Bay County Chamber of Commerce

March 10, 2015

Today, members of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce took off from Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport for a fun filled trip to Ireland. The Chamber hopes to partner with Collette Vacations for more exciting trips. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities.

Remember, our 4^th Annual Block Party is next week (3/19). Spread the word! This is our only event each year that is open to the public. Bring your friends, family and post it on your FB page. You will not want to miss the Inaugural Bed Races, food, entertainment and more! Want to register a bed? Click here.

Did you know that this is the "Year of the Diver"? Help us celebrate the role our Navy Base has played in serving as the training ground for military divers. The April Bay Biz cover will focus on this significant occasion. Call 850.215.3755 today for advertising information or click here.

Once again, our First Friday had an amazing crowd to welcome CFO Jeff Atwater. Those in attendance were astounded at how Florida stacks up against the other states. Thank you to our local media for providing great coverage; our sponsor CareerSource and most importantly you, our members!

Additional Topics Include:

Bay Young Professionals Tour
Customer Service Seminar
Tourism Appreciation Month
Ribbon Cuttings
Ambassador Spotlight
Military Affairs Committee
Business Referral Network Group Meeting Dates

Much Success,

The Bay County Chamber of Commerce Staff

Join us for the 4th Annual Bay County Chamber Board of Director's Block Party and the first ever Bed Races!

Thursday, March 19th
5-7 p.m.

Bay County Chamber of Commerce
(235 W. 5th St.)

There will be food, drinks, live entertainment by True Soul, and games for the kids.

Arrive early to receive your complimentary commemorative t-shirt by InkTrax. To receive a t-shirt, please bring a school supply item for the Junior League of Panama City. You will receive a ticket with your donation which you can bring to InkTrax to get your t-shirt!

Sponsored by:

Friday, April 2nd

FSU Panama City Holley Academic Center
(4750 Collegiate Dr.)

Networking and Coffee 7:15 a.m.

Program 8 a.m.

Today's marketplace is teeming with competition. What can you do to set your organization apart? Provide exceptional customer service, that's what!

Mark your calendar for Customer Service At Its Best Workshop instructed by BaySolutions.

In this seminar, we will cover

Defining our customers
Poor service pet peeves
Customer service failures
Keys to excellent service
Building positive communication
Establishing extraordinary client relations
And much, much more!!

For more information click here or contact Elizabeth at 850.215.3761 or baychamberevents@gmail.com.

May is Tourism Appreciation Month and the Bay County Chamber's Task Force, led by Pam George, is planning a for a month long schedule of events so you and your team can help celebrate Bay County's #1 industry.

If you would like to join the task force contact Elizabeth at 215.3761 or click here for more information.

Mark Your Calendar for these fun networking opportunities!

8^th Annual Jungleball Volleyball Tournament & Business After Hours

Date: Tuesday, May 12^th

Time: Tournament: 4:30

Business After Hours: 5 p.m.

Place: Boardwalk Beach Resort

Join us for this fun event that involves member businesses competing in a friendly game of volleyball for first, second and third place. Click here for more information on sponsoring.

Thank you to our sponsors:

19^th Annual Spring Classic Golf Tournament

Date: Friday, May 29^th

Time: Lunch/registration: 11 a.m.

Shotgun start: Noon

Place: Hombre Golf Club

Please join us for a relaxing day on the course and an opportunity to network with other Chamber members.

Click here for sponsorship information.

Thank you to our sponsors:

The Great Golf Ball Drop

The Great Golf Ball Drop will take place following at the 19^th Annual Spring Classic Golf Tournament. Two hundred fifty golf balls will be dropped and the first ball in the hole wins $500. To sponsor this fun event, click here.

Ribbon Cuttings

Innovations Federal Credit Union

1038 Harrison Ave.

Superior Residences of Panama City Beach

95 Grand Heron Dr.

Ambassador Spotlight

Amber Armstrong currently works for Regions Bank as a Mortgage Loan Originator. She specializes in First Time Homebuyer's, New Construction and VA home loans. She has been in the mortgage industry for approximately 14 years, and has a passion for real estate lending. Armstrong is an Ambassador for the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, Bay Young Professionals member, Bay County Association of REALTORS member, Associate Board of Director for Bay Builders Industries Association, Emerald Coast Business Women's Association member, Rutherford Football Booster's Member, Annual C.H.A.M.P Camp staff member and Fellowship of Christian Athletes Supporter.

The Military Affairs Committee (MAC) will host a golf tournament on March 27th to benefit the 2015 Gulf Coast Salute. The event will be held at the Panama Country Club in Lynn Haven. Registration and breakfast is at 7-7:45 a.m., with a 8 a.m. shotgun start. Click here to register or call 850.215.3759.

MAC recently hosted a welcome reception for General Carlisle Commander, Air Combat Command.

About Mac

The Military Affairs Committee (MAC) of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1946, and is rich in the history of providing good public relations between our military bases and the business community.

The mission of MAC is to develop understanding, support and goodwill between our men and women in uniform and the local business and civic leaders. The committee stages various events and receptions to welcome visiting military officials and guests to the Bay County area.

If you are interested in joining MAC and supporting our local Military Installations, contact Theresa@baychamberfl.com or 850.215.3759.

CONNECT

www.PanamaCity.org

CHAMBER

Click here to view upcoming Chamber events.

COMMUNITY

Click here to view more upcoming community events.

WWW.PANAMACITY.ORG

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS ON THE CHAMBER WEBSITE

for a great way to get in front of your target market! Email Brittany@baychamberfl.com for rates and more information.

Did you know as a Chamber member you can post your job openings and available internships for free online? Also, if you have an upcoming event, you can also post that for free. Take advantage of the great items our website has to offer! Call 850.785.5206 for more information.

Welcome

New Members

Victoria's Last Bite

Craftsman Printing Inc.

We Love Bay, LLC

Dlux Printing & Publishing

Thank you to iHeartMedia for our new member radio spots!

Thank You Renewing Members

Member Anniversaries

1 Year

- Friends of the Governor Stone

- Roberts & Roberts Inc.

- Tadlock Roofing Inc.

2 Years

- Boardwalk Beach Resort

- Sonic Drive In #1045

- Sonic Drive In # 1155

- Sonic Drive In #1237

- Sonic Drive In #5408

- Sonic Drive In #5409

- Sonic Drive In #5602

3 Years

- Bond & Associates, Inc.

- JRA Architects, Inc.

6 Years

- Prine Orthodontics

7 Years

- The Retreat at PCB

- The Tech Group

8 Years

- CPH, Inc.

- Panama City CRA

9 Years

- Mexico Beach Community Redevelopment

10 Years

- First Baptist Church of Lynn Haven

11 Years

- Northstar Church

- Party America

- Ron Wolff

14 Years

- Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center

15 Years

- Fowhand's Furniture

- Panama City Marine, Inc.

- Turtle Lake Association

17 Years

- Tim Allen Photography

30 Years

- AutoNation Ford Panama City

Member to Member Discounts

The Member to Member Discount is a special discount, pricing structure, service, or product that is extended only to other members of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce.

Your discount will be featured on the Chamber website www.panamacity.org, next to your business listing. If your business would like to participate, please visit this link and complete the form. Call the Chamber Office at 850-785-5206 with any questions.

Need Social Capital?

Business Referral Network (BRN) provides an opportunity for groups of business professionals to come together to network, share business leads and referrals with other group members.

BRN is available to any member in good standing with the Bay County Chamber of Commerce at no extra charge.

They must attend the scheduled bi-monthly meetings and one referral or lead is requested at each meeting. Members are encouraged to bring one guest (guest may be non-member).

A member may only join one Business Referral Network group. The Business Referral Group also makes sure no single business will be in direct competition with another member of the group. (For example, only one person in banking can be in each group.)

Interested in joining? Contact Tamara at 215.3791 or Tamara@baychamberfl.com for availability.

Business Referral Network Groups Meeting Dates

Group A

G. Foley's

11:30 a.m.

March 17th

Group B

El Jalisco

11:30 a.m.

March 12th

Group C

Ferrucci's Ristorante

11:30 a.m.

March 11th

Group D

Sonny's Bar B Q (Hwy 77 location)

11:30 a.m.

March 18th

If you are interested in joining a BRN group, contact Tamara@baychamberfl.com

Include Your Business in our Relocation Packet Program

Each year the Bay County Chamber of Commerce provides relocation guides to individuals and businesses looking for information on relocating to our area. In addition to the relocation guide, we have created a way for our members to market to these individuals who may soon need their products and services.

For more information on how you can get involved, contact Brittany at brittany@baychamberfl.com or call 215-3755.

Support Bay County and

Your Fellow Members!

Place copies of the "Bay Biz" and "Guide to Discovering Bay County" in your business lobby/office to support and promote our area to your clients and customers.

Call 785-5206 to get your supply of these FREE publications that lets visitors, newcomers and potential businesses know Bay County is a great place to live, work and play.