|
|
| Tuesday, January 23, 2007 |
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2 |
|
 |
Peoria City Council Candidate Surveys
 The Progressive Peoria Political Action Committee, a subsidiary of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, has surveyed all candidates running for the at-large Council positions on the Peoria City Council. The PAC endorsements will be made after the February 27, 2007 primary.
[READ STORY]
|
 |
|
Upcoming Events
 Business After Hours - February 8, 2007
The Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce’s popular Business After Hours event serves two main purposes, it is an opportunity for the host company to promote and showcase their business, in addition to providing a platform for Chamber members to network with other business owners and employees.
February Business After Hours hosted and sponsored by:
Heartland Bank and Trust Company 
February 8, 2007
5:00-7:00 P.M.
February Business After Hours Location:
3501 W. War Memorial Drive
Peoria, IL
Heartland Bank and Trust Company has a long banking tradition in Central Illinois going back more than 100 years. We currently serve 12 communities from Peoria to Champaign.
We have 13 offices serving the Tri-County area, four of them in Peoria. Our first Peoria office opened in June 2003 at the corner of Knoxville and Pioneer Parkway. We joined the downtown community in August 2005 when our second Peoria office opened on S.W. Adams. The Allen Road office opened in August 2005 and our most recent addition at 3501 W. War Memorial opened in July 2006. That office will be the host of the Business After Hours in February 2007.
A local, independently owned community bank, we are actively involved in the Peoria community and all of the communities we serve. We are a sponsor of the Chamber’s Small Business Award and participate in the United Way campaign as a Gold Award company. Our employees volunteer for various community clubs and organizations, including Rotary Club, Ambucs, Easter Seals, the St. Jude Telethon, and Komen Race for the Cure.
Heartland Bank offers a full range of deposit, loan, and trust services. Focused on the needs of local businesses, we offer many versatile products, including business checking accounts, commercial loans and lines of credit, merchant services, and cash management tools.
Chamber Membership Benefits Review 
Not quite sure of everything the Chamber offers? The laid back atmosphere of this event allows you to network with other members, establish solid contacts, talk to Chamber staff and volunteers, and learn how to grow your business using Chamber benefits.
The next Member Benefits Review will be held April 12th, 2007 7:30 - 8:30 a.m., in the Heartland Partnership Board Room. Click here to download a registration form!
Business Breakfast Series
Sponsored by:
 Please note change in dates for speakers in February and March. If you bought a ticket for March, it will be honored in February. If you purchased a ticket for February, it will be honored in March. Please contact Terry Best at tbest@chamber.h-p.org if you have any questions.
Feb. 7, 2007
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Barrack's Cater Inn
Greater Peoria Airport Update
Speaker: Ken Spirito A.A.E Director of Airports
Greater Peoria Airport System in 2007 and beyond. Passenger, cargo, general aviation services and future development opportunities.
March 7, 2007
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Barrack's Cater Inn
Thinking Skills Seminars
Speaker: Yona Lunken
In this fast paced present, you will get a quick orientation to Creative Problem Solving and experience brainstorming, a powerful tool for creating more ideas quickly.
 Novus for Entrepreneurs
Where Entrepreneurs Connect
Thursday, February 15th
5:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Sponsored by:
The Heartland Partnership
Located at:
Packard Plaza
225 N.E. Adams, Peoria, Illinois
Business Showcase Sponsored By:
The Business Showcase, formerly known as the Area Business Connection, will take place on Monday, March 26 and Tuesday, March 27, 2007. Set up and Business After Hours will be on Monday, March 26, and the Power Breakfast and Business Showcase will be on Tuesday, March 27. The 2007 show promises to feature a new floor plan, revised exhibitor packages, an upbeat atmosphere and increased focus on the businesses that are vital to our area’s prosperity and growth. The Business Showcase is the area’s premier event to promote your business and demonstrate your commitment and contributions to the Peoria market.
Register early in order to guarantee your business a space at the show. We look forward to your business joining us for the 2007 Business Showcase.
Exhibitor booth sales will end February 9, 2007. If you were not an exhibitor in the past and would like information about the Business Showcase, please contact Sarah Stabler at (309) 495-5914 or sstabler@chamber.h-p.org.
Business Showcase Design and Image Sponsor:
All event registration information can be found by clicking here!!
Click here to download a registration form.
Click here to register online.
2007 Power Breakfast
 presented in conjuntion with
the Business Showcase.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at the Peoria Civic Center
7:30-9:00 a.m.
Click here to download a registration form for the 2007 Power Breakfast.
Save the Date – Administrative Professional’s Development Day
Be sure to mark your calendars for Administrative Professional’s Development Day, Wednesday, April 25, 2007 at the Par-A-Dice Hotel.
*More information will follow in the February Chamber Report and Communicators.
Legislative Reception
 Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to communicate directly with your elected officials in a casual atmosphere.
On behalf of the area Chambers of Commerce (Canton, Chillicothe, East Peoria, Limestone, Morton, Pekin, Peoria, and Washington), we invite you to meet with our local Senators, Representatives and City Council Candidates at the 21st annual Heart of Illinois Legislative Reception. As in years past, this reception offers the opportunity to improve the lines of communication between the business community and our state elected officials.
Monday, March 12th, 2007
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Eastport Marina Banquet and Meeting Center
East Peoria, IL
Click here to download a registration form.
Washington Fly In 2007
Join the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce representatives at the 2007 Washington Fly In, May 1 - 5.
Our host, Congressman Ray LaHood will arrange an outstanding group of speakers to include congressional representatives, senators, media, and administrative officials. Past speakers have included Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Congressman Roy Blunt - Majority Whip of the House, Chicago Tribune Editorial Writer Clarence Page and more. These high level briefings will provide you with up to the minute information on the issues making the nightly news.
Click here to download a registration form.
Click here to register online.
JobFit
Please join us...
February 28, 2007
to learn about JobFit!
JobFit is an innovative tool entering the Peoria market.
Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce members who attend this FREE informational meeting will receive a DISCOUNT on this program should they decide to participate.
One Technology Plaza
Workforce Network
Conference Room
211 Fulton St., Suite 300
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Please click here to download a registration form.
|
|
|
Experience Peoria CDs are 1/2 Price!
 Experience Peoria is an interactive recruitment CD designed to showcase and sell our community to the professional men and women - and their families - that you are trying to recruit to your business.
[READ STORY]
|
|
|
MIT Enterprise Forum - Financial Markets: Outlook 2007
MONEY
You need it. They have it. How do you get it?
For a company, this is the elemental nature of capital markets but, at a
global level, investors drive opportunities. It’s the successful entrepreneur
who understands the forces that shape investment decisions.
At “Financial Markets: Outlook 2007,” a world-class panel will examine
at a macro level the flow of money for the coming year, answering these
questions:
• What are the outlooks for the VC, public and M&A markets?
• What is the general outlook for the economy – local, national,
and global – for 2007?
• What structural and regulatory issues will pull and shape the capital
markets over the coming year?
• How will all of the above affect a company’s financial strategies?
THE PANEL
Moderator: Liz Claman, Anchor
CNBC’s Morning Call
Panelists:
Axel Bichara, Senior Partner
Atlas Venture
Frederick C. Lane, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Lane Berry Investment Banking
Please click here to get more information on the MIT Enterprise Forum.
|
|
|
Illinois Cost of Doing Business Study - Latest Update
By John L. Lewis, PhD, Regional Development Institute at Northern Illinois University
A key to the economic vitality of a state and its ability to maintain and attract employers is the state’s business climate. During the past two years, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce has sponsored an ongoing analysis of the Cost of Doing Business in Illinois. The studies, completed by the Regional Development Institute at Northern Illinois, compare Illinois to other Great Lakes states and provide some interesting insights and challenges.
Unlike many cost of doing business studies, our study considers both costs and productivity. This is an important distinction because high costs can be offset by high productivity and a state could still have a comparative advantage. Likewise, low costs coupled with low productivity could result in a state having a comparative disadvantage.
When analyzing all value-added industries in Illinois, the cost of doing business has been 3 - 6% higher than other Great Lakes states, exceeded only by Michigan. However, some of the higher costs are offset by higher productivity of the Illinois workforce. Productivity in Illinois has been consistently greater than other Great Lakes states, resulting in Illinois ranking first or second in overall productivity/cost attractiveness. Projections indicate productivity in Illinois is likely to increase. Still, it is very important that the cost of doing business is well managed and kept in check by legislative efforts to ensure Illinois is competitive with other states, especially in the Great Lakes area. With a more competitive business climate, Illinois could become an even more attractive location for business.
When one looks at manufacturing alone, a very different picture appears. Historically the cost of doing business for manufacturing firms in Illinois has been about 1% higher than other Great Lake states. This is significantly less than Michigan but higher than Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio. However, productivity in the manufacturing sector of the Illinois economy is lower than the other states. In fact, manufacturing productivity was 98% of the Great Lakes states’ average in 1996 and fell to 89% in 2003. Projections are for continued decline in manufacturing productivity through 2006. While relative productivity of manufacturing in Illinois has fallen, it increased in Indiana and Ohio during the 1996 - 2003 period.
This presents interesting and very important challenges for Illinois. Given that manufacturing accounts for 11% of Illinois employment but 16% of earnings, it is an industry that is important to the current and future economic vitality of the state. As such, attention must be paid to increasing manufacturing productivity but also fomenting a better business climate. Legislation to reduce costs and reverse this manufacturing productivity downturn could make Illinois as attractive to the manufacturing sector as the other Great Lakes states.
The Cost of Doing Business study is updated twice annually: in late fall with the release of new data on comparison states, and in the early spring after the Governor’s budget is released. The fall update brings the historical data as current as possible and the spring update allows for expansion of projections for Illinois to include the impact of the recommended budget.
Source: Illinois Chamber of Commerce, The EDC Report, January 2007.
|
|
|
January Member Benefit - Member Savings at Corp Express
 Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce Teams up with Corporate Express to Offer New Benefit of MEMBERSHIP
Now your company can have the buying power of a large corporation!
Through a new, exclusive partnership with Corporate Express, Inc., the world's largest business office products supplier, members of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce can now receive excellent pricing on all their office needs, including discounts on the top 100 most popular office supply items.
The Peoria Chamber's subsidiary company, Business Resource Services of Central Illinois (BRS), negotiated the contract with Corporate Express offering the exclusive program to members. Members of the Peoria Chamber, that have not purchased from Corporate Express in the past 90 days, are eligible. (A new account must be set-up using the link below to be recognized as a Peoria Chamber member and be eligible for this exclusive pricing.)
[READ STORY]
|
|
|
What are Venture Capitalists?
Venture capitalists (VCs) had a pretty good year in 2006, and they’re expecting more good news in 2007. That’s one primary message from the National Venture Capital Association’s (NVCA) year-end survey of its members. VCs are anticipating continuation of several trends that came to prominence in 2006. They expect to see more investing overseas, especially in China and India. They also expect to see growing investments in a more diverse set of industries. For the past decade, venture investing has been heavily concentrated in a few sectors such as software, information technology, and biotechnology. More recently, new industry areas, such as energy and media/entertainment, are receiving more attention and more dollars from the VC industry. Finally, the US’s lagging market for initial public offerings (IPOs) means that alternative exit strategies will be the name of the game. In 2007, VCs expect to see a big increase in mergers and acquisitions and in overseas IPOs.
Learn more about the National Venture Capital Association’s predictions for 2007.
Source: NDE-news, January 8-14, 2007
|
|
|
Business Showcase Sponsorship Opportunities
Make the Business Showcase more than just a trade show, think about being a sponsor. As a sponsor of the Business Showcase, your company will be featured and highlighted in many of the publications relating to the trade show. There are a few sponsorship opportunities still available:
If you are interested in one of thesesponsorships, please contact Sarah Stabler at 495-5914 or sstabler@chamber.h-p.org, as soon as possible to ensure that you receive all of the benefits offered.
|
|
|
Small Business Lending Data
If you’re looking for “small business friendly” bankers, you might want to check out a recent data release available from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. The report, Small Business and Micro Business Lending in the United States, for the Data Years 2004-2005, compiles data on institutional lending to small firms. Overall, this is a big business. In June 2005, 8,799 lending institutions reported 21 million outstanding loans valued at $601 billion. Among the biggest small business and micro business lenders in 2005 are American Express Bank, Capital One, Regions Financial Corporation, BB&T, Synovus Financial Corporation, MBNA, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo.
Download the December 2006 Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy report, Small Business and Micro Business Lending in the United States, for the Data Years 2004-2005
Source: NDE-news, January 8-14, 2007
|
|
|
Ribbon Cuttings
 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts celebrated their Grand Opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Present for the event were Congressman Ray LaHood, Rep. David Leitch, Mayor Jim Ardis, Peoria Council Member Bill Spears, Sweet Traditions L.L.C. President Eric Sigurdson, Peoria Fire Department’s Assistant Chief Kent Tomblin, Division Chief of Operations Dave Johnston, PPD Chief Steven Settingsgaard, Chamber Staff and Ambassadors.
Princeville State Bank celebrated the groundbreaking for their new branch on December 15th. Among those present for the ribbon cutting ceremony were Andrew Black, Lesa Black, Michelle Windish, Hilary Flack, Kathy Messersmith, Stephanie Hewitt, Bill German, Kay German, Chuck German, Chris LaTurno, Mike Rumbold, Art Bauer, Chamber Staff and Ambassadors.
 SWAN National Women’s Network celebrated a grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Among those present for the event were Felisa Durr, President; Bert Durr; sons Cameron and David; State Representative Aaron Schock; Office Manager Kristin Snyder; Board Members Lorraine Confort and Kristen Ritterbusch-Reynolds; Chamber Staff and Ambassadors.
Please contact Denise Graves at dgraves@chamber.h-p.org to get more information on hosting a ribbon cutting for your business.
|
|
|
Welcome these new Chamber Members!
 We are pleased to welcome the firms listed that have recently joined your Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce. Why don't you welcome them by stopping by to introduce yourself?
[READ STORY]
|
|
Copyright © 2006 Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce
124 SW Adams, Ste. 300
Peoria, IL 61602
(309)676-0755 |
|
