Marion Chamber of Commerce Newsletter 041118

Calendar

Chamber Day in Springfield
04/11/2018

Carterville Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
04/13/2018

Pinkalicious Family Day Event
04/14/2018

Southern Illinois Earth Science Club, Inc. Gems, Minerals and Jewelry Show
04/14/2018

Touch of Nature Environmental Center Spring 2018 Trail Stewardship Days
04/15/2018

Southern Illinois Earth Science Club, Inc. Gems, Minerals and Jewelry Show
04/15/2018

Marion Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
04/16/2018

Marion Chamber Membership Committee
04/17/2018

Marion Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee meeting
04/18/2018

Grad Spree Committee meeting
04/18/2018

eLaunch Tradeshow
04/18/2018

Marion Chamber of Commerce Legislative Affairs Committee meeting
04/19/2018

Government Contracting 101: Free Workshop
04/19/2018

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Russell Street Park
04/19/2018

Ribbon Cutting for Hard Copies
04/20/2018

Carterville Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
04/20/2018

Grand Re-opening for Hard Copies (formerly Joe's Records)
04/21/2018

Touch of Nature Environmental Center Spring 2018 Trail Stewardship Days
04/22/2018

Marion Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
04/23/2018

April Lunch & Learn: Helping Your Team Members Win at Life and Work
04/25/2018

Business After Hours program at Southern Illinois Miners Rent One Ballpark
04/26/2018

Marion Chamber Golf Scramble Committee meeting
04/26/2018

Marion Chamber Community Day Committee meeting
04/27/2018

Carterville Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
04/27/2018

Touch of Nature Environmental Center Spring 2018 Trail Stewardship Days
04/29/2018

Girls World Expo
04/29/2018

Marion Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
04/30/2018

Marion Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors meeting
05/01/2018

Marion Chamber Executive Board meeting
05/01/2018

Rend Lake Water Festival
05/02/2018- 05/05/2018

Carterville Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
05/04/2018

Marion Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
05/07/2018

Carterville Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
05/11/2018

Marion Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
05/14/2018

New Member Quarterly Luncheon
05/15/2018

Marion Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee meeting
05/16/2018

Marion Chamber of Commerce Legislative Affairs Committee meeting
05/17/2018

Marion Graduation Spree 2018
05/17/2018- 05/18/2018

Carterville Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
05/18/2018

Nineteenth Annual Southern Illinois Healthcare/Southern Illinois University Health Policy Institute
05/18/2018

Marion Main Street's Smoke on Main Street Rib Cook-off
05/19/2018

Marion Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
05/21/2018

Business After Hours program at Priority Staffing Group
05/24/2018

Carterville Mastermind Group 2: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
05/25/2018

The Lawn Social
05/31/2018

Have you...

  • 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+?
  • The Marion Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with AES Solar to offer Chamber members an exclusive opportunity to receive a 15% equipment discount. Click here to learn more.
  • 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.

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:
  • May-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.

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

Grad Spree needs YOUR help!


The Marion Chamber Foundation presents the 2018 Friends For Life Graduation Spree on Thursday, May 17 at the SIU Rec Center. 

Marion High School Class of 2018 sign up for Grad Spree here! And, join the event on Facebook at: http://bit.ly/GradSpree!

This year, we have many exciting things planned for our graduates. Brian Madrid, a world class hypnotist, will provide a hypnosis show for the seniors. During the show, the volunteers will become the stars of the show with hilarious moments and inspire every person to live life to the fullest. Brian’s past clients include Toyota, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruise Line, Riviera Maya Resorts and Visionary Wealth Advisory.
 
Also performing during Grad Spree is Raquel, a Nashville, Tenn. based singer and songwriter. Raquel can be found on Facebook: @RRaquelOfficial and on YouTube: bit.ly/RaquelOfficial.
 
Also, while at the SIU Rec Center, the graduates can participate in: swimming; rock climbing; dodge ball tournament; volleyball tournament; a game room; food (from Say Cheese and La Rana Grill food trucks), drinks and snacks; and much more! All of this is provided to each Marion High School graduate free-of-charge.
 
The cost to provide this event last year was approximately $12,000 with the average cost being about $130 per student. Marion Grad Spree would not be possible without the help of our Chamber and community members. We are writing to you today to request donations of funds to help cover the cost of the event and door prize items to giveaway to seniors throughout the night. To donate, click here
 
For businesses and individuals, we have the following sponsorship levels available: Silver-$250, Gold-$500, and Platinum-$1000+. Of course, any amount is appreciated. We will honor our Gold & Platinum Sponsors by including their name and link to their Web site in Grad Spree promotional materials, on our website, newsletter and email blasts. A donation statement for your taxes is available upon request. To donate, click here
 
Also, please consider volunteering to chaperone during this year’s Grad Spree. Last year, more than 30 people volunteered to chaperone this annual event. We anticipate needing at least 30 chaperones again this year. Any time you can volunteer will help make this a memorable night for the seniors. Grad Spree will be held from 10:30 p.m. until 4 a.m. on May 17 at the SIU Rec Center. Chaperons are needed from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Individuals may sign up to supervise the graduates all night (9 p.m. report to Rent One ballpark, 10 p.m. - 4 a.m. at the SIU Rec Center, 4-4:30 a.m. on bus to Rent One ballpark), during signup (9-10:30 p.m. at Rent One ballpark), or at SIU Rec Center only (9 p.m. - 4 a.m). To sign up to volunteer, click here (or download here), call the Chamber at 997-6311 or e-mail the Chamber at director@marionillinois.com. 
 
Thank you for your support of the 2018 Grad Spree event! Help us spread the word about this great event by:
The Marion Chamber of Commerce Grad Spree Committee is proud to offer this event to our graduating seniors. We have kept our seniors safe for more than 30 years.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Russell Street Park, 04-19-18

A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held on Thursday, April 19 at 11:30 a.m. at Russell Street Park (corner of Boulevard and Russell Streets) in celebration of the renaming of the park, announcement of the renovation of the tennis courts and a presentation of The Bark Park. The event will include refreshments, giveaways and networking.

Click the image below to RSVP.

Ribbon Cutting for Hard Copies, 04-20-18

A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held on Friday, April 20 at 4 p.m. for Hard Copies, 1301 Enterprise Way, Suite 50A, Marion. 

Click the image below to RSVP. 

April Lunch & Learn: Helping Your Team Members Win at Life and Work - 04/25/18

Eat, learn, discuss & grow!

Raise your leadership and connect with others in a fun learning environment!

The April Lunch & Learn will be held on April 25 from noon - 1 p.m. at Heartland Regional Medical Center, Classroom 1. The topic will be "Helping Your Team Members Win at Life and Work."

The April Lunch & Learn will be presented by Connor James who believes your life is meaningful. He's a speaker, host of the Creating MeaningFull Moments Podcast, and founder of MeaningFull Books. 

Admission is $15 per Marion Chamber member ($20 for non-Chamber).  Lunch and drinks provided courtesy of Heartland Regional Medical Center. 
 
Facilitator: Russell  Williams, Certified Leadership and Personal Growth Coach, Speaker, and Teacher. For more information, visit EmpowermentMentor.com/RussellWilliams
 
Sponsored by Heartland Regional Medical Center

Click the image below to RSVP.


 

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.

Click the image below to RSVP.

New Member Quarterly Luncheon, 05-15-18

Every quarter the Marion Chamber of Commerce Membership Committee holds a New Member Quarterly Luncheon. This quarter’s New Member Quarterly Luncheon will be held at noon at Pookie's Burger Bar Bocce, 109 N Madison, Marion, on Tuesday, May 15. 

RSVPs are required to ensure enough space is reserved for our gathering. New Member Lunches are held on the 3rd Tuesday, quarterly (February, May, August, and November), and coordinated by the Marion Chamber of Commerce Membership Committee. New members’ lunches will be paid for by the Chamber. We hope to see you there!
 
Marion Chamber of Commerce Membership Committee members will be on hand to answer all of your questions about the Chamber, its events, committees, member benefits, etc. Feel free to bring your Membership Packet and any questions you may have about the Chamber to the meeting to get your questions answered. 

Marion Main Street's Smoke on Main Street Rib Cook-off, 05-19-18

Marion Main Street will host the 5th annual Rib Cookoff in the Marion City Parking Lot between Pookie's and Union Street Pub, starting at 3 p.m. Admission is $5 a person. To compete, fill out an application on Marion Main Street's Facebook page or download one here. The event will also kick off the Marion Main Street Car Show, which will be held from 5-8 p.m. on the Square.

Business After Hours program at Priority Staffing Group, 05-24-18

A Business After Hours program will be held on Thursday, May 24 from 4-7 p.m. at Priority Staffing Group, 712 North Carbon, Marion. Let's eat, drink and socialize!

Click the image below to RSVP.

Marion Chamber Golf Fun Day - 06/08/18



Click here to register. 

Are you ready for something different? We have something for you! 


Marion Chamber of Commerce presents the inaugural Golf Fun Day on Friday, June 8 at Crab Orchard Golf Club. This event is NOT your average golf scramble!

The event will begin with registration at the Clubhouse from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by lunch and cart decorating from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be catered by Crab Orchard Golf Club and includes hotdogs and brats, pasta salad, chips and drinks. 

Hotdogs and brats and drinks, as well as all scoreboards will be available at the pavilion (accessible from holes 1, 2, 9, 10 and 12) throughout the entire event. Thank you to Clearwave Communications, the event's Loitering Sponsor. 

Play begins at 1 p.m. 

Chips and salsa and drinks will be available at the pavilion after the event concludes during the award ceremony until 7:30 p.m.

This event is NOT your average golf scramble! Fun contests include (holes with prizes are in bold):
  • Hole 1 - Water balloons: All golfers will tee off with their ball/tee surrounded by water balloons (provided by the Chamber). 
  • Hole 2 - Convince the Live Hole Sponsor at this hole to vote for your team for the Best Themed Team/Best Appearing Crew award. The prize will be given out after the play ends. 
  • Hole 3 - Hit from the Throne. Players have to drive from a toilet placed at the tee. 
  • Hole 4 - Convince the Live Hole Sponsor at this hole to vote for your team for the Most Team Spirit award. The prize will be given out after the play ends. 
  • Hole 5 - Tennis ball long drive challenge: See who can get the most distance hitting a tennis ball (provided by the Chamber) instead of a golf ball on this hole. A prize will be given to the golfer with the longest drive with a tennis ball. 
  • Hole 6 - Random Club Challenge: On the tee box, all golfers will draw a card out of a box that will assign them the club they must tee off with and then play out to the green with only that club. No trading allowed. 
  • Hole 7 - Convince the Live Hole Sponsor at this hole to vote for your team for the Best Decorated Cart award. The prize will be given out after the play ends. 
  • Hole 9 - Elimination hole: For this hole, once you use a player's shot, they are out for that hole. Then, the second shot person gets to sit out with the tee shot person. Once the fourth player is out, all players get to play again. 
  • Hole 11 - Worst drive: For this hole, all golfers will play from the their team's worst drive.  
  • Hole 13 - Putt Trifecta:Take your shot and then you can choose which flag on the green (red, white or blue) you will putt to.
  • Hole 14 - Putt Opposite Hand: Players are given a putter for their opposite hand while on the green (left and right putters will be available to use on this hole). 
  • Hole 16 - Speed hole: Teams are timed from tee off to hole out by the Live Hole Sponsor at this hole. The fastest time wins. Winner is announced at the conclusion of the day. A prize will be given to the fastest team. Time doesn't start until the previous team clears the hole.
  • Hole 17 - Gopher It: On this hole, pay $1 for each point you want to add to the team's score behind you on the course. The Live Hole Sponsor will pass along the news to the next team that the points will be added to their score on Hole 16.
  • Hole 18 - Oven mitts: All golfers will tee off while wearing oven mitts (provided by the Chamber). Longest drive while wearing an oven mitt wins a prize.
Sponsorship opportunities include:
  • Loitering Sponsor - Clearwave Communications
  • Contest Sponsors (All contest hole sponsors will be stationed at their Contest Hole and oversee the contests at their Hole, and their sponsorships will include hole sponsor recognition and sign, your company/organization set up at the hole assigned to promote your goods/services during the event, use of one cart during the event, and 1 free lunch ticket):
    • Hole 1 - Water balloons: $150
    • Hole 2 - Best Themed Team/Best Appearing Crew: HireLevel
    • Hole 3 - Hit from the Throne: $150
    • Hole 4 - Most Team Spirit: $150
    • Hole 5 - Tennis ball long drive challenge: Priority Staffing Group
    • Hole 6 - Random Club Challenge: $150
    • Hole 7 - Best Decorated Cart: $150
    • Hole 9 - Elimination Hole: $150
    • Hole 11 - Worst drive:  $150
    • Hole 13 - Putt Trifecta: $150
    • Hole 14 - Putt Opposite Hand: Stephen Green for Circuit Judge
    • Hole 16 - Speed Hole: $150
    • Hole 17 - Gopher It: $150
    • Hole 18 - Oven Mitts: $150
  • Live Hole Sponsors (all live hole sponsorships include hole sponsor recognition and sign, your company/organization set up at the hole assigned to promote your goods/services during the event, use of one cart during the event, and 1 free lunch ticket):
    • Hole 8 - $150
    • Hole 10 - $150
    • Hole 12 - $150
    • Hole 15 - $150
  • Most Honest/Worst Team Score Sponsor - $150
    • The Marion Chamber Golf Scramble Committee will choose the team with the "most honest/worst" score and award that team with a prize. Your sponsorship will go toward the purchase of the prize.
  • Lucky Umbrella Sponsor - $150
    • Tickets for the “Lucky Umbrella” (umbrella filled with lottery tickets) will be sold at the Registration Table and on the Chamber Cart: one (1) ticket for $5 or 5 tickets for $20. The drawing will be held at the end of the event. Your sponsorship will go toward the purchase of the lottery tickets.
  • Registration Table Sponsor - $150
    • Sponsorship includes registration table sponsor recognition and sign.
  • Hole Sponsor - $100
    • Sponsorship includes hole sponsor recognition and sign.
  • Mulligan Sponsor - $100
    • Sponsorship includes sponsor recognition and sign and placement of logo on all Mulligan tickets. 
  • Heckler Cart Sponsor - $100 (three available)
    • Sponsorship includes sponsor recognition and sign on Chamber Cart

Ribbon Cutting and Open House for Marion Cultural & Civic Center, 06-12-18

A Ribbon Cutting and Open House for Marion Cultural & Civic Center will be held on Tuesday, June 12 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Click the image below to RSVP. 

Marion Community Day - 06/29/18

Marion Community Day at Rent One Park is Friday, June 29.  The Southern Illinois Miners will be facing off against the Gateway Grizzlies.  Show your community spirit and support for Marion by attending the game.

Click on the image below for more information!

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 041118