It's ribbon cutting and afternoon mixer week for the Blount County Chamber of Commerce. First off, the Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union is holding a groundbreaking ceremony at its new location on January 10 at 3:30 p.m. at 2325 Market Place Dr. in Maryville.

Then, on January 11, the first afternoon mixer is being held at United Community Bank (1087 Hunter's Crossing, Alcoa, TN) from 3:45-5 p.m. Get out of the office and unwind while catching up after the holiday season. Participation is not reserved to the representatives listed on the Chamber membership. Mattie Moox will be there as well as Windy City Grill serving up mini beefs and wings.

 

DISCOVER BLOUNT

Designed by Leadership Blount and in collaboration with community partners, Discover Blount is an introduction to Blount County showcasing all that is great in this place we call home. The program introduces participants to resources in our county and identifies opportunities to be more involved.

The Discover Blount program is held on six Tuesdays from 1-6 p.m. and includes one social and one service opportunity. The Spring 2018 dates are: February 6 and 13, March 6 and 20, and April 3 and 17.

All classes begin and end on the Maryville College campus unless otherwise noted. A tour bus will provide transportation during the class day. The cost for the program is $325. Registration is online at www.leadershipblount.com.

 

MLK BUSINESS LUNCHEON SET FOR JAN. 12

The business luncheon will be held at the Airport Hilton on January 12 at noon. The cost is $35 per person or $350 per table of 10. Reservations are required to attend this event and can be made by calling the Blount County Chamber of Commerce at 865-983-2241. The keynote speaker will be Ms. Lori Tucker, news anchor for WATE-TV.

Other activities include:
MLK KIDS AND FAMILIES FAIR, Saturday, Jan. 13, 3-5 p.m. at Blount County Library
KNOXVILLE OPERA GOSPEL CHOIR CONCERT, Saturday, Jan. 13, 4 p.m. at Alcoa High School, Tickets $20 donation
COMMUNITY WORSHIP SERVICE, Sunday, Jan. 14, 4 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Maryville
MLK DAY MARCH/PROGRAM, Monday, Jan. 15, 12:45 assemble at MLK Center, 1:00 p.m. March from Center to Maryville College, 2 p.m. Program at Clayton Center Nutt Theatre

 

PROMOTE AND PARTICIPATE IN OPERATION THANK YOU

Promote your business during "Operation Thank You" by sending 1400 gift certificates, brochures or business promotional pieces to us and we will distribute them during Operation Thank You.

Your Chamber constantly looks for ways to help you promote your business through the ABC theory - Always Buy Chamber. We do ask that your enclosure piece not to exceed 8.5x11". These inserts should be delivered to the Chamber no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, February 8.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Amy Lawson at alawson@blountpartnership.com or call 865.983.2241. There is a fee of $200 for insert enclosure.

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Participate in the Chamber's 20th annual "Operation Thank You" set for February 20-22, 2018 and meet other business people on a one-on-one basis.

During this three-day event, Chamber members, the Chamber staff and Board of Directors will personally deliver Chamber member information packets. We invite you to join us in this three-day effort. You can agree to call on as many or as few members as your schedule permits.

If you, someone (or several people) from your business, organization or group is interested in participating, please contact Amy Lawson at alawson@blountpartnership.com or call 865.983.2241.

 

REGIONAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA BREAKFAST SET FOR JAN. 26

Join local business leaders and elected officials to hear about pending state legislative issues that could impact the business community as well as the legislative agenda developed by policy leaders at the Knoxville Chamber, Blount Partnership, and Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. The breakfast is Friday, January 26 from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Knoxville West (9621 Parkside Dr., Knoxville, Tenn.). Tickets are $25 and must be purchased here or through the Knoxville Chamber at 865.637.4550.

 

SOFT SKILLS SESSIONS FOR JANUARY

It's Your Career! That's the focus of nine free soft skills sessions offered in partnership by the Blount County Public Library, the Adult Education Foundation of Blount County and the Blount County Chamber of Commerce that are scheduled over the next 12 months.

Registrations are currently being accepted online at www.blountchamber.com for the first class entitled Time Management set for Jan. 26.

The other classes offered include Building a Team, Managing People and Personalities, Free Resources for Professional Development, How to Run an Effective Meeting, Improving Your Presentation Style - Speaking, Improving Your Presentation Style - Strategies for Engaging Presentations, Making Your Social Media Look Good and Creating Infographics for Promoting Your Business.

All classes are conducted in the Blount County Library's learning lab located at 508 N. Cusick in Maryville and limited to 50 participants. A complete class description is located on the registration site. All classes run from 8-10 a.m. with networking beginning at 7:30 a.m.

 

JANUARY MEMBER-TO-MEMBER PROMOTIONS

Member-to-member promotions are here for January. Check out the new offer from Swagtown. See this and other promotions at member-to-member promotions. New offers are being posted almost daily, so check out the Blount County Chamber of Commerce Member-to-Member promotions online. This Member-to-Member Promotional Program offers you and your company the opportunity to market your products and services to the membership.

 

Here's how it works:
1. Submit a PDF of a service, product or discount you'd like to offer to the Chamber membership to jmuir@blountpartnership.com. Be sure to include an expiration date.
2. An email with all the promotions will be sent out on the final Monday of every month to our member database.
3. All promotions will be posted on www.BlountChamber.com

 

REMEMBER TO SHOP LOCAL

Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!

 

Many of your local independent stores may have an online ecommerce site too. Buying from them counts as shopping small.

 

Find what you're looking for in the Chamber Directory.

 

GOT AN EVENT OR NEWS? WE'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT

Is your organization hosting an event in the community? Submit it here on our community calendar. If it's a tourism event or any good news about your business, please send it to us. We'd love to share it with the community.

 

REMEMBER WHEN

Topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week in 1962 was "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," a song written and recorded originally by Solomon Linda with the Evening Birds for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939, under the title "Mbube." Composed in Zulu, it was adapted and covered internationally by many 1950s and '60s pop and folk revival artists. In 1961, it became a number one hit in the United States as adapted in English with the best-known version by the doo-wop group the Tokens.