April's monthly Chamber Networking Luncheon will feature Robert Wherry, Lakeland's city manager as our guest speaker. Wherry will introduce and explain the goals for the city's "Friendly Face" initiative designed to welcome and assist area businesses.

To participate in the "Friendly Face" initiative, we are asking all Chamber members to bring fifty (#50) of their business cards to this meeting to be inserted into the Chamber's new business card portfolios. In addition, if your business has any imprinted promotional items*, coupons, brochures, give-aways, etc., please bring those as well.These items will be inserted into the welcome bags that are being put together as part of the "Friendly Face" initiative and will be distributed to both new and existing area businesses.

If you haven't already reserved your seat for next Thursday's luncheon meeting, please do so before Tuesday at noon by contacting Sandra Blondis at 213- 2143.

*Imprinted promotional items include ink pens, magnets, coffee mugs, memo pads, keychains, etc. (Just about anything you can think of that you use to promote your business.)

LACOC Hosts the "Small Biz Bike Tour" May 2nd!

The "Small Biz Bike Tour" benefitting Junior Achievement will start in Nashville on April 29th and will end in Lakeland on May 2nd. As part of the festivities, the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce is organizing a "homecoming" event at the finish point of the ride that will be open to the public.

More than a dozen cyclists will participate in the ride, and the Small Business Chamber hopes to collect $100,000 in donations and sponsorships. This year's honorary chairperson is Mayor AC Wharton. Proceeds will benefit the local Junior Achievement chapter. The tour route will cover about 200 miles in four stages, with cyclists pedaling 60 miles the first day, 40 miles the second and then repeating that schedule the final two days.

The LACOC needs member businesses to help with the coordination and by volunteering to work at the event itself. We are also asking member businesses to donate money and/or purchase sponsorships. The LACOC will match all contributions from members up to a total of $500. Plus, the LACOC will waive the regular $10 luncheon fee for all members who donate $50 or more.

For more information about this event please visit http://www.smallbizbiketour.com/ or contact Mark Lawrence at 820-7065.

Upcoming LACOC Events

May 14th - Monthly Networking Luncheon: Tim Ransom of Ransom Group is sure to impress and inspire you with his introduction and demonstration of Firefly - the world's first complete business website solution with true WYSIWYG editing directly on a webpage. Using Firefly, the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce is creating a brand new website which we are hoping to unveil at the luncheon.