Networking means creating connections. It may sound simple on the surface, but it often requires being in the right place at the right time with the right people. Those connections can help your business by building referrals, gaining exposure for your products or services, and raising your overall business profile. On a personal level, networking can improve your professional skills and confidence.

As a countywide business association, the CHQ Chamber has been in the business of organizing networking opportunities for decades. This year we are trying a few new ways to entice businesspeople to participate, including some non-traditional venues. And while we look to keep it all fresh, the fact remains that we are still putting people in the same space together, which is just plain good for business and for career-building.

We also understand that networking is not a one-size-fits-all type of event. Sometimes people may be looking to grow their circle in a different way or seek more localized networking. We are fortunate to have additional events in this area hosted by CHQ Professionals and Jamestown Young Professionals to help meet a variety of needs.

The fact remains that dedicated networking events focused on building business connections are vital for your business and your career. We hope you’ll take some time to investigate these opportunities countywide this year and make some valuable contacts in the local business community. We are closing in on a full calendar for 2025 which includes a variety of Business After Hours events throughout the county from Jamestown to Irving and points in between. You can learn more by watching our online calendar at www.chqchamber.org and signing up for our regular emails at www.chqchamber.org/stay-up-to-date.

Business After Hours at Ballgame Heroes January 16

As we kick off 2025 the CHQ Chamber is ready for football playoffs! Join us Thursday, January 16 for a unique Business After Hours at Ballgame Heroes, Ballgame Heros is a locally owned business specializing in sports trading cards and your go-to destination for sports cards and memorabilia! They also feature Pokémon cards.

This Business After Hours event will run from 5-6:30 and will focus on an NFL playoff theme. Come dressed in your Bills jersey (or other NFL gear) and enjoy complimentary pizza, wings, and beverages while mingling with other local businesspeople. The CHQ Chamber always encourages you to bring business cards for networking.

Business After Hours at Ballgame Heroes is sponsored by Ballgame Heroes, the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, the Observer, and The Post-Journal. Chamber members can send two people free of charge to each Business After Hours. Non-members or anyone above the two-person limit may attend at $10 per person.

Space is limited for this special event so sign up soon! Registration is open now through the web calendar at www.chqchamber.org.

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, Fenton History Center, Infinity Visual and Performing Arts, Inc., #INTEGRITYFIRST, INC. – Jamestown Jackals, Lucile M. Wright 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. 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, HotSpot Café, James Prendergast Library, Labyrinth Press Company, and Sukanya Burman Dance.

To play the game, visit go.chqchamber.org and sign up for the pass. Each participating venue will have a question. When you answer each question you’ll get points towards our prize raffle drawing.

CHQ Chamber to Convene the State of Business January 31

The CHQ Chamber is proud to host the first ever State of Business panel discussion, to be held Friday, January 31 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 150 West Fourth Street, Jamestown. As a way to launch the new year with a look at the successes and opportunities for local businesses, we will feature presentations from Mark Geise, County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency; Andrew Nixon, Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau; Katie Geise, Chautauqua Works; Todd Tranum, Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier; and Courtney Curatolo, Small Business Development Center at JCC. Each panelist will provide a brief overview, and there will be time for questions and answers. We hope you will join us for this informative look at the State of Business in Chautauqua County. 

We strongly encourage local businesspeople to attend this breakfast event, and come with questions for our panelists. Pre-registration is required. Check-in will open at 7:30, with a buffet breakfast planned. The program will begin shortly after 8am.

The State of Business breakfast is sponsored by the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, the Observer, and The Post-Journal. Your $27 registration includes breakfast for the event 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. Sign up now through our web calendar at www.chqchamber.org.