By Daniel J. Heitzenrater

President and CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce

From sole proprietorships to major employers, businesses come in all sizes here in Chautauqua County. They also cut across all economic sectors including hospitality, service industries, finance, manufacturing, and more. At the same time, there are a number of private organizations and governmental agencies working in various aspects of business-building throughout Chautauqua County.

Now there’s an opportunity for everyone to learn more about all the efforts to boost business – and how they’re doing – in a comprehensive format. The CHQ Chamber is proud to be convening the first ever State of Business breakfast in Chautauqua County.

Our panelists will be Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development; Courtney Curatolo, Executive Director of the Small Business Development Center at JCC; Todd Tranum, Executive Director of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier & President of Dream It Do It WNY; Andrew Nixon, Executive Director of the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau; and Katie Geise, Executive Director of Chautauqua Works.

Each panelist will have five minutes to present some of their successes and challenges to provide a comprehensive look at how the business community is faring in our county. Following the presentations we will take questions from the audience and allow for a moderated discussion with our panelists.

We strongly encourage local businesspeople to attend this breakfast event and come with questions for our panelists. This is an opportunity to hear first-hand how we’re doing and what may be ahead in 2025.

The State of Business breakfast will be held at 8 a.m., Friday, January 31 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 150 West 4th Street, Jamestown. Advanced registration is required, and we ask that you sign up no later than Jan. 27. Registration is open online now through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chqchamber.org. The cost is $27, which includes a buffet breakfast as well as support for the year-round activities of the CHQ Chamber as we focus on building vital connections, providing professional resources, and championing our local businesses in Chautauqua County.

The State of Business breakfast is sponsored by the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, UPMC Chautauqua, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, the Observer, and The Post-Journal.

Doors Open Jamestown is January 25

The perennially popular Doors Open Jamestown is back January 25! From 10am-4pm on that Saturday you can visit numerous local attractions and businesses free of charge and play our online quiz game to be entered in a prize drawing.

Doors Open Jamestown is a FREE admission day at local museums and attractions. It’s designed to let area residents see our community as visitors often see us, and it is purposely held at what would normally be a slow time of year for museums and attractions.

Taking part this year are Audubon Community Nature Center, Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame, Chautauqua Youth Symphony, CHQ Chamber and Visitor Information Center, Fenton History Center, Infinity Visual and Performing Arts, Inc., #IntegrityFirst – Jamestown Jackals, James Prendergast Library, Lucile M. Wright Air Museum, *Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown, Martz-Kohl Observatory, Marvin Community House, *National Comedy Center, Northwest Arena, Partridge-Sheldon House by Jamestown DAR, Pearl City Clay House, Reg Lenna Center for The Arts, Robert H. Jackson Center, and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute and Sukanya Burman Dance. Those marked with asterisks require pre-registration through their own websites.

A number of local businesses are also signed up to participate this year. They are 4 Below Haggy’s Bar and Grill, Art Cloth & Craft, BioDome Project, Brazil Craft Beer and Wine Lounge, Brigiotta’s Farmland Produce, Chautauqua Art Gallery, Crown Street Roasting Company, HotSpot Café, Labyrinth Press Company, Pearl City Cycle, and Wicked Warren’s.

Each participating venue has developed a scavenger hunt quiz question. You can find the answer by visiting their location and then play along as you go from place to place and enter to win prizes. Attractions are donating prizes that will be assembled into four amazing prize packages. These prizes will be given in a random draw to the four people who play and enter our online game.

The play along, visit go.chqchamber.org on Doors Open day, and sign up for the game pass. There is no app to download. You can also easily find the pass by using the QR code available at each participating location. You’ll be asked to enter some basic contact information, and then you’ll get a text with a direct link to the pass. From each location you visit, open the game pass, scroll to the location, and answer the quiz question. Once you have collected at least 25 points, click the “rewards” icon at the bottom of the screen, then click “claim now” to redeem your points and complete the drawing entry. Prize winners will be drawn randomly and will be notified on Monday, January 27.

Doors Open Jamestown is in its 21st year. With a fascinating array of local museums, art galleries, historic sites, entertainment and recreational venues, cultural institutions, and other attractions throughout the Jamestown area, the CHQ Chamber is proud to organize this annual event that gives our own residents a peak at how tourists see us. Everyone is invited to take part in this wintertime scavenger hunt, that will undoubtedly leave you coming back for more – and bringing family and friends – in the future.