Chamber Sponsorships Can Help Promote Chamber Businesses By Sara Hodon
in this issue Feature Story 1 - Chamber Sponsorships
Executive Director’s Message 2 - Dawn Ferrante
One of the biggest benefits to being a Chamber member is the range of opportunities available to network and promote your business. While making connections with other members can go a long way to establishing strong business relationships, signing on as an event sponsor can take your visibility to a much higher level.
Dates You Should Know 2 New Member Listing 2 Events Re-Cap 3 Membership 4
In its simplest form, an event sponsor provides revenue, or services at reduced or no cost, to an organization’s event in exchange for recognition as part of the event’s advertising. That’s just for starters. As Frank Facchiano, Executive Vice President, Member Relations & Operations with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber, says, “Sponsorships go above and beyond traditional marketing and advertising—they bring higher-level opportunities. Sponsors get a lot of event-based visibility, not to mention the value of businesses who show support of the Chamber.” Sponsorship dollars also mean non-dues-based revenue for the Chamber, which helps to keep the organization’s dependence on dues down. Larger events like golf outings or annual dinners typically require more financial or in-kind support than a smaller or more focused event, such as a Carbon Women in Business luncheon. In return, higher-level sponsors have more opportunity to promote their business beyond the traditional print and online advertising efforts including but not limited to addressing the crowd during the event, reserved seating, or special access to program presenters, awardees, or other sponsors.
- Member Business Spotlight: Carbon County Living
Useful Tidbits 5 - Did You Know? - Just the Facts
Chamber Leadership 6
editorial contributors Dawn Ferrante Sara Hodon Dina Tulli Davis Mauri A. Rapp
design, layout, editing: If you are a small business owner, contributing hundreds of dollars for a high-level contribution may not be in your budget, but there are still some creative ways to attach your name to an event as a sponsor. Even the smallest events have a variety of needs. Are you a new eating establishment looking for some visibility? Consider offering samples at a Chamber meeting or smaller event. Are you a printer or designer? Consider offering in-kind or reduced printing or design services for an event’s promotional materials. The Chamber is happy to work with businesses of all sizes to both meet their event needs and provide valuable opportunities for member visibility.
JumpSpark Creative Group
printing & distribution : TN Printing
contact CCEDC 137 South Street Lehighton, PA 18235 phone | 610.379.5000 fax | 610.379.0130
[email protected]
From the Desk of Dawn Ferrante
dates you should know Mark Your Calendars!
Executive Director’s Message Feedback
Watch for event details & registration info in upcoming Carbon eLink e-mails.
It seems like everyone these days is asking for feedback. It’s hard not to visit a website, and at some point, be asked if you want to give your opinion. Or, every time you make a call to a toll free number, it seems that they are asking you at the end to stay on the line and answer a bunch of questions!! Everyone wants to know what you are thinking… so they can build a better mousetrap!
Thurs. Oct. 3rd 5:30 - 7:30 pm Joint Mixer w/Hazleton Chamber: CTC Manufacturing Mixer & Tour, Beaver Meadows Tues. Oct. 15th 5:30 - 7:30 pm Business Incubator Tour: WB Electric & MetLife Jim Thorpe Thurs. Oct. 17th 8:00 am Economic Outlook Breakfast Hosted by Mauch Chunk Trust Mahoning Valley Country Club Mon. Nov. 4th 6:00 - 8:00 pm “Business After Hours” Event: West End Saloon featuring West End Plant Program, Palmerton
Board of Directors Meetings: Monday, October 14th 5:00 pm, Chamber Office Monday, November 11th 5:00 pm, Chamber Office
welcome new members Please Join Us in Welcoming Our New Members... Northeast PA Kayak School, Inc. The Republic Media Group, Inc. Carbon County Living Lehighton Electronics, Inc. Stone Mountain Solutions, LLC. C&J's Mountain Warriors Karate Institute Closet Cases CutiePIES Wood Fired Pizza
Well, we are no different. Except in one major way. We want to actually provide products and services that will help YOU build a better mousetrap. What we are undertaking (finally!) after two years in the making is our Carbon County Business Survey. This is something that is truly historic. We went out a couple of years back and asked our partners if we could get their support in funding a survey of Carbon County businesses. We got support from PPL, PACE, Partners for Progress, and the rest is being funded by our organization, the CCEDC. So, now all we need is YOU. I realize that we are living in a world where you are inundated with people asking for your opinion, but this time, it’s really going to count. I really need you to take the time over the next couple of weeks and visit the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CarbonCountyBusinessNeeds Assessment2013 (It is important that you type the web address above exactly as it is, including upper and lower case letters.) It will take you about 10-15 minutes, but what it will do for our community will be long lasting. Not to be overly dramatic, but it could actually effect your children’s lives as well. See, we have never really reached out in any concerted way to the business community in Carbon County. What that has meant is that we have not had a clear direction on our strategy. The results of this survey are literally going to chart the course for where we direct our limited resources. The outputs will be given to our Board of Directors and also to a consulting firm that is going to help us develop a Strategic Plan. This Strategic Plan will lay out what industries we focus on to grow and support. It will also lay the groundwork for what we do to build a strong economy locally. It will chart our course for the next 5-10 years. It really has never been more important for your voice to be heard. I hear time and time again how we are not doing enough for businesses in Carbon County and how there is so little support. Well, now is the time for your voice to be heard! Please, please take the time to do this survey. If you don’t do another survey for the next year- DO THIS ONE. It’s sorta like voting. It’s hard to complain about what’s happening if you don’t make your voice heard. The link will also be in the weekly eLink, so if you are receiving that you can just click on the link. Either way, we need to hear from you. The deadline to complete this survey is October 14th. Now is the time!!
Maddie & Leilani's Room
Sincerely,
Find What’s Happening in Carbon County
Dawn Ferrante
2
were you there? Recent CCEDC Events: Some Highlights August 15th: Asa & Harry Packer Mansions Networking Event
events
(Joint Event with GLVCC) Members of the CCEDC & GLVCC Chambers as well as their guests enjoyed a beautiful summer evening networking and touring the historical Asa Packer Mansion Museum and The Harry Packer Mansion as well as strolling through Kemmerer Park in Jim Thorpe. The event proved to be a huge success and a most fascinating one! Many thanks to the Jim Thorpe Borough, The Lions Club, the Board of Kemmerer Park and The Harry Packer Mansion for allowing us to step back in time to learn more about the history of the Packer Family. We would also like to thank Bennett Automotive Group for sponsoring this event. The Harry Packer Mansion. GLVCC Members taking a moment away from the tour to strike a pose. Have you met (L to R) Greg Marks of Adams Outdoor Advertising and Casey Feinberg and Mike Keller of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber yet? There were a lot of gorgeous things to see, including this beauty from event sponsor, Bennett Automotive Group.
August 29th: Heritage Hill Senior Community Networking Event (Joint Event with the Greater Hazleton Chamber) Both CCEDC & Greater Hazleton Chamber members had a fantastic time expanding their reach to businesses in one another’s chambers at Heritage Hill Senior Community in Weatherly at the end of August. Thank you to our gracious host, Lisa Marie Halecky, for giving us tours of her community as well as some wonderful insight into everything they offer.
September 12th: “Women In Business” Meeting at Sunny Rest Resort Our “Women In Business” Group held another successful meeting in September at Sunny Rest Resort in Palmerton. Our guest speaker, Pamela Fludgate of My Mortgage Store, gave an informative presentation on Credit Analysis. Many thanks to Myra Mesher, owner of Sunny Rest Resort, for hosting the event and providing a tour of her resort.
Will You Be There? Come Visit Us at Our Booth!
Fri. & Sat., October 18th & 19th For Event & Ticket Information: carboncountyoktoberfest.com
3
M e mb er Bus i ness S p o t l i g h t
membership
Contributor: Mauri A. Rapp This month marks the launch of Carbon County Living, an online publication devoted to the events, places, happenings and, most of all, the people of Carbon County. Each month, Carbon County Living will tell the stories that show our county’s uniqueness from the businesses that thrive here to the personalities you meet on the street every day. Editor and publisher, Mauri A. Rapp, explains that the online magazine aims to reveal the hidden gem in Pennsylvania’s midst. “I’ve always wanted to shout from the mountain tops about what a treasure Carbon County is,” Rapp states. “Carbon County Living does that in a virtual way.” The publication’s main goal is to boost pride among current residents and business owners, while also attracting new economic opportunities through tourism, new residents, and new businesses. The first issue previews upcoming fall festivities, including Carbon County Oktoberfest and Jim Thorpe’s Fall Foliage Weekends. Carbon County Living’s October issue also features the people and businesses who work to raise breast cancer awareness, takes a look at CCEDC’s new partnership with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, and much, much more. This new business venture combines Rapp’s journalism background and passion for storytelling with her interest in community development. Rapp previously worked as a freelance correspondent and has written for numerous publications, including Happenings Magazine, The Times Leader, Lehigh Valley Marketplace, The Weekender, and The Morning Call. If you would like to read Carbon County Living’s inaugural issue or submit a story idea, please visit www.carboncountyliving.com.
Interested in featuring your business in our next Member Business Spotlight? Contact Dawn Ferrante at 610.379.5000 to reserve your space in an upcoming issue. Promote your business to all CCEDC Members, submit your 250-word article* and photo & reserve your space...ALL for ONLY $100! * Please note that the CarbonLink editor reserves the right to edit submitted articles for grammar, flow, misspellings & for allotted space.
4
did you know?
useful tidbits
There Are Exciting New Changes to the Leadership Carbon Program This year’s Leadership Carbon class marked their kick-off at a breakfast event at Mahoning Valley Country Club on September 4th. There are 16 participants in this year’s class, a number of which are local small business owners. “This year we made quite a few changes to the program,” said Dawn Ferrante. The changes also included a change in venue, leadership, and the way prospective attendees can participate. First row from left: Dawn Ferrante, Executive Director, CCEDC; Lynn Shupp, Photography by Lynn; Kayla Everett, Ohl Fuel Oil; Jennifer Harvey, Closet Cases; Amanda Miller, RN, St. Luke’s Miners Coaldale; Lisa Bleicher, Family Chiropractic; Colleen Dykas, Mrs. Domestic. Second row from left: Pam Fludgate, My Mortgage Store; Cindi Gasper, Transcription Services; Pat Anglovich, HRC; Scott Allen, J&R Slaw; Chastity Miller, Mauch Chunk Trust; Pamela Heydt, Blue Mountain Health System; Andy Hart; Kathy Ruff, Total Business Services; Nicole Beckett, Lehighton Borough Manager.
In previous years, the class was meeting at Kovatch in their training facility. “We’d like to thank Kovatch for their support of this program not only for the last two years by providing their training space at no cost, but also since the inception of the program, by providing participants,” said Elissa Garofalo, immediate Past Chair of the Steering Committee.
This year also saw a changing of leadership for the program. Longtime Chair, Elissa Garofalo, stepped down after seven years at the helm and is being replaced by 2010 class participant and Steering Absent from picture: Chrissy Mayernic, Manufacturers Committee member, Patty DeSousa. “My role has expanded Resource Center. considerably in my day job, and I also think it was just time to pass the baton. Programs like these benefit from new energy and blood in the leadership spot, and I felt it was time for a change,” said Elissa Garofalo, Executive Director of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. The other major change this year was how participants can pay for the program. “We wanted to reach out to a new group of possible attendees this year,” said Patty DeSousa, incoming Chair of the Steering Committee. “Dawn created a way for participants to trade their services in exchange for the tuition fee. This opened up a lot of opportunity for those who don’t necessarily want to shell out the $595.00 fee. It’s a win-win…. win for the Chamber, the program, and the participant.” To fill out an application for next year’s class please go to www.leadershipcarbon.com.
just the facts! FREE 2013 Entrepreneurial Workshops For the past three years, the CCEDC in partnership with Carbon County Career Link, have provided a series of FREE workshops. The intention of the workshops is twofold. First, we want to support an environment of entrepreneurship in our county. The CCEDC receives many calls and inquiries from people either considering starting a business or those who recently have. Many times, they have questions and issues that can be addressed by attending these seminars. Second, the other groups of folks these classes are meant to assist is anyone already in business in Carbon County. The challenges businesses face, regardless of what industry you serve or what type of business you are, are universal. When should you hire someone? How do you get more capital if you know your business is ready for the next step? What do lenders look for? What is the current client of lending for our local banks? This year, Class 5 on October 15th is all about financing your business. This class along with the entire workshop series have been sponsored by our local banks. Please check out the website or look for emails to register. You can also register by calling Linda Rex at 610-379-5000.
5
Chamber Leadership Executive Board
CCEDC Staff
President: Michael Harleman
Executive Director: Dawn Ferrante
Administrative Assistant: Linda Rex
Vice President: Patricia Handwerk Treasurer: Marshall Walters
Ambassador Events:
Business/Education Partnership:
Secretary: Frank Potoczak
Marlyn Kissner, GLVCC
[email protected]
(Interim) Marshall Walters Architectural Polymers
[email protected]
Board of Directors
Signature Events:
Paul Canevari
Frank Potoczak, Castle Grill
[email protected]
Mark Sverchek Ronald Tirpak
Finance:
Joe Federanich
Patrick Reilly, Mauch Chunk Trust
[email protected]
Barbara Green
Accommodations:
Craig Zurn
Eileen East, Home Hill Forge B&B
[email protected]
Ric Reaman David Althouse Wayne Nothstein Marlyn Kissner Jane Sebelin, Solicitor
Education: Maureen Donovan Lehigh Carbon Community College
[email protected]
Chair Position: OPEN
Leadership Carbon: Patty DeSousa Oil Blue Mountain Health Systems
[email protected]
Tourism: Chair: Jack Sturm, J.A.S. Hospitality Mgt.
[email protected] Vice-Chair: Chuck Dickinson, Split Rock Resorts
[email protected]
Enjoy Our Next Issue of CarbonLink in December
137 South Street Lehighton, PA 18235
Patrick Reilly
Women In Business:
