President's Message

President's Message:
As President of The Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce in Meriden, Connecticut, I would like to welcome all of you to the Chamber web site. Stop by and visit us often!

The Chamber Newsletter - February 2008 Issue

• We are very pleased to announce that The Branding Company, Inc. (www.thebrandingcompanyusa.com) has just signed on as our title sponsor for the 2008 Chamber Expo at the 30th Annual Daffodil Festival.  We’re again hosting our Business Executive Preview and BAH of the Expo on Friday the 25th and we are joining 80,000 of our closest friends on the weekend of the 26th and 27th.  This is a promotional opportunity you will not want to pass up.  See all of the details on the enclosed flyer.
• Our Golf Committee, under the leadership of Dan DeRosa of Castle Bank and Trust Company, has begun meeting in preparation for our 21st Annual Golf Tournament, the Ray Parmentier Classic.  If you are interested on joining this committee to help plan for the event, contact the Chamber today.  Committee meeting dates, like all chamber activities, are on our web site at www.meridenchamber.com.
• In other golf related news, we’re on for a 2008 Golf League.  It’s a great way to get some great networking done while keeping up with your game…and it’s great preparation for upcoming tournaments.  Details will be forthcoming very soon in the mail and reservations are limited.
•  A special Eye-Opener Breakfast will be held on February 22nd.  The staff from Web Solutions, Inc. will be talking about the new enhancements on the Chamber’s new web site and how our members can best use the features of the site to improve their business.  We have had fabulous web traffic and we have a pretty good idea who is looking at you…via the web.  Let’s figure out how to best capture and expand on this audience.  As the event will be sponsored by Connecticut Business Brokers, it is FREE to all Chamber members.   Specific RSVP details will be available in a special mailing later in February so please save the date and watch your mailboxes for the flyer.
• We are planning for our 112th Annual Meeting, Dinner, Award Presentations and Silent Auction.  It will be held on April 3, 2008.  We will email nomination forms for the Community Partnership Award and the Business Leadership Awards in the next few weeks.  Marke your calendars to save the date and NOMINATE your business colleagues for these awards.
• The Sanford S. Shorr Education Award applications are due back to the Chamber by February 29th.  We present 4 awards of $1,000 each and in addition, our Hispanic Member Outreach Committee will be awarding at least 2 additional $1,000 awards to deserving Meriden residents.  Applications can be emailed to Chamber members or you may download them from the Chamber’s web site at www.meridenchamber.com in the community service section of the site.
• A number of my economist friends, many of whom have done a better job of predicting the past than preparing for the future, are starting to use the dreaded “R” word again when talking about the upcoming months.  It’s more important than ever for us to keep our own confidence up!  It is more valuable than ever to connect face to face with your fellow chamber members and to work together.  Come on out to our Chamber events and let’s do some business with each other…Chamber members do use Chamber members.