Oak Harbor Chamber Newsletter

November 2023

The Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Member Dinner will be held on January 26, 2024 at 5:30pm at the Camp Perry Conference Center. The evening will kick off with social hour, followed by a hot buffet dinner, a short business meeting, and then entertainment with Guy in the 419-Name that Tune and a Chinese Auction! Tickets are $25.00 each, and may be purchased below. Deadline to RSVP is January 19, 2024.

We are looking for businesses that would like to host an after hours in 2024!

Business After Hours are a private social gathering hosted by a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Hosting Business After Hours showcases your business, providing you with the opportunity to talk about, and show off who you are and what you do. This is a great way to build relationships with your fellow chamber members in a relaxed setting.

After Hours are normally held on Thursdays from 5pm-7pm, but other days/times are available per request of the business. Generally a host should expect to:

• Provide hors d’oeuvres & drinks (this can be as simple or fancy as you choose – we recommend using a chamber member)
• Help with marketing by promoting the event on your social media and in your business.
• Invite your clients, vendors, family and friends.
• Get your employees involved.
• Plan for approximately 25+ people in attendance.
• Be prepared to share a few remarks with attendees at the event.
• Be Creative and Have Fun!!

If you are interested in hosting an After Hours in 2024 please call or email the office to get it scheduled!

A popular grant program is available for the purpose of assisting Erie and Ottawa County organizations and businesses in developing projects that will attract and engage visitors and residents, serve and educate regional tourism partners, and generate economic growth for the community through travel and tourism development.

The Shores & Islands Ohio Destination Development Grants will be awarded to Erie and Ottawa County organizations again in 2024 and are in addition to the organization’s sponsorship grant programs which will also continue. Over the past two years, more than $990,000 in Destination Development Grants have been distributed to 97 different local businesses to help them better serve their customers. The eligibility of projects and perimeters of the grant process have been modified from previous years to allow for increased participation and value to the grantees and wider region. Eligible grant recipients must be a partnering business/organization with Shores & Islands Ohio and could include, but are not limited to, local governments, for-profit enterprises, and non-profit organizations. Organizations with active projects funded through the Destinations Development Grant are not eligible to apply until the previously funded project is complete and all requirements have been fulfilled.

Projects should align with Shores & Islands Ohio’s mission and strategic plan and increase the likelihood of visitation from outside the area. Partnerships that bring together local and regional organizations, economic development and/or government organizations and tourism-related businesses will be looked upon favorably, as will public/forward-facing projects including: placemaking improvements, exterior beautification, new signage, murals on buildings, or revitalization/restoration. Some grants require at least a 50% match while others provide full project funding. The full grant application provides details on eligible and ineligible projects.

Application proposals are being accepted now and will be due by 12 pm on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Grant finalists will be notified by March 1, 2024, with finalist meetings taking place from March 4-15, 2024. For more information on the grant process or to receive an application, please contact Shores & Islands Ohio Destination Development Director, Amanda Smith Rasnick, at amanda@shoresandislands.com or 419.625.2175.

Small businesses have long been the backbone of Main Street America, creating new jobs and economic opportunities for their local communities. Small Business Saturday is a day designed to encourage people to shop locally and support small business owners in their neighborhoods, particularly during the holiday season. For American consumers, it's a great reminder to skip over the big box stores in favor of local shops, restaurants, and service providers in your community.

This year, make a plan to shop small. When you support local businesses, you stimulate local economies. Shopping small means that your family and business owners across the country can both experience a happy holiday sales season.

We challenge you to make at least one holiday purchase from a small business this season! We also don't want you to forget about the local non-profit organizations that do so much good in our communities.

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

Every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give. Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor out, or showing up for an issue or people we care about, we each have something to contribute. Identify your gifts, pick a cause that gets you fired up, and give back. Each seemingly small act turns a ripple into a wave of good, transforming society and building the world we all want to live in.

You can always check out our Online Community Calendar for events. You can submit your own events there as well!