Blount Partnership News and Events
MAKE CONNECTIONS DURING OPERATION THANK YOU
Participate in the Chamber's 22nd annual "Operation Thank You" set for February 17-19 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 for 2020. 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 are interested in participating, please contact Amy Lawson at alawson@blountpartnership.com or call 865.983.2241. 
TOOLS TO HELP EMPLOYERS NAVIGATE THE OPIOID CRISIS
Tennessee has been hit hard by the opioid crisis-harming individuals, families, communities, and employers. Each year, Tennessee's economy loses billions in lost workforce productivity. The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry is working to provide real solutions to employers to better manage this the opioid crisis.

Join us for a breakfast discussion, connect with recovery resources, and learn how to create programs to support employees struggling with opioid dependence. This event presented by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and co-hosted by the Blount Partnership is set for February 20 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Airport Hilton (2001 Alcoa Hwy., Alcoa).

Each event will highlight local resources and organizations employers can work with to prevent opioid misuse in the workplace, create programs to reduce stigma, and help direct opioid dependent employees to recovery services. We'll convene employers with first responders, law enforcement, recovery organizations, and community leaders to foster meaningful dialog on working together to solve this community and economic crisis.

There is no fee to attend, but registration is required here .
TICKETS ON SALE FOR 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
To celebrate 10 decades…one century…of outstanding economic progress in the Blount County community, the Blount Partnership is "pulling out all the stops" by bringing in America's No. 1 corporate and private party band, Party on the Moon, to the new event venue at the Airport Hilton, on Saturday, March 7.

The Anniversary Celebration kicks off from 6-7 p.m. with a lively cocktail hour of music and interactive displays, moving seamlessly into an outstanding buffet and three-hour non-stop performance by Party on the Moon. The 13-member band features talented singers, high-energy choreography and Grammy Award-winning horn players, complete with a state-of-the-art sound and light show.

General Admission tickets are $100 each and can be purchased by calling 865.983.2241 or online . The Hilton is offering a discounted hotel room rate of $99 for members wishing to stay overnight. Attire is black tie optional and valet parking service is available for guests. Group rates are $500 for 6 admission tickets and $1000 table rate for 10 tickets.

Parking is available in Hilton Hotel parking lot adjacent to the convention center entrance. Once the Hilton Hotel parking lot is full, parking is available in the airport Economy Lots A or B behind the hotel at a $10.00 fee.  See diagram .

The fun-filled night is sponsored by SCCY Industries, Spectrum Business, DENSO, Blount Excavating, Massey Electric, Cherokee Millwright, Citadel Construction, The Cherokee Group, C2RL Engineering, First Horizon, Joseph Construction, LDA Engineering, Hickory Construction, United Services, Merit Construction, Hedstrom Landscape Architecture and Life Care Center of Blount County.
VISIT WITH OUR LOCAL STATE LEGISLATORS
Join us February 28 at 8 a.m. at the Blount Partnership (201 S. Washington St., Maryville) for a State Legislative Briefing with Senator Art Swann and Representatives Jerome Moon and Bob Ramsey. 

Attendees are asked to RSVP .
JOIN THE JOB FAIR
The Blount County Chamber of Commerce, working off its mission statement to promote economic growth, is hosting a job fair on Tuesday, March 24 from 1-5 p.m. at Foothills Mall in Maryville. 
 
Any business or company interested in participating can reserve booth space which includes one eight-foot table, two chairs and table linens if needed. The fee, which includes lunch, is $150 for Blount Chamber members and $200 for non-members. Please complete the form .
 
Sponsorship for the event is also available .

Anyone looking for a job or wanting career development opportunities is invited to attend. The event is open to the public and there is no charge to attend. In addition to full and part-time positions, this job fair is designed for internships and service opportunities as well.
THE RESURGENCE OF EMAIL MARKETING
Despite the popular opinion that the era of email marketing has passed, its effectiveness is at an all-time high. At its core, email is one of the most human and relational tools at your fingertips to nurture leads into profitable customers for your business. In this class, you will learn how to:

- Grow your email list creatively
- Use segmentation to be more effective in your marketing efforts
- Utilize automation to bring a constant stream of new clients into your sales funnel

Begin taking advantage of this indispensable tool to add more to your bottom line.

This February 20 class is hosted in partnership with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center and is completely free. Please register ahead of time here .

The workshop is held at the Pellissippi State Community College's Blount County campus in room 164.
EARLY VOTING BEGINS FEB. 12
Early voting for the March 3 Presidential Primary, County Primary and Rockford City Election runs Feb. 12-25.

Click here for complete election information including voting precincts and sample ballot.
TOSHA RECORD KEEPING & MAINTENANCE RELATED TOSHA COMPLIANCE
Many people are not sure how to complete the OSHA 300 forms correctly. At this seminar, the student will get the information needed to record cases correctly, and will learn when cases should not be recorded. The seminar will also define the requirements for electronically reporting injury and illness data. Employers can now begin to electronically report their Form 300A data to OSHA. All covered establishments must submit the information by March 2, annually.  SEMINAR DATES.

ARE YOU IN COMPLIANCE?
Who Should Attend? This workshop is designed specifically for maintenance personnel responsible for correcting non-compliance areas and for maintaining machines and equipment in a manner that will guarantee continuous compliance. This workshop will help maintenance people achieve the results that are necessary to insure continuous compliance. Of course, anyone who has any TOSHA compliance responsibility can benefit from this workshop. SEMINAR DATES .
CENTURY HARVEST FARMS LUNCH & LEARN
Join Century Harvest Farms Foundation for its first Lunch & Learn of 2020! Learn all about Century Harvest Farms Foundation's mission, From the Ground Up Program, volunteer opportunities, charcuterie, and more. Lunch is $10. With your $10 ticket, you are providing 2 lunches for one of our makers this year! So that's 3 lunches in one day! We will have soup, salad, and sandwiches made in our very own kitchen! Come hungry, and get the first chance to see our newly redesigned Gathering Space!  RSVP HERE .
CELEBRATE THE CHAMBER'S 100 YEARS WITH COMMEMORATIVE BOOK
Get your piece of the Blount Partnership's 100-year history with this commemorative book that chronicles as many events, happenings, people and projects that we could fit into 112 pages.

The book retails for $30 and can be purchased by calling the Partnership at 865-983-2241.
SIGN UP FOR COMMUNICATION SOFT SKILLS CLASS
It's Your Career! That's the focus of a free soft skills session offered in partnership by the Blount County Public Library, the Adult Education Foundation of Blount County and the Blount County Chamber of Commerce.

Registrations are currently being accepted online at www.blountchamber.com for a class entitled Improving Communication at Work on March 27. Effective communication is an essential component of professional success. Learn practical communication strategies that will help make you a better leader, improve productivity, and combat communication breakdowns.

All participants will earn .5 CEUs per session for participating. They will also receive an email survey two months after workshop participation to assess application of new ideas.

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.
PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY
Take advantage of your Blount Chamber discount and protect you, your family and employees by enrolling in IDShield. IDShield monitors identity from every angle and alerts you to status changes immediately. It can also help restore your identity if it has been compromised. LEARN MORE .
MEMBER-TO-MEMBER DEALS
Blount Chamber members can now post their own Member-to-Member deals on this page at no charge. Simply login to your account , Click on the "New Coupon" button, fill out the form and click save. It's that easy.

Click here if you need access to your login information.

Of course, we will be happy to add your coupon. Just email information about the product or discount you'd like to offer to the Chamber membership to jmuir@blountpartnership.com . Be sure to include an expiration date.

REMEMBER WHEN
Topping the Billboard Hot 100 Chart this week in 1983 was "Africa" by Toto.  It is the band's only  Billboard  number one. "Africa" saw a resurgence in popularity via social media during the mid to late 2010s, including a fan-requested cover by American rock band  Weezer.
Events Calendar
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