Please join us in celebrating Natel Broadband's 20th year in business! They are hosting a Business After Hours on Thursday, November 17th from 4:00-6:00pm at 907 W Burlington.  Enjoy music by Steve and Michaela McLain, cider from Jefferson County Cider Works, and other drinks and appetizers. Come early to enter your name in our drawings for gift certificates and other prizes!

Natel Broadband is a telecommunications company that builds and owns fiber optic and wireless networks in southeast Iowa. Natel offers broadband and VoIP services to business and residential customers. 

The Chamber Business After Hours is a free, monthly networking event open to Chamber Members, their guests and the general public.   If you are interested in hosting a Business After Hours, please contact the Chamber at 641-472-2111 or by email at Chamber@FairfieldIowa.com.

INFORMATION
What: Chamber Business After Hours 
When: Thursday, November 17
Time: 4:00-6:00 pm
Where: Natel Broadband

Chamber Members!

It continues to be my pleasure to serve as your Executive Director.  During the past three months, I have worked on both internal and external operational items. 
 
This update provides an overview how my time has been spent and what has been accomplished. While this is an overview, I will send subsequent messages to discuss some of these items in more detail. I don't want to inundate you with too much information in one email!

• Chamber Bucks restructuring - This program provides a great benefit to our merchants, retailers, and service providers as Chamber Bucks can only be redeemed at Chamber Member businesses. Did you know over $10,000 in Chamber Bucks were redeemed this year alone so far? After doing research into other Chamber Bucks programs, we are in process of restructuring the Chamber Bucks program into a system that should streamline the delivery and redemption of the Chamber Bucks. Details forthcoming... ADDITONAL NOTE... if you wish to order or redeem Chamber Bucks...we will deliver! Give us a call to place your order or let us know how much you have to redeem. It will be my pleasure to come to you.
  
  
• Event evaluation and restructuring - Several events offered by the Chamber have a long-standing history. As each "traditional" event approaches, we carefully evaluate to determine 1) if the event still serves a relevant purpose and 2) if the event continues to be offered, how can we maximize its value.
  
  Changes taking place in "traditional" events include:
  • Restructuring of the "New Teachers Reception" into a "Back to School Reception" with inspirational messages about why young professionals choose to call Fairfield home,
  • Choosing to replace the September "Farm BBQ" with a new event in conjunction with the SE Iowa Farm Show held in Fairfield in early March
  • Streamlining the Manufacturers Appreciation Luncheon held in October keeping the program from running too long-it even got done early!
  • Adjusting the renowned "Leadership Fairfield" program by increasing the component of personal leadership development compared to past sessions
    
    
• New educational sessions  -  A key role of the Chamber is the support our members by providing them relevant information and networking opportunities. Since I started in July, we offered:
  • A roundtable about the new overtime regulations affecting non-exempt employees, an issue affecting many Fairfield employers ranging from the largest companies with hundreds of employees to the small nonprofits with two employees. Did you know...if you have compliance questions regarding the new overtime regulations, you can call the Iowa Workforce Wage and Hour Division in Cedar Rapids 319-362-8074 for feedback? They are there to help you do things right. Learn more 
    
    
  • Session called Effective Marketing in the Digital Age, providing businesses insight regarding return on investment of precious marketing dollars.

          Both sessions received very high praise from participants. We continue to               plan ahead for additional sessions for our members, and always welcome                 ideas from our members.

• Changing up Chamber Talk, the Week that Will Be and the Chamber Page
  • Welcoming weekly guest to spotlight on Chamber Talk to highlight various Chamber businesses, new Chamber members, or Chamber programs and events
  • In response to member feedback, we streamlined the Week that Will Be weekly email to highlight a few upcoming events and provide a link to the full calendar
  • Gave the monthly Chamber Page featured in the Fairfield Ledger a new look by designing the page in-house

My priority in the upcoming weeks is to personally reach out to as many Chamber members as I can by phone or in-person. I have a few questions to ask each of you. With your feedback, I will work with the Chamber Board of Directors to continue to evolve the Chamber and increase the value and service we provide.
 
Help us shape the future you want see and thank you again for being part of the Chamber Family!
Cheers,
Detra
 
Detra Dettmann
Executive Director
Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce
204 West Broadway | Fairfield, Iowa 52556
o 641-472-2111
Detra@FairfieldIowa.com
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Please join us for the Chamber’s October Business After Hours on Wednesday, October 26 from 4:30-6:30pm in the main lobby of SunnyBrook Living Care Center which is located at 400 Highland Street. There will be Halloween themed hors d’oeuvres and drinks. The coffee shop and tea room will be open providing samples and hot beverages. 

The Chamber Business After Hours is a free, monthly networking event open to Chamber Members, their guests and the general public.   If you are interested in hosting a Business After Hours, please contact the Chamber at 641-472-2111 or by email at Chamber@FairfieldIowa.com.

INFORMATION
What: Chamber Business After Hours 
When : Wednesday, Ocotber 26
Time: 4:30-6:30 pm
Where: SunnyBrook Living Care Center

Fairfield's City-Wide Trick or Treat has been scheduled for
Monday, October, 31 from 5:30-8:00pm.

Do not forget about the Fairfield Businesses! They want to see your costumes too! The Chamber organizes a Merchant's Trick or Treat during the regular business hours of any participating Chamber Member business. Look for orange flyers in windows. For a complete list of businesses, check out the Chamber's Facebook or www.fairfieldiowa.com. If you would like have your businesses name included on the flyer, contact the Chamber no later than Friday, October 28 at 5:00pm by calling 472-2111 or Chamber@Fairfieldiowa.com