Chamber committee signs-on to controversial legislation
Chamber Marketing Survey set for Tuesday release
Subcommittee assignments to greet Chamber Board 
Details nearly finalized for Economic Outlook & Job Expo
GRYP Networking event includes Bocce tournament
Exhibitor registration opens for 2011 Home & Garden Show
It's not too early to register for 2010 Central PA Expo 
Businesses buying displays for Holiday Lights on the Lake
Chamber makes publications available to members 

Chamber committee signs-on to controversial legislation
The Legislative Action Committee of The Chamber voted last Thursday to sign-on to a letter initiated by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce supporting H.R. 5141, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act, which if passed into law, would repeal the onerous paperwork burdens imposed on business by the ill-conceived reporting mandate contained in Section 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Unless this section is repealed, businesses across the nation will be subjected to data collection and information filing on virtually all business-to-business transactions they make aggregating $600 or more in a year. Small businesses and start-ups would be most affected. For more information on the provision or to add your business’s name to the letter, click here.   

Chamber Marketing Survey set for Tuesday release
A survey geared to help The Chamber to better meet the needs of the business community is being sent via email to all main reps of Chamber Member businesses on Tuesday. The survey results will serve as the basis of a marketing plan that will be compiled by The Chamber’s Marketing Committee. The survey will take less than five minutes to complete. Any member willing to complete a survey should call The Chamber at 943-8151, and a survey form will be emailed to you.  

Subcommittee assignments to greet Chamber Board
As The Chamber’s Board of Directors returns following a two month summer hiatus, it will begin to address several key issues to insure that the organization stays on-track with its growth and development. Each board member will serve on one of four subcommittees. The subcommittees are: Strategic Planning, Membership Recruitment, Board Development, and Member Ethics.  Those assignments will be made at Thursday’s Board of Directors Meeting which begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development.  

Details nearly finalized for Economic Outlook & Job Expo

The 2010 Blair County Economic Outlook & Job Expo will be held on Monday, Sept. 20 at the Blair County Conv ention Center. The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a buffet breakfast followed by a presentation on Blair County economic data by David Passmore and Rose Baker of Penn State University. A representative from GSP Consulting from Pittsburgh will analuze the data and speculate on future opportunities for Blair County. A video presentation will follow and the Economic Outlook portion of the event will conclude with a keynote address by Congressman Bill Shuster. At 10 a.m., the Job Expo will open and will stay open until 1 p.m. It will reopen at 4 p.m. for an additional three hours. The cost to attend the Economic Outlook is $25 per person. The cost to be an exhibitor at the Job Expo is $125 and includes one registration for the Economic Outlook. To register for either contact The Chamber at 943-8151.   

GRYP Networking event includes Bocce tournament

Bocce anyone? An opportunity to compete in a real, live bocce tournament will just be one of the many components of the next GRYP (Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals) event scheduled for Thursday night from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Buccinese Club, 614 Eighth Ave. in Altoona. Also featured will be great Italian food, live entertainment, door prizes and a cash bar. The event is free to GRYP members and is just $5 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. GRYP is an innovative program of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.   

Exhibitor registration open for 2011 Home & Garden Show
The 41^st Annual Blair County Home & Garden Show will be held on March 4, 5 and 6, 2011, at the Jaffa Shrine. “Even seven months out we’ve had a number of past exhibitors ask when they could sign-up,” disclosed Stacy Hoover, The Chamber’s Vice-President of Events & Technology. “The Home & Garden Show Committee felt that we might as well get the process started.” Hoover believes that the success of the 2010 show is responsible for the increased level of early enthusiasm. “The attendance at the last show was up more than 35 percent from the previous year,” she pointed out. “It’s our intention to build on that.” One immediate advantage for anyone completing an contract and submitting a deposit by Sept. 14 is a 5 percent discount off the booth price. As far as booth locations, past exhibitors will have until Sept. 30 to retain their previous spots. After that, new exhibitors can select where they’d like to be. Click here for an application or for more information, contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151.    

It's not too early to register for 2010 Central PA Expo   The Chamber is pleased to announce that it will once again be partnering with 13 other area Chambers to offer the 2010 Central PA Regional Business & Industry Expo. The expo will be held from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Registration is now open for the event. Booths will go fast since last year's event was sold out. Register today by downloading and returning a registration form. For more information, contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151.

Businesses buying displays for Holiday Lights on the Lake  
With the temperatures hovering around the century mark, can it really be time to start thinking about Holiday Lights on the Lake ?  “We actually have several businesses that renewed their light displays back in February,” admitted Stacy Hoover, The Chamber’s Vice-President of Events & Technology. “They get in the spirit pretty early.” This is the eighth year that The Chamber and Lakemont Park have partnered on Holiday Lights and each year the number of displays and the number of automobiles through the gate has increased. Interested in reserving your spot? Contact Hoover at 943-8151. Remember, Chamber Members get a 5 percent discount on light displays. 

Chamber makes publications available to members 
The Chamber recognizes that many businesses, particularly small businesses, have a difficult time in things like hiring, regulatory compliance and recordkeeping. For that reason, the organization has purchased several publications that it is willing to lend to interested Chamber Members. The publications are: Principles of Payroll Administration, Pennsylvania Human Resources Manual, Model Policies and Forms for Pennsylvania Employers, An Employer’s Guide to Employee Benefits, Guide to FMLA and ADA , Employment Verification and Employer’s Guide to Wage and Hour. To borrow a publication, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151.

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