In a few weeks I will be inviting all of our members to log into a brand new, enhanced member portal which will allow you to: manage your own member profile, make payments, view payment history, register for events, post events and access our Member Directory among many other features.

Also, we will be adjusting every member’s annual renewal month to July. As a result, your July invoice will reflect dues to get your membership dues paid to June 30, 2024. For example, if your renewal month is September, your 2023-2024 annual dues will be calculated based on 10 months then in July 2024, you will be invoiced for a full 12 months of dues.

The member portal and the synchronization of our invoicing to July for ALL members should free up more than 300 hours of staff time annually. These staff hours can then be spent on member services, programming, outreach, advocacy, and other important membership benefits without the need to increase member dues during these inflationary times.

I welcome your thoughts and comments on this exciting news, and I also want to thank you for being an engaged member of your local Chamber of Commerce. I can be reached at Eric@CamdenRockland.com.

Cheers to you all for a fun and prosperous summer season!

--Eric

The Chamber will be hosting a live and silent auction this coming Wednesday, June 21, from 4:30 to 7:00 PM, at Rock Harbor Tap Room in Rockland.

This event is FREE and open to the public - everyone is welcome! Bring a group of friends for a night out on the town. For those who reserved tickets in advance, we will refund your ticket price or we will apply your payment to your winning auction bids.

Thanks to the generosity of so many of you, we have received a great variety of auction items. Now we're gearing up for a strong turnout on Wednesday night for this Chamber fundraising event.

Click on the link below to see the running list of Auction Items. And, if you are planning to attend, we would love your RSVP:

Thank you to our Gold Sponsor:

The Chamber would like to recognize and thank RE/MAX Jaret & Cohn for recently renewing their exceptional support of the Chamber for the second consecutive year:

The Chamber's Premium Membership Program offers a limited number of members consistent and highly-visible promotion throughout the year, designed to increase the exposure and recognition of your business.

To learn more about the Premium Membership Program, please contact Diane Norton, Director of Member Marketing & Development, at Diane@CamdenRockland.com or 207-691-0131.

The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce and Sterling Elite are pleased to announce the creation of a new mode of transportation this summer. Two Sterling Voyager vehicles will run between Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head and Lincolnville Beach, mid-July through mid-October.

Advertising Opportunities will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, for up to 14 Chamber members. For more information or to reserve your space, contact Diane Norton, Member Marketing & Development Director at Diane@CamdenRockland.com.

Our Taproom at 5 Payne Avenue in Rockland is going through a transformation that we're psyched to roll out in early July. Here you'll find our full line-up of Rock Harbor brews on tap, bottles "to go", and a nice complement of wines, hard seltzers, and ready-to-drink cocktails. Plus, a casual bar menu to include pizza, sandwiches and more. With indoor and outdoor seating, live music, and space to host your large or small event, we look forward to seeing you soon. Come for a sneak peak this Wednesday, June 21, as we host the Chamber Auction, 4:30 to 7 pm!

To learn more about becoming a Featured Member, click here.

Submit your news releases to Amy@CamdenRockland.com.

Camden Falls Gallery is fortunate to showcase new works of the Midcoast region by artist, Tad Retz. The show opens on Friday, June 15th and runs through July 14th, 2023. “Many of the paintings in this new show are the results of Tad’s visit to Camden last September during Windjammer Festival. We were able to get him out in the harbor, up and close to the schooners in action under sail”, says gallery owner, Howard Gallagher. “Exhilarated by the experience Tad told us he had enough images for years of paintings! We for one are fortunate for that.” More...

The Camden Rotary Club’s annual Music by the Sea celebration will bring four free concerts to the Camden Library Amphitheatre on Tuesday, July 4. The music, made possible by the generous sponsorships from local individuals and businesses, will start at noon and continue into the evening. More...

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District and Maine DEP are co-sponsoring a four and a half-hour classroom and field event hosted by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust on Thursday, July 20, 2023 at the Denny Conservation & Education Center located at 3 Round Top Lane, Damariscotta. The training will be held from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm and includes morning refreshments and materials. More...

Phil and Karen Clark, of Endless Summer Flower Farm in Camden, and Marina Sideris and Cooper Funk, of Dooryard Farm in Camden, are delighted to announce the sale of the Endless Summer’s dahlia business to Dooryard Farm, effective July 1. Phil and Karen have been growing and marketing their dahlias for over 25 years. Last year, they decided they were ready to stop and smell the flowers, so to speak. More...

Woodlands Senior Living has brought on Leann Sebrey as its Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Clinical Officer (CCO). Sebrey comes to Woodlands as a well-regarding healthcare professional, having worked in the industry for more than three decades, including work in trauma, pediatrics, emergency care, mobile advanced life support, and home health and hospice. She joins Woodlands Senior Living after most recently serving as the Chief Clinical Officer at Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice in Lewiston for more than five years. More...

Joanne Campbell, executive vice president of enterprise risk management and chief risk officer for Camden National Bank, today received the 2023 American Bankers Association’s Distinguished Service Award for Risk. The award, which recognizes leadership, initiative, and accomplishment in banking regulatory risk, as well as volunteer service through American Bankers Association (ABA), was presented during ABA’s Risk and Compliance Conference in San Antonio, Texas. More...

Our online calendar is your guide to live & virtual events in the Camden-Rockland Region. Click here to view.

Have an event to share? Members are invited to share events on the Chamber Calendar. Login to your Chamber Profile Page to get started.

A Morning in Maine Sailing Tours is offering Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce members 10% off all private charters. Morning in Maine sails out of Rockland's Middle Pier, past the Rockland Breakwater and Owl's Head Lighthouses to the nearby islands. With room for up to 21 guests, this is the perfect way to celebrate an important milestone or show your hard-working employees how much you appreciate them! Email captaintyler@amorninginmaine.com or call 207-691-7245 to book.

The Amtrak Downeaster has announced the hottest deal of the Summer! All kids ages 2-12 travel for FREE with the purchase of at least one adult rail fare. Plan ahead and book a trip the whole family will love. This offer is available for sale until June 20th, 2023. Valid for travel: June 30th, 2023 - September 30th, 2023. Monday-Thursday only. Must use promo code: C618. Other restrictions may apply. Visit the Downeaster website for details: https://bit.ly/DowneasterSummer

Members are invited to email Amy@CamdenRockland.com with details of goods, programs, products, or services they would like to offer to their fellow members. Please limit your offer to headline + 75 words and include an end date not to exceed 1 month.