Celebrating Regional Success
The Central Maryland Chamber (CMC) Annual Meeting, which is set for May 1, will celebrate regional business success, with awards going to the Start-Up Business of the Year; Woman-Owned Business of the Year; Minority Owned Business of the Year; Small, Mid-Size and Large Businesses of the Year; and more. The event will be held at the Live! Casino & Hotel and is expected to attract 200 attendees. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at www.centralmarylandchamber.org.

Shoutin’ Out
Congratulations to Gina Avramidis for opening Shape Your Body Fitness, located at 2620 Annapolis Road, Suite J, Hanover. CMC welcomes Avramidis and her team to the organization and for the opportunity to celebrate her new business’s grand opening.

The BCN Grows
The CMC launched the Business Connections Network (BCN, a leads group) earlier this year. The program has been so popular that a third group has already formed and will have its first monthly meeting in early April.
The focus of each group, made up of 20 representatives from non-competing businesses, is on building relationships. “I like being a part of the CMC Business Connections Network. I have enjoyed several one-on-one sessions with fellow members,” said Jeanne Rieken, of Severn Bank. “People do business with people that they know, like and trust. I now know, like and trust several members in this group. Plus, the monthly professional development training is excellent.”
The BCN is a free benefit for CMC members. To learn more, contact Nancy LaJoice, CMC membership director.

Recruiting, Retention
It was recently reported by various media outlets that the unemployment rate is at a 49-year low. Companies are finding it challenging to fill some positions and are looking for creative ways to recruit new employees.
Others recognize the value of their current employees and are stepping up retention efforts to keep them on board. The CMC is partnering with Cornerstone Defense, a small business servicing the defense and space communities of the U.S. government, to host HR Directors, a roundtable discussion for human resource directors with regional businesses, to discuss recruiting and retention best practices.
If you are an HR director responsible for recruiting and retention at your company and wish to be a part of this roundtable discussion, contact Nancy LaJoice.

April
For details and registration for these events, visit www.centralmarylandchamber.org.
• 12 Networking Breakfast, Severna Park, location to be determined, 7:30–9:30 a.m.
• 19 Membership 101, 9–10:30 a.m. 312 Marshal Avenue, 1st Floor, Laurel. Free.
• 25 Women Mean Business Luncheon. CMC Conference Room, 8379 Piney Orchard Parkway, Odenton, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

May
• 1 CMC Annual Meeting, Center Stage at Live! Casino & Hotel
Keynote Speaker: Freeman Hrabowski, president, UMBC. The event will also feature the Hall of Fame Business Awards. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
• 8 Networking Mixer, location to be determined, 5 p.m.
• 16 Business Seminar: “Filling Your Sales Pipeline,” David Wendkos, Sandler Sales Training, 9 a.m.
• 17 Membership 101
312 Marshall Avenue, 1st Floor, Laurel, 9–10:30 a.m. Free
If you are not a CMC member and you would like to learn how being a member can help you grow your business and save you money, call 410-672-3422, ext. 4, for a free benefits guide or visit www.centralmarylandchamber.org.