Marion Chamber of Commerce Newsletter 022818

Welcome New Members!

Marion Cultural & Civic Center Foundation
David Stotlar
dstotlar@hotmail.com
Join Date: 02/05/2018

Dam Near Lake of Egypt Cabins
Allison Hasler

Website
damnearcabins@gmail.com
Join Date: 02/13/2018

Caring Counseling Ministries
Cris Corzine-McCloskey

Website
crisraye@mchsi.com
Join Date: 02/27/2018

 

Have you...

  • Signed up for the Marion Chamber of Commerce Gift Certificate program? Click here to learn more!
  • Looked into saving money on your electricity and natural gas bills with the Marion Chamber's Electricity and Natural Gas Aggregation. Click here to learn more. 
  • Found us on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+?
  • Seen or shared our Marion Profile Book? Click here!
  • Filled our our Member Survey?
  • Completed your Traffic Catcher System? Click here to see who has and to learn more. 
  • Familiarized yourself with our Member Benefits? Click here to read about them!
  • Seen your Member-to-Member Discounts? Click here to save!
  • Promoted yourself to Marion Chamber members? Click here to learn more.
  • Displayed your "Member of the Marion Chamber of Commerce" window decal at your business? If you need a new decal, click here or email assistant@marionillinois.com.

Send a Member eBlast!



The Marion Chamber of Commerce is happy to send promotional eBlasts once a week on behalf of members as a member benefit for $50. Slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. A company may only request a Member eBlast once a month. Click here for the form. 

Space available for your business on the Chamber's digital sign AT REDUCED PRICE!

Dear Marion Chamber of Commerce members,

The Marion Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee members have drastically reduced the cost to advertise on the Chamber's digital sign.

The Marion Chamber of Commerce makes the electronic sign available for rent to a wide variety of Chamber members, local businesses, organizations, community groups and residents. 

Ads can be up to 2 lines of text with the typical line containing about 18 characters (including spaces). Ads run twice for 15 seconds each on a 5-minute loop. We allow for a maximum of 10 ads, which means each ad is live on the board 576 times every day and approximately 17,520 times per month. The sign runs 24/7 so your message gets greatest exposure. All ads must be paid in full before the advertisement goes live.

For more information or to take advantage of this great opportunity, click 
here.

Thank you,
Dalus Ben Avi
Executive Director

Would you like to host a BAH?



Have you thought about hosting a Business After Hours event? Schedule yours today!

Business After Hours events are usually held on the fourth Thursday of the month, unless the Chamber member has a special need for a different date or calendar conflicts at the Chamber arise.

The hours for a Business After Hours event are to be determined by the Chamber member. However, 4:30-6:30 p.m. is recommended.

The Business After Hours Program fee is $100. 

Email director@marionillinois.com, call 997-6311 or fill out 
this form to schedule your BAH event today! 

Chamber responsibilities include:
  • Promoting the event through all of our communications (newsletter, Web site, social media, Monthly Membership Luncheon announcements, etc.)
  • Provide member mailing labels for invitations

Chamber member suggestions:
  • Send special invitations to Chamber Members and their customers (must include Chamber logo on printed materials)
  • Provide food and beverages at the event 
  • Provide door prizes at the event
  • Make a presentation about your business/organization

Business After Hours Program Schedule:

Let us put the Spotlight on your Business!

The Marion Chamber of Commerce is happy promote members on the homepage of the Chamber's Web site in the Member Spotlight section for $150.

Note that one Member Spotlight is featured a month. Slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. A company may only request a Member Spotlight once a year.

Member Spotlight Schedule:
  • March-December 2018-  AVAILABLE 
To grab your spot in the spotlight, email director@marionillinois.com or call 618.997-6311 and let us know what month you'd like.

Applications accepted for 2018 Sister City Cultural Exchange Program



The City of Marion in partnership with the Marion Chamber of Commerce will be selecting adults and students to participate in a weeklong trip to Kanie, Japan, August 2 - 7. The estimated cost of the trip will be approximately $2,000 for airfare plus spending money for students and $2,500 for airfare, hotel and spending money for adults. Application deadline is March 1, 2018. Should you need additional time for getting your application submitted, please contact Jared Garrison at (618) 993-2657 or Jared@ThePavilionEvents.com. Application should include a $250 deposit toward travel expenses. Your deposit of $250 is tax exempt and is non-refundable. Please make checks payable to the Marion Chamber of Commerce Foundation. An informational meeting is set for March 5 at 5:30 p.m. at The Pavilion. Please RSVP through The Pavilion.

 

Marion Chamber Dish Mob 3/8

Want a FUN way to network with business leaders, coworkers, clients? Join the Marion Chamber Dish Mob on March 8 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at a Marion restaurant! 

Join the Marion Chamber Mob! Every quarter, the Marion Chamber invites you to visit a Marion area establishment armed with cash, a smile, and a love of Marion. We call the business ahead of time to let them know they have been chosen as that quarter’s Mob destination, but we won’t let you know where the location is until the day before the Mob.

The Marion Chamber Mob schedule is as follows: March - Dish Mob; June - Social Mob; September - Dish Mob; and December - Social Mob.

Click the image to RSVP.

Ribbon Cutting for Dairy Queen Grand Reopening, 03-09-18

A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held on Friday, March 9 at 11 a.m. for Dairy Queen, 2200 West Main, Marion, in honor of their grand reopening. All Chamber members in attendance can receive a free small or medium Blizzard of their choice during the event.

Click the image below to RSVP.

March Monthly Membership Luncheon, 03-13-18

NOTE: RSVPs are now due by Friday, March 9 at noon! 

Click here to register. 

The Marion Chamber of Commerce Monthly Membership Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, March 13 at The Pavilion. Lunch service begins at 11:45 a.m.

The speaker will be Williamson County Commissioner Jim Marlo.

Great Boars of Fire will be the caterer. The menu will include two garlic rubbed chicken breasts, twice baked potatoes, green beans and sheet cake. 

Ameren Illinois is the sponsor of the March Monthly Membership Luncheon.

Registration for the event is $12 (payable to the Marion Chamber of Commerce) to those who RSVP prior to noon on the FRIDAY before the luncheon. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. After noon on the Monday before the luncheon, no more registrations will be taken, however walk-ins will be accepted. Please note that the walk-in rate is $15.  

If you register for an event and are unable to attend, a 24-hour notice is required or you will be invoiced. Note: If you have registered and are unable to attend, you may transfer to a fellow employee without penalty. A refund will only be given to those with a paid registration who cancel more than 24 hours prior to the event. 

If any Marion Chamber of Commerce member would like to have fliers for an upcoming event, announcements, etc. given to each attendee at the luncheon, please contact the Chamber at 618.997.6311 to arrange for delivery of the fliers prior to the luncheon. 

Ribbon Cutting for Smoothie King, 03-20-18

A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held for Smoothie King, 1001 West Main Street, on Tuesday, March 20 at 11:30 a.m. The event will include giveaways and 1/2 price smoothies from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Click the image below to RSVP.

Ribbon Cutting and Business After Hours for SI Elder Law, 03-22-18

A Ribbon Cutting and Business After Hours event will be held on Thursday, March 22 at SI Elder Law celebrating their new location - 201 West Main, Marion. The Ribbon Cutting will be held at 4:30 p.m. and the Business After Hours will follow until 6:30 p.m. 

Click the image below to RSVP.

8th annual Marion Chamber Foundation Bass Tournament - 03/25/18

The Marion Chamber of Commerce Foundation is sponsoring the 8th annual two-person Bass Tournament at Pyramid Acres Marina on Sunday, March 25. The event is a fundraiser for the Marion Chamber Foundation. 

The tournament fee is $70 per team and optional $10 for Big Bass at 100% pay back. Entries will be limited to the first 150 teams. There is also a $500 cash bonus for first place!

30% of the entry fees will go toward the Marion Chamber Scholarship Program. The Marion Chamber of Commerce currently offers two scholarships: John A. Logan College Two Year Tuition Waiver and a Grad Spree Scholarship. The Marion Chamber of Commerce Foundation awards these scholarships based on the amount of money generated by the fundraising efforts from the previous year. 

Click the image below to register.

Southern Illinois Regional Chamber Luncheon, 03-27-18

The Southern Illinois Regional Chamber Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, March 27 at 11:30 a.m. at the Carterville Community Center, 120 North Greenbriar Road. 

Registration is $15. Registration and payment required by March 22 at 4 p.m. No payments will be accepted at the event. Registration is nonrefundable. 

The program will include a presentation about Southern Illinois Made Expo by Senator Dale Fowler and a presentation about the Illinois Bicentennial Celebration by Illinois Bicentennial Commission Co-chair Randy Dunn.

Click the image below to RSVP.

Chamber Day in Springfield, 04-11-18



Click here to register for Chamber Day. 

Primary and gubernatorial politics are shaping the policy debate in Springfield and will have lasting implications on the business community.
 
On Wednesday, April 11th, join us in Springfield for our first ever Chamber Day - an advocacy event to let lawmakers know we must be heard in any major policy decision impacting Illinois employers.  
 
A delegation from the Marion Chamber of Commerce Legislative Affairs Committee will be in attendance at the Chamber Day event in Springfield. Also, the Committee has coordinated a tour of Capitol after Chamber Day concludes. Please email the Chamber if you would like to participate in the tour of the Capitol.

Click here to register for Chamber Day. 

Business After Hours program at Southern Illinois Miners Rent One Ballpark, 4/26

A Business After Hours program will be held on Thursday, April 26 from 4-6 p.m. at Rent One Ballpark. Free admission for all guests! No fee to participate in the following activities: bags tournament, ping pong tournament, batting practice, mini golf, catch on the field (bring your glove), clock your throwing arm and Hot Corner food sampling. Kids welcome too! In the event of rain, the event will be moved to the Diamond Club.

Southern Illinois Made Expo, 07-28-18,07-29-18



We are excited to invite you to participate in the Southern Illinois Made Expo on Saturday, July 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, July 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Read more about it by clicking here!
Marion Chamber of Commerce Newsletter - Marion Chamber of Commerce Newsletter 022818