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The Morning Buzz
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 Sponsored by SummaCareThe Morning Buzz, sponsored by SummaCare, is a monthly speaker breakfast series which aims to connect small and medium size businesses by facilitating the exchange of ideas and strategies for business growth and success. Join us to hear Dr. Alfreda Brown, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Kent State University, discuss "Diversity in the Workplace."
Dr. Brown has responsibility for the executive leadership and management of Kent State University's diversity and inclusion matters, leading strategic diversity planning for the university and ensuring successful implementation of related policies, programs, and projects. Dr. Brown holds a bachelor's degree from Roberts Wesleyan College, a master's degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and a doctorate degree from Nova Southeastern University.
Where & When
Hilton Garden Inn, Akron
1307 E. Market St.
Akron, OH 44305
Friday, August 12, 2016
7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
7:30 a.m. - Business Connections/Registration/Breakfast
8:00 - 9:00 a.m. - Welcome/Presentation
Click here for more information and to register.
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| Summit of Sustainability Series: Sustainable Grant Workshop | 
In 2012, the Greater Akron Chamber along with the City of Akron, County of Summit, Keep Akron Beautiful, and ReWorks created the Summit of Sustainability Awards. The goal of the Summit of Sustainability Awards was to recognize local organizations that have successfully implemented sustainability practices. In 2016, a series of educational sessions will be offered throughout the year. Waste Management, Akron Recycling in Partnership with SOSA, is proud to sponsor a sustainability lecture on government sponsored grants. James A. Skora will be speaking to the key aspects of the environmental grants available to help fund sustainability efforts for small, large non-profit and for profit organizations. As a Senior Manager, with the Summit County based firm GT Environmental Jim has years of grant writing experience.
Where & WhenWaste Management 1534 Exeter Rd. Akron, OH 44306 Friday, August 26, 2016 8:30 - 11:00 a.m. Click here to register. |
| YPN Leadership Luncheon | 
Bill Considine, President & CEO of Akron Children's Hospital, and Cathryn O'Malley, Administrative Director for Organizational Effectiveness and Transformation, will discuss mentoring and provide advice on finding a career coach or career champion.
Attendees will learn about the Children's Hospital leadership academy, a 12-month MBA-style program offered by the hospital's organizational effectiveness team to develop leadership skills in employees. Considine will also talk about how he mentors fellows in the Roger J. Sherman Administrative Fellowship, a year-long opportunity for individuals with an interest in healthcare administration to gain experience in leadership and executive-level decision-making.
Where & When
Mustard See Cafe - Highland Square
867 W. Market St.
Akron, OH 44303
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Cost: $15 YPN members; $25 Non YPN members
Click here to register. |
| Lunch & Learn: How to Comply with the New Overtime Exemption Rules |
Rescheduled to September 1!
Due to an overwhelming demand and importance of this topic, we will be hosting another Lunch & Learn to discuss the changes to the overtime rules.
Do you know that overtime rules are changing? If you have exempt employees being paid less than $913 a week ($47,476 annually), the newly released overtime exemption rules will affect you. The new rules will be effective as of December 1, 2016, and will mean that all salaried employees - regardless of their professional, managerial or administrative responsibilities - must be paid at least $47,476 annually or the equivalent to $22.83 per hour, or they will be entitled to overtime. If that prospect seems daunting to your budget for salaried personnel, learn more about the new rules and how to minimize their impact on your workplace with Attorney Karen C. Lefton of The Lefton Group, LLC. Where & WhenHilton Garden Inn Akron 1307 E. Market St. Akron, OH 44305 Thursday, September 1, 2016 11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Cost: $25 per person Click here to register.
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| KNOW (Knowledgeable Network of Women) Empowering Women Luncheon |
 Join KNOW for the next luncheon to hear Abigail Pringle, Chief Development Officer, The Wendy's Company, present. Additional information will be forthcoming. KNOW is a personal and professional development program for business women in the Greater Akron Region. Our mission is to cultivate the talent within each other by reaching out to today's women executives and tomorrow's leaders. Where & WhenPortage Country Club 240 N. Portage Path Akron, OH 44303 Thursday, September 22, 2016
11:00 a.m. For more information or to register, click here. |
Book Your Chamber Trips Now!
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Greater Akron Chamber presents Tropical Costa Rica...
February 2-10, 2017
...with Optional 3-Night Jungle Adventure Post-Tour Extension!
$2,799* per person (double occupancy)
This 9-Day Tour Includes Round-Trip Air and 13 meals (8 breakfasts and 5 dinners).
Highlights...San Jose, Coffee Plantation, Guanacaste, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Hanging Bridges, Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal Cruise, Cooking Demonstration, Cano Negro Refuge, Zarcero, National Theatre, and More!
Click here to view a brochure. For more information, contact: Maria Edwards AAA Travel Agency (330) 762-0631 medwards@akron.aaa.com*All rates are per person and subject to change.
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Receive Discounts on Your Health Plan Coverage!
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 Greater Akron Chamber Offers Two Healthcare Plans for Chamber Members The Chamber recently added Medical Mutual to our benefit savings portfolio in addition to SummaCare. Medical Mutual healthcare plans are built around Medical Mutual's network of doctors and hospitals, the largest provider network in Ohio. That network includes Akron General Medical Center and Summa Health System. Designed as a private exchange model built around a fully integrated technology platform, this consumer-driven choice tool encourages responsible healthcare spending habits and more involvement in treatment decisions. The plans are available for member companies with 51 to 500 eligible employees. As an added benefit, Chamber members will receive a 1.4 percent discount on their healthcare premiums. For more information, please contact the Medical Mutual Sales Team at (440) 572-6349. For over 18 years, SummaCare and the Greater Akron Chamber have partnered to save local businesses over $25 million on health insurance premiums. Those savings are used by companies to grow their bottom line and boost our local economy. SummaCare is pleased to continue to offer Chamber members and the Affiliate Partner Chamber members the maximum allowable discount of 1.4% on their health insurance premiums. We are the only health insurance option offering a discount through the Greater Akron Chamber for employers of 50 or fewer employees. For more information, contact the SummaCare Sales Team at (800) 996-8818 or call your broker. |
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Save Money with the Chamber's Workers' Compensation Group Rating Plan
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 The Greater Akron Chamber's Group Rating Program offers savings up to the maximum available discount on your Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) premium. The Chamber partners with CareWorksComp because they help employers achieve the highest group rating discount possible. Nearly 30,000 customers choose CareWorksComp to manage their workers' compensation plan. Click here to download an authorization permitting CareWorksComp to provide you with a NO-COST, NO-OBLIGATION analysis. To learn more, call CareWorksComp at 1 (800) 837-3200.
News from CareWorksAugust 15, 2016: This is the due date for true-up report to be completed with BWC. This is a critical deadline, as the BWC has indicated that if you do not complete the true-up process on time, your business may not be eligible for current and future alternative rating and premium discount programs such as group rating and group retrospective rating. Reports may be submitted either online ( http://ow.ly/4mWUlm) or by phone at (800) 644-6292.
Payroll Reporting: In keeping with the theme of payroll true-up and reporting, it seems a good time to reiterate what the BWC guidelines are for corporate officer minimum and maximum wages. (This information is reprinted directly from the BWC website). To read more, click here. Customized Practical Skill-Based Training -- The Next Step in Safety: What is keeping companies from moving their incident rate to zero? What is keeping your company from moving its incident rate to zero? Many companies already use JSA, Behavior Based Safety and/or STOP™ programs; but for most companies, these valuable programs aren't working as well as they could because they aren't being carried out in the field as well as they should. That's where Customized Practical Skill-Based Training comes in. It's the missing piece in your company's safety strategy. Click here to read more.
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Membership Has Its Benefits!
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Our members are making headlines. Got news? Building business relationships in the community? If your company has news to share or is holding an event that's open to the general public, and you'd like to get the word out, submit your News & Events here.
Click here to check out the latest news and events submitted by our member companies! Please patronize our chamber members. The Greater Akron Chamber thanks you for helping us support the region's business community.
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Member MarketPlace
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 Connect to exclusive savings on services provided by Greater Akron Chamber Members for Chamber Members! Chamber members can save on business services, health services, cleaning, travel, entertainment, restaurants, and more in The MarketPlace.
Click here to see the deals.
To find out how you can offer a discount or service to Chamber members, contact your Chamber representative at (330) 237-1234.
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Greater Akron Chamber Partners with Constant Contact® to Help You Grow Your Business with E-mail Marketing
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 Use the leading e-mail marketing service to connect with your customers - and take advantage of a special member benefit
Greater Akron Chamber has partnered with Constant Contact®, the leading e-mail marketing service for small businesses, to bring you a great way to stay in touch with your most important audience: your customers. With Constant Contact®, e-mail marketing is easy, affordable and effective. And because you are a member of Greater Akron Chamber, you qualify for a special discount. If you prepay for six months, you receive a 20% discount. Prepay for a year and save 25%! There's no better time to try e-mail marketing. If you haven't opened an account yet, you can start with a 60-day free trial. To begin your trial, click here.
If you already have a Constant Contact® account and would like your discount, please send an e-mail to chamberprogram@constantcontact.com with your user name telling them you are a member of the Greater Akron Chamber.
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National Hamburger Festival Kicks Off 11th Year
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 Where else can people chow down on more than 50 different kinds of hamburgers served by 20 independent eateries while tipping back some delicious, craft beer? In 2016, all of the festival's hamburgers will be served-up by independently owned and operated eateries ranging from perennial favorite Menches Bros. to the new-school food truck Square Scullery. for a complete list of food vendors, click here. Akron Event Premieres the All-New Buckeye Brewfest
Creating the ultimate cataclysmic taste combination, the National Hamburger Festival is set to debut the all-new Buckeye Brewfest during the festival on Sunday, August 14. The one-day brewfest, which is included in the cost of admission to the National Hamburger Festival, will feature dozens of beers from more than 10 Ohio-based breweries. Guests ages 21 and older can enjoy 6-oz. and 12-oz. beer servings. Corporate Ticket Packages As part of a unique package deal, Akron-area companies can purchase bulk quantities of admission tickets to the National Hamburger Festival for their employees and clients, while seamlessly making a charitable donation. Specifically, $1 of every ticket sold through the festival's corporate ticket program goes back to Akron Children's Hospital, which is the largest pediatric healthcare provider in Northeast Ohio. For details, email Drew Cerza at Drew@HamburgerFestival.com or click here.  Calling All Volunteers! Make Money for Charity!
Twenty volunteers are desperately needed for Saturday, August 6 from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. and a few for the 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. shift. For every hour each volunteer works, $6 will be donated to any charity or company's charity of choice!
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August's Akron Roundtable
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Founded by the Akron Beacon Journal, Greater Akron Chamber and Kiwanis Club of Akron
Join us for the next Akron Roundtable when Dr. W. Gerald Austen, Chairman of the Massachusetts General Hospital Chiefs' Council, presents "My 60-Year Medical Career: Akron to Boston and Back."
Where & When
The University of Akron
Quaker Square Station
135 S. Broadway St.
Akron, OH 44308
Thursday, August 18, 2016
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Click here for more information on the speaker and ticket ordering information!
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19th Annual Northeast Ohio Logistics Conference & Golf Open
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 Hosted by NEOTEC in partnership with the Port of Cleveland The 19th annual Logistics Conference will focus on latest trends and developments in global logistics, featuring speakers from Panama and the Netherlands, as well as nationally recognized logistics experts. The morning presentations will be followed by a special Q&A panel format with these experts:
Opening Remarks: Will Friedman, president & CEO, Port of Cleveland, and Congressman Bob Gibbs, U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
Presentations and Panel:- Kevin Doucette - North American Director of Trade & Compliance, C.H. Robinson International - discussing regulatory risks and compliance
- Jeff Sweeney - Associate, Martin Associates LLC - providing an analysis of global maritime trends and port issues
- Bart Peters - Director, Americas, Spliethoff Transport BV - providing an overview of Great Lakes shipping and the Cleveland-Europe Express liner service
- Rodolfo Sabonge - Director of Corporate Planning and Marketing, Panama Canal Authority - discussing the recent expansion of the Panama Canal and its impact on global shipping
Where & When
452 E. Warner Rd.
Akron, OH 44319
Monday, August 22, 2016
7:45 a.m. Registration and Deluxe Continental Breakfast 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Conference & Lunch
8:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Breakfast, Conference, Lunch, Golf & Dinner
For more information and to register, click here. |
Annual Diversity Career Fair
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 The Akron Urban League would like to invite your company to attend our Annual Diversity Career Fair, co-sponsored by the Greater Akron Chamber. This event is a great opportunity for your company to promote career opportunities to a diverse pool of job seekers. Through our partnership with the Greater Akron Chamber, we are anticipating a large pool of well-qualified job seekers and an increased selection of employers. The Annual Diversity Career Fair will be highly publicized via radio, print and other media coverage. To participate in the Akron Urban League's Annual Diversity Career Fair, co-sponsored by the Greater Akron Chamber, please complete and return the registration form to careerfair@akronurbanleague.org. A prompt response will ensure your booth reservation and maximum publicity of your participation. If you have any questions, please call LaMon Harris at (234) 542-4157. We look forward to your participation at the career fair!
Where & When
Akron Urban League
President's Hall
440 Vernon Odom Blvd.
Akron, OH 44307
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
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News from ODOT - Interstate 76 in the City of Akron Ramp Closures
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As part of the $8.6 million various bridge repair project on I-76 bween the Kenmore Leg and the Portage County line, the Ohio Department of Transportation Distribt 4 will have various ramp closures and mainline restrictions throughout the month of August beginning on Monday, August 1. For more information, visit ODOT. |
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Missed an E-blast?
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To view the Greater Akron Chamber's archived e-blasts and e-newsletters, click here.
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The mission of the Greater Akron Chamber is to drive economic development and prosperity for the people of the Greater Akron Region.
Greater Akron Chamber 1 Cascade Plaza, 17th Fl. Akron, Ohio 44308 www.greaterakronchamber.org
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The Greater Akron Chamber is the only economic development organization in the State of Ohio
to be accredited by the International Economic Development Council.
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