Gail's Weekly Chamber UPDATE

August 23, 2011
Weekly Chamber Update

From Gail,

We said goodbye to our college intern, Jonathan Black, on Friday! He went back to college in Michigan for his junior year. Cindy and Marci are back this week – welcome them back!

This is a busy week! This morning was the New Member Orientation by Ambassadors Lisa Shewfelt and Tom Dombro. Also PREN 2 met afterwards so several new members stayed to experience a leads and referral networking group.

Tomorrow morning is the Health Care Forum.

Thursday is the Business After Hours at EJ Coyne Insurance on Busse.

Friday is our Women in Business Breakfast! Juliana Maller, Deputy City Manager, will tell us what’s going on in Park Ridge (all the new businesses coming to town and new streetscaping and more!). Eggsperience is catering the breakfast.

Saturday is the community run/walk to benefit the Park Ridge Community Fund! Please sign up your whole family!

More details below.

FYI – the Chamber has 403 members as of today.

Harry O’Brien Community Run/Walk
This Saturday, August 27, is the Harry O’Brien Community Run/Walk. The event will start at The Park Ridge Senior Center at 9am for runners and 9:15am walkers. The Fun Run Course is 3 miles flat & fast loop, and the Kids Run & Walk Course is a 1.5 mile loop. Register online: $22 adult registration, $15 18 years and under, & bring the whole family! -Strollers, bicycles, and dogs are welcome- Help raise money to benefit local social service agencies.

YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS YOUR HELP! Questions? 847-825-5311 or obrienrunwalk@aol.com

This benefits the Park Ridge Community Fund which benefits the whole community!

Retail Roundtable – New!

‘Facebook for Businesses’ is the topic with Mark Maloney, Findzall, speaking! New group for retailers! Meets on the last Wednesday of each month starting September 28 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Park Ridge Nonprofit Center, 720 Garden Street. Sheila Duda, TeaLula, chair of the Retail Committee will facilitate this new group. The first topic to be discussed will be ‘Facebook for Business’ so bring all your questions and get them answered! Mark Maloney, Findzall, and Ben Wilson, Falcor Group, will answer your questions!

If you have a shop/store in Park Ridge then don’t miss out on the Chamber’s Retail Roundtable! It’s a new group formed to allow retailers the opportunity to discuss issues of interest specifically to them.

Email info@ParkRidgeChamber.org to rsvp. There is no fee for the Retail Roundtable.

Bring your neighboring retailers too – we hope to get new members for the Chamber. Prospective members can attend 3 meetings and then we ask that they join the Chamber.
Do you want to exhibit for Multi-Chamber Expo & Taste on 10/18? There are about a dozen chambers participating in the Multi Chamber Expo & Taste on Tuesday, October 18. Each Chamber is allocated 7 slots for exhibitors. Right now I have 6 spots open but there are other Chamber that have waiting lists so they’re eyeing our spots. If you want to exhibit, let me know asap.

Restaurants pay $50 to exhibit. Everyone else pays $200 til Sept 20 and $250 after that.

The Expo is free to attend with a business card and we usually get hundreds coming through.

RSVPs Due Today! August 30, Saturday, 9:30am-11:30am A Spirit of Enterprise Award Summit The US Chamber and NIBAC present a Multi-Chamber Event where Congressman Peter Roskam and Senator Mark Kirk will give their impressions of the first session of the 111th Congress. They will receive the U.S. Chamber’s Spirit of Enterprise Award for voting in support of the Chamber’s position on select legislation a minimum of 70% of the time during the first session of the 111th Congress. This event includes Continental Breakfast, Juices, Coffee or Tea. Please RSVP to The Park Ridge Chamber by August 23rd.

$20 Chamber Member/$30 Prospective Chamber Member
Westin Hotel, Itasca, 400 Park Blvd

Workshop on Networking – September 16 Networking 4 Newbies Workshop, 9/16/11 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Presented by: Victoria Cook, The Guilt-Free Coach

Description:
R U A "NETWORKING NEWBIE"?
You are a "networking newbie" if you are:
=> NEW to networking, and want to figure out how to use networking to build your business, connect with potential strategic partners, and expand your contacts base.
=> NEW in town, and want to make connections with other local business owners in a safe, low-key environment.
= > NEW in business, and want to learn how to get connected to the local small business community through personal networking.
Networking 4 Newbies helps networking newbies get comfortable with the basics of networking, including introductions, connecting one-on-one, and more in a safe, facilitated environment that will get you into the swing of networking easily.
Each meeting begins with self-introductions (get your free elevator speech tool and networking introduction worksheet at http://www.theguiltfreecoach.com/networking4newbies), followed by a networking activity/game designed to increase interaction and participant comfort levels, and a guest speaker from networking organization to answer questions. The meeting concludes with a brief check out.
Here are the top five reasons to attend:
1. This event is strictly for networking newbies so everyone is just as new to networking as you are
2. Convenient mid-morning time doesn't conflict with most other meetings
3. Great place to practice your elevator speech and learn how to introduce yourself in a group
4. Facilitated networking games and activities to make first-time networking comfortable
5. You'll learn about other networking groups and resources to help build your business
More info at www.theguiltfreecoach.com/networking4newbies/ or www.meetup.com/Networking4Newbies

Donate? The Park Ridge Garden Club is awarding 10 Beautification Awards at the September 19 City Council meeting. Because the City cut the $1,000 budget to hand out $100 checks to each of the 10 awardees, last year the Chamber membership stepped up and donated gift certificates totaling over $300 each ($3,000 total). If you can do it again, please drop off 10 of whatever you want to donate and we’ll put it all together in ten large envelopes for the winners.

Mark Your Calendar for these Events!
August 23, Tuesday 10:30am-11:30am PREN 2: Park Ridge Executive Network

August 24, Wednesday 9am-10:30am Health Care Forum

August 25, Thursday 5pm-7pm Business After Hours hosted by E.J. Coyne & Company, Inc 778 Busse Highway, Park Ridge – Free benefit with your Chamber Membership! Bring your business cards for some serious networking and enjoy food and beverages.

August 26, Friday 8:30am-9:45am Women in Business Monthly Networking Breakfast 720 Garden St, Deputy City Manager Juliana Maller gives a city update about what’s happening in Park Ridge. ($10 members and $15 at door and for prospective members)

August 27, Saturday, 9am-12pm 3rd Annual Harry O’Brien Community Walk/Run The Senior Center Parking Lot, 100 S. Western Avenue. Help benefit local service agencies. Bring the whole family! Strollers, bicycles, and dogs are welcome. (Registration can be found online)

August 30, Saturday, 9:30am-11:30am A Spirit of Enterprise Award Summit The US Chamber and NIBAC present a Multi-Chamber Event where Congressman Peter Roskam and Senator Mark Kirk will give their impressions of the first session of the 111th Congress. They will receive the U.S. Chamber’s Spirit of Enterprise Award for voting in support of the Chamber’s position on select legislation a minimum of 70% of the time during the first session of the 111th Congress. This event includes Continental Breakfast, Juices, Coffee or Tea. Please RSVP to The Park Ridge Chamber by August 23rd.

September 1, Thursday, 10am-11:30am (EKG) Entrepreneurial Knowledge Group Monthly Meeting A group for new and emerging entrepreneurs

September 2, Friday, 9:00am-10:30pm Membership Committee Meeting

September 2, Friday, First Fridays Park Ridge (open til 8pm or later) Cruisin’ Park Ridge

September 8, Thursday, 8:45am-10:15am Tech Forum

September 9, Friday, 8:45am-9:45am PREN 1: Park Ridge Executive Network

September 9, Friday, 9:00am-10:30am Communications Meeting

September 12, Monday 10:45am-7:30pm Annual Chamber Golf Outing with Skokie Chamber Evanston Golf Club, 4401 Dempster Street. Call the Chamber today to register for golfing and sponsorships!

September 16, Friday 9:30-11:30 a.m. Victoria Cook, life coach, seminar on Networking: R U A "NETWORKING NEWBIE"? with PREN 3

September 21, Wednesday 8:00am-9:30am Retail Committee Meeting at TeaLula

September 21, 11:30am-1:30pm Monthly Networking Luncheon at the Park Ridge Country Club, 636 N. Prospect Avenue ($25 members and $30 at door and for prospective members)

September 22, Thursday 7:30am-9:30am Multi Chamber Networking Event Breakfast in Skokie at the Holiday Inn North Shore, 5300 W. Touhy Ave

September 12, Monday, Golf Outing at Evanston Golf Club in Skokie with Skokie Chamber. See attachments for registration and sponsorship information, or call the Chamber for more information at 847-825-3121.
October 9, Sunday, Million Dollar Quartet at Apollo Theatre
October 15, Saturday, Electronics Recycling Day!
October 22, Saturday, Northwestern Homecoming Game
November 25, Friday, Winterfest
December 18, Sunday Supper at St Paul of the Cross sponsored by the Chamber

Contact me: Gail Haller
Executive Director
Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce
720 Garden Street
Park Ridge, IL 60068

phone: 847.825.3121
fax: 847.825.3122
facebook.com/ShopParkRidgeIL
www.parkridgechamber.org

Thank you to our Platinum members
1 All on the Road Catering & Bakery: 847.518.8958
2 ATI Physical Therapy: 847.292.0151
3 AthletiCo Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy: 847.292.4710
4 Blufish Sushi Bistro: 847.720.4479
5 Cardinal Fitness of Park Ridge: 847.318.7550
6 Comfort Inn O'Hare/Des Plaines: 847.635.1300
7 D'Agostino's Pizza & Pub: 847.518.8700
8 E.J. Coyne & Company Inc: 847.692.9077
9 Express Auto Center: 847.813.9469
10 Home Comfort Heating & Cooling: 847.824.4336
11 Houlihan's Restaurant: 847.692.6205
12 Jason's Deli: 847.823.0210
13 K.G.M. Plumbing, Inc.: 847.583.8988
14 LIN-MAR Motors: 847.965.4200
15 North South Masonry & Tuckpointing: 847.384.0917
16 Paul Davis Emergency Services: 847-692-5000
17 Periodontics of Niles: 847.685.6686
18 Pickwick Theatre: 847.825.5800
19 Responsive Management Solutions: 847.804.8800
20 Resurrection Health Care: 847.813.3210
21 Ross E. Rubino, D.D.S.P.C. & Associates: 847.825.1002
22 Transition Brokers RE: 312.399.2490
23 Unbound Technology: 847.235.4994
24 Y-Tech Heating & Cooling: 847.696.0477
25 Why Not Complete Home Improvement: 847-297-0101
26 You can be here!
Back to top