The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce a special guest presenter for our next Business Builder Workshop coming up in July.

Travis Carlson is an award-winning filmmaker and writer based in Buffalo. A native of Gerry, he worked for five years with the Buffalo Bills and Sabres as a cinematographer before co-founding Pan-American Film Division. Pan-Am partners with local and national businesses to help them communicate with their customers or other businesses. Their original work includes the one-shot feature film Mother’s Day, as well as dozens of shorts; three of which earned screenings at the Cannes Film Festival SFC.

Pan American’s latest project is the book Mafia: Buffalo -vs- the Multiverse. It’s a true fantasy adventure that incorporates AI-developed images into the ultimate Buffalo Bill’s Mafia fan journey in a graphic novel style. A portion of book sale proceeds benefits the Pancho Packs initiative which provides school supplies to students in need.

This Business Builder Workshop will focus on Branding Through Storytelling and Images and promises to be an engaging session for all local businesspeople. It will be held Monday, July 22 from 1-3pm in the Key Auditorium at the SUNY Fredonia Science Center. There will be plenty of time for a question-and-answer session with Travis at the end of the event.

Chamber Business Builder Workshops are free for all to attend, but we do request advance registration for planning purposes. These workshops are designed to provide growth opportunities for local businesspeople as they work to navigate the challenges of operations, marketing, and learning about resources and emerging technologies that can help them work smarter, not harder.

As with most Chamber events, there will be networking opportunities built into the occasion. Save the date now or register online through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT THE REG LENNA CENTER FOR THE ARTS MARCH 21

After a few months off, the Chamber is ramping up its popular Business After Hours events for 2024, and we will kick off the season in the beautiful Media Arts Studio above the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. Join us for this networking opportunity in a 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, DFT Communications, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, OBSERVER, and The Post-Journal.

Additional Business After Hours events are already scheduled at Mazza Chautauqua Cellars in Westfield April 11 and Music For Your Mouth in Mayville May 15. We look forward to seeing you soon.

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS FOR THE ECLIPSE

If your business will be open special hours the weekend before or during the total solar eclipse in April, let us and the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau help you spread the word. Both the Chamber and CCVB will be working to publicize local dining, shopping, and attractions during this singularly exceptional time. To get listed with the Chamber, visit our web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org and sign up under Eclipse Marketing Opportunities. To get listed with the Visitors Bureau, visit www.tourchautauqua.com.

This solar eclipse is particularly rare for the contiguous 48 United States – since the path of totality will run directly through many major North American cities for the first time. Chautauqua County happens to be directly in that line. Experts have pointed out numerous times that being in the path of the total eclipse is an experience unlike any other. The sky will get dark in the middle of the day, and you will be able to watch the shadow of the moon as it covers the sun.

Special eclipse glasses are required. If you look directly at the sun’s rays it can permanently damage your eyesight. Chautauqua County has ordered thousands of pairs of ISO-certified eclipse glasses and is distributing them for free starting. The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce can provide some to local businesses, along with safety tips for how to correctly use them. To request eclipse glasses from the Chamber, businesses and organizations are invited to complete our online form at www.chautauquachamber.org/eclipse-glasses-request-form. Each organization that accepts the county’s eclipse glasses from us must sign a liability waiver indicating that they will not resell them. Glasses will also be available to the public through local libraries, municipalities, the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau, and others.