Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | | |
The Greater Kitsap Chamber invites you to join community and industry leaders for Ready Kitsap: 2026 Business & Tourism Summit, a one-day readiness and strategy event designed to help local businesses and nonprofits prepare for the influx of visitors to our region in Summer 2026. As the world’s largest sporting event brings global attention to our region, this summit will ensure Kitsap County is ready to meet the moment.
Why Attend?
Seattle’s selection as a host city for the FIFA World Cup means Kitsap will experience record visitor traffic, spending, and exposure. This event will equip you with practical tools and action plans to:
- Prepare your operations for increased demand
- Strengthen workforce and staffing strategies
- Position your brand to capture visitor interest
- Maximize tourism impact and visitor experience
- Understand essential safety and awareness topics, including human trafficking prevention
- Leverage partnerships, communication channels, and regional alignment
Attendees will learn directly from experts and advisors from:
- Washington State Department of Commerce
- Seattle Metro Chamber
- Visit Seattle
- Local economic and tourism leaders
- Kitsap-based businesses planning activations & strategizing for their industry
| | Get Tickets for the 2025 Business Awards Gala! | | |
Last day to purchase tickets is Friday, December 5th - get your
tickets now as we are almost sold out!
Dress for the evening is cocktail attire/semi-formal, sparkles or not! We're excited to spend the evening with you celebrating the amazing businesses and nonprofits who call Greater Kitsap home. We'll see you on the 12th at the Kitsap Conference Center. Doors open at 5:30 pm!
| | Greater Kitsap Chamber & Leadership Kitsap: 2026 Kitsap Women's Summit | | |
The Kitsap Women's Summit planning committee is proud to present Kitsap Women's Summit 2026: Breakthrough. Join us for our 3rd annual summit where we're diving into topics meant to create and sustain momentum - breaking through limits, beliefs, transitions and noise. This day-long gathering is curated for women, by women, and was brought to life by the need for real space for conversation, community, connection, and personal and professional development, amplifying women's voices and experiences across Kitsap County.
Business Health Trust is proud to serve as our 2026 Visionary Sponsor. For more information on how you can join them in sponsoring this event, please visit our website at www.greaterkitsapchamber.com/kitsap-womens-summit.
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Highlight Your Business with Tabling Opportunity at Chamber Luncheon | | |
Accessible Healthcare with NICE
Business Health Trust Has You Covered
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Are you ready for 2026 healthcare costs?
Health insurance costs are going up up up, but BHT members are already offering their teams $0 primary care going into flu season and the new year. They don’t pay a dime to have this extra benefit. It’s included in their normal package.
With BHT + Nice, employees get $0 primary, preventive, and sick care, same-day virtual access to mental health and physical therapy, and 550+ common medications at $0 when prescribed by Nice. This isn’t a gimmick. Appointments usually happen within a day.
🔗 Webpage Link: https://businesshealthtrust.com/products/nice-healthcare/
Questions? Contact BHT!
(425) 201-1972
nice@businesshealthtrust.com
Not a BHT member? Are you ready to build a better benefits package? Visit bhtquote.com to learn more and get a free quote.
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Renew your membership today to ensure your benefits as a member of the Greater Kitsap Chamber! Questions about when to renew or how to upgrade your membership? Need a new membership window cling or digital badge? Contact us now!
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Missed a previous edition of the Chamber's Community Connections?
View all the past issues on our website HERE.
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New & Renewing Members for November
Thank you for your continued investment & support!
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Sip, Swap & Socialize
Thursday, January 29, 2026, 5:00pm
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Changing Faces, Changing Places
Share your business news today
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Has your team recently welcomed a new hire, celebrated a promotion, or marked a retirement? Kitsap Business magazine's Changing Faces, Changing Places section highlights the people powering our local business community. Chamber members are invited to share their staff updates for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
Send your announcements to news@kitsapbusiness.com and let us help you recognize the faces behind your success.
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December is a special month for the Greater Kitsap Chamber as we prepare for our annual Business Awards Gala! This event is all about honoring the incredible businesses and nonprofits that make our community strong, and before the big night, we want to take a moment to celebrate our nominees who earned recognition this year.
They represent the very best of Kitsap - organizations that demonstrate excellence, innovation, and a deep commitment to serving our region. From long-standing businesses that have shaped our local economy to new ventures bringing fresh ideas and energy, each nominee plays a vital role in creating a thriving community.
Being nominated is an achievement in itself, and we are proud to recognize the hard work, dedication, and impact these businesses, nonprofits, and festivals have made. Their contributions remind us why Kitsap is such a great place to live and work.
As we count down to the gala, join us in applauding these outstanding nominees. They are the heart of our business community, and we can’t wait to celebrate their success together!
| | Updates from Our Committee Chair | | |
Next Committee Meeting
- December 17, 2025, 9:30 - 11:00a.m.
- Greater Kitsap Chamber, Bremerton Office
- Reps. Greg Nance and Dan Griffey will present: Advocacy 101
- GKC President and CEO Irene Moyer will discuss the Legislative Hill Climb
| | Registration for Hill Climb will open for Greater Kitsap Chamber members on December 15th - stay tuned for more information on the day's schedule and transportation. | | Business & Professional Development Committee | | Member Education & Training Resources | | |
SCORE: QuickBooks Online Basics
Monday, December 8, 2025, 9:00am
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Are you an aspiring or established business owner looking to get started with QuickBooks? Are you trying to figure out what you’re doing but keep getting lost? Do you like bagels? Well, then this is the workshop for you!
Who You Are: Although anyone interested in QuickBooks is welcome to take this workshop, it is designed for aspiring and established business owners looking to learn the basics.
What To Have When You Sign onto Zoom: You will need your laptop and possibly power cable. We will be performing exercises together using a sample QuickBooks Online data file.
What You Will Learn: In this SCORE workshop, you will learn how to use QuickBooks Online to record your daily business transactions. (No QuickBooks signup required!) Subjects covered include:
· Customer sales and payments
· Supplier purchases and payments
· Banking and Chart of Accounts
· Reporting from QuickBooks Online
· Best practices and common mistakes
Please note that this workshop is only training on QuickBooks Online and not QuickBooks Desktop.
Registration Fee: $10
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SCORE: Solopreneurship 101
Monday, December 8, 2025, 1:00pm
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Working for yourself is amazing … provided you know how to make it work. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve got a great idea or are good at your craft yet don’t know exactly what you’re doing in running a business, you’re not alone.
In this session, you’ll learn the basics of what you need to know in order to set yourself
up for success, including:
• Mindset & Motivation
• Policies & Procedures
• Branding & Promotions
• And more!
Whether you’re looking to make the jump, are just starting out, or needing a kickstart … and whether you call it freelancing, consulting, solopreneurship or the like, this session will give you the tools you need to rock the self-employed life.
Registration Fee: FREE
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World Cup Ready: Small Business
Mega Event Playbook Webinar
Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 11:00am
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Get an exclusive first look at the Small Business Mega-Event Readiness Playbook, a practical, easy-to-use resource designed to help small businesses prepare for major events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, and maintain business continuity during high-traffic periods.
This webinar will walk participants through the Playbook’s key sections, such as Mega-Event Business Readiness, Day-Of Planning, Marketing, and more. Using real-world case studies, including examples like the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, and illustrated checklists featured in the Playbook draft, we’ll highlight visitor trends, peak-time impacts, business adaptations, and actionable steps that organizations can take now to get game-ready.
This session is ideal for small businesses, business districts, service providers, and economic development partners seeking a one-stop resource to help them anticipate changing customer patterns, access local tools, and bring the World Cup experience to their customers.
Join us for this Small Business Readiness Playbook preview, presented by the Seattle Metro Chamber. Guest presenters will be announced soon!
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SBDC: Social Media Marketing and
Security Best Practices
Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 1:00pm
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This workshop will show small business owners where to focus their time for real results. We cut through the noise and look at the platforms that matter, the content that works, and the simple habits that build trust and visibility. Participants will leave with one action they can implement this week to start improving their social presence.
After we discuss effective marketing on social media, the next step is to secure your account! We will cover best practices to prevent unauthorized access to your social media accounts and protect your business’ reputation and private data. We’ll discuss password policies, multifactor authentication, common scams, and more.
Registration Fee: FREE
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WSHRMA: December Lunch & Learn
Wednesday, December 10, 2025, 11:45am
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SBDC: Creating & Securing an Effective Website
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 1:00pm
| | In this webinar, we’ll explore how to create a strong, professional online presence while keeping your business and customer information secure. You’ll learn the fundamentals of effective website planning, from choosing the right platform and designing user-friendly pages to optimizing your site for visibility. Then, we’ll dive into essential cybersecurity practices to protect your website from common threats like phishing, ransomware, and data breaches. By the end of this session, you’ll understand how to build, manage, and safeguard a trustworthy website that supports your business growth. | | Business News & Resources | | Time to "Re:" Think Your Marketing Emails: WA's Expansive Subject Line Ruling | |
Published in the Washington Retail Association, November 20, 2025
Photo courtesy of WRA
In the six months since the Washington Supreme Court issued Brown v. Old Navy, the state’s Commercial Electronic Mail Act (“CEMA”), RCW § 19.190.020(1)(b), has quickly emerged as what may be the largest threat to online retail in years.
More than thirty CEMA class-action lawsuits have been filed in Washington since Brown. Most of these suits are driven by a growing list of out-of-state lawyers, some of whom are even seeking admission to the State Bar to invest further in these cases. These new class actions attack a broad range of promotional email practices, including: emails that promote “limited time” deals that are later extended, offer “free gifts” that are contingent on undisclosed purchase requirements, or even trick customers into thinking they will get a better deal on their purchase through commonplace “%-off” language. This litigation trend extends beyond Washington: plaintiffs’ attorneys in Maryland and California are already mobilizing under parallel laws, as at least sixteen other states have similar laws.
Legislative Background
Washington enacted CEMA in 1998, during the infancy of commercial internet use. At that time, consumers often paid per-minute connection fees, and each unwanted or misleading email imposed tangible costs in time and money. The legislature’s purpose was to reduce these burdens by prohibiting deceptive or disguised commercial communications.
Under RCW § 19.190.020(1), it is unlawful to send a commercial email to a Washington resident that either: (1) conceals or falsifies the sender’s identity, or (2) contains false or misleading information in the subject line. For retailers who send emails—or even those that assist with their transmission—from a computer located in Washington, every single email sent nationwide is a potential violation.
CEMA violations automatically constitute per se violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act (“WCPA”). Beyond the actual damages that WCPA authorizes, CEMA violations trigger statutory penalties of $500 per violation. Plaintiffs argue that each individual email constitutes a separate violation, meaning a single consumer who receives one unlawful message per week for just one year could claim $26,000 in statutory penalties. Scaled across a retailer’s subscriber base and the four-year limitations period, the potential exposure can easily reach trillions of dollars.
Critically, unlike the WCPA, CEMA does not explicitly require proof of actual injury. The Brown majority endorsed this interpretation, declaring that the statutory “injury” lies in the receipt of a violative email itself. Thus, Plaintiffs contend that even if they did not notice an allegedly violative subject line, the mere act of receiving it entitles them (and the putative class) to statutory damages.
Read the article here
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Quick and interesting reads for employers, employees,
local leaders, and everyone in between!
| | The Greater Kitsap Chamber is proud to serve as a resource partner with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Stay tuned to this section quarterly for education, resources and more from L&I. | | |
Workplace Rights Refresher
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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There's a lot to know as an employer - get clarity on, and learn about, some of the commonly misunderstood or lesser-known employee rights.
Immigration Status Coercion
Employers may not use immigration status to coerce an employee from engaging in protected activities or exercising labor law rights. Workers may file a complaint with L&I that is enforceable with civil penalties.
Job Posting Restriction
Employers cannot require a valid driver’s license as a condition of employment or include such a statement in a job posting unless driving is one of the essential job functions or is related to a legitimate business purpose for a position.
PSL for Employees
It’s fall which means it’s PSL time, and I'm not talking about Pumpkin Spice Lattes here; I'm talking about Paid Sick Leave. Don’t forget your paid sick leave basics:
- Employees accrue one paid sick leave hour for every 40 hours worked, paid at their normal hourly compensation
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You must provide a one-time written or electronic notification to each employee detailing their paid sick leave rights.
- Review what paid sick leave can be used for, which includes a few new additions:
- self or family’s health needs;
- child’s school or daycare closures for government-declared emergencies;
- absences related to domestic violence;
- and for absences resulting from the need to prepare for or participate in judicial or administrative immigration proceedings involving the employee or the employee's family member.
- Note: Family also includes anyone living with the employee where there is some expectation of care.
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Be sure to visit the Paid Sick Leave page to see all the requirements
| | Nonprofit News & Resources | |
How Nonprofit Direct Mail Sparks
Big Digital Engagement
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Published in Nonprofit Pro, December 1, 2025
Photo: Getty Images
There’s a magic moment when a donor holds your mail piece for the first time. Before they tuck it into a purse, pin it to the fridge or set it on the kitchen counter, you have an opportunity to guide them somewhere meaningful — into a story, an experience or an action.
These little interactions are what I call micro-moments, and they’re one of the most powerful (and overlooked) tools nonprofits have today. Nonprofit direct mail isn’t just the delivery vehicle for your appeal. It’s the bridge that sends donors directly into your digital world.
Mail gets attention. Micro-moments, planned with intention, turn that attention into measurable action.
What Exactly Is a Micro-Moment?
Micro-moments are the tiny windows of attention that happen the second someone engages with your nonprofit direct mail. They feel small — a scan, a tap, a quick glance at a video — but they create the momentum that ultimately drives donations, sign-ups and advocacy.
Here are a few examples in the nonprofit world:
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A QR code that leads donors to a 30-second impact video.
- A personalized URL that makes a donor feel seen.
- A scan-to-volunteer moment that removes friction.
- A photo-share challenge that inspires mission pride.
- An Informed Delivery preview that reinforces your branding before the mail even lands.
These aren’t gimmicks. They’re tiny, behavior-driven prompts that meet donors where they already are (on their phones) but fueled by the trust and attention that direct mail naturally commands. When you design nonprofit direct mail around these prompts, you’re intentionally building a pathway instead of hoping donors will take the next step on their own.
Read the article here
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MultiCare Changes on Medicare Advantage
Will Affect Kitsap Clinics
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Published in The Kitsap Sun, November 26, 2025
Image: Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun
The Tacoma-based health system MultiCare will no longer accept certain Medicare Advantage plans next year, leaving a few thousands seniors without in-network access to its hundreds of Puget Sound facilities.
Starting in 2026, the company will no longer participate in the Medicare Advantage PPO plans, company spokesperson Scott Thompson confirmed to the Kitsap Sun and Gig Harbor Now. News of the shift was first reported by the Tacoma News Tribune.
That change means come January all of MultiCare’s 300 clinics and 13 hospitals, including those in Bremerton, Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Silverdale on the Kitsap Peninsula, will be considered out of network for most individuals who have Medicare Advantage PPO plans. Plans for some Boeing and public employee retirees will continue to be accepted. This will affect fewer than 15,000 patients, the company says.
MultiCare has chosen to focus on HMO plans, allowing for better coordinated care within its network, Thompson said. “This change helps us provide more consistent, high-quality care for our patients.”
An HMO, or health maintenance organization, is a model where patient coverage is limited to a specific network of providers. Often, they are cheaper than PPOs, preferred provider organizations, which allow patients to receive coverage from a wider variety of providers.
Read the article here
| | Plastic Carryout Bags Will Be More Expensive for WA Customers in 2026 | | |
Published in The Kitsap Sun, December 2, 2025
Image courtesy of WA State Department of Ecology
Plastic bags for carryout from restaurants and retailers in Washington State will become more expensive next year.
Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the price of plastic film carryout bags in Washington will increase by 4 cents, from the current 8 cents to 12 cents. The raise is part of a 2020 law, meant to encourage shoppers to bring their own carryout bags, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.
Single-use plastic bags — the thin 0.5 mil disposable plastic bags — have been banned in Washington since October 2021. The City of Bremerton and Kitsap County have banned single-use plastic bags since Jan. 1, 2020.
The reusable plastic film bags are 2.25 mil, thicker bags. If not bringing their own bags, shoppers will purchase either reusable plastic bags or paper carryout bags. The price of a paper bag is 8 cents and will remain the same in 2026.
Read the article here
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Magic in Manette
Friday, December 5, 2025, 5:00pm
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Kingston Cove Christmas
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 9:00am
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Julefest in Poulsbo
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 10:00am
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Haselwood YMCA: Run Run Rudolph 5k
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 10:00pm
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Masks Still Available
Free at the Greater Kitsap Chamber & Visitor Center
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The Greater Kitsap Chamber still has some supplies available if your local business is in need of KN95 masks. Pick up your supply at both GKC locations today. Available while supplies last.
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Clearwater Casino Presents:
Fever 103 - Foreigner Tribute
Friday, December 5, 2025, 8:30pm
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Randy Linder - Creedence Tribute
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 8:30pm
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BPA Presents: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
December 4 - December 21, 2025
| Based on the Victor Hugo novel and featuring the soaring music of Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast), this epic musical tells the powerful story of Quasimodo, the bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral. Isolated from society but longing for connection, he finds courage and love in the face of prejudice and fear. With unforgettable characters, stunning choral music, and breathtaking theatricality, this production resonates with the timeless themes of identity, compassion, and the price of justice. | |
Krampusnacht Bremerton 2025
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 2:00pm
| Krampusnacht Bremerton brings the old-world Alpine tradition of Krampus—the horned, folkloric companion of St. Nicholas—to life in the heart of downtown Bremerton. Expect a day packed with music, mischief, and holiday magic, with plenty of fun for all ages. | |
Country Christmas in Port Gamble
December 6 - December 7, 2025
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Holiday Magic @ The Roxy Theatre
December 7 - December 24, 2025
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🎅 December 7 – Our Annual Free Family Screening of ELF, sponsored by local realtor Liz Tracy. Laugh, sing along, and spread some holiday cheer — it’s on us!
🚂 December 21–24 – All aboard for THE POLAR EXPRESS and THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, screening daily! It’s the perfect way to make new holiday memories at your favorite neighborhood theater.
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2025 Lighted Ships Parade on Liberty Bay
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 5:00pm
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The Admiral Theatre Presents: The Nutcracker
December 13 - December 14, 2025
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Stay in the know with what's happening for events
in Central Kitsap by checking out and liking the
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Have something to share? CLICK HERE to submit stories and
events for our weekly Community Connections!
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Office (360) 479-3579 | 705 Pacific Avenue in Downtown Bremerton
Silverdale Office (360) 692-6800 | Kitsap Mall
PO Box 1218 Silverdale WA 98383
If you need assistance, please contact us directly.
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