The Columbus Chamber has recently relaunched an upgraded Geographic Information System (GIS) on its economic development site, ColumbusRegion.com, an online tool for both current member companies and businesses that are looking to relocate from outside the Columbus region. These enhanced tools will aid in the Chamber's efforts to attract new capital investment, while optimizing site selection opportunities, making Columbus a more competitive option for prospective businesses. GIS allows users to quickly and easily find the ideal location for their business within the eight-county Columbus region, as well as access overlays of demographic data by county. If a member business has grown and needs a larger space or a relocating business needs to be close to a highway or an airport, they can use GIS to identify a specific building that will suit their needs. For more information contact Justin Bickle, corporate site location manager, at justin_bickle@columbus.org.

Don't Miss the 86th Annual Clambake

For more than 80 years, the Clambake has brought Chamber members together to celebrate and enjoy a good time. Clambake is a networking and seafood extravaganza that draws more than 800 business people together each year.

Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009
5 p.m. Networking, hors d'oeuvres and beverages
7 p.m. Seafood Extravaganza

Cost:
Members: Tables of eight (8) $600.00
Individual Ticket $85.00
Non-member: Tables of eight (8) $720.00
Individual Ticket $ 95.00

Join this time honored tradition as a hospitality host. Showcase your business and network with the hundreds of community members. The $350 host fee includes one (1) dinner ticket and one (1) 8' table with linens.

Register Here

For more information, contact events@columbus.org or 614.225.6946. For sponsor opportunities, contact Tim Gaffney at 614-225-6920 or tim_gaffney@columbus.org.

Chamber Partners with Department of Health to Educate Businesses on H1N1

Because the economic health of our community is a key priority at The Columbus Chamber, we are partnering with our friends at Columbus Public Health and the Franklin County Board of Health, to share information to help you keep your work environment healthier and safer.

In the spring of this year, a new H1N1 influenza virus was identified. Experts believe the new flu will circulate along with regular influenza viruses, making it a unique dual influenza season unlike any other in recent history. With that in mind, local experts predict we will likely experience more illness, more hospitalizations, and deaths from complications.

With that goal in mind, we would like to introduce you to a newly developed tool kit from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention especially available to assist businesses is now available at www.flu.gov. For ongoing updates in both preparing for and responding to 2009 H1N1 influenza, we encourage you to visit our web site at www.columbus.org or columbuspandemicflu.com. These sites will be updated continually with the latest information.

Chamber Offers New Worker's Compensation Savings Program

In an ongoing effort to provide our members with the best programs available, the Columbus Chamber's program will have a new administrator for our workers' compensation program. CompManagement, Inc. (a division of Sedgwick CMS) will assume full responsibility for our program for the 2010 rate year.

The CompManagement program provides multiple savings tiers to ensure the highest discount possible on your workers' compensation premiums as well as competitive fees to ensure a positive return on your investment. If you are not currently eligible for group rating, new BWC alternative rating programs are now available through CompManagement for Group Retrospective Rating and Deductible programs that may assist you in reducing your workers' compensation premium. You may request a free, no-obligation analysis to see how much you could save in our new program by contacting the CompManagement Customer Support Unit at (800) 825-6755, option 3.