The CHQ Chamber is excited to announce that our 2024 Annual Meeting will be held in a fabulous venue and will feature a fascinating keynote speaker. Join us at noon, Friday, December 13 at the newly refurbished White Inn, 52 East Main Street, Fredonia, where we will hear from Leslie Zemsky, Vice President and Partner with Larkin Development Group in Buffalo.

After being closed for several years, the White Inn was purchased in by Steve St. George, who brought in Devin Jones as a partner to run the food service. The historic building has been undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation for the past couple of years. The White Inn was built in 1868 and has now been restored as a centerpiece of the community, featuring 25 renovated guest rooms as well as a bar, restaurant, and banquet site.

The CHQ Chamber is pleased to be among the first to host a major event at this iconic venue as it prepares to re-open for business. We are certain there will be many more to come in the years ahead.

We very much look forward to welcoming our keynote speaker, Leslie Zemsky, who knows a thing or two about historic re-use herself. The Zemsky family has been transforming the historic Larkin District in Buffalo for two decades. The east Buffalo site was once part of the Larkin Soap Company and now includes more than a million square feet of office space, more than a half mile of streetscape renovations, and a public gathering space for events called Larkin Square. New projects include multiple mixed-use residential and retail space.

As the “Director of Fun” for Larkin Square, she has overseen events attracting more than 130,000 people each season. Popular events include Food Truck Tuesdays, Live at Larkin Wednesdays, and the Larkin Square Author Series. A lifelong philanthropist, she has worked to create a vibrant atmosphere and bring positive energy to the community. She is a board member of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation and a Trustee with the Zemsky Family Foundation. She is a past trustee and President of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, past trustee of the Buffalo Arts and Technology Center, the Erie County Cultural Resource Advisory Board, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Visit Buffalo Niagara, and more. She was the founding chair of Advancing Arts and Culture Buffalo and chaired many community fundraisers including the Junior League Show House.

Registration for the CHQ Chamber Annual Meeting luncheon is open now on our web calendar at www.chqchamber.org. This event is sponsored by Brooks-TLC Hospital System, County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Association, LaBella Associates, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, Observer, and The Post-Journal. Program sponsors are DFT Communications, M&T Bank, Shults Auto Group, and UPMC Chautauqua.

SIGN UP NOW FOR THE HOLIDAY WINDOW DECORATING CONTEST

If you have a storefront-type business we know you’ll be decorating for the holiday season, and we strongly encourage you to sign up now to participate in the CHQ Chamber’s 2024 Holiday Window Decorating Contest. Last year we had 94 businesses entered from all over Chautauqua County. This year we hope to make it even bigger! There is no cost to enter this contest, and you do not need to be a Chamber member business to enter.

The CHQ Chamber will use a new platform to help drive traffic into local businesses during this year’s Holiday Window Decorating Contest. The voting system will be a little different this year, but we can tell you that we will incentivize voters to VISIT your business – not just vote from the comfort of their mobile device. Prizes for the top three winning businesses will be a combination of advertising packages from the CHQ Chamber.

Urging customers to visit small, locally owned businesses is central to our work at the CHQ Chamber, and customers will also be incentivized to participate through a drawing for ShopLocalCHQ Gift Cards.

Registration is open through the Chamber’s web calendar now at www.chqchamber.org. You must register by November 15 to participate in the Holiday Window Decorating Contest.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT SOUTHERN TIER BREWING IS NOVEMBER 13

Enjoy some great CHQ Chamber networking during one of our most popular Business After Hours events! We will hold Business After Hours at Southern Tier Brewing Company, 2072 Stoneman Drive, Lakewood, on Wednesday, November 13. At this Business After Hours event, you’ll enjoy complimentary appetizers, a cash bar, and a chance to mingle with a wide variety of local businesspeople in a tremendous setting. Business After Hours at Southern Tier Brewing Company is sponsored by Brooks-TLC Hospital System, Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, DFT Communications, Jamestown Community College, LaBella Associates, M&T Bank, Media One Radio Group, National Grid, Observer, The Post-Journal, and Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union. Chamber member businesses may send two people for free to each Business After Hours. After that the cost is just $10 per person, or it’s $10 if you’re a non-member. We always enjoy visiting with our friends at Southern Tier Brewing Company! This event fills up quickly, so registration is strongly encouraged. Visit our web calendar at www.chqchamber.org.

NOMINATIONS OPEN NOW FOR PAM LYDIC COALITION BUILDER AWARD

Each year the CHQ Chamber presents an award in memory of the first President of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, Pam Lydic. It recognizes an organization or individual in the region who has worked hard to bring groups of people together around a common goal or objective. This award is presented to an entity or person who has helped move the region forward in a positive direction through collaboration and by building partnerships. The award is particularly focused on those who have done their work consistently and often times in the background. A typical awardee may be an ‘unsung hero’ in the community or one that has made a dramatic impact. The award will be presented during the Chamber’s Annual Meeting in December and includes a $500 stipend to the recipient’s nonprofit of choice. To submit an organization or individual for consideration please fill out our online form at www.chqchamber.org/award-nomination-form. Submissions must be received by November 11, 2024.