CHAMBER EVENTS CALENDAREvent times and locations are subject to change. Please refer to www.naperville.net for the latest details andfor registration, or call the Chamber at (630) 355-4141.

Step into the spotlight in 2009

Tickets and sponsorship packages are now available for the Chamber's annual Inaugural Ball & Silent Auction, which will take place on Friday, January 9, 2009 at the Wyndham Lisle. This annual event will welcome and inaugurate the incoming 2009 Board of Directors. Tickets cost $100 per person and include cocktails, dinner and dancing. Sponsorship packages begin at $1,000 and include bene�ts such as signage at the event, res-ervations for your guests, and business logo printed on all marketing materials. For more information on sponsoring please contact Margie Ploense at mploense@naperville.net or (630) 355-4141 ext. 3386.

Coupon cutting on the rise

According to recent studies the use of coupons is on the rise once again. Figures from the Promotion Marketing Association have shown that coupon use for services such as oil changes or dry-cleaning have increased 153 percent in 2008. Coupon use has also increased amongst Chamber Members - within the past two months, over 20 new money-saving o�ers have been added to the Chamber website. To view the latest coupons go to naperville.net/coupons.

Full house for 2009 economic forecastA sell-out crowd of 250 business owners and executives attended the Chamber’s 2009 Early Bird Regional Economic Forecast on Thursday, October 30, 2008. The forecast, co-hosted by Calamos Investments, was held at the new Hotel Arista at CityGate Centre.

Moderated by CBS-2’s Dave Savini, the discus-sion between John P. Calamos, Sr., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, of Calamos Investments, Paul L. Kasriel, Sr. Vice President and Director of Economic Research for Northern Trust, and James V. Panzarino, Sr. Vice President, Risk Management and Chief Credit Risk Officer of Discover Financial Services, gave attendees a sobering assessment of the state of the economy and what to expect for the months to come.

Each of the panelists provided insight into their respective disciplines. Kasriel referred to the burst of the housing bubble as the end of the era where homeowners used their properties as ATMs.

Despite a cautious economic outlook, Calamos offered a more optimistic perspective on current market opportunities and reminded everyone of the benefits of a long-term investment strategy. Panzarino reported on the financial trends Discover has been seeing from their card member activity, including a lowered holiday forecast, increasing business and consumer bankruptcy filings, decreased spending on discretionary items and increased cash flow constraints for small businesses.

“The Regional Economic Forecast was probably the best outlook on the economy that I have

attended to date. Not only was it informative, but it was a great format with easy to follow terminology,” said Eric Ostermeier, a guest of First Community Bank -- the joint sponsor, together with Minuteman Press, of the event’s printing services.

The Chamber would like to thank each of the panelists for their time at the event and looks forward to hosting the 2010 Forecast next fall.

The Newsletter of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce

November 2008

CHAMBER direct

2009 Naperville Street MapCEO SpotlightDecember Events Calendar

Contents...

www.naperville.net

Monday, December 1

Speakers Bureau Committee Meeting 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

Wednesday, December 3

Women in Business 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM Hilton Lisle/Naperville 3003 Corporate West Dr. Lisle, IL 60532

Home TEAM 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

TEAM III11:30 AM to 12:30 PMNACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

Thursday, December 4 South TEAM8:30 AM to 10:00 AM Location: TBD

Small Business Council11:00 AM to 12:30 PM NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

Friday, December 5

Member Success Orientation 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

Legislative Committee 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM Location: TBD

Tuesday, December 9

Business After Hours 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM Location: TBD

Wednesday, December 10

TEAM I8:00 AM to 9:00 AM NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

TEAM IV 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

Friday, December 12 Young Professionals of the Naperville Chamber7:30 AM to 9:00 AM Best Buy4400 E. New York St.Aurora, IL 60504

Ambassadors Committee

7:45 AM to 9:00 AM NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

TEAM III11:30 AM to 12:30 PMNACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

Home TEAM4:00 PM to 5:00 PM NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

Women in Business Committee 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Thursday, December 18

TEAM B2B7:30 AM to 9:00 AM Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873 908 W. Jackson Ave. Naperville, IL 60540

South TEAM8:30 AM to 10:00 AM Location: TBD

Small Office/Home Office 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

Monday, December 15

General Membership Luncheon 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Monday, December 8

Wednesday, December 17

NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

Volatile Markets. Credit Crunch. Government Intervention.What does it all mean and how will it impact you?Get the information you need to succeed in 2009. Seating is limited.Register at www.naperville.net/ref

TEAM B2B7:30 AM to 9:00 AM Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873 908 W. Jackson Ave. Naperville, IL 60540

DEC

step into the Spotlight2009 inaugural ball & silent auctionFriday, January 9 2009 - sponsorships available

Hilton Lisle/Naperville 3003 Corporate West Dr. Lisle, IL 60532

Date Change, Location Change

Tuesday, December 2

Advanced Sales Seminar Redefining Success in Today’s Economy 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM NACC, Conf. Room A55 S. Main St., Suite 375Naperville, IL 60540-5381

Classic, Premier and Executive Premier Members only

Thursday, December 4

Co-host John P. Calamos, Sr. speaks at the economic forecast

2009 Chamber Board Elections

Location Change

Decision 2008, the general elections are finally over! No matter how you feel about the results I’m sure you are anxious and excited to see what the future brings and happy to live without the constant campaign ads!

However, as Members of the Chamber we have one more important vote to take in 2008. I’d like to introduce you to a wonderful group of leaders who have stepped forward to lead our organiza-tion and were recommended by the Nominating Committee to join your Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors at the end of the year. Each of the following Members have been nominated to serve a three year term, beginning on January 1, 2009 on the Board of Directors:

John Buckley, Director of Institutional Advancement, Naperville Settlement John F. Knobloch, Attorney at Law, Knobloch Law FirmNeal Miller, Community Outreach Manager, Exelon NuclearSean Sebold, President, Sebold Capital Management, Inc.Denise West, Director of Community Development, Benedictine UniversityLinda Yang, Executive Director, Xilin Association

You will have the opportunity to vote on this slate of nominees at the Decem-ber General Membership Luncheon, on Monday, December 15th, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., at the Hilton Lisle/Naperville (please note our new luncheon location), which will serve as the Chamber’s annual meeting.

In addition to the new faces on the Board, we’ve set up two new Chamber teams; each focusing on improving the

quality of our Chamber. The Marketing Team will be chaired by John Norman, President/Owner, Design Resource Center, Inc. This team will work to enhance marketing of Members, ensure that the marketing tools and resources being offered by the Chamber are of the highest caliber, and improve the Chamber’s overall marketing to our regional business community.

The Revenue Generation and Cost Reduction Team will be chaired by Don Emery, President, Profit-Link. This team will strive to increase revenues, bring greater value to existing members, implement a sponsorship plan, and improve efficiencies; all while recom-mending cutting unnecessary expendi-tures.

Please show your appreciation to all past and present leaders who give of their time for you, the Chamber and our business community, by attending the Inaugural Ball on the evening of Friday, January 9, 2009. We need your support to continue the high standards of our Chamber.

Wishing you and yours, a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Annmarie Siwik - Chairman

Chamber Direct is published monthly by the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce as a resource only and is not intended to render legal advice. Send comments to

ceodirect@naperville.net

Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce55 S. Main St., Suite 351, Naperville, IL, 60540-5381

Tel: (630) 355-4141 Fax: (630) 355-8335

Time to vote for next Chamber Board 2009 street map under development

The 2009 Naperville Street Map & Resource Guide is currently under produc-tion. The full-color map is the only map produced or endorsed by the Chamber and is a vital tool for marketing the Naperville area. Thousands of copies are set to be distributed over the coming months and an interactive version of the map will also be available online at the Chamber website.

Advertising sales for the next edition have now begun and are available in a variety of prices and sizes to suit different budgets. The Chamber’s 2009 map partner, CommunityLink , will be contact-ing Members to discuss marketing opportunities. For more information please contact Rodger True at (800) 455-5600 ext. 2016.

50-word descriptions now free for all Members

Over 335,000 referrals are made each day through the Chamber's Online Business Directory, and now, to help Members make the most of those referrals, the Chamber is offering a complimentary 50-word description for all Members.

Members already with a 50-word descrip-tion will receive a credit to redeem against one of the new online enhancements being introduced to the directory in the near future. Any or all of these will increase your prominence and exposure online, as well as improve key word search ability on external search engines.

50-word descriptions can be added simply by logging into the Members’ Only area of www.naperville.net and filling in the “Update Your Profile” form.

For questions regarding this benefit, or if you need to know your login details, contact Ian Everett, Communications Coordinator, at (630) 355-4141 ext. 1322.

CEO Spotlight is an additional benefit of Executive Premier Membership. For more information on upgrading your Membership contact Laura Hallen at (630) 355-4141 ext. 3367 or lhallen@naperville.net.

CEO Spotlight: Paul Gregory Media

Paul Feith - PrincipalPaul Gregory Media

Paul is not your typical media design firm CEO. Firstly, he has a degree in commercial music composition, and over the past fifteen years he has worked as an architect, designer, developer, and client service director. But through it all, Paul’s focus is fixed on his customer. “A great design is just great art,” he says. “As a

designer though, I help solve my clients’ challenges.”

The company he founded in 2006, Paul Gregory Media, is a full-service marketing and design firm that blends passion, creativity and innovation. Paul has assembled a team of top design talent, and he puts his broad background to good use, offering branding and marketing design in a variety of media – web, print, and mobile – something few competitors can match.

Paul could simply provide clients with quality design work, but he chooses not to stop there. Before beginning a project, he investigates each client’s market and competition, and after the project he uses detailed metrics to measure whether a client’s campaign is getting the fantastic results they expect. As Paul explains, “Design can create awareness, create momentum, and create impact. But ultimately, our clients’ success is our company’s accomplishment.”

Not one to sit back and get bored, Paul

makes the most of his membership with the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce. He has been active in Small Office/Home Office, Team III, and the Ambassadors Committee, where he has been involved with the branding and the technology task forces. He is especially proud to have recently won the 2008 Goodwill Ambassador of the Year award.

Paul is also a member of AIGA, America’s oldest and largest professional member-ship organization for design professionals. He has been featured in numerous business websites and publications, including Inc. Magazine and the New York Times.

At home, Paul and his wife are enjoying their busy lives in Aurora with their two daughters.

Chamber Events Gallery

Over 250 business leaders attended the 2009 Early Bird Regional Economic Forecast at the Hotel Arista on October 30th, 2008.

Financial experts (L-R), James Panzarino, John Calamos Sr, and Paul Kasriel, provided insight into the current economic crisis and the

outlook for 2009, at the Regional Economic Forecast.