With 100 years under its belt, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce has a lot to celebrate.
This week, the local group will be joining 125 other chambers across the province in marking Chamber of Commerce Week 2012, which is an opportunity to demonstrate the value they provide to their respective communities.
"It's really the concentration of everything we do, in one week," said Prince George Chamber of Commerce CEO Jennifer Brandle-McCall.
Chamber Commerce Week comes as the local group is nearing the end of a busy year, which not only included celebrating their centennial anniversary, but also hosting the B.C. Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting and conference.
"It was an amazing milestone for us," Brandle-McCall said of the numerous business leaders who came to Prince George for the three-day meeting. "We highlighted Prince George to the business community of B.C. and that opportunity doesn't come very often. They were quite impressed with where we are as a community and our future ahead."
To celebrate, the Prince George Chamber is offering special events and workshops to marks to mark the week. These include today's sold-out lunch workshop on how to succeed in any economy, a speed networking event and a recognition lunch for long-standing Chamber members.
Thursday's luncheon, taking place at the Ramada Hotel, is a way to say thank you for the businesses that support the chamber financially through their annual dues, but also by taking part in events, workshops and educational opportunities, the CEO said.
"Some members may only be members for a couple of years and some may be members for 90 years and we want to encourage that long-term membership for continuity," Brandle-McCall said.
She especially recommends the speed-networking event on Friday evening at the Twisted Cork from 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. for new business owners.
"In a nutshell, you can make more business connections in an hour and a half than you can in three months of trying, so it's really good," she said.
Currently, the Chamber boasts about 870 members, which Brandle-McCall said is very good representation for a city of Prince George's size.
"We're quite proud of the size of our chamber, which allows us to have what I believe is a stronger and louder voice when it comes to advocacy and the lobbying we do with the government," she said. "The more businesses we represent, the louder that voice becomes, so we welcome all new members."
The Prince George Chamber of Commerce will wrap up their centennial with the Hats Off to the Chamber gala event on March 10.
To register for Chamber of Commerce Week events, visit their website at www.pgchamber.bc.ca.
