Chamber launches Middlesex Information eXchange

MIDDLETOWN — Another busy week is on tap for the chamber team as we come up on Labor Day here in Middlesex County.

This week features virtual meetings of our Portland and East Hampton Division, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, Central Business Bureau, Chester, Deep River and Essex Division, and Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council Advisory Committee.

The MCSAAC meeting will be dedicated to an important session Sept. 23, “Epidemic within the Pandemic.” This virtual workshop will include general information on the effects of opioids, ways to prevent opioid addiction, awareness and treatment options, and the different levels of care and virtual support that are currently available.

MCSAAC, chaired by Cromwell Town Manager Tony Salvatore, works to reduce substance abuse in our region through grassroots and community activities. Sadly, we have seen a recent uptick in overdoses and other instances of drug abuse in recent months as a result of the pandemic. The chamber will continue to work with our partners to address these issues that are not only important to the business community, but of course to the community at large.

Our calendar has a number of other important events and activities scheduled for the September.

On Sept. 8, the chamber will continue the very successful KeyBank Workshop Series, which has gone virtual for the time being. This session, Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, will cover the definition of sexual harassment, liability, and the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace. Attorneys from the law firm Jackson Lewis will demonstrate how to limit your company’s exposure to charges of sexual harassment, and will share other important best practices to follow.

This training session meets state of Connecticut requirements for employers which have become more stringent in recent years. This important chamber Workshop Series is sponsored by KeyBank.

The evening of Sept. 8 features the September meeting of the Automotive Council, an important chamber group that meets regularly to discuss issues pertaining to the auto industry. Recent speakers at Automotive Council meetings include the commissioner and deputy commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the president of the Connecticut Auto Retailers Association. I thank our co-chairs, Rich Jukonski and Mike Turner, along with staff liaison Lorenzo Marshall for their good work with the council.

The main event of the month is Sept. 16 in Middlefield, as the sold-out 37th annual Middlesex

County Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament will be held at Lyman Orchards Golf Club. This event will of course be executed with great care, and will follow all COVID-19 guidelines that are designed to keep everyone safe and healthy.

This is a major event for our organization. I offer a heartfelt thank you all of our sponsors and supporters, our Golf Committee, all members who donated gifts and prizes, the terrific team at Lyman Orchards, and chamber Vice President Johanna Bond who does a wonderful job with this tournament on an annual basis.

Before wrapping up with some thoughts on tourism, I want to take a moment to announce a brand-new chamber initiative. Middlesex Information eXchange is essentially a series of industry specific groups that are designed to facilitate important recoverybased conversations.

Businesses will be matched up with others from their industry sector, and together they will explore important topics such as best practices post COVID-19, the best options for financial relief, human resources and workforce optimization, personal protective equipment, and much more. The Middlesex Information eXchange will work to support restaurants, manufacturers, retail establishments, nonprofit organizations, small owner-managed services, tourist attractions and more.

Now more than ever, the business community needs to focus on growth and resilience.

I close this week’s chamber column with some thoughts on tourism as the sun sets on summer and we look toward the fall. Chamber members and readers know that I have been a strong and vocal supporter of the tourism industry for many years. It is a critically important sector in our region and in our state.

We are so fortunate in Middlesex County to have beautiful landscapes, the Connecticut River, vibrant downtowns, Long Island Sound, a central location with access to major highways, a plethora of food and entertainment options, a nice mix of urban and rural experiences, and some of the best people you will ever want to meet.

We also have some of the best tourist attractions anywhere. From the Goodspeed

Opera House, to Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, Lyman Orchards, Waters Edge Resort and Spa, Saybrook Point Inn, Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park, Powder Ridge Mountain Park and Resort, TPC at River Highlands, The Durham Fairgrounds, Gillette’s Castle, The Griswold Inn, The Connecticut River Museum, and much more.

Middlesex County truly has it all. We are also very fortunate to have the Central Regional Tourism District headquartered at the chamber office in Middletown. Chamber Vice President Johanna Bond is executive director of the district, and she, along with Sierra Lopez from the chamber team, has been working very hard on planning for the fall tourism season.

Stay tuned for exciting and creative fall itineraries, information on the best spots to check out the fall foliage, venues that are hosting micro weddings, and other creative and safe events over the coming weeks.

The summer may be winding down, but the chamber calendar is hot as ever. Have a great week!