Networking. It’s much more than a buzzword. It’s an integral part of today’s business climate. The benefits of networking in business are numerous: generating referrals and increasing sales, learning about resources in and around your community that can benefit your business, raising your profile with other businesspeople and broadening your own sphere of influence in the business community, and helping to build your brand and market your products and services. There is no question about it, when businesses are looking to grow and improve, they need to be in contact with other businesspeople to make vital connections.

Not only does networking build companies, it builds corporate culture. When a business makes a commitment to creating stronger relationships with others, that is also a commitment to supporting its employees as they become part of that process. Social skills matter in business, now more than ever. In a recent survey by Hubspot, 95 percent of the respondents indicated that face-to-face meetings are essential for long-term business relationships. That has been especially difficult in the past few years as all businesses faced pandemic challenges.

The Chamber of Commerce has been in the networking business for decades. Chambers of Commerce were formed early in the last century specifically as a way for businesspeople in communities to come together. One of the core values of investing in the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is the opportunity to create a network of contacts that lead to building your business. As a result, our Chamber holds a series of events each year specifically focused on networking; we call them Business After Hours. In addition, we hold legislative events where public policy discussions lead the program, but networking opportunities abound as people are together in the same space. The Chamber’s Annual Meeting, Golf Tournament, and Annual Awards Banquet are also prime occasions for building relationships with other local businesspeople and organizations.

After a couple of years of no or limited networking events due to pandemic restrictions, the Chamber is back this year offering a full calendar of Business After Hours events, including three coming up this fall: September 27 at the Bemus Point Golf Club & Tap House, October 27 at 21 Brix Winery in Portland, and November 8 at Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood. In addition, the Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet is October 6 at the Williams Center at SUNY Fredonia, and the Chamber Annual Meeting is December 2 at Webb’s Captain’s Table in Mayville. We hope you’ll check our online calendar to learn more and sign up to attend one of our upcoming events.

Woody Allen said, “Showing up is 80% of life.” In business, it may be closer to 90%. The Chamber of Commerce is offering you plenty of chances this fall to show up and be part of the regrowth of the business climate in our county. We look forward to seeing you soon.

CHAMBER TO HOST CONGRESSIONAL BREAKFAST

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present an opportunity to meet with our new Congressional Representative, Joe Sempolinski, Friday, September 23 at 8:30am at Moon Brook Country Club in Jamestown. Mr. Sempolinski is filling a vacancy left by the resignation of former Congressman Tom Reed in the existing New York 23rd Congressional District. The Chamber’s Congressional Breakfast is sponsored by Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Brooks-TLC-Kaleida Hospital System, DFT Communications, Forecon, Jamestown Community College, Jamestown Mattress Company, LaBella Associates, the Law Offices of Sheila Starkey Hahn, OBSERVER, The Post-Journal, Small Business Development Center, and UPMC Chautauqua. The cost to attend the breakfast is $20 for Chamber members or $25 for non-members. Please reserve your spot online through the Chamber’s event calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org. We can still accept a few last-minute registrations until Monday morning, September 19.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT BEMUS POINT GOLF CLUB & TAP HOUSE SEPTEMBER 27

Join your fellow Chamber of Commerce members for a Business After Hours networking event and visit this charming spot in Bemus Point! The Bemus Point Golf Club & Tap House is at 72 Main Street in Bemus Point. Enjoy appetizers and a cash bar while you network with other businesspeople. Chamber member businesses can send two people at no cost. The price is $10 for non-member businesspeople or for additional member attendees above the two free. Be sure to bring business cards for our door prize drawings and come prepared to give a quick (30 second) overview about your business so other attendees can get to know you. Sponsors for this event are Bemus Point Golf Club & Tap House, DFT Communications, Media One Radio Group, OBSERVER, and The Post-Journal. Register now through the Chamber’s web event calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

CHAMBER AWARDS BANQUET IS OCTOBER 6

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce will proudly recognize the service to our communities of a number of individuals and organizations during its Annual Awards Banquet, Thursday, October 6. Being honored as Person of the Year is Steven Cobb, the executive director of the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County. In his role he has not only grown the organization but has played a key roll in providing vital service to those in need by working collaboratively with a broad variety of people and organizations.

The Economic Development Award will be presented to the Small Business Development Center at Jamestown Community College, which has dramatically increased the number of businesses it serves annually from 350 to 800. The SBDC provides help for small businesses looking to draft business plans, navigate permitting processes, seek financing, and more.

Each of our six Community Chambers of Commerce has named a Community Service Award recipient as well. In Dunkirk the award will go to Dan Palmer of WDOE radio; in Fredonia to Ian and Kyle Muldowney of Muldowney Brothers; in Hanover to Bill Merritt of Merritt Estate Winery, in Jamestown to Tom Benson primarily for his work with the National Comedy Center and the YMCA; in Mayville-Chautauqua to Fairlee Fischer for her efforts with the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Thrift Store; and in Westfield-Barcelona to former Chamber Coordinator Sue Poster for her countless efforts with community organizations over the years.

The Annual Awards Banquet will be held at the Williams Center at SUNY Fredonia and is sponsored by Ahlstrom Schaeffer Electric, Brooks-TLC-Kaleida Hospital System, County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, Community Bank, DFT Communications, Forecon, Jamestown Community College, Jamestown Mattress, LaBella Associates, Lake Shore Savings, OBSERVER, The Post-Journal, Media One Radio Group, and National Grid. Advance reservations are required, and registration is available at www.chamberrsvp.org.