By: Jess Fick, Director of Programs and Leadership

At the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce, we are proud to be a part of a growing, diverse business community. Every day, we celebrate the openings and anniversaries that make our county such a great place to live, work, and play. We also strive to provide excellent services for our members. One way we work towards this is by hosting a wide range of events to help meet the unique business needs of our members.

We like to view the Chamber’s membership as a reflection of the wider community. This means our members cover a very broad spectrum of industries and sizes. The Chamber’s events are designed to offer value to every member, and we try our best to offer something for everyone. Our events cover many topics including state and local advocacy, professional development, business education, community education, and of course, lots and lots of networking!

Chamber memberships are attributed to the business rather than one individual, so the benefits of membership extend to every employee. This means every team member is welcome to attend our events. Non-members also have opportunities to participate. Any non-member can reach out to the Chamber staff about attending one of our Business After Hours or Cabarrus Connections events to preview Chamber membership. Select events, like the Women in Business Conference, also have non-member tickets available.

When thinking about who should attend an event on behalf of your company, there are a few things you should consider:

• First, what is the focus and format of the event? Our larger events, like the Legislative Breakfast or State of the Region Summit, typically attract organizational leaders, as well as staff, who want to stay up to date on policies and projects impacting their business. However, we understand that it’s sometimes difficult to break away from the office for the duration of an event like this. Our networking events offer a more flexible agenda that works well for busy professionals to stop in when their schedule allows.
• The second thing you should consider is your staff. What are their individual goals? If there’s someone in your organization that wants to learn more about policy and business advocacy, the events above or one of our Regional Summits are great opportunities. If you have an employee that thrives on connection or wants to learn more about the community, our Women Leading Cabarrus luncheons may be a perfect fit!
• Lastly, consider your business’ needs. Who are you trying to reach and what resources do you need to reach your goals? Our Workshop Wednesdays are held quarterly and offer practical skill-building for employees, managers, and owners alike for necessary workforce skills, like networking or marketing. If you’re thinking about succession planning and trying to strengthen the leadership within your staff, you may look into enrolling yourself or one of your employees in the next Leadership Cabarrus cohort. C4 Day is the perfect event for an organization that prioritizes workforce development and building strong career pathways for K-12 students.

And then you have our can’t-miss events, like the Annual Meeting and Brew-N-Cue, which are great events for the whole team!

The Chamber staff want to meet you, and even more so, we want to get to know you. We try to offer a robust selection of events to fit every size of business and every career phase so that there’s something for everyone. All our events foster an environment of learning and collaboration, so whether you’ve been leading your company for a decade, or just started last week, we have a place where you’ll fit right in. Our wonderful Ambassadors also offer a friendly face and can help welcome new networkers to any of our events. If you have an idea for an event that you’d like to share, please feel free to reach out. We’d love to hear from you about your favorite events and how we can keep improving!