There are numerous ways Parker Chamber members are able to promote their business and network with other businesses.
Networking opportunities are devised to provide members a chance to meet with other members to find out about each others businesses and see how you can help each other in growing your businesses.
Promotional opportunities are those that get the word out about your business and include advertising as well as promotional opportunites. You may sponsor, or host, a Business After Hours or a monthly membership meeting and luncheon. Get the sign-up sheet here.
Business After Hours
Business After Hours (BAH) is a casual, social, meet and greet Chamber networking event that happens the 3rd Thursday of every monthy from 5-7 p.m. Chamber members host these events to showcase their facilities, employees, and products and services.
2008 BAH Hosts include:
January 17 - Mark Skender Insurance Agency
February 21 - Edward Jones-Marietta Silva, and National City Mortgage Company
March 20- Pinery Country Club
April 17 - Parker Chamber Home Based Businesses (click this link to find out how to participate)
May 15 - American National Bank
June 19 - Walk Around Parker
July 17 - Car Connections
August 21 - Tri-Chamber Event @ Sky Ridge Medical Center
September 18 -
October 16 - Bellco Credit Union
November 20 -
December 18 -
Be on the lookout for the 2008 Promotional Opportunity sign up sheet in the newsletter in October. Business After Hours are always the first to be taken, so if you know you want to host one of these dynamic events, please make sure you get your commitment in early. Call De Regan at the Chamber office at 303.841.4268.
Leads Groups
The Parker Chamber has four (4) active Leads Groups, with each providing a venue for networking among members to promote and share business leads and referrals on a regular basis. To qualify for a leads group, one must be a current Parker Chamber member in good standing, and leads group membership is restricted to one business representative per industry per leads group. All Leads Groups meet at the Parker Chamber, unless otherwise announced, and are actively seeking new members.
Parker Chamber members interested in joining a leads group may visit a group once to determine if it is the right fit with respect to meeting day and time, as well as the group dynamic suits their individual needs.
Listed below are the current leads groups with the contact information for each groups chair person.
20-Mile Leads (established 1995)
Meets at 11:30 am the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month
Chair: Tom VanderHeiden, VanderHeiden Financial, 303.699.9086
Loyal Leads of Parker (established 2005)
Meets at 9am on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month
Chair: Mike Seeger, Herbalife International; 303.800-1446
Mainstreet Leads (established 2003)
Meets 9:00 am the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month
Chair: Victoria Long, The Solutions Experts, 303.840.7772
Parker Leads! (established 2002)
Meets at 4pm on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month
Chair: Tom Kuehn, St. Germain Furniture & Cabinetry, 303.688.0267
Ribbon Cuttings
As a Member benefit, the Parker Chamber of Commerce facilitates ribbon cutting ceremonies. A ribbon cutting is a terrific way to recognize a special event such as your:
Grand opening;
Ground breaking;
New Parker Chamber membership;
Special anniversary;
Move to a new location;
Completion of an extensive remodeling project; and/or
The achievement of major milestones within your business.
Planning a ribbon cutting? View this informative tip sheet to get ideas.
To schedule a ribbon cutting, call the Parker Chamber office at 303.841.4268.
Maximize Your Membership
The Parker Chamber offers numerous ways for members to become involved and get the most from their membership investment. Are you Maximizing Your Membership? If the answer is "no", then join us for a Maximize Your Membership (MYM) workshop! Learn more about the benefits and services you are already receiving through your chamber membership. At the workshop, the Parker Chamber leadership will explain what a Chamber of Commerce is, share ideas on how you may become more involved and show you how to promote your business. Morning sessions are held from 7:30am - 9:00am with breakfast provided and afternoon sessions are held from 11:30am - 1:00pm with light lunch. MYMs are held on location by the meal provider and, as a member, you will be notified of the locations closer to each workshop date.
2007 Maximize Your Membership workshops are as follows:
February 22 - 7:30-9am
February 23 - 11:30am - 1pm
May 24 - 7:30-9am
May 25 - 11:30am - 1pm
August 23 - 7:30-9am
August 24 - 11:30am - 1pm
November 28 - 7:30-9am
November 29 - 11:30am - 1pm
We are always changing and adding new benefits, so this free informational networking opportunity is not just for new members. With so much going on at your Parker Chamber of Commerce, if you haven't been to a Maximize Your Membership in the past 18 months, your time will be well spent. Please RSVP before noon the day before the workshop so we may have a correct count for the restaurants/caterers.
Monthly Membership Meetings and Luncheons
The Monthly Membership Meeting and Luncheon is generally held the 2nd Thursday of each month, except for June and November. These luncheons are a time to catch up with peers and learn about what is happening at the Parker Chamber and the Parker Community through updates from Town and County personnel and other speakers who bring valuable information you are able to use in your daily business transactions.
2008 Monthly Membership Meeting and Luncheon Sponsors are listed below:
January 10 - The Pinery Country Club
Febraury 14 - Echo Pages
March 13 - Educo Gym
April 10 - Walk Around Parker
May 8 - Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., Lorin & Dixie Ricker
June - no luncheon
July 10 -
August 14 -
September 11 - First Command Financial Planning
October 9 -
November - no luncheon
December 11 -
Luncheon reservations may be made online via our secure server or by calling the Parker Chamber office at 303.841.4268 and making your reservation via phone with a staff member.
Educational Opportunities
The Parker Chamber provides opportunities for members to enhance their business and personal skills through educational offerings such as the Brown Bag Program and Chamber U. Both programs provide valuable information at an extremely affordable cost, often 60-80-100% less than one would pay for consultations with these presenters.
The Brown Bag Program is free and you bring your own lunch to eat while you learn about subjects such as "are you holding your greatness prisoner", conflict management, and creating health and wealth. The Brown Bag Program is held on the 4th Tuesday of each month, except for December, from 11:30am - 1pm. The program starts promptly at 12:00noon and is held at the University Center at Chaparral (15653 Brookstone Dr., next to Chaparral High School). We encourage you to take advantage of the 30 minutes before and after the session to network with the presenters and other participants.
The 2007 Brown Bag Program schedule is as follows:
Janaury 23
February 27
March 27
April 24
May 22
June 26
July 24
August 28
September 25
October 23
November 27
Interested in being a presenter at one of the Brown Bag Programs? This application will give you important information about applying to present for one of these fun and informative workshops.
Chamber U
With a specific focus on business building skills, Chamber U provides participants targeted information that is readily usable in their business. Topics such as one page business plans, marketing and PR strategies, sales and financials strategies combine to add tools to the member's toolbox to support and encourage business growth. Chamber U is the last Friday of each month, except December, from 11:30am-1pm at the Parker Library (north meeting room). There is a cost of $10 for members and $20 for nonmembers that includes lunch and any materials or handouts.
Special Interest Groups
The Parker Chamber endeavors to provide opportunities to our members, often creating new programs and services to address needs. Special Interest Groups, or SIGs, are one such program created to address a need. Currently, there are two SIGs at the Parker Chamber, the Women's Forum and the Downtown Development Committee (DDC). SIGs differ from leads groups in that SIGs are open to members of a common interest and may have multiple representatives within any given industry. For example, the Women's Forum is made up of Parker Chamber women business owners and serves as a time when business women may get together to discuss issues they face during the course of their business day. The DDC is a group of land owners in downtown Parker, specifically the Mainstreet corridor, who are active in working with the Town to create a dynamic, family and pedestrian friendly downtown corridor in Parker.
If you are interested in joining one of these SIGs, please call the Parker Chamber office at 303.841.4268 to find out who the current Chairs of these networking groups are. Likewise, if you feel a new SIG should be implemented to address a certain business segment, please call the Chamber office to discuss the development of a new SIG.
