The Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce their annual Career Exploration Fair for all juniors and seniors of Richmond High School, all county schools and new this year, National Trail High School. Students will participate in 2 workshops before getting to spend time on a job fair floor to learn more about local businesses and the career pathway. Employers who attend must send a representative to the Career Exploration Fair training, held on February 4th at 10am. With the increase in participating schools and that we are now including juniors, the Chamber is telling employers to plan for 1500 students to participate that day.
For more information, reach out to Melissa Vance,  President & CEO of the Chamber. 

Here is a program coming up this week in Hamilton County and info was found on the Noblesville Chamber website.

With bordering states legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, the patchwork of laws that exist, and federal law that still criminalizes marijuana, many employers are left wondering what they can prohibit and test for in the workplace.Gibson and Barnes & Thornburg LLP have resources to help you tackle this issue.
Attendees will hear perspectives from safety compliance, human resources professionals and an employment law attorney on:

• How to manage the evolving risks related to your drug and alcohol policies;
• How state laws legalizing recreational or medical marijuana impact your policies and practices;
• The process of developing practical policies and practices to address these issues; and
• Different state laws that have legalized marijuana, focusing on Midwest states.

This topic could be duplicated and hosted by Chambers across the state to assist employers dealing with this issue.  For more info, reach out to Bob DuBois, IOM, President of the Noblesville Chamber, with questions.

Work smarter. Not harder. Join forces with neighboring peer chambers for joint programming & events. This idea is led by three different chamber leaders from three different counties coming together for something unique!
The Westfield Chamber of Commerce, Tipton County Chamber of Commerce & Zionsville Chamber of Commerce are partnering for the 2nd Annual Hoosier Chocolate Fest!
Chocolate demonstrations from some of the best in the region, including chocolate winemakers, mixologists and bakers, will be available.
Get your tickets today at hoosierchocolatefest.com! #indianachocolate #hoosierchocolatefestival #sweettreats

Here's an idea for a great marketing e-mail for your business community. Joe Morris, Executive Director of the Daviess County Chamber, created this marketing piece to introduce elected officials at the federal & state levels with a quick link button to make it easy for members to contact elected officials.  For more information, contact Joe Morris at joe@dcchamber.com.

What a great way to celebrate successes from 2022 with this simple Top Ten list that the staff at the Columbus Area Chamber included in their newsletter this week. Cindy Frey is the President of the Columbus Area Chamber and a great peer resource to reach out to with questions.  

How are you telling your chamber's story celebrating successes from last year? Send samples from your Chamber to ICEA so that we can share with your peer network.

A new shop local program launched in Warrick County last month and it is projected to put near $1 million in the local economy this holiday season. The program operates by offering digital e-gift cards through Yiftee and buy one get one offers to shoppers patronizing local businesses. The program is only available to shoppers within Warrick County, and is good at businesses within the county. Using money received from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants, the money and deals will help to offset inflation and higher costs often associated with shopping locally.  
​Questions? Reach out to Shari Sherman, Executive Director of the Warrick County Chamber

​The first annual Move Kosciusko Challenge is now live! Kosciusko County residents are encouraged to create a team of up to five members within their company, family, or friends to complete the challenges. New challenges will be released daily through Friday, October 28th. Prizes will be awarded to the top teams. Visit kchamber.com/move for more information.

For more information, contact the Rob Parker, IOM, Kosciusko Chamber President.

Jasper will be celebrated next week as the 2022 Strongest Town for a national contest held earlier this year.  Charles Marohn, Strong Towns President, will be visiting Jasper on October 12 to present the award.

One of Jasper’s great strengths is its decision to form the Heart of Jasper, a diverse group of organizations that leverages existing assets, transforms those in need, and instills new energy through creative programs and collaborative leadership. The town is always careful to listen to its residents and to build community engagement, but also minds its financial health with its solid Impact Jasper community investment plan. We hope others will look to Jasper as an example of what it means to build lasting strength and resilience in their communities.
For more information, contact Nancy Eckerle, Executive Director of the Jasper Chamber