Chamber Kicks Off ―Shop Local Campaign at ―Business After Hours on August 9th

For the third year, the Parke County Chamber Board and Membership Committee are announcing an opportunity to promote local merchants and services. We are kicking off our ―Shop Local campaign on Tuesday, August 9th from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at a ―Business After Hours‖ program at the Old Jail Inn Parke County Drunk Tank Winery in Rockville. See the enclosed invitation.  Our goal is to give our member businesses a personalized identity by both publishing a ―Shop Local‖ tabloid in the Sentinel and through radio ads with the Crossroads stations that include WAXI. Only the first 38 members who contact the Chamber Office can be included in the tabloid, however, we can accept many radio ads. Your confirmation of participation is needed in the Chamber Office by August 15th. See the enclosed information sheet.  Ads in the tabloid are being sold for $30. Each ad should include a photo of you and/or your staff who will be identified by name if you wish. Chamber directors will go to members who are confirmed participants between August 22-31 to take photos for those who need them as well as picking up information sheets and payments. The tabloid will be published in the Sentinel the week before the Covered Bridge Festival. So the pull out tabloid will be available to our visitors and can also be retained by local citizens to be used over the next several months.  This year the Chamber is also partnering with Crossroads Communications (WAXI-FM, WBOW-FM and ESPN Sports Radio) for the annual ―Shop Local campaign. The Sentinel tab in early October will be followed up by radio advertising in November, prior to Black Friday. As a participant in the new radio partnership, Chamber member businesses will share in several commercials scheduled to run across all 3 radio stations. This additional partnership adds a powerful expansion for the Shop Local campaign. The cost for only the radio portion is $40 per business.  A combination discount package of both the tabloid and the radio ads is $65.  We would like to focus on the people who work at our businesses which helps us put a face on the merchants so local people and our visitors alike can better identify with them. This strategy will also encourage our local folks to shop local, which has 2-3 times more financial impact in our community, promotes more reinvestment locally, creates jobs and promotes donations to local charities and causes.  In order to participate in the ―Shop Local‖ campaign, please complete and return the enclosed form ―Information For Chamber of Commerce Shop Local Campaign by August 15, 2011.  Additional information on the ―Shop Local campaign will be available at the ―Business After Hours program on August 9th. Come and enjoy some complimentary hors d’oeuvres, wine tasting, door prizes and networking with other Chamber members and their guests!  Hope to see you!!

Chamber President’s Message

Spring is here and there are many activities going on in the county. Our membership continues to grow and as a result we have expanded
our Chamber board by four to 13 in order to better represent an organization with over 150 members. We welcome Ronja Branson, Brad Hartman, Dan Collom and Mike Sasin to the Board. The Chamber has finalized plans for the next Networking at Noon program on April 26 and the annual golf classic is teeing up on June 8th.  It is great to see we have two sponsors offering cars this year that can be won with a hole in one at the Golf Classic. Be sure to get a team together and hope it does not rain on the primary play date as it has the last couple years. Please let us know if there is a special event or events you would like to have posted on the new Chamber website that is being launched this week. One of the new features allows on the website allows us to announce events for our Chamber members. Please visit the website and see all the new business photos and features. We extend our gratitude to Jennifer Wakolbinger from the Rockville Public Library for the superb work in launching the new website for the Chamber.

Chamber and local Purdue Extension Board Host Cracker Barrel

In early March almost 80 people were at the Parke Co. Extension Office Conference Room for the annual Cracker Barrel session sponsored by the Chamber and the Extension Board. Two of the four legislators that serve portions of Parke Co. participated in the update and discussions with constitutes.

Next Chamber Networking @ Noon set for April 26th

The Parke County Chamber of Commerce will receive an interactive update on Social Security as it applies to businesses and employees at their
next Networking at Noon program on April 26th in Rockville at the Benjamin’s II Restaurant. Brian Hewitt, District Manager for the Social Security
Administration, will discuss the impact and procedures as about 10,000 “baby boomers” become eligible for Social Security benefits each day.
The Networking programs are designed to provide Chamber community updates as well as opportunities for Chamber members to mix and mingle
with potential customers and suppliers. Lunch may be ordered from the menu at the Benjamin’s II Restaurant although advance reservations are
encouraged by calling the Chamber office at 569-5565 no later than Monday morning, April 25th or by e-mail to:
parkecountychamber@sbcglobal.net
If you have a professional name badge from your business, please wear it to the luncheon. We will also have stick-on name badges you can use.
The badges will help other Chamber members relate to you and your business.