Is your business ready for the total solar eclipse April 8? Let the Chamber of Commerce help you get prepared. We have an upcoming workshop just for you, and an opportunity to help all small local businesses market themselves for eclipse weekend. On March 8, just one month away from the total solar eclipse, we are bringing back our panel of experts for a special Business Builder Workshop. These folks presented to a group of businesspeople back in November in Dunkirk and will be back, this time in Jamestown, to help you understand what you can expect and why it’s important to be prepared. Our guests will be Tom Traub, Chair of the Martz-Kohl Observatory Solar Eclipse Committee and NASA Eclipse Ambassador member; Noel Guttman, Chautauqua County Director of Emergency Services; and Andrew Nixon, President and CEO of the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau. With an estimated 100,000 extra people expected to visit Chautauqua County for the eclipse next spring, the Business Builder Workshop is aimed at giving you the information you’ll need to promote your business and to gear up for the day. The upcoming eclipse is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our region, and for your business to seize the moment. We hope you can join us for this free and valuable workshop. It will be held Friday, March 8, from 9-10:30am at the Marvin Community House, 2 West Fifth Street, Jamestown. Pre-registration is requested so we can adequately prepare. This workshop is sponsored by Brooks-TLC Hospital System, Jamestown Community College, the Marvin Community House, Media One Radio Group, Observer, and The Post-Journal. If your business or organization is hosting an eclipse watch party on April 8 we hope you’ll list it with the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau. Their website at www.tourchautauqua.com includes some great resources and a comprehensive list of watch parties planned for all over Chautauqua County. CCVB also has posters and rack cards available at its office at the Chautauqua Institution Main Gate Welcome Center, and through the Chamber office in Jamestown. The Chamber of Commerce is also compiling lists of local businesses in the shopping, dining, and attraction categories to help market all available assets when we have a glut of guests in the county. As one of the largest business associations in Western New York, the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce understands that many businesses are not traditionally open on Sundays and Mondays but may choose to vary their hours to serve a substantial influx of visitor traffic April 6-8. Providing business information for consumers directly meets our mission to build vital connections, provide professional resources, and champion our local businesses in Chautauqua County. This opportunity is free to all small local businesses through our Shop Local initiatives supported by the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth. We will list businesses in three categories: Shopping, Dining, and Attractions. Please select your category during registration and fill in all of the information requested so we can list you properly, including notes about your special hours. We ask that businesses sign up by March 18 so we have time to compile our lists. Registration is open online now for both the workshop and the marketing list opportunity. Visit the Chamber’s online events calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org. JAMESTOWN SALUTE TO THE FINEST IS MARCH 4 Each year the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Committee in Jamestown presents Salute to the Finest – an annual recognition of some of the local businesses, individuals, and organizations that make a difference in the community. This year, Salute to the Finest will be held March 4, with a wide variety of awards to be presented. Awards will be presented to the following: Rising Business of the Year – Chautauqua Soap Co.: Restaurant of the Year – Ryan’s Phil & Cindy’s Lunch: Retailer of the Year – Lafayette Corners Furniture; Service to Humanity Award – Michael Roberts; Legacy Award – Chautauqua Patron’s Insurance; Pride of Jamestown Award – The Pub; and Business of the Year – JMI Inc. Salute to the Finest will be held at DoubleTree by Hilton, 150 West Fourth Street, from 5-8pm, Monday, March 4. The evening will include appetizers and a cash bar. It will begin with a cocktail hour, followed by the award presentations beginning at 6pm. The cost is $25 per person for Chamber members and $27 for non-members. Advance registration is requested by February 26. Attendees can sign up through the Chamber web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org. The 2023 Salute to the Finest is sponsored by Chautauqua Patrons Insurance Company, Elegant Edibles Catering, Northwest Bank, and Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union. BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT THE REG LENNA CENTER FOR THE ARTS MARCH 21 Join us for the first Business After Hours of 2024 as we visit the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts in Jamestown. This networking opportunity will be held upstairs in the Media Arts room above the theater – a great space you will want to see! Business After hours is a chance for local businesspeople to come together in a casual and inviting way. It runs from 5-6:30pm, featuring appetizers, a cash bar, and a brief program that lets you know who’s who in the room. Remember to bring business cards for networking and our door prize drawing. The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts is at 116 East Third Street, Jamestown. Use the elevator to the right of the lobby entrance to head up to the Media Arts room. Chamber member businesses can send two people at no charge. For non-members or anyone above the two-person limit, the price is $10. Advance registration is not required but is appreciated for our planning purposes and will get your name and business included in our Who’s Who in the Room list. Sign up online now through our web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org. This Business After Hours is sponsored by the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, OBSERVER, and The Post-Journal.