Calendar of Events

Calendar of Events

Sarasota/Manatee

Tuesday, Oct. 18

Business Academy - 9 a.m. in the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Board Room. The Sarasota Chamber of Commerce will present a series of workshops to help small to medium-sized businesses increase revenues and profits. The subject for this workshop: "Marketing: Building Brand Recognition." Find out how to leverage different media to reach different markets. Discover how to create effective advertising and public relations plans to build your distinctive brand. Presenters are Andy Fox of Fox Advertising and Mike Sisti of Sisti & Others. Cost: $29 (members); $59 (non-members). For more information or to RSVP call Sue Ward at (941) 955-2508, ext. 231.

Thursday, Oct. 20

Suncoast Advertising Federation - 6:30 p.m. in the Michael's On East Ballroom in Sarasota. Josh Reynolds, named 2004 Producer of the Year by ADWEEK magazine, will speak about an advertising campaign for Hewlett-Packard. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. The cost of the program is $45 for Advertising Federation members and $50 for non-members. Dinner is included and a cash bar will be available. To RSVP, call (941) 927-7589 or e-mail [email protected] by Monday, Oct. 17.

Friday, Oct. 21

How to Qualify for Federal Government Contracts - 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Ringling School of Art and Design, Gold Stein 6, in the Gold Stein Studio Village. Garcilaso Rey-Moran, manager for 8 (a) Business Development with the SBA South Florida District Office, will advise attendees on how to navigate the federal government contracting process. A question-and-answer session will follow. For more information or to RSVP, call Lamont Couch (941) 951-6643.

Tuesday, Oct. 25

Downtown Architecture - 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Downtown Partnership of Sarasota will discuss: Is there interest in preserving Main Street's character? Are we killing Duran's plan? Is the code too prescriptive on design? Should there be an architectural review board to ensure quality of architecture, rather than style? Cost is $20 for members and $35 for non-members. For more information or tickets, call (941) 951-2656.

Business Academy - 9 a.m. in the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Board Room. The Sarasota Chamber of Commerce will present a series of workshops to help small to medium-sized businesses increase revenues and profits. The subject for this workshop: "Marketing: Expanding Your Client Base via The Web." Hear about e-strategy development and search engine essentials to maximize your success. The event will include a presentation by Ray Villares of Gravity Free. Cost: $29 (members); $59 (non-members). For more information or to RSVP call Sue Ward at (941) 955-2508, ext. 231.

Manatee Chamber of Commerce's "The Three Dimensions of Success" - 9 a.m. to noon at the Chamber, 222 10th St. West, in Bradenton. CraftSystems, founded in 1978 by Dr. Larry Craft, will present a three-hour seminar that will focus on identifying skills, knowledge and abilities; personal characteristics and cognitive ability; and the work ethic and self-discipline of candidates that contribute to their success in any position. Cost is $50 for chamber members; $100 for non-members. RSVP by Oct. 21. Seating is limited.

Wednesday, Oct. 26

Sarasota Chamber of Commerce 85th Annual Membership Meeting Luncheon - 11:30 a.m. at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. This meeting recognizes the accomplishments of the chamber over the past year and identifies the goals for the upcoming year. Cost is $45 for members and $60 for non-members. For reservations, please call (941) 955-2508, ext. 517.

Friday, Oct. 28

2005 Technology Innovation Awards - 8 a.m. The Gulf Coast Business Review and 82 Degrees Tech present the fourth annual awards ceremony at Michael's on East. Cost is $30 per person or $200 for a table of eight. For more information or for reservations, call Grace Carlson at (941) 228-9083.

Lee/Collier

Thursday, Oct. 20

Chamber Luncheon - 11:30 a.m. at Holiday Inn Select Bell Tower in Fort Myers. The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce will feature guest speaker Frank D'Alessandro, managing partner of D'Alessandro & Woodyard Commercial Realtors, who will discuss recent real estate trends. Cost is $15 in advance or $17 at the door for members; $20 for non-members. Register online at www.fortmyers.org.

Thursday, Nov. 3

Blue Chip Enterprise Awards - 7:30 a.m. breakfast at Hilton Towers in Naples and 11:30 a.m. luncheon at Holiday Inn Select in Fort Myers. The Chamber of Southwest Florida presents the awards to companies that have had success overcoming adversity. For more details, call the chamber at (239) 278-4001 or visit www.chamber-swflorida.com.

Pinellas/Hillsborough

Wednesday, Oct. 19

SoBiz Network' 2-Minute Networking - 9 a.m. at Buddy Freddy's, 134 Gornto Lake Road So., in Brandon. Doors open at 11:08 a.m. for networking and lunch. Call (800) 448-0513 or go to www.sobiznetwork.com to register.

Oct. 19-21

New Partnerships for Redevelopment Success - The 2005 Annual Florida Redevelopment Association Conference. The conference will be held at the St. Petersburg Hilton. Registration fee for all three days for members is $260 and the non-member fee is $340. Members will receive information by electronic mail. For further information, contact Jan Roberts at (800) 616-1513, extension 258 or go to www.redevelopment.net.