Local News That Matters: ðŸ˜€Â Green Mail,Â November 24 edition, from the Chamber is here

Chamber & Community Events

This Wednesday November 25
- Our new Business & Trade Expo

Check out this FUN Business After 5 door prize. Lots of kids (older ones, too) would love this gift under the tree this year. It's a motorized 2-wheel power scooter! Rechargeable batteries, LED lights, and a lot of fun! Retail value $600 - courtesy of Cellular Magician. One lucky winner takes one home on December 2. Plenty of other great prizes, too!

St. Thomas Uncorked 2016 - Saturday January 23

A BIG Night with BIG Wines!

TICKETS NOW 75% SOLD!
It’s a guided wine tour around the world and it’s called St. Thomas Uncorked. The 2016 edition will be Saturday January 23, 2016 at the St. Thomas - Elgin Public Art Centre, downtown at 301 Talbot Street, from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Tickets are $45 (plus HST) each which includes admission, wine samples, and food samples. Only 140 tickets are available.
We’re very grateful that TD Canada Trust returns as our main sponsor of this event, joined by co-sponsor Century Sound. Their support assures an excellent evening. St. Thomas Uncorked has been a sell-out every year since we launched this wine tasting and art appreciation event in 2012, plus a large Silent Auction and door prizes. Quai du Vin's resident sommelier, Jamie Quai, returns as a member of our Member Services Committee's organizing group. Jamie specializes in wine and food pairings using the 16 different wines to be featured this year. Our wines will all be products available locally through the LCBO and we will proudly feature a selection of reds and whites from local, national and international wineries. Thanks to the generous sponsorship support of the Real Canadian Superstore, our guests will enjoy a wide variety of fruits, cheeses and hors d’oeuvres prepared to complement the wines we offer.

Call us soon for tickets. We expect a sell-out soon, with ticket sales now at 75% of capacity.
(Seasonal Hint: Good Gift Idea!). The St. Thomas & District Chamber office is the place to connect. Advance sale only to Members via phone or email or in-person. Reach us at 519-631-1981 and speak with any staff member, see the info on the Chamber website, visit our office at 300 South Edgeware Road, or email us

Business News & Updates

The Starwood Hotels & Resorts St. Thomas Customer Contact Centre is the largest employer in downtown St. Thomas.
The boards of directors of Marriott International, Inc. and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. have approved a definitive merger agreement under which the companies will create the world’s largest hotel company. News of the agreement was made public on Monday, November 16, 2015.

The transaction is subject to Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide shareholder approvals, completion of Starwood’s planned disposition of its timeshare business, regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. If these approvals are granted, the transaction is expected to close in mid-2016. The combined company will have 1.1 million rooms in more than 5,500 hotels in 100+ countries.

Arne Sorenson, president and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International, explained that growth is the driving force behind the transaction. “This is an opportunity to create value by combining the distribution and strengths of Marriott and Starwood, enhancing our competitiveness in a quickly evolving marketplace,” he said. “This greater scale should offer a wider choice of brands to consumers, improve economics to owners to owners and franchisees, increase unit growth and enhance long-term value to shareholders… We expect to benefit from the best talent from both companies as position ourselves for the future.”

Adam Aron,interim CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, said: “We are excited to play a vital role in the creation of the biggest and best hotel company in the world with tremendous upside potential. The combination of our two companies brings together the best in innovation, culture and execution. Our guests and customers will benefit from so many more options across 30 hotel brands, while our hotel owners and franchisees will derive value from our combined global platform and efficiencies. We are also delighted that our associates will have expanded opportunities as part of a larger organization that is consistently recognized as one of the best companies to work for in the world.”

Complete details of the transaction are available at: www.marriott.com/investor and www.starwoodhotels.com/corporate/about/investor/index.html.

HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU IN ONTARIO'S ECONOMY?

Take the Ontario Chamber of Commerce's latest survey to add your voice to Canada's most credible survey of business opinion.
The St. Thomas & District Chamber is an active supporter of this project and we're encouraging the participation of people and businesses in our market to ensure that St. Thomas & District opinions are seen and heard.

By taking a moment to complete this short survey, you will be entered into a draw to win two roundtrip tickets to anywhere Porter Airlines flies.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY DEADLINE: Survey closes this Friday November 27

The Benefits of Chamber Membership

If you haven’t already signed up for the UPS^® Members Benefit Program for St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce Members, now is the time. Here are the top five reasons:

Improve your bottom line. Enroll in the UPS Members Benefit Program and save 30% on outgoing small package shipments, 25% on imports into Canada, and savings start at 75% on heavyweight, LTL (Less-than-Truckload) shipments over 150 lb.
FREE Pickup. Shipping with UPS is simple. Automatic Daily Pickup and UPS On-Call Pickup^® are free, so you can ship from the comfort of your office or home by calling 1-800-PICK-UPS.
Open a world of possibilities. With a variety of export and import services, UPS’s expertise, resources, and technologies can help support your international trade needs.
Technology Tools. Register for My UPS or Worldship^® and take advantage of these time-saving features: ship, track and void shipments; create and print UPS shipping labels; save recipient addresses and preferences; pay for shipments; and more.
The Speed You Need. Whether you need guaranteed overnight delivery or reliable service for less urgent shipments, UPS offers a wide range of air, ground and freight shipping options.

It’s free to sign up, there are no minimum shipping requirements, and the discounts can be applied to a new or existing UPS account. Visit www.membersbenefitprogram.com/STDCC or call 1-800-MEMBERS (1-800-636-2377), M-F, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST to start saving today.

Our Esso Fleet Fuel program reduces your gasoline price by 3.5 cents per litre at more than 1,000 Esso stations in Canada and over 18,000 Exxon or Mobil stations across the US. You can now register as a business or organization, or as an individual. For details just click here.

Two great group insurance plans... One for people, one for property and vehicles:
Perhaps you've seen our ads in the last few weeks on BNN, the Business News Network, promoting our national Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Program. It brings huge savings on personal insurance such as life insurance and drug/dental plans. Get in the pool! Last year, we welcomed 3,200 new businesses choosing the Chambers Plan for their employees. At April 1, we included 30,506 businesses and 132,543 employees across Canada as Chamber Plan customers. ARC Financial Group, with offices in St. Thomas and London, is licensed to handle all local sales and service work on the Plan on our behalf. See their website for more.

Our NOVEX Group plan brings big savings on property and vehicle insurance. It's offered locally through Reith & Associates Insurance and Financial Services. For more information on our Novex group plan and the new my Driving Discount call 519-631-3862 or CLICK HERE.

Credit Card & Debit Card Processing?
Chamber Members get the BEST rates in St. Thomas & District...

You can go to it, or it can come to you!
Did you know anyone in your office can get Green Mail?
It's easy to get and won't cost you a dime.

Our weekly Green Mail newsletter is posted for viewing and download on the Chamber's website, and in our social media via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
If you prefer a direct subscription link, get your own copy of Green Mail via email every Tuesday. Visit the Chamber website and just add your email address to the box on the left and you will receive Green Mail every week. It's free, and easy.

Having trouble getting your message or event heard in St. Thomas and area? Turn up the volume with Green Mail’s advertising available to Members only.
Advertising & Promotion in Green Mail
The Chamber welcomes all Members to consider using our weekly Green Mail newsletter, or a separate stand-alone version we call Green Mail Exclusive, as a promotion or communications tool for announcements, business activities and community events.
Green Mail may include up to 3 paid ads or announcements in any issue. Weekly distribution sees each issue reach 2,200 to 2,500 individuals via direct email subscriptions and through posts of each issue on the Chamber website, in our Facebook Group and on our Facebook Page, via Twitter and through the Chamber’s Group on LinkedIn.
An ad in Green Mail can be any size, up to the equivalent of a standard 8 ½” by 11” stationery page. Green Mail Exclusive can also carry anything up to the equivalent of a full 8 ½” by 11” stationery page.
Submission deadline for any Green Mail issue is 12 p.m. Friday for release the following Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. All submissions should be provided in a ready-to-publish form, preferably as a PDF, JPEG or PNG file. All content will be formatted to width not to exceed 620 pixels.
Price per insertion in Green Mail is $75. Price per insertion as a Green Mail Exclusive transmission is $125. All submissions are subject to HST. For bulk or long-term ad placements, contact the Chamber's CEO.
Community Service / Public Service?
The Chamber routinely receives dozens of requests each month for ad space to be donated in support of special events and activities. In weeks where our limit of 3 paid ads has not been reached, the Chamber can consider placements for eligible not-for-profit and community services or activities at a reduced rate of $35. It is not possible to donate space.

Your Chamber... Right Now & 24/7

Give us a look, and give us a LIKE, and we will give you news you can use 24/7.
The St. Thomas & District Chamber's public Facebook page is a place to go for regular updates on local business news and community issues as they happen. Click here for a quick connection. Every week you'll find a path to share and connect to an on-line version of this weekly Green Mail newsletter and, whenever there's news that can impact your business or organization and/or your employees, we post it there.
LIKE our page and stay connected!

Here's the lowdown...

Low, down here at the end of our weekly Green Mail, we try to offer up a nugget or two of information that you might find useful in business or social circles.

Hard to believe, but Windows turned 30 last Friday. Click here for a visual look at the many screens (and memories) since MS-DOS. Warning: Content may offend some MAC users.

The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce distributes this email newsletter to coincide with news, plans and events throughout the year. You have received this information as a primary contact designated by your business or organization, or because you have requested a copy.
Please feel welcome to share the information with your colleagues. Copies are also posted for viewing or download on the Chamber's website, through links on social media in our Twitter and Facebook groups and pages, and in the Chamber's LinkedIn Group
Our goal is to inform, not annoy.
If you do not wish to receive this update please let the Chamber know.
Contact us by email or call 519-631-1981

This week’s edition of the Chamber’s Green Mail is sponsored by myFM 94.1
St. Thomas