Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Leadership San Angelo Alumni  Association Annual Dinner: Today is the final day to reserve a seat for the Leadership San Angelo Graduation and Alumni Annual Dinner scheduled for Thursday, June 7^th at the Rio Concho West Clubhouse.  Several awards will be presented including the “Bob Diebitsch Outstanding Alumnus Civic Leader of the Year” award. The 2011-2012  Class will receive their graduation certificates,  and a business of the year will be honored. Tickets are $20 each for the dinner. Please RSVP to Hope at the Chamber, 655-4136

 

June Chamber Luncheon:  The next Chamber Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, June 12th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at ASU’s C.J. Davidson Center.  During the event Scott Eychner will discuss the latest trends in workforce development, including hiring, training, and growth trends.  The luncheon is sponsored by Concho Valley Workforce Development Board.  To make a reservation for $15, call Lara at the Chamber at 655-4136, ext. 235, email her at lcoleman@sanangelo.org or visit www.sanangelo.org.

April 30, 2012

San Angelo Named to Forbes List

San Angelo was recently named to the Forbes list of the Top 25 U.S. Cities for a Working Retirement.  The study included job growth potential and current unemployment rates as well as cost of living issues, tax environment, violent crime rates, climate, and physicians per capita statistics in its rating scale. 

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mjf45fkgh/san-angelo-texas/

April 20, 2012

Business @ Happy Hour: This Tuesday, April 24th, Business @ Happy Hour will be held at Staybridge Suites, 1355 Knickerbocker Rd.  from 5 to 6:30 p.m.  The cash prize amount from March’s event will roll over into this month’s prize drawing to total $750!  Remember, every Chamber member has already been entered in the drawing, but you MUST be present to win. If you have questions about the Business @ Happy Hour program, please contact Lara Coleman at 655-4136, ext. 235, or by email at lcoleman@sanangelo.org.

VOLUNTEER Opportunity: We are now scheduling volunteer shifts for Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Showdown in San Angelo Drag Boat Races, June 22nd-24th.  In the past, over 600 people each year have donated their time to work the gates or drive handicap carts, trash carts, and people movers to make this event happen.  This year a new Test & Tune event is being held on the Friday before the races for boats to test the water and we will need even more volunteers!  Each volunteer will receive free admission to the event on the day that he or she works, and there are also signage opportunities available to businesses that are able to cover an entire shift of workers.  If you or your business are interested in volunteering at the boat races, please contact Lara Coleman at 655-4136, ext. 235, or by email at lcoleman@sanangelo.org.

March 20, 2012

Business Brown Bag: The next Business Brown Bag lunch sponsored by the ASU’s Small Business Development Center, the Business Incubator, and the Chamber will be this Thursday, March 22nd and focus on how to make the best use of your bank services. Discussion will include how to manage your accounts, utilize your bank’s services, and what a banker needs from a small business owner. The speaker will be Sheila Alley, a small business owner with experience in banking. This seminar is free from noon to 1 p.m. in the Riverview Room at the Visitor Center. Please call the Chamber at 655-4136 to reserve a space, and let us know if you’d like to reserve a box lunch for $7.

 BRC Kick-Off: You are invited to celebrate the official start of renovations for the Business Resource Center. The kick-off will take place tomorrow, March 21st at 3 p.m. at 69 N. Chadbourne. The BRC will bring together entities involved in economic development and business assistance. Organizations represented will include the ASU Small Business Development Center, City of San Angelo Development Corporation, Concho Valley Center for Entrepreneurial Development, Concho Valley Workforce Development Board, Downtown San Angelo, Inc., Howard College and the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Division. To watch a video about the project and see artist renderings and floor plans of the facility, visit www.advancesanangelo.com and click on Business Resource Center.

February 28, 2012

Now Seeking Nominations:  Each year at the annual Economic Development Awards Luncheon, the Chamber honors businesses that had outstanding achievements in sales, employment, and/or physical growth in the previous year. We are currently seeking nominations for the 2011 awards. If your company, or one you know of, experienced growth in 2011 and would be eligible for one of these awards, please contact Hope Barron at hope@sanangelo.org, or call 340-4016. The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 2^nd. The awards will be presented at the April 10^th luncheon at Bentwood Country Club.

 

February 22, 2012

What a great time to get on board with the San Angelo Chamber Mobile App!

 According to a new report from Cisco -”Mobile data traffic overall is expected to increase a whopping 18-fold by 2016, showing how consumers are consistently and steadily using their mobile devices more. Additionally, connection speeds will need to keep pace as consumers use mobile more. In 2011, mobile network connection speeds doubled and are expected to increase an additional nine-fold by 2016. For marketers, the data is proof that mobile is a growing channel to target a broad group of consumers.”

 Contact Valerie at (314) 330-6294 to secure the very few sponsor spots left! Or contact Sandra at the Chamber office, 340-4009, for more information.

 

February 14, 2012

Shades of Ireland Q&A

Plan to attend a wine and cheese presentation this Valentine’s Day and hear about this year’s Chamber-sponsored international trip.  The trip is a 10-day tour through The Emerald Isle, renowned for its “forty shades of green.” This excursion features various adventures throughout the Irish countryside including a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Cliffs of Moher, and an overnight stay at the Cabra Castle. You’ll learn how Irish whiskey is made and enjoy a tasting, experience breathtaking views of the Lakes of Killarney, and browse the largest collection of Waterford Crystal in the world. This is a fully escorted tour with all arrangements made by Collette Travel and our local member travel agent, Travels by Glenda.  A representative from Collette Travel will be in San Angelo on Tuesday, February 14th to meet personally with interested individuals.  A slideshow presentation along with a question and answer period will begin at 5:00 at the Visitors Center in the Riverview Room.  Visit www.sanangelo.org to find out more about this 2012 annual Chamber-sponsored vacation, or call Sandra at the Chamber, 340-4009. The dates of the 2012 trip are September 18th – 27th 2012.

February 7, 2012

Phone App Lunch Break… Pizza Provided!

Come hear about the new SanAngeloChamber2Go Smartphone App! The Chamber’s new smart phone app will launch this spring and make Chamber business members information even more accessible to visitors and the community. This application will make the community calendar, Chamber information, and local business information accessible from anywhere you and your phone choose to go. A demonstration presented by account executive Valerie Momeno is scheduled for TODAY, February 7th from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in the River View Room at the Visitor Center. Drop by and learn about sponsorship opportunities and how the phone app works. Please RSVP to Sandra at the Chamber, 340-4009.

January 31, 2012

College Goal Sunday, February 12th 2012

The Chamber of Commerce and the P-16+ Education Partnership will host College Goal Sunday in the Community Room at Sunset Mall on Sunday, February 12th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.  All San Angelo and area high school students, especially seniors, are invited to attend.

What is College Goal Sunday?

College Goal Sunday (CGS) is a non-profit program which provides free support and information to families applying for financial assistance to fund higher education.  CGS mobilizes financial aid and educational professionals from high schools, colleges, universities and communities to help families of college-bound students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the federally required form for students seeking financial aid, including grants, loans, and work-study. 

 By participating in this two hour event, families of college-bound students will take an important step toward applying for the  financial resources necessary to make college a reality.  For more information, visit www.collegegoalsundaytexas.org, or contact Sandra Pomroy at 655-4136 to volunteer for this event.

January 17, 2012

RSVP NOW for the Annual Banquet: The Chamber’s Annual Banquet will be held on January 24th at the McNease Convention Center.  This major event is sponsored by Foster Communications and features dinner, award presentations, and entertainment by Acoustix and San Angelo Broadway Academy and sponsored by American State Bank and Suddenlink.  Individual tickets for general seating are $35, or a reserved table of 10 may be purchased for $400.  Reservations must be made by tomorrow, January 18th.  For questions about the banquet or to purchase tickets, please call Lara Coleman at 655-4136 ext. 235, or email her at lcoleman@sanangelo.org.

 

Sales Tax Increase: The first sales tax report of this year is a good one! San Angelo sales tax for November 2011 is up 13.9% over November 2010. This makes 16 straight months of increases over the same month, previous year. The local increase also exceeds the State increase of 8.3%, as well as all of the other Texas cities we track excluding those heavily dependent on oil and gas (Abilene, Midland and Odessa). Thanks for shopping San Angelo first!