#BestChamber Practices: Effingham County Chamber of Commerce #100 Acts of Service: Valpo Chamber: FYI Business Workshop - Business & Real Estate Property Valuation; Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Profile & Directory; Flint Momentum continues with opening of Capitol Theatre; Congratulations to the Winners of the 52nd Annual Williamsburg Christmas Parade!; The Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide; Janesville family star in back-to-Wisconsin video; Best Places to Work in Kentucky; Madison The City Chamber: Festival of Trees; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S..

Good morning #Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!

#BestChamber Practices: Effingham County Chamber of Commerce: #100 Acts of Service

#100 Acts of Service - What are you doing this holiday season to help others? We Want to Know!

As part of the Chamber's Centennial year, we have included identifying #100 Acts of Service as part of our celebration efforts. It is through these acts that Effingham County continues to grow and develop and attract people who recognize giving as essential to their everyday living.#100 Acts of Service don't need to be significant. It can be as simple as ringing bells for Salvation Army, buying gifts for children and families in need or supporting your favorite local charity in some special way. It can be an individual project, family effort or business or group activity. Reporting your #100 Acts of Service is simple too.

We are looking forward to recognizing these #100 Acts of Service at the Business Recognition Gala in January when we close out our Centennial Year.

P. S. There's still time to be a Centennial Candle Sponsor, too!

Thank you for being a valued member of the Chamber. You are important to us!

Yours in Business,



Norma Lansing

Valpo Chamber: FYI Business Workshop - Business & Real Estate Property Valuation

Wednesday, December 13, 2017 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM CST

Valpo Chamber
162 W Lincolnway
Valparaiso, IN 46383

Business & Real Estate Property Valuation


Presented by Tom Sibo, CPA ABV, Sibo & Associates LLC and Aaron Ingram, Valuation Services, LLC 
At this workshop, you will be given a “fly over” guide for business owners who may be considering having a business entity or real property appraisal performed. Additionally, for our other chamber members, the materials presented serve to help business owners when thinking about their investments and/or financial practitioners interested in learning about appraisal services. The program is  designed to be informative and educational for the typical business owner, providing thoughts, considerations and insights  that are often covered during an appraisal engagement.

Below is a list of topics to be covered:
•    Reasons for Valuations
•    Importance of the Appraiser
•    Types of Valuations & Reports
•    Interests Appraised
•    Scope of Work
•    Approaches & Methods to Valuations
•    Key Considerations in Valuations
•    Key Governance in Valuations
•    Valuation Adjustments
•    Tangible Asset Appraisals
•    Intangible Asset Appraisals
•    Fair Value in Financial Reporting & Impairment Testing
•    And More… .
Wednesday, December 13
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
.
Valpo Chamber
162 W Lincolnway
$10 per person/member

Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Profile & Directory

The Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Profile & Directory is available at the Plainfield Area Chamber today! Thanks to Tasha Kitson, Mari Edmondson, Vitella Barnes, Kellie Wujek and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Town SquarePublications  (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community profile or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.

Flint Momentum continues with opening of Capitol Theatre

If you walk down the streets of downtown Flint, you can feel the momentum that is fueling the revitalization of the area.Just this past week – after nearly 20 years – the historic Capitol Theatre opened and a ceremonial program and ribbon-cutting was held as a crowd of nearly 800 people cheered on. It was one of the most exciting days in my career. As I looked across the stage and out into the audience, I saw the partners – the state of Michigan and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the City of Flint, The Whiting, Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, Uptown Developments, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and Hagerman Foundation. it was a great reminder of what can be accomplished through strong, private-public partnerships.

The importance of the Capitol’s restoration extends far beyond the building itself. The theatre is a symbol of the transformation occurring in downtown Flint and is part of an epicenter of commercial, residential and public space. It will also contribute significantly to the quality of life for Flint and Genesee County residents and beyond. And now that the Capitol is open for business, it’s expected to draw thousands of people for a great show, as well as to dine or shop, creating a strong economic impact, over time.

The equally great news is that the revitalization doesn’t stop with the Capitol. Work will continue in 2018 on several projects including a mixed-income housing complex, Mott’s culinary school and café, and potentially a new hotel.

As always, I ask that you help the Chamber communicate good news and watch for more project updates. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays. I’ll see you in the New Year!

Tim Herman, CEO



Congratulations to the Winners of the 52nd Annual Williamsburg Christmas Parade!

Williamsburg, VA – The Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance hosted the 52^nd annual Community Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 2^nd. We had a number of beautiful “Winter Wonderland” themed floats, lively bands, multiple community organizations, and of course our special guests, Santa & Mrs. Claus, that participated as we ushered in the holiday season in Williamsburg! If you missed the parade, you can watch it from our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamsburgChamber/videos/1645816495440139/

We had 9 categories for judging and our winners for 2017 are as follows:

Animal Units:

1^st Colonial Newfoundland Club

2^nd Siberian Husky Rescue

Commercial Organization:

1^st Williams Landscape & Design, Inc.

2^nd DoubleTree by Hilton Williamsburg

Religious Organization:

1^st Greenwood Christian Academy

2^nd Covenant Christian School

General Floats:

1^st Williamsburg Host Lions

2^nd Virginia Regional Ballet

Civic Organization:

1^st James City Lions Club

2^nd Williamsburg Area Rotary Club

Vehicle Unit:

1^st VA Classic Thunderbirds

1^st Citizens and Farmers Bank

2^nd Williamsburg Model-T Owners

Children’s Floats:

1^st Power House Dance
1^st Boy Scout Troop 103

2^nd Girl Scout Troop 1346

Non-Profit Floats:

1^st Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center

2^nd Institute for Dance

High School and Middle School Bands:

1^st Warhill High School

2^nd Jamestown High School

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all the units and participants in the parade! A special thanks to our Bronze sponsors, Childcare Network, Shorty’s Diner, Williams Landscape & Design, Inc., and our Silver Sponsor Yankee Candle. Happy holidays from the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance! Contact: kayla@williamsburgcc.com

The Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide

The Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Map is available at the chamber today ! Thanks to the Jennifer Andreas and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Cedarburg Community Guide

Town SquarePublications  (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community profile or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.


Janesville family star in back-to-Wisconsin video

The state's largest business association chose a Janesville couple for a new video designed to persuade more young people to return to Wisconsin and bolster the workforce.

The video shows Will and Katie Springer, two young professionals, talking about how they left Chicago when their first child was born, after Will got a job at a Janesville law firm.

The video emphasizes the short commutes to work, safety and opportunities to be part of a community, all things they didn't find in Chicago.

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce hopes the message resonates with young people, especially those who left Wisconsin to live in the Chicago area.

Wisconsin is facing a “demographic crisis,” said Kurt Bauer, WMC's president and CEO, who wants state lawmakers to spend more money on similar efforts.

“If you want your economy to grow, you need more people,” Bauer said.

Bauer put out the word to local affiliates, looking for examples of people who have chosen Wisconsin after choosing Chicago.

John Beckord of Forward Janesville passed it on to members, which is how WMC found the Springers.

Will is from Iowa County in southwest Wisconsin, Katie from Fond du Lac. They both went to college in Wisconsin.

They met and started their family in Chicago, where Will got his law degree and Katie got her master's degree in psychology.

Will was working for a Chicago law firm and realized that his late hours and long mass-transit commute would mean he would often miss the opportunity to put his first son to bed, he said.

They moved to Janesville in 2012. Now both 33, they were able to afford a house they could never have bought in Chicago, Will said. Both parents work full time.

Will was able to drop off his son at Janesville Community Daycare and still get to work at the Brennan Steil law firm downtown in 10 minutes, he said.

“Anywhere in Janesville, whether you're grocery shopping or going to any sort of event, it takes 15 minutes max,” Will said.

Katie took jobs in the social service field. She's now with Rock County, in adult protective services.

Their oldest son is now in kindergarten at St. John Vianney School, while their 1-year-old goes to day care in Milton, so Will has a longer commute, but he enjoys the time to think and listen to the radio, he said.

Will still works hours dictated by the needs of his clients, but he can work into the evening and still get home in time to tuck his sons into bed.

“That's kind of the balance we were looking for,” Will said.

“I can walk down the street with my wife and two boys and feel safe,” he says in the video.

Will likes how the city has blossomed in recent years. He enjoys two new additions, microbrewery Rock County Brewing Company and Lark restaurant. And he likes the downtown redevelopment project known as ARISE.

“I think it's a really good thing and one of reasons why we're staying here and we want to be a part of that,” he said of ARISE.

And while the restaurant selection and shopping are nothing like in Chicago, access to bigger cities via the interstate highways is a plus, he said.

And they're both much closer to their families.

Will likes being able to get involved in the community and meet new people through his work with Janesville Youth Hockey, where he coaches and is vice president of the board.

WMC's Bauer, a Beloit native, said when his organization started thinking about the demographic problem, members focused on the need for skilled trades workers, such as welders, electricians and millwrights.

Then they realized the need will be much greater.

UW-Madison Applied Population Laboratory did a study showing the working-age population will grow by only 0.1 percent from 2010 to 2040.

“You can see by that jarring statistic that we need people, period,” Bauer said. “We need bus drivers. We need teachers, people to work in office buildings, you name it.”

Bauer said a lack of workers could lead to a demography-driven recession like the one that hit former economic powerhouse Japan.

But the need is not somewhere in the future, according to WMC. The association surveys its members each year, asking if they have trouble hiring workers.

In 2015, 64 percent of the members—from across the business sector, from manufacturing to services—said they had that problem. By June of this year, the percentage was 77. And a new survey to be released in January will show 80 percent can't find workers they need.

Last year, WMC produced a video focusing on Milwaukee as a great place for millennials to start careers or businesses, Bauer said

This time, they wanted to appeal specifically to former Wisconsinites who have left the state for the Chicago area, trying to capitalize on the population losses Illinois is suffering, Bauer said.

“Wisconsin is already getting its fair share of refugees from Illinois,” Bauer said.

The point of the new video was to show a young couple finding a great place to raise a family, “and Wisconsin, I think, has that in spades,” Bauer said. Read more: Gazette Extra

Best Places to Work in Kentucky 


Best Places to Work in Kentucky is dedicated to identifying and recognizing

Kentucky’s best employers, but it doesn't stop there. This exciting initiative also offers sponsorship opportunities designed to achieve recognition and brand awareness among a distinguished audience.

As a sponsor, you will create new sales opportunities, generate leads and position your organization
as a supporter of the only award in Kentucky that recognizes the places where people love to work.

The presenting sponsorship is available and offers maximum exposure with recognition beginning immediately after sign-on!

Click here to view event demographics and key metrics that demonstrate the value of sponsorship.

Act now to secure your sponsorship, limited opportunities are available!

Interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities? Contact Andrea Flanders, sponsorship development manager, at 502-848-8723 for more information about this unique and exciting
investment opportunity!



Madison The City Chamber: Festival of Trees 

Festival of Trees

Madison the City is shining brightly again this Christmas season with its annual Festival of Trees.

Christmas trees, sponsored by local businesses, fill the grounds of Madison Square Center for the Arts along Main Street through the month of December.

Festival of Trees is sponsored by Madison the City Chamber of Commerce which encourages visitors to enjoy the lights and stay to shop and eat in our local businesses. More information: Madison the City Chamber

Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national chamber custom publishing group that specializes in developing partnerships by producing high-quality print and digitally integrated publications along with other added value programs dedicated to creating relevancy for local chambers of commerce and other membership focused organizations interested in raising non-dues revenues.

Town Square Publications parent company, Paddock Publications, has over 100 years’ experience of print product development and dedicated customer service in communities throughout the Midwest. Our experience allows Town Square Publications to offer you attractive royalty and non-dues revenue share streams, provide direct distribution of your custom designed printed publications, including digital and mobile integration, and all with the quickest turn-around times available in the industry. Town Square also offers multi-media maps in both print and online formats, both with our No-Cost guarantee. More information: Town Square Publications

Chambers of Commerce and member focused organizations serve as a valuable resource in the local marketplace. The networking opportunities and representation with a wide variety of diverse businesses in your community is the catalyst of a successful organization. For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, To request your chamber publication or map proposal, contact Town Square Chamber Proposal