Join the Chamber for Business After Hours at La Malinche (8622 Colesville Road) on Wednesday, September 29. Enjoy networking with fellow Chamber members, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar. Free for members; advance registration required by COB Friday, September 24. Per county guidelines, masks are required indoors except while consuming food or beverages.

Join the GSSCC Owners & Entrepreneurs Circle for a casual Happy Hour event at Denizens Brewing Co.'s beer garden (1115 East West Highway) at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 30.

Attendees can look forward to networking, meeting fellow members, learning more about the Owners & Entrepreneurs Circle, and more.

Full drink and food menu available for purchase. Per county guidelines, masks are required indoors except while consuming food or beverages.

When new members or new representatives of member businesses attend the GSSCC101: Member Orientation, they're asked to share their name, company, reason for joining the Chamber, and a personal detail about themselves. For this month's 101, the overwhelming majority of attendees shared the fun fact that they all grew up in the greater Silver Spring area. It was rewarding for local business leaders to connect not just through their Chamber memberships but through their shared hometowns. 

Thank you to all who attended and thank you to Money Muscle BBQ for hosting us!

This bi-monthly event provides an opportunity to ask questions, learn about membership benefits and the Chamber's advocacy work, and network with staff and board members. Our next session will be on Wednesday, November 3.

We are slowly getting back to some type of normalcy as businesses reopen. However, unprecedented temperatures and multiple tropical storms across the US continue to escalate utility prices. There is no better time for members to enroll in the Chamber Energy Purchasing Cooperative Program and gain price stability, budget control and peace-of-mind.

Since 2004, the Cooperative electricity rates have been lower than both market rates and the weighted annual utility standard offer service rates. During previous campaigns, participants saw an average annual savings of $4,000. Natural gas rates were also lower on average than market rates and utility monthly winter peak indexed rates.

Take action and register now in the current campaign. No action will result in continually paying higher utility bills. To learn more about the purchasing cooperative, watch a short video here.

* Join Money Muscle BBQ under the tent for a Drag Brunch and BBQ event Saturday, September 25, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase on Eventbrite and include a fantastic show from the Haus of Stones Queens, BBQ and brunch small plates, free parking, and more. Read here for more information.

* Docs in Progress is offering office space, with parking, in its downtown Silver Spring office. Rent is $1,000 and includes one carpeted office (7.5’ x 4.5’) with window, use of kitchen including refrigerator and microwave, ability to reserve use of the 60-person seated meeting room and 10-person state-of-the-art classroom, and one free parking space. See here for more details and contact Executive Director Lynn O’Connell or call 301-789-2792 for more information.

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See your company's news here! Send us your news releases and news items by noon on Friday for publication in the following Monday's edition. Click here for guidelines on submitting Member News.

* Non-Profit Team Meeting - 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 14.

* Young Professionals Network Meeting - 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 23.

* Member Development Committee Meeting - 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 28.

Corporate Partners - Downtown Silver Spring; Lee Development Group; Montgomery College; Joseph W. McCartin Insurance;

 Business Partners - Andalman & Flynn, AFI Silver Theatre; Apex Home 

 Partners - Bell Flowers; EBA Ernest Bland Associates; Image360; Peak Performance Digital; Scott Team International.