With a couple of successful new and out-of-the-box events under our belt for this year we continue to build out a full list of CHQ Chamber events for 2025 that are meaningful to our business community. This includes a broad variety of networking opportunities, advocacy events, workshops, and more, focused around meeting our mission to build vital connections, provide professional resources, and champion our local businesses in Chautauqua County.

Two workshop events are coming up. On Feb. 26 we will focus on Building Foot Traffic with a workshop at the SUNY Fredonia Center for Innovation & Economic Development (formerly the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator) in Dunkirk. The next will be March 24 on Corporate Citizenship & Engagement at the Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union Community Training Center in Lakewood. These workshops are free for all local businesspeople to attend and each one not only provides a session to learn something but also includes opportunities to network and get to know other businesses in the area. There is no charge for CHQ Chamber Business Builder Workshop, but we do strongly encourage advanced registration for our planning purposes.

Business After Hours networking events continue to grow. The next one will be a unique opportunity to network not only with Chautauqua County businesspeople, but with Warren County as well. We are partnering with the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry and Audubon Community Nature Center for a special event March 20. This event will be held at Audubon, an organization with strong ties to both counties. April 30 will bring Business After Hours at the Athenaeum Hotel on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution, and at the end of May we invite one and all to meet and mingle with the Jamestown Tarp Skunks for a special Business After Hours event at Russell E. Diethrick Jr. Park.

Our first advocacy event of the year brought over 100 local businesspeople together to learn about the State of Business in Chautauqua County and ask questions ranging from innovations to awareness to regulations and electric rate increases. On the heels of that insightful event, we plan to offer a more casual opportunity for businesses to meet with local elected officials in a more direct way as we provide “Official Introductions” – a time set aside for networking directly with your representatives from all levels of government. Official Introductions will be held at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel June 17, with more details to be announced soon.

If you’re on our direct email list watch for announcements coming up on all of these events. If you’re not receiving our emails, it’s easy to sign up at www.chqchamber.org/stay-up-to-date. If you want to align your brand with our mission, we welcome sponsorships for all these business-focused events. Contact our Director of Membership Development, Bob Lingle at rlingle@chqchamber.org.

Business Builder Workshop: Boost Your Foot Traffic

The CHQ Chamber will present its first Business Builder Workshop of the year on the crucial topic of boosting foot traffic for local businesses. Whether you have a retail shop, restaurant, or service industry, you’ll gain some tips on how to drive more customers through your door.

This Business Builder Workshop will be held Wednesday, February 26 from 9:30 – 11:30 am at the SUNY Fredonia Center for Innovation and Economic Development (formerly the Technology Incubator), 214 Central Avenue, Dunkirk. This event is designed to be both a learning experience tied with a bit of networking. It is free for all to attend. Pre-registration is requested for planning purposes and is open now through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chqchamber.org.

Hanover Committee to Hold Sip & Celebrate

The CHQ Chamber’s Hanover Committee invites local businesspeople to a special evening of networking and camaraderie at Merritt Estate Winery in Forestville, Thursday, March 13. Sip & Celebrate is a fun way to close the winter season and mingle with other regional businesspeople. There will be complimentary snacks from Merritt Estate Winery along with pizza from Villaggio Italiano, and a cash bar from the winery. There will be a 50/50 drawing and some prize raffles. There is no charge for Chamber members. For non-members the cost is $10. Advance registration is appreciated for planning purposes. You can register online through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chqchamber.org.

Chambers to Hold Collaborative Event at Audubon

Audubon Community Nature Center, located at 1600 Riverside Road, Jamestown, will host the CHQ Chamber and the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry in a collaborative Business After Hours Event, on Thursday, March 20 from 5-6:30pm. This event will be a preview for Audubon Lights, which kicks off its three-weekend run the following evening. Audubon Lights features a half mile-long trail of lights after sunset including luminaries on the trail edges, illuminated trees, and special light displays at various points along the trail.

Business doesn’t end at a line on a map, exemplified by Audubon Community Nature Center which serves communities across state lines and draws visitors and volunteers from both Chautauqua and Warren counties. Both Chambers are excited to hold this collaborative event that demonstrates the power of regional collaboration and fosters stronger connections.

All local businesspeople are invited to attend this special networking event, which will include complimentary appetizers and beverages, with tips to benefit the Audubon Community Nature Center’s mission of connecting people to nature. Bring business cards for networking and door prize drawings.

CHQ Chamber member organizations can send two people free of charge to all Business After Hours events. Non-members or anyone above the two-person limit will be $10. Registration for CHQ Chamber members is open online now through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chqchamber.org. Members of the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry should email Savannah Casey at szimmerman@wccbi.org to register free of charge. Advanced registration is strongly encouraged by March 14.

Business After Hours at Audubon Community Nature Center is sponsored by Anchor Advisors, DFT Communications, Jamestown Community College, Kinetic Business, Media One Radio Group, Northwest, Observer, The Post-Journal, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Superior Tire & Rubber Corp., United Refining Company, and Whirley DrinkWorks!