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Business & Tech

What will be New with the Tri Town Chamber of Commerce for April?

Tri Town Chamber of Commerce President John Bates gives an update.

Thanks to all the businesses, volunteers and attendees who helped to make Tri Town Chamber’s Home and Garden Show 2012 a success. Despite glorious weather and one less hour of sleep for booth owners, the whole event went even better than did the previous two H & G shows. For those who missed it, video “interviews” with booth owners will soon be available for free on the web. Great job Kris Jepsen and Pics2Pix!

Last year we formed a marketing committee to find ways to help chamber members derive maximum benefit from participating in events. Our focus then was on premarketing the show and highlighting exhibitors via press releases and social media outlets. This year we have added the video element to help these businesses sustain visibility post-event and over a longer period of time.

 Tri Town’s next major event will be our annual Monte Carlo Night at 6 p.m.  May 3 at Showcase Live in Foxborough. Ticket prices this year have been reduced to $25 per person. The event is open to the public. Monte really does offer something for everyone: Neil Young tribute performer, funny money “gambling,” silent auction, food and a cash bar. Two years ago, we watched the Celtics, Bruins and Red Sox live while we won prizes and bid on their memorabilia!

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 As an extension of our ongoing effort to help member businesses flourish, we have initiated the Take a Break for Business development series. This program began in March with a presentation on personal branding by yours truly (as my Job Guy alter ego). The next session, Effective Networking, will be given by Greg DeSimone of Focal Point Coaching from noon to 1 p.m. April 26 in the appropriately-named Focal Point Conference Room at the Chamber. All segments of this series are free to members and $10 to not-yet members. Call 508 339-5655 to sign up.

 Our next Women’s Link get together will be held at Showcase Live April 10 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Special guest speaker Jennifer Vondenbrink of Life Simplified, will present “Leaving a Legacy Every Day.” Admission is $20 for chamber members and $25 for not-yet members and includes breakfast. Tickets can be acquired through the chamber or via Eventbrite. Thanks to sponsors Mansfield Bank and Dream Dinners for keeping this great event affordable.

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 Our chamber has its work cut out for it this month on the Community Relations front. We once again plan to field a team for one of our favorite causes; Keep Mansfield Beautiful is hosting its fifth annual Great American Cleanup of Mansfield on April 28 this year. Not to be outdone, Norton is conducting its first official Keep Norton Beautiful cleanup on May 5. Come join us in support of these great community efforts!

Given an aggressive slate of community activities this summer, executive director Kara Griffin will be very busy leading the charge to optimize our partnerships with great area causes including Foxborough Founders Day, Mansfield Family Fun Night, and Relay for Life events in both Mansfield and Foxborough.

 Several member businesses demonstrate their generosity directly. Every year, chamber stalwarts Invensys and Covidien provide thousands of employees an opportunity to perform community service in our area. Beginning this Fall, our Community Relations committee will shoulder some of the effort to help source prospective beneficiaries further in advance so that our member organizations can focus more of their effort on doing the actual work.

 Tri Town’s commitment to economic growth and recovery will continue April 24 when our Economic Development Committee will host a strategy session with the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District’s Regional Economic Development Committee. SRPEDD’s mission is to plan for the region's land use, transportation, economy and environment while assisting member cities and towns to operate more efficiently.

 Our Business After Hours this month will be held at the Learning Experience child development center at Chestnut Green in Foxborough on April 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. Attendance is free to members and guests and only $10 to not yet members. Contact the Chamber at 508-339-5655 or by email to sign up.

 The third Tri Town Referral Exchange (TREX) group is now up and running. TREX provides a forum for group members to meet on a biweekly basis to collaborate on business development opportunities, share leads and mastermind ways to improve their businesses. The groups are popular because, while groups do require specific membership, we do not charge members an additional fee to join.

 The Chamber has two offices available for rent in our Mansfield Crossing facility, behind Kohl’s, conveniently located near the intersection of routes 95 and 495. Utilities and limited use of the Chamber’s Focal Point Coaching Conference Room are included in the rent. Email or call the chamber at 508-339-5655 for details.

As President of the Board for the Tri Town Chamber of Commerce, I invite residents and local businesses reading Foxborough, Mansfield and Norton Patch to come to visit us during a chamber event or charity function. If you can’t make it in person, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and on Facebook. We want to hear what you have to say!

John Bates is the President of the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce and operates Job-Guy, a career coaching practice in Mansfield. Since joining the Chamber in 2005, John has also helped out as an Ambassador and as Vice President for Membership Development.

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