Blount Partnership News and Events
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.
COME OUT TO THE MLK BUSINESS LUNCHEON
The MLK business luncheon will be held at the Airport Hilton on January 17 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 Radio and TV Personality, Mr. Hallerin Hilton Hill.
PROMOTE & PARTICIPATE IN OPERATION THANK YOU
Promote your business during "Operation Thank You" by sending 1650 promotional "swag" items, gift certificates, brochures or flyers to us and we will distribute them during "Operation Thank You." Your Chamber constantly looks for ways to help you promote your business buy using the ABC theory - Always Buy Chamber. These inserts should be delivered to the Chamber no later than 5:00 p.m. Thursday, February 6. There is a charge of $250 for insert enclosure.
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.
POWER CONNECT LUNCH IS A GREAT NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
Join us for a midday networking lunch on January 22 at 11:30 a.m., at In/Out Pizza (501 N. Cusick St., Maryville). Meet, Mingle, Lunch, Connect, Nibble, Engage and Network with other influential professionals.
While you (and the other guests) will have an opportunity to introduce your business, current areas of focus and/or anything you could use help with, all I ask is that everyone shows up with a focus on how they may be able to add value for the other attendees.
Open to ALL Blount County Chamber members, but you must RSVP online . This is a Dutch Treat lunch.
Event chair Tony Saddy of Get Fit Maryville will lead the event.
THE ISSUE: THE LACK OF SOFT SKILLS
The Solution: Greg Coker's Soft Skills Boot Camp
This seminar, held January 24, 2020 at the UT Conference Center, 600 Henley St. 4th Floor in Knoxville from 8:30 a.m.-noon, provides a powerful message about the necessary skills that will lead to increased employee effectiveness while boosting a company's productivity, retention and customer satisfaction. Seminar topics will include: image, importance of strategies, creativity, communications, project management, problem-solving skills, customer service, teamwork, conflict resolution, exceeding expectations and leadership
This powerful workshop is designed to accomplish THREE THINGS:
1. Define the gap in employees Soft Skills
2. Build the training for improving Soft Skills
3. Provide easy-to-understand tools to help
Register today www.tnchamber.org , Click on Events and the date of workshop. Fees are $125 for TN Chamber members and $175 for Non-members.
MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND THE REGIONAL LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST
Make plans to attend Regional Legislative Agenda Breakfast held January 31 from 7:30-9 a.m. at the New Hope Center (602 Scarboro Rd., Oak Ridge). This annual event is a partnership of the Oak Ridge, Knoxville and Blount County chambers of commerce. The three chambers identify issues of importance in our state and those issues will be introduced during the breakfast. Legislators who represent the region will be in attendance to comment.
Tickets are $25 per person and may be purchased online .
Following the breakfast, there will be a tour of Y-12. Pre-registration is required for the tour and space is limited. To be placed on the list, please email Shelby Fowler.
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.
GLENN SHEPARD SEMINAR RETURNS FEB. 6
This is a world class professional development course designed specifically for supervisors on the front line, who directly manage two or more employees. It's for managers who are "in the trenches", like the restaurant manager who can't open tonight because three of his servers didn't show up for work, the dentist who spends as much time dealing with her employees as treating patients, etc.
Your Chamber has worked out a great deal for you on the tuition. Managers have paid as much as $1,295 to hear Glenn Shepard speak. You, as a member of the Chamber, may attend this event for only $197, and your fourth company registration is FREE! Non-chamber members tuition is $247. This seminar is approved for 5.50 (General) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute and SHRM. REGISTER HERE.
ALL OCCASIONS OPEN HOUSE
All Occasions Party Rentals (3494 Northcross Drive, Alcoa) invites you to enjoy networking with the business community at its newly remodeled Maryville/Alcoa Event Design Center on January 23 from 9-11 a.m.

It's your premier rental source for tents, tables, chairs, linens, china, tableware, glassware, lighting, staging, decor, dance floors and furniture.
SIGN UP FOR THE JANUARY 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 Building Success by Developing Leadership on January 24. Learn the difference between management and leadership. Explore the characteristics, qualities and attributes of proven leaders, and see how you can develop these traits within yourself and others.
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 "Down Under" by Men at Work. The early version of "Down Under" has a slightly different tempo and arrangement from the later Columbia release. The most well known version was then released on Columbia in 1981 as the third single from their debut album  Business as Usual  (1981).
Events Calendar
January 13-19
 
January 13 -- Women in Business
January 14 -- Beginner Ukulele
January 16 -- CORE Ladies Night
January 17 -- MLK Business Luncheon
 
January 20-26
 
January 20 -- MLK Day March/Program
January 22 -- Power Connect Lunch

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