking and Entrance is behind the building.

 

  • 50/50 Raffle to benefit Crossroads House
  • Door Prizes
  • Networking-Meet current and potential members
  • Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served.
Please rsvp to Kelly Bermingham by Jan. 20th at 585-343-7440 x26 or email [email protected] 

 

 












































































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210 East Main Street
Batavia, NY 14020
M-F, 8:00am-4:30pm
585-343-7440
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