Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,
Palm Beach County officials announced that the County’s mask mandate will remain in place for at least another month. The mandate requires people to wear face coverings inside businesses, government buildings, public places where social distancing is not possible, as well as Palm Tran transit services. County Mayor David Kerner said the county would reevaluate the mandate approximately 25 days from now to determine whether to extend it or repeal it outright.
The Healthcare District of Palm Beach County is re-opening its vaccine booking portal. Florida residents 16 years of age and older will be able to book an appointment to receive the Pfizer vaccine. A parent or guardian must be present at the appointment for individuals who are 16 and 17 years old. More than 16,000 appointments will be available at the county's three mass vaccination sites. Appointment dates will be available between Tuesday, April 20 and Thursday, May 6. To schedule an appointment, click here.
The IRS has released new guidance in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 that relates to business meal expenses at restaurants. Within the legislation, businesses are now allowed to deduct 100% of food and beverage business-related meals that occurred after December 31, 2020, and before January 1, 2023. In Addition, this temporary 100% deduction includes any related sales tax, delivery fees and tips. A restaurant, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, is a business that prepares and sells food or beverages to retail customers for immediate consumption, regardless of whether the food or beverages are consumed on the business’s premises. To ensure your business is benefiting from this additional 50% deduction in this legislation, contact your Accountant for more details. For a list of Chamber member Accountants, click here.
Looking for a quick way to find an event, register for an event, and receive pop-up notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton, and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activity by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
We continue to provide you with valuable virtual and in-person experiences. Most virtual programs are recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit the subscribe button to find out when new content is posted on our channel.
Below is a list of our upcoming virtual and in-person experiences:
4/16 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach First Responders Awards Presentation
Sponsored By: Baptist Health
Topic: Recognize and honor a Police Officer, Firefighter, and Paramedic of the Year
4/20 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Free Workshop
Topic: PR Series - Part 2: How to Write a Press Release
Speaker: Joanne Polin, President & Founder of Polin Public Relations
4/20 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual PULSE
Topic: A Look Into Travel & Tourism 2021
Speakers: Phillip DiPonio, General Manager, Wyndham Boca Raton Hotel
Kristina Cooper, Vice President of Finance Administration, Travelmation
Heather Andrews, Assistant Vice President, Content & Community Engagement, Discover The Palm Beaches
4/20 – 3:00 p.m. Virtual Economic Development Committee Meeting
Topic: What are 35 Mules?
Speaker: Crystal Stiles, Sr. Director, Economic Development, Florida Power & Light
4/21 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual South Health Care Advocacy Network (S.H.A.N.)
Sponsored By: Memorial Health System
Topic: Creating a Dynamic PowerPoint Presentation
Speaker: Sharon Daniel, Virtual Business Coach
4/22 – 5:30 p.m. In-Person Exclusive Trustee Reception
Join us for our exclusive evening reception at Diamonds Direct
21078 St Andrews Blvd
Boca Raton, FL 33433
4/23 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Women’s Business Council Meeting
Topic: Female Executive Spotlight
Speaker: Michelle McGovern, Director of Government and Community Relations, Baptist Health South Florida
4/27 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Smart Talk For Women
Topic: Networking or Marketing in the New Normal -
How Do You Intend to Stay in Front of People and Get Noticed?
Speaker: Nancy Proffitt, Founder of Proffitt Management Solution
4/27 – 5:00 p.m. Virtual Live After Five
Topic: Meet, Connect and Have Fun at this Virtual Happy Hour
Do not forget to join me in a few hours as the Chamber will host its second annual Boynton Beach First Responders Awards Presentation. During this virtual one-hour program, we will recognize and honor a Police Officer, Firefighter, and Paramedic of the Year. These brave professionals have been chosen by their departments for their courageous acts in service to the community of Boynton Beach. Thanks to Baptist Health (Bethesda East & West) for their title sponsorship, as well as ADT and Caron Treatment Centers for their support. Click here to register and support our first responders who give so much to so many here Palm Beach County.
Thank you for helping us to continue to Move Business Forward in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and South Palm Beach County, making our region the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play.
Moving Business Forward,
