GtrPhilaBiz

• Pennsylvania Legislative Reception at the Keystone Building in Harrisburg TODAY
• Business After Hours at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia 5/8
• Arts & Business Council Awards 2008 at the PA Convention Center 5/9

For more information on all upcoming events, visit the Chamber’s event calendar.

Where will you be for lunch on Friday, May 9? Consider taking yourself…or perhaps your whole company…out to lunch at the Arts & Business Council Awards 2008: Taking it to the Streets. It promises to be the best meal in town.

Taking it to the Streets is happening at the Pennsylvania Convention Center starting at 12 noon (if you want to network, be there at 11:30). Watch entertaining performances by Philadelphia based hip hop dance company Illstyle & Peace Productions and international award-winning juggler Anthony Gatto, witness an awe-inspiring feat of movement by a dancer in the latest Cirque du Soleil touring show, “KOOZA,” and top it off by listening to the soul-stirring a cappella harmonies and African percussions of Voices of Africa. (more…)

Submitted by Casimer C. Thomas, Johnson, Kendall & Johnson, Inc.

On April 22, 2008,  Young Professionals Network members attended an event at the newly renovated Perelman Building, part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Those in attendance had the pleasure of listening to Gail Harrity, Chief Operating Officer for the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Gail spoke about the the economic impact of the museum on the Greater Philadelphia Region in addition to highlighting some of of major initiatives that we can expect to see completed with the next few years.  Gail’s vision and enthusiasm left all of those in attendance looking forward to seeing the many great things to come.  Please join us for our  signature event next month on May 12, at the Pyramid Club.   Click here for further information. 

Click here to view photos from the event.

If you haven’t already, get out and vote.  We’ve just received word from the Committee of Seventy saying that turnout is very high throughout the city. 

Vote as early as possible to avoid the rush right before the polls close.  If you do vote late, remember that you must be permitted to vote if you are in line by 8:00 p.m.

So far, according to the Committee of Seventy, the two issues that are most prevalent at the polls are:

1) Voters whose names are not in the poll book; and
2) Voters who are registered as members of one party in the poll book, but who are, in fact, registered as a member of another party.

If this happens to you, you can still vote by provisional ballot.

Also, remember, first time voters or people voting for the first time in a new district should bring ID with them.  If you don’t have ID, you’ll also have to vote on a provisional ballot.  Here’s a list of everything that qualifies as proof of identification.  Remember, picture ID is best, but there are a lot of other options, too.

Not sure where your polling place is?  Click here.

Happy voting!

• Young Professionals Network at the Perelman Building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art 4/22
• Global Economic Outlook 2008 at the Union League of Philadelphia 4/22
• PhillyMagnet Career Fair at the Pennsylvania Convention Center 4/23
• Mayor’s Cabinet Reception at the Crystal Tea Room 4/23

For more information on all upcoming events, visit the Chamber’s event calendar.

Andrea Allon, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Chief Administrative Officer; Jenny Krumrine, Screenwriter; Joan Bessler; Greater Philadelphia Film Office

Greater Philadelphia local Jenny Kurmrine won the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Regional Award at the Philadelphia Film Festival for her screenplay Think About Love.  Think About Love takes place in Philadelphia and is about a chemist who discovers an eczema drug that has a strange side-effect.

The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Regional Award of $2,500 is given to the best screenplay set in Greater Philadelphia, in order to encourage local production.

Every Friday, we post events put on by our member companies.  If you’d like to see your event posted, email it to us with Member Event in the subject line.

• Al Dia Leaders Luncheon sponsored by Villanova University 4/15
• How I Did It: Using Technology to Drive Growth and Stay Competitive prestented by Inc. 4/17
• The 26th Annual Monetary and Trade Conference: Turmoil in the U.S. Credit Market and the Global Outlook presented by The Global Interdependence Center and Drexel’s LeBow College of Business 4/18

Members, post events, announcements, job opportunities and more on the member’s only bulletin board.

Submitted by: Michael Sonnentag, Communications Department Intern

“Make no Mistake, this region will be stronger with a focus on education.” This statement from Chamber President Mark Schweiker set the tone for the March 27Rethinking Philadelphia program, attended by more than 250 civic and business leaders.

Rethinking Philadelphia: Opportunity Within Reach, an annual event held in partnership with the Daily News, explored the importance of raising educational attainment in Greater Philadelphia. In a town-hall setting, panelists and audience members discussed several ways to bolster the education level of our workforce, including ways to keep young people engaged.

Much of the discussion focused on internships at local businesses, one of the Chamber’s major initiatives. “(Internships) give young people a taste of what their lives can be,” said panel moderator Michael Days of The Philadelphia Daily News. They are a way to expose our youth to professional opportunities and give them incentives to stay in school and go on to college.

Investing in young people also means investing in our region’s success by developing it’s next generation of leaders. “I want employers to consider that we can make a difference in our communities,” said Trudyann Bryan, a 2007 summer intern at Independence Blue Cross. “We are the one’s who are going to hold their spots in the future.” (more…)

• Use A Mug Instead of Styrofoam Cups – this will help to reduce waste and save money.
• Turn Off Your Lights – not only when you are leaving for the night but also when you will be away from your desk/office for any length of time more than 15 minutes.  This can save loads of energy and therefore money
• Rediscover Your Local Library – Use your local library instead of buying small mountains of books and magazines.

We’re extremely excited about the Phillies opening the 2008 season, especially after last year’s NL East title. The enthusiasm was matched by our members who attended the sold out On Deck with the Phillies Reception at Citizens Bank Park last Friday.

Phillies fans enjoyed mingling with their favorite players and coaches. After there was no space left for player autographs on the baseballs that were given out, attendees were treated to Q & A sessions with some of the Phillies top players – including Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Shane Victorino and Geoff Jenkins.

The event concluded with hall of fame broadcaster Harry Kalas introducing the entire 2008 roster on the field. Those that were brave enough to sit through the cold weather stayed for Friday night’s exhibition game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

To view photos from this event, click here.

• Mercer County Breakfast at the Conference Center at Mercer County Community College 4/1
• Food Safety Seminar: How to Curb Food Safety Risks and Maximize Business Relationships at the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia Penn’s Landing 4/2
• Marketing Roundtable: Reach Your Target Audience the Crown Plaza Hotel in Philadelphia 4/3

For more information on all upcoming events, visit the Chamber’s event calendar.

The Committee of Seventy needs nonpartisan volunteers in Philadelphia to help in its Election Day Oversight Program on April 22. Seventy assigns “citizen teams” to specific voting locations throughout the city to provide assistance to voters, document complaints and help solve Election Day problems. Volunteers may work just a few hours in the morning, afternoon or evening, or all day. Before hand, training sessions are offered for all participants, and all volunteers receive formal identification for Election Day purposes.

To register online and to sign up for a volunteer training session, please go to www.seventy.org/volunteer or call Nina Bloch at 215-557-3600 ext. 124 or nbloch@seventy.org.

Submitted by Mai-Linh Hoang, SilverFlame Communications

Young Professional Network members participated in McClure Elementary School’s career day Tuesday morning, as a kick-off to the start of PSSA testing week. YPN volunteers visited third and fourth graders to talk about their own careers and answer any questions the children had about choosing and getting the career they want. This day proved to be an enlightening day not only for the students, but for the YPN volunteers. Many of the students had aspirations to be scientists, doctors and artists and had many questions about what they needed to do to get there and what kind of schooling is required. Every experience at McClure is always a new one, filled with hope that these students, one day, will become great scientists and doctors. (more…)

Submitted by Stephanie Gambone, Philadelphia Youth Network 

On March 24, 2008 at St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter spoke to Young Professionals Network members about city and regional issues. The Mayor highlighted his plans for education, crime prevention and economic development. He also answered questions regarding how we can all be instrumental in helping Philadelphia become the “Next Great City.” Michael Nutter “Unplugged” was YPN’s third sold out event in a row, which shows the success of YPN’s programming in recent months. We look forward to seeing members at the April event at the Art Museum and May’s signature event at the Pyramid Club. Stay tuned for further information.

Click here to view pictures of the event.

Click here to view photos from the Chamber’s City Council Reception.

• Young Professionals Network Event with Michael Nutter “Unplugged” at Saint Joseph’s University today–SOLD OUT
• YPN Volunteer Event, Education and Career Day at McClure Elementary School 3/25
• Rethinking Philadelphia: Opportunity Within Reach at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel 3/27
• On Deck with the Phillies Reception at Citizens Bank Park 3/28 — SOLD OUT

For more information on all upcoming events, visit the Chamber’s event calendar.

Picture by Jim McWilliams Photography

Submitted by Rebecca Warburton, Organizer of the Paradigm Award Luncheon

The Paradigm Award Luncheon was an amazing event honoring an amazing woman. Nearly 800 business people, family members and friends joined in on the celebration honoring Deborah M. Fretz, President & CEO of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. In her inspiring acceptance speech, Debbie reflected on leadership in business and the community; the importance of goals and dreams; and the difference between what we know and what we don’t. Change what you don’t know and make better what you do.

We also honored eight exceptional women who are the recipients of this year’s Paradigm Scholarship for Working Women. These women are working full time while completing their undergraduate degrees – splitting their time between work, school, and family so that they can be paradigms of success for their children and others.

Lastly, the Philos Brass Quintet of the Curtis Institute of Music gave a wonderful performance – what a treat! And, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Pennsylvania was recognized as the recipient of the Paradigm Award Gift.

To borrow from Debbie – it was sensational!

To view pictures of the event click here. 

Every Friday, we post events put on by our member companies.  If you’d like to see your event posted, email it to us with Member Event in the subject line.

• Meet the Artists presented by Cerulean Arts featuring Philadelphia artists Joshua Marsh and Sarah Steinwachs 3/16
• Six Steps to a Great Business in 2008 Workshop presented by ActionCOACH Philadelphia 3/18
• Smoking Cessation: The Purchaser Perspective - A Valuable Health Benefit presented by Pfizer 3/19 (contact Diane Orrei via phone: 888-516-2212 ext.6759 for more info)
• Red, White, Blue and Green: The Business of Going Green with Newt Gingrich presented by the National Constitution Center 3/20
• Corporate Breakfast Briefing on the Status of Children and Families presented by Public Citizens for Children & Youth 3/26
• Reinventing Older Communities: How Does Place Matter? presented by the Federal Reserve Babnk of Philadelphia 3/26/28

Members, post events, announcements, job opportunities and more on the member’s only bulletin board.