January 2nd, 2023

The end of one year and the beginning of another... This is always a great time to set new goals, reassess previous years, and make the most of yourself and your business. We are excited to have you join us for this year's schedule of events, keeping some of the "oldies but goodies" and adding in some new programming. We hope you'll enjoy what we have planned for this year!

Liz Holt

Executive Director

Gift a Membership!

Did you know that you can support a member in need this year?

As many of you know, it is time again to renew your membership with the OPRF Chamber of Commerce. There are still some businesses who are struggling, and may not be able to afford their membership. What better way to support your community than to help those businesses to continue to stay connected with the Chamber?

Tuesday January 17, 9:00 - 10:30am - Professional Development at The Carleton

During this event, you will learn how you can help the Assessor's Office be more accurate by providing more detailed information about your property or business by submitting a Real Property Income and Expense (RPIE) form. Meet with Assessor Fritz Kaegi to learn tips to ensure an accurate assessment and ask questions you may have about this process.

Tuesday January 24, 6:00 - 7:30pm - Professional Development via Zoom

This is the second of two events with the Assessor's Office where you will learn how to help them be more accurate by providing more detailed information about your property or business by submitting a Real Property Income and Expense (RPIE) form. Meet with Assessor Fritz Kaegi via Zoom to learn tips to ensure an accurate assessment and ask questions you may have about this process.

Affinity Groups

Which one is right for you?

Check out what we have coming up this month for each of our Affinity Groups. Find the group that is right for you and jump right on in!

Wednesday January 4, 10:00 - 11:00am - Initial Planning Meeting for the Health & Wellness Fair

Join us this Wednesday to learn more about the Health & Wellness Fair, what is the role of the Planning Committee and how you can help. Meet one of the co-chairs and ask any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you there!

Wednesday January 18, 5:30 - 7:00pm - Health & Wellness Affinity Group Meet Up at Kettlestrings Grove

Join us at Kettlestrings Grove for our first get together of the year!

We will be asking you what the Health & Wellness industry needs from the Chamber all while enjoying signature mocktails. Help us best support you over the 2023 year and beyond all while growing and strengthening your healthcare network!

Thursday March 23, 5:00 - 7:00pm - Boost Your Network at Riveredge Hospital

Reconnect with your previous network and continue to grow your current network at this event aimed at helping you to have your best Health & Wellness Fair experience possible! We will provide some tips and tricks from vendors of years' past, along with information on some local printers to help you have all of the things you need. 

Sunday April 23, 11:00am - 2:00pm - 2023 Community Health & Wellness Fair at FFC

This year's Health & Wellness Fair will again be held at FFC Oak Park. The Sponsor and Vendor registration is now open for this popular event. Be sure to get your Health & Wellness business registered before the prices increase on January 15th!

We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Thursday January 12, 1:00 - 2:00pm - Tax Law Changes and Unrelated Business Income via Zoom

Jeff Schroeder from Sassetti LLC will share with us on Zoom any recent changes in tax law that are relevant for nonprofits, as well as discussing the perils and possibilities of "unrelated business income" - all the things nonprofits do to try to generate their own funding!  

Friday January 13, 9:00 - 10:30am - Women in Business at The Sheridan at River Forest

Stay tuned for the details, but make sure to get this event on your calendar! The 2023 Women in Business programs are going to be so epic, mere words cannot describe them. Disclaimer: yes, we really are this much fun. We look forward to you joining us. See you soon! 

Thursday January 26, 8:30 - 10:00am - Young Professionals Meetup TBD

We don't know just what we'll be doing this day yet, but it will be in great company! Mark your calendar and RSVP to stay informed. Our group does field trips, has parties, hosts discussions, goes to events, makes things, and more. It's a great way of building community, getting to know our Villages, learning new things and connecting with other businesses.

Member Benefits Series

Are you a new member

or new to your business?

Take advantage of these events geared specifically toward new Chamber Members to learn how best to take advantage of your membership! Feel free to join us for any or all of these events.

Wednesday January 18, 2:00 - 3:00pm - Chamber 101 via Zoom

In this seminar we will go over all of your digital benefits that come with your membership, including:

- how to significantly increase your SEO

- how to leverage your Member Profile to boost traffic to your own website

- how to track your Member Profile statistics

- how to be sure that your website is linked to your membership

This event is perfect for new members, or those who need a refresher!

Thursday February 16, 8:00 - 9:30am - New Member Breakfast at Belmont Village Senior Living

Join us at our quarterly New Member Breakfast to introduce yourself and tell us about your business. This is an ideal opportunity to meet fellow new members, Chamber staff and Board leadership. You will also learn about your benefits, hear how you can get involved and get answers to your questions. 

Wednesday March 15, 2:00 - 3:00pm - Chamber 102 via Zoom

In this seminar we will go over all of your marketing benefits that come with your membership, including:

- how to maximize your e-blast benefits.

- the role of your Member Profile in your marketing advantage and how to track digital traffic.

- how to generate marketing collateral that can be shared in your social media.

- how to tap into our Affinity Groups to grow your network and feature your business.

Plan Your Month!

Want to plan ahead?

Here are some other regular programming events we have coming up over the next month. Join us for these wonderful networking opportunities and

continue to grow your business!

Tuesday January 10, 5:00 - 7:00pm - Business After Hours at Hit It! Fitness

Our January BAH will be hosted by Hit It! Fitness in Elmwood Park. Owner Constance Contursi welcomes us into this high-energy space, and invites you to think about your fitness and wellness goals for the new year!

Hit It! Fitness is a woman-owned gym offering everything from group classes to private personal training, Power Plate Vibration Technology training, boxing training, nutrition consulting and personal meal plans, and Latin dance.

Thursday January 19, 9:30 - 11:00am - #chamberLOVE Call Campaign at Grachan Agency

Love the OPRF Chamber and eager to share your story? Looking for ways to connect with potential referrals and likeminded people? Join us at Grachan Agency for our quarterly Membership Call Campaign!

Everyone is welcome to join us, you do not need to be on the Board or Staff to attend, nor do you need to be there the whole time.

Friday January 20, 12:00 - 12:30pm - Takeout Stakeout at Tacos '76

Come join your fellow Chamber members for our next Takeout Stakeout, this time at Tacos '76, the tasty taqueria that opened on Madison Street this past year! In this event, we convene at a designated restaurant to pick up our takeout lunch choices, and get to see each other for a bit while we're at it.

Chamber Blog

Have you seen our blog lately?

Want to help wish our outgoing board members good luck in their future endeavors, and our new ones a hearty greeting? How about different ways you can support our local economy? And, if you keep scrolling, you can find some tips on how to best use the Chamber website to promote your business. There are all sorts of helpful tips in our blog!