Chamber OnLine
News from the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

What a fantastic September!  In addition to the gorgeous "Chamber of Commerce weather" we experienced, there were a number of outstanding events the Chamber was involved in. 
 
The first event was the dedication of the new Richard C. Call Arena and Student Success Center at Genesee Community College.  While technically not a Chamber event, I was fortunate enough to be involved in the planning of this wonderful evening.  The two new buildings are beautiful additions to the GCC campus and we at the Chamber are excited to market these assets - especially the Call Arena - for trade shows and other events that will bring visitors to our county and stimulate the local economy.

CHAMBER HOSTING SMALL
BUSINESS WORKSHOPS
 
"Managing Four Generations in the Workplace" will be the subject of a Chamber Small Business Workshop on Wednesday, October 11. 
 
Attendees will learn how to understand and appreciate the differences in the generations from Boomers to Millennials.  Understanding these differences will help you better manage employees and create a more productive working environment.
 
On Wednesday, November 15 the Chamber will present a workshop on the "Employee Life Cycle - Hiring, Firing and Retaining Employees".  The workshop will examine federal law, progressive discipline, legal matters, risky hiring practices and implementation of an effective recruiting and hiring process.
 
Both seminars will be held at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, 8276 Park Road, Batavia.  Networking and light refreshments will begin at 7:30 a.m. with the workshop starting promptly at 8 a.m. and ending at 9 a.m.
 
All workshops are free for Chamber members and $10 for non-members.  Call or email Kelly Bermingham for more information or to RSVP at 585-343-7440, ext. 1026. 
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING - NOVEMBER 2
 
You are cordially invited to attend the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday, November 2 at Batavia Downs, 8315 Park Rd., Batavia.  This year's meeting will feature the election of Chamber board members, a Year in Review of Chamber activities and keynote speaker Bill Schreiber, Chief Executive Officer at O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc.
 
Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. with a buffet lunch beginning promptly at noon.  Cost is $25 per person.  Contact Melissa George at 343-7440 ext. 1027or email chamber@geneseeny.com to make your reservations.  

WHO'S WHO IN GENESEE COUNTY BUSINESS- THE  2017-18 CHAMBER BUSINESS DIRECTORY IS NOW AVAILABLE

The 2017-18 Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Business Directory has been published and is now available to all Chamber members.  The Chamber Business Directory lists all current Chamber members and is a who's who in Genesee County business.  The directory is indexed both alphabetically and by business category and contains other valuable business information as well.  A copy of the Chamber Business Directory was mailed to every active Chamber member but if you would like extra copies just stop by our office and pick them up.
DID YOU KNOW?

Chamber members can take advantage of exclusive discount programs including our Member 2 Member Discount Program. Members are offered discounts to area businesses not only for your business but for your employees as well. Click here for more information and to view the current list of discounts.

ANNUAL CHAMBER AWARDS CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
 
The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at The Quality Inn & Suites, Batavia.  At this time we will be presenting awards to deserving area businesses and individuals for their achievements in business, community service and volunteerism.   
 
Nominated businesses must be a Chamber Member in good standing.   Click here for more details and nomination form. 
2018 TRAVEL TRIPS - ALASKA AND FRANCE

  

Two new Chamber travel trips have been added for 2018. 
An Alaskan 7-Day Discovery Cruise will depart August 14 and return August 26.  Cost of the trip is $5,299 per person.  "France Magnifique" a 13-day tour of France will take place from Sept. 20 through Oct. 2.  Cost of the France trip is $4,499 per person.  
For more information on all Chamber travel trips, visit the Chamber's website at www.geneseeny.com/Trips.
Tourism News

Volunteer Appreciation Event
The Chamber's Visitor Center volunteers were treated to a day of fun at our annual volunteer appreciation event on Wednesday, 27th . We boarded a motorcoach and spent the day touring The Buffalo Botanical Gardens, The Our Lady of Victory National Shrine and Basical as well as spent time shopping and had a wonderful family-style lunch. During the day, we shared some higher preliminary stats from the season.

Visitor Center - Memorial Day-Labor Day
* 103 days of peak season operation.
* 600 volunteer hours
* 1,481 visitors serviced (206 visited the vestibule between the hours of 7pm-Midnight)
* 1,664 brochures distributed (1,049 local, 615 regional)
* Fridays and Mondays were the busiest days, Saturdays and Sunday saw the least visitors.
* Most visitors were looking for maps/directions, were here for sightseeing purposes and mostly enjoyed outdoor/natural attractions.

Haunted History Trail launches new website
The Chamber's Haunted History Trail of New York State collaborative just launched a new-and-improved website, www.hauntedhistorytrail.com.

65 unique locations spread over 33 counties and 400 years of history is what makes up this state-wide, nationally-recognized trail. The haunted trail offers ghost hunting excursions, attractions and locations in almost every region that are perfect for the paranormal-curious.
The new website allows people to create and customize their own trip, navigating through some of New York State's most haunted attractions, all while providing extensive information on each unique location. Additional trip planning collateral can also now be requested from both the trail itself, as well as the related counties. The site also provides an exhaustive list of statewide haunting events for those who like to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings. The extensive blog is packed full of informative stories focused on haunted locations and events sprinkled across the state. Also, interactive opportunities for visitors are catered specifically to individual locations.

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce created the trail in 2013 and won a state-wide Excellence in Tourism Marketing award for it in 2015. Chamber member Corporate Communications, Inc. of Rochester is responsible for the design and development of the new web site.

Call for 2018 Events
We would like to begin collecting 2018 event information for use our upcoming promotional materials. Please use this online submission form to have your event included. Exhibits, performances, festivals, tours and recreational workshops and more are included. You can view our online events here.

Chinese FAM Tour Success
In partnership with I Love NY, the Chamber welcomed 16 Canadian Chinese tour operators for a FAM (familiarzation) tour on September 11th. Our guests stayed overnight in our hotels, had dinner at Peking, stopped at Oliver's Candies, enjoyed gaming at Batavia Downs and also enjoyed lunch at Farmer's Creekside Tavern & Inn.
THIS IS HOW TO WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER
 
H ere are eight unexpected (and counter-intuitive) ways to squeeze more out of your work day.
 
The Business Education Alliance (BEA) is housed at the Chamber of Commerce.  Connecting business members with our schools, the BEA creates and delivers programs that are designed to create a stronger future workforce for the businesses in Genesee County. 

The Mission of the Business Education Alliance is to foster a partnership between business and education, and to assist students in preparing for the world of work.  

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"Capital isn't scarce; vision is."
                                         -  Sam Walton, Wal-Mart founder
Your Chamber Resources:

Kelly Bermingham, Director of Membership & Special Events
 
Ginny Elsasser, Staff Accountant
 
Melissa A. George, Executive Assistant

Kelly Rapone, Tourism Marketing Director
Tom Turnbull, President

Lindsey Turrell, Tourism Marketing Assistant

Karyn Winters, Business Education Alliance Director
KWinters@GeneseeNY.com

OCTOBER 2017

These businesses have taken the lead role in investing in our Chamber's mission of enhancing business and community development in Genesee County. 
To find out how your business can become a Chamber Champion, contact
Kelly Bermingham  
at 585-343-7440.


REMINDER:
Please make sure you have updated your records to show our new address!
8276 Park Road, Batavia NY 14020
Thank you

Welcome
New Members!
Looking for something to do? Check out the Community Events Calendar on the Chamber Website!
E-Z PASS TAGS AVAILABLE AT THE GENESEE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
 
As a convenience to 
area residents, the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce sells
E-Z Pass tags.  
In conjunction with the New York State Thruway Authority, E-Z Pass tags are conveniently available 
at the Chamber for
$25 each.
 
Here's how it works:  Stop by the Chamber and buy a prepackaged kit for $25.  Register the Tag. Install and use! Once registered, it can be replenished as needed.  Enjoy the convenience and savings (10%) by using E-Z Pass.
















































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8276 Park Road
Batavia, NY 14020
M-F, 8:30am-4:30pm
585-343-7440