While we like to look ahead in our newsletter, it was an incredible month of September for the Chamber, and October is carrying that momentum forward. This past month, the Chamber cut the ribbon alongside five businesses that were either opening or expanding. We hosted an extremely popular Lunch Mob at Share Kitchen & Bar Room, and at our Business After Hours, we had over 200 people in attendance when we celebrated the 15th anniversary of longtime chamber member Hover Networks! Lastly, our inaugural launch of LIFT (Leadership and Inspiration For Trailblazers) saw over 150 professional women join their fellow chamber members to hear an awe-inspiring panel discussion from several longtime Chamber leaders.

With every October comes the most anticipated event of the year for the Chamber, The Event - Celebrating Business Excellence. This year, we are thrilled to announce an incredible group of companies and individuals who have made a tremendous impact on our region. The Basil Family Dealerships, with nearly 75 years of business experience and 10 locations, is our 2024 Business of the Year award recipient. Alongside them, we have ARC Building Partners as our Commitment to Excellence award winner, Salvatore's Hospitality as the recipient of our Hospitality Awardee, EnergyMark as the winner of our Family-Owned Business category, The ARC of Erie County as our Community Stewardship winner, and Anne McCaffrey, CEO of People, Inc., as our 2024 Woman of Distinction. This incredible lineup of award recipients truly represents the regional makeup of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce. If you are interested in attending The Event - 2024, we urge you to register as soon as possible (click here) as we are nearly sold out. This is a can't miss event!

The Event – Celebrating Business Excellence will be at Salvatore’s at 6461 Transit Rd. on Monday, October 28, 2024.

With The Event nearly sold out, there are still plenty of other opportunities for members to network and engage with each other. Lunch Mob is happening Tuesday, October 8, in the Village of Williamsville at Glen Park Tavern, a local favorite. To register, click <here>. Also, October 30th brings back Speed Networking. If you were at the Chamber over the summer, you would understand why our membership received this event so well. We hope to have another diverse group of chamber members come together and, most importantly, find ways to support each other's businesses. We always encourage our new members to attend our New Member Orientation, which takes place on Friday, October 25, at 8:00am. However, it never hurts for longtime Chamber members or Investors to send new team members to hear about the depth of services that we offer. It is a great way to meet other Chamber members and hear about our Councils and Emerging Business Leader programs.

The Chamber remains the only Chamber in WNY with its own in-house benefits team. With open enrollment right around the corner, you will hear from our benefits team regarding the updated health insurance rates for 2025, who can assist in selecting benefits for your team.  If your business is not currently receiving benefits from the Chamber, please feel free to reach out. Our team of professionals is here with answers to all your questions about changes in benefits, deductibles, and so much more. Please email benefits@amherst.org to set up an appointment today.

Our Emerging Business Leadership class is wrapping up for the year, and the growth and achievements of these young professionals have been truly inspiring. They have undergone a professional evaluation through the WORKPLACE BIG 5 assessment, learned about navigating difficult conversations, understood the benefits of fostering a diverse and inclusive working environment, and honed their financial, public speaking, and problem-solving skills. Their recent collaboration with Kevin Guest House and Feedmore WNY for their flagship event was a testament to their dedication and growth. At The Event, The Chamber will acknowledge our EBL class for their achievements, and we eagerly anticipate our 2025 class. If you're interested in learning more about our Emerging Business Leadership class, please email ebl@amherst.org.

In closing, the Chamber is ecstatic about the month of October and couldn't be more excited about planning for 2025. If you feel there is a program the Chamber could offer, please remember that my door is always open.