See? Networking doesn’t have to be scary!

On Thursday night, October 28, I celebrated my fifth Chamber Network Night (CNN). It is the Chamber event I most look forward to each year as part of my Valpo Chamber duties. Maybe it was because it was the first event I attended when I started working here, but maybe it is because of all the great things it does for the Porter County business community. I am floored each year at how much networking gets done in a six hour period and I am proud to be a part of it.

This year was the largest CNN yet. Around 6:15 p.m., the Chamber was informed by volunteers that we had run out of scavenger hunt cards and sponsor bags. WOW! We had ordered 800, as we have every year, and there were still people coming in the door! A few minutes later, a representative from one of the vendor booths asked me if I thought attendance was up because she had run out of all her water bottles. Everyone agreed this was the busiest and best CNN.

Chamber staff always enjoys asking exhibitors, especially new businesses, how their evening was. Each person we heard from said they made great contacts and are confident their business will grow because of CNN.

If you missed CNN this year, you really missed out. But fear not, it will return on Thursday, October 27, 2011.

Kurt Gillins
Programs Director
kgillins@valparaisochamber.org

Get out the Vote on November 2!

On Tuesday, November 2, citizens can cast their votes in a very important election. There are numerous Porter County offices up for election as well as important state legislative offices. Citizens will also have the chance to vote for U.S. Congress and U.S. Senator. 

The Board of Directors of the Greater Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce urges all citizens to exercise their important privilege of voting on Election Day. 

There are numerous reasons why this is a very important election for business owners, their employees and citizens at large.

• The leadership of Porter County Government is at stake with one of three County Commission seats open. The winner will help shape policy for county government for the next four years.
• Several County Council positions are up for election. The County Council approves the budgets for all of County Governments. Their financial decisions will impact the rate of taxes for county government.
   
• Township Trustees are up for election. This office deals with Poor Relief and fire protection in the unincorporated areas of the county.
   
• Important County Administrative posts are up for election. Those include Recorder, Assessor, Clerk of the Courts, and Sheriff.
   
• The elected State Legislators will decide how redistricting will occur and determine the level of funding for important things such as funding for public schools, mental health programs and our state tax policy.
   
• Our Federal Congressional Representative and United States Senator will determine what kind and how much federal tax goes to stimulus programs and to regulate banks and the financial community as well as to fund military action any place in the world.

I, along with the Chamber Board of Directors, respectfully urge all citizens to vote on November 2.

 

Rex G. Richards

President

richards@valparaisochamber.org

 

Clean. Crisp. User-friendly. Easy to navigate.

The Valpo Chamber is pleased to announce that its website, http://www.valparaisochamber.org/, has been completely redesigned in an effort to offer its members added value and convenience.

Designed to showcase Valpo Chamber member businesses and provide important business and visitor information about the community, the fresh look and user-friendly navigation engages visitors with images from throughout the community and allows them to easily find the information they seek.

Essentially, the Valpo Chamber has combined three websites into one. The landing page offers web visitors three distinct choices with not only a Chamber tab, but the introduction of an added Community tab and Economic Development tab to help market Valparaiso’s economic vitality and quality of life.

This dynamic website was created by Valpo Chamber member The Grossbauer Group, Inc., whose diverse team members collaborate in a high-energy creative environment to provide comprehensive services such as graphic design, Web programming, Web conversion rate enhancement, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, advertising, creative writing, print production, e-mail campaigns, public relations, and marketing metrics.

The new website has been a carefully planned project. We are proud of the final product and look forward to the benefits it will provide to our members and visitors," says Rex Richards, president of the Valpo Chamber.

WELCOME to the new and improved http://www.valparaisochamber.org/. Take a moment, look around. Meet the nearly 700 businesses that make the Valpo Chamber a thriving, diverse organization. We encourage you to explore the site and make it your practice to do business with Chamber members first.

Susan Antoszewski
Marketing & Communications Specialist

santoszewski@valparaisochamber.org

The positive impact of students on our local economy

College students in the greater Valparaiso community make a very positive and significant economic impact on the local economy.

Nearly 3,500 students – including law, graduate, and international students - are anticipated this fall on the Valparaiso University campus. Many of these students make their home here for at least nine months of the year, not to mention those who stay all year to work, intern, or continue their studies. These students patronize our restaurants and our service businesses, and shop at our local stores. Many also live off campus and commute back and forth, shopping for everything from gas to groceries. If parents come to visit, the opportunity to showcase and shop Valparaiso is even greater. At those times, the expenditures are multiplied and include special meals out and hotel room reservations.

In addition to Valparaiso University, we have Ivy Tech Community College and the Purdue University North Central campuses-- both locally and at Westville. These campuses also offer a nice boost for our local economy. Rather than attending college elsewhere, these students stay close to home, spending dollars here.

The bottom line? There is a real and unique economic engine that can be captured by local businesses in Valparaiso, because of the growing student population. We are fortunate to have such a great asset which sets us apart from most other communities. Millions of dollars are spent by students in our community each year.

One way the Valparaiso Chamber helps our members capture this student business is by offering the opportunity to advertise in our annual U-Guide or University Student Resource Guide. This publication is distributed to all the local campuses - inside every student’s mail box at VU, and at convenient distribution spots at other campuses. Advertisers are also given a Welcome poster for their window, and an online link to their business.

I encourage all businesses that want to provide goods or services to the university students in Valparaiso to contact Danielle in our office about participating in our U-Guide. We must remember that many times a great opportunity is right before our eyes.

Rex G. Richards
President

2010 Census - Valparaiso Counts!

Every ten years the United States Government undertakes a count of all our citizens. As the Chair of the Complete Count Committe, the local effort to encourage our citizens to participate, I would like to offer some important information about the 2010 census.

Who does the Census count?
*Everyone.

How big is the Census?
*118 Million housing units are anticipated to be counted
*79 Million questionnaires will be returned within a two week period

What the Census does for You:
*The Federal government uses Census numbers to allocate over $100 billion in funds annually for community programs and services.

*State and Local governments use Census information for planning and allocating for new school construction, public buildings, highway safety and public transportation systems, new roads and bridges, location of police and fire departments, and many other projects.

*Community organizations use Census information for developing social service programs, community action projects, senior lunch programs, and child-care centers.

*Businesses use the Census numbers to decide where to locate factories, shopping centers, movie theaters, banks and offices - leading to the creation of jobs in our area.

*The U.S. Congress uses the Census totals to determine how many seats your state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. Likewise, states use the numbers to allocate seats in their Legislatures.

It is very important for all Valparaiso citizens to be counted. When the Census form reaches your household please take a few moments and respond right away.

Rex G. Richards, President