What's happening?Upcoming Chamber Events
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What's the Chamber working on?Connection, Advantage, Influence
Increasing member referrals - The Chamber's new website is driving future clients to our members. Over the next 4 months we expect your referral reports to show better numbers.
Small Business Expo - Each year the businesses of the Okanagan get a chance to get together and highlight their services. This year it will be hosted at Okanagan College. There are a few booths still available at only $110. Connecting - Our staff are touching base with many members as they renew their memberships. If you renew before Dec. 31 you will be entered into a draw for a Total Office Makeover.  Did you know? - If there is someone you would like to meet, or an industry you would like to connect with you can request an introduction. Go to the member log in, once logged in the Quick Links bar on the left hand side there is a Business Connect feature. This allows you to tell us who you want to meet. Additional Events - The Chamber has created extra events for our members, such as the Trades Tailgate, the Not-For-Profit Social to facilitate industry specific networking. NEW! Speed Networking - Prior to our Business After Hours from 4:30 to 5 pm we offer Speed Networking, a chance for you to meet 30 people. New Members - Each month our membership is growing, to find out who has recently joined go to our New Member section of the website.
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CEO's CornerMoving forward to 2013 with new opportunities for junior professionals.
 The Chamber is always moving forward and always improving how we can support our members in the Okanagan. We have a very diverse membership, from Accountants to Zip lines. The Chamber is fortunate to have very active committees creating change and a very young board of directors who are on average 35 to 45 years of age. A membership with the Chamber is for the whole company, and junior staff members are encouraged to attend lunches, seminars and Business After Hours.
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5 things everyone should be doing on social media Social media isn't about selling - it is about relationships, with clients and other businesses.
 Every B2B (business to business) social mediastrategy at this stage of the social marketing evolutionary cycle will need to incorporate a few non-negotiable tactics. There are 5 things that every single B2B marketer should be incorporating in their social media strategy. If you haven't started yours yet, here are a few points to think about as you create your strategic plan.
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CaresSmart - Senior/life transition consulting
Offering collaborative solutions unique to each family
 | | Marjorie Horne with her clients, Deborah Cochrane (daughter) and Mrs. Doris Spall (the family Spall Rd. in Kelowna was named after) |
CareSmart is a new Chamber member that helps seniors through and during various stages of life. Many older adults want to stay at home and need a monitoring service. Others need to move into seniors' housing and this can be a difficult time for the whole family so having an service like CareSmart can make things easier.
Marjorie Horne has has worked in the seniors' industry for 12 years and has assisted hundreds of families in the many transitions that aging presents. CareSmart also offers workshops on elder-caring issues facing families and professional caregivers.
For more information click here.
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In the newsBusiness, Technology, Economy
Free Parking - Downtown Kelowna has returned. For the month of December.
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Mayor's Message
Moving People and Kelowna Forward
Three significant events last month helped set the stage for moving Kelowna forward - literally.
The International Arrivals Hall at the Kelowna International Airport opened Oct. 10, the groundbreaking for the Rutland Transit Exchange was Oct. 20 and elector approval was received Oct. 26 to build and expand downtown parkades.
The result of these transportation improvements will make getting to Kelowna easier and make it easier to get around by transit or to park your car downtown.
For full article click here.
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SPECIAL OFFER! European River Cruise
 Visit Budapest, Cologne, Amsterdam and many more great cities. Save $150 per person.
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Your old cell phone could help find a cure for Diabetes
Donate used phones and laptops to help raise funds for the Canadian Diabetes Association
Diabetes Clothesline is participating in the Think Recycle program, which gathers unwanted cell phones, laptop computers and digital cameras from the community and exchanges them for money. Greentec, the company behind Think Recycle, then wipes the memories clean (to Minister of Defense regulations) processes and recycles the products, diverting the electronic
waste from entering local landfill sites.
50 million cell phones are replaced each and every month, with only 10% being properly recycled.
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