Official Newsletter of the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce
THE CHAMBER CORNER
Volume 12, Issue 6
Would you like to be an Ambassador? Are you interested in giving back to your business community? The Chamber is currently accepting applications for our 2012-2013 Ambassador term! Ambassadors serve as the official volunteers for the Chamber! While promoting your business, as an Ambassador you will attend and volunteer at events, help strengthen our membership by recruiting new members and creating relationships with current members, and so much more! If you are interested, please call (706) 485-7701 or email becky@eatonton.com.
Do you need a website? Google announces that websites are now free for Georgia businesses. The web is an essential tool for all small businesses. Georgia Get Your Business Online, a Google-led program, provides small businesses the resources they need to succeed online. Visit www.gybo.com/georgia for more information.
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June 2012
After a banner year, the Chamber celebrated our 33rd Annual Awards Banquet on Monday, May 7 at Rock Eagle 4-H Center banquet hall. Business leaders from the area enjoyed a full meal catered by the 4-H Center, as well as fellowship with other business owners in the community. The Annual Awards Banquet honored those in the community and Chamber partners who have excelled in several categories including: Business Person of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Citizen of the Year and the Edward Rice Youth in Excellence. Please see the insert for full details and a recap of the evening’s festivities.
On July 31, the voters of Georgia will have the opportunity to vote on the TSPLOST, which will cover many transportation projects in Georgia. Both the Chamber Board and the Putnam Development Authority have voted to endorse the TSPLOST. Putnam County will reap the benefits from three major and two minor projects totaling more than 70 million dollars. Not only will it create local construction and support jobs but it will put us in a better position to further develop our downtown and have less congestion around our industrial and technology parks. Because this is such an important issue we are sure that our Chamber members and the general public will have many questions and we want to make sure that you have the information to make an informed decision. On June 27, we have invited a representative from the Regional Commission, Connect Georgia and GDOT to come and answer your questions about the sales tax and the projects that will be covered. These representatives will be available to talk with you from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Lake Oconee area (location TBA), and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Plaza Arts Center. For more information, call (706) 485-7701.
Southern Living featured Dairy Festival! Eatonton receives statewide & national coverage!
The Chamber is continuously educating the media on Eatonton attractions and events, and this month a lot of hard work has paid off. Eatonton’s Dairy Festival received coverage in the calendar of events of Southern Living magazine while the Historic Piedmont Scenic Byway received two pages of editorial in Georgia EMC magazine. On Monday, May 21, Tourism & Special Events Coordinator, Bonnie Simmons, attended a workshop on Hotel/Motel tax dollars and how they can be used to attract tourists to our community presented by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The workshop included sample tax ordinances, tourism product development and updates to the law.
Lunch-N-Learn: Joy of Connecting! Are you tired of the same ole’ networking chatter? Do you wish you were somewhere else? Do you ever wonder if anyone is really listening to what you have to say? Want to ‘step up’ your game? Do you want to learn how to become a Savvy Networker? Then plan to join the Chamber for our Lunch-N-Learn: “The Joy of Connecting,” on Wednesday, June 20 at The Lodge on Lake Oconee for only $20. Join Bonnie Ross-Parker as she shares effective strategies for effective results during this high energy and interactive workshop. As a 29-plus year networking professional, she provides content that will definitely impact your future activity and lead to more successful networking for a brighter career. Please see the inclosed insert for more details! Sponsored by: The Peoples Bank, Putnam County Charter School System, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Central Georgia Technical College, Smith Communications, Farmers & Merchants Bank and Putnam General Hospital.