Find the products and services you need — click here!
Other search options:
Member List A–Z •
Category List •
Advanced Search
|
ChamberWorks
» Such a Deal, Such a Deal
|
Browse past news items in the ChamberWorks Archive
|
Such a Deal, Such a Deal
Once again our members have an opportunity to sign up for an entire year's worth of Business After Hours events ahead of time, which means less paperwork and more cash in your pocket.
Yes, it's The $110 Package Deal -- and you'll only find it here at the Fairfield Chamber.
But this deal won't last forever ... sign up by December 31, or endure another year of agony along with everyone else. You don't want to start a new year in agony, do you? Of course not.
Details and online registration can be found right here.
Santa Blows into Town with Nary a Flake of Snow
On a gorgeous November day, Santa Claus made his annual visit to Fairfield in the traditional manner: riding a bright red Fairfield Fire Department hook and ladder to Sherman Green.
And the beautiful weather brought out a gazillion people to greet him. It was a mob scene as soon as the truck arrived. Santa may have been thinking wistfully of flying reindeer and chimneys as he made his way through the sizeable crowd to take up his station at the Gazebo. His entourage included elves, firemen and Frosty and Rudolph, too.
The Chamber's supply of plush toys ran out for the first time ever, and the Kiwanis' food stand sold out before the day was done. Horse & wagon rides, a multitude of civic groups with holiday stuff for sale and a choir full of carolers added to the festivities, making the day a phenomenal success.
Rumors swirled that Elvis was also in town, but that was just Greg Beno and his camera. You can see what the day was all about in his dotPhoto slideshow.
Casino Update
A federal court judge has ruled against the Golden Hill Paugussett tribe, dismissing the last remaining land claims in Fairfield and New Haven counties. The tribe had attempted to use those claims as leverage to acquire land for a casino in Bridgeport.
U.S. District Court Judge Janet Bond Arterton ruled that the Paugussetts could not pursue land claims in court because the federal government has not granted them official recognition as an American Indian tribe.
One Expo, Two Chambers, Lots o' Networking
In its third year running, our Double Chamber Expo gets better all the time. Exhibitors and attendees alike find that the smaller, more intimate setting of the Westport Inn lets them get more networking done than at the bigger shows. Less crowded, less frenzied, more relaxed -- ideal conditions for a small business to show off its stuff and/or collect piles of business cards.
The show started without a hitch despite some last-minute table shuffling, and this year the Westport Inn's lobby was clear of extraneous furniture, leaving plenty of space for the exhibitors. It was a sold-out show and a rousing success.
In the evening the Business After Hours portion of program went into full swing, with a spread of hors d'oeuvres that included tuna tartare, artisan cheeses, crab cakes, homemade pita chips and more. Michael Chelak of At Your Service did butler duty, and at the bar we had Jason Swan and Greg Beno of Adecco serving up wine and beer, and beer and wine, and wine and beer ... uh, did somebody forget the soda? Oh, yeah. (Not much water either, but we did have some ice melting behind the bar.) Fortunately, the folks at Mo's Wine & Spirits were on the ball with the Sam Adams and the Pinot Grigio, and the after hours networking was well lubricated.
Students Get Discounts, You Get Free Advertising
Our Student Discount Program has been around for a while, but sometimes it pays to remind people that it's a free program that gets advertised all over the Fairfield University and Sacred Heart Uninversity campuses, all year round.
Even better, you decide what kind of discount to give. All we do is give you a decal for your store or restaurant window and casually announce to EVERYONE ON CAMPUS that you want their business. No paperwork, no pressure, no sweat.
It's super easy for the students, too -- they show you their student IDs and get a discount, simple as that. You know that students like to save money. You also know that students like to shop and eat, eat, eat.
This is a no-brainer, yes? So call the Chamber at 255-1011 to get started. The sooner you sign up, the more exposure your business will get during this school year.
A Delightfully Frightful Afternoon
For the umpteenth year, thousands of costumed kids and their parents thronged downtown Fairfield for Trick or Treat on Safety Street. It's an annual opportunity for the community to connect with area businesses in a fun kind of way, in a safe environment, and in broad daylight -- all the better to show off their creativity.
We had all the usual suspects on a beautiful October afternoon: gouls and goblins, princesses and ballerinas, vampires and politicians (dressed as themselves, as usual. Just once I'd like to see a candidate in a turnip costume). Plus a few you don't see every day -- a walking shower, a vegetable garden on wheels, a Chamber president with a poodle on her head. See Greg Beno's special Halloween edition of his dotPhoto slideshow for more photos.
The streets were flooded with candy of all stripes (we can hear a dozen Fairfield dentists moaning in the distance), with the heaviest action happening on Sherman Green where the Chamber had its tent set up. We were joined by event sponsor Commerce Bank, the Fairfield Fire and Police departments, veterans, and more politicians than you could beat with a stick.
Memo for next year: Bring more sticks.