It’s almost April, and that means the first quarter of 2024 has flown right by. Here at the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce much of the first part of the year has been spent nailing down plans for the rest of the year ahead. That means our calendar is filling up!

We invite one and all to join us for Business After Hours at several upcoming locations. These short after-work events are designed to bring businesspeople together across all demographics in a casual way that helps you build connections. We give each participating business a moment in the spotlight with our unique Who’s Who in the Room feature that lets you showcase your brand. Networking is a crucial part of how the Chamber provides peer connections. Our guests appreciate that we value their time, keep the sessions fairly short, and they can leave having been informed, created touchpoints, and got to know others in the room. Our host venues provide some appetizers and a cash bar. We encourage all participants to bring business cards for networking and our door prize drawing. Find our upcoming Business After Hours events online: April 11 at Mazza Chautauqua Cellars in Westfield and May 15 at Music For Your Mouth in Mayville. Advance registration is not required, but it gets you on our Who’s Who in the Room list.

As we also strive to connect businesses with resources, we are running a series of Business Builder Workshops throughout the year. Previous events this year have focused on the importance of business insurance and business planning, as well as getting local businesses geared up for the upcoming total solar eclipse. Our next session July 22 will focus on Branding Through Storytelling and Images and will feature Western New York filmmaker and writer Travis Carlson. Our Business Builder Workshop October 21 will focus on Prepping Your Business for the Holiday Season. These events are free to all, but we do require registration in advance to help us plan appropriately.

Two of our traditional legislative events are on the calendar for this year. The County Executive Breakfast is set for April 19 at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron, while the State Legislative Breakfast will be May 10 at Chautauqua Suites in Mayville. These events provide an opportunity for local businesses to bring questions for our elected officials.

The First Friday series in Westfield is on the calendar for this year as well. We will begin the season with a First Friday Preview on May 3. The preview will not include street vendors, but will focus on local businesses being open for the evening. Additional dates for the season are June 7, July 12 (reunion weekend), August 2, and September 6. All those additional dates will include street vendors, and registration is now open for all.

The Chamber’s Annual Golf Tournament has been scheduled for August 15 at Peek’n Peak Resort in Clymer. Our Annual Awards Banquet will be held October 10 at the Williams Center at SUNY Fredonia.

We are continuing to secure venues for additional Business After Hours events through the fall and our Annual Meeting in December. We invite you to check our calendar frequently at www.chautauquachamber.org or sign up for you email bulletins to get notified about upcoming events. We have a simple contact form online at www.chautauquachamber.org/stay-up-to-date. Anyone can sign up for our email list, including any number of employees at a business, or just anyone who’s interested.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT MAZZA CHAUTAUQUA CELLARS IS APRIL 11

We are already anticipating a great crowd for our next Business After Hours, to be held from 5-6:30pm, Thursday, April 11 at Mazza Chautauqua Cellars, Route 20 in Westfield. Join us for this networking opportunity where you can meet businesspeople from all over the county in a delightful setting. 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. Business After Hours at Mazza is sponsored by Mazza Chautauqua Cellars, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, Observer, The Post-Journal, and R & R Property Services & Landscaping. Sign up now through our web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.

SIGN UP NOW FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE BREAKFAST APRIL 19

The Chamber is pleased to once again host County Executive PJ Wendel for the interactive annual County Executive Breakfast. This is an opportunity for local businesspeople to join us for a candid question and answer session. It will be held at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron. Check-in will begin at 8am, with breakfast and the program to start at 8:30. The price is $25 for Chamber members or $29 for non-members. Advance registration is required. The County Executive Breakfast is sponsored by Brooks-TLC Hospital System/Kaleida Health, Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, Community Bank, County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, DFT Communications, Jamestown Community College, Jamestown Mattress, LaBella Associates, Media One Radio Group, National Grid, Observer, Phillips Lytle, The Post-Journal, Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union, Southern Tier Environments for Living, and UPMC Chautauqua.

SOLAR ECLIPSE GLASSES STILL AVAILABLE

Protect your eyes during the upcoming total solar eclipse. The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce still has some ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses available for you, your employees, and your customers. We have already filled requests for well over 100 businesses countywide. If you look directly at the sun’s rays it can permanently damage your eyesight and regular sunglasses are not nearly enough protection. The Chamber is distributing glasses that were purchased by Chautauqua County government. We include 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 are also available to the public through local libraries, municipalities, the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau, and others.