Each year, the celebrates the installation of their Board of Directors with a gala event. Checkers Catering and Special Events is catering the event, as they do each year with their special blend of fine food, and beautiful presentation. The Gala sells out each year, and it's expected to again this year. The will be transformed into the New Decade Lounge with music, dancing, an open bar, a fun casino and lots of networking opportunities. Jody Amos from Amos Productions will be providing the ambiance, music and disc jockey services, and has been a popular DJ at the Gala before. The new Board …

Top Grade Construction, Inc., announced that its First Annual "Little Heroes" golf tournament, held last month at Ruby Hill Golf Club in Pleasanton, generated more than $30,000 for The Taylor Family Foundation (TTFF) of Livermore, and its Camp Arroyo program. With the money raised, TTFF will be able to continue their efforts of providing a summer and weekend camp experience for children living with life-threatening illnesses and disabilities such as heart and skin disease, brain tumors, autism, celiac disease, and HIV/AIDS. The children TTFF serves come from all 39 counties of Northern …

US Foods, one of the nation's largest foodservice distributors, has demonstrated that systematically reducing a company's environmental footprint can result in significant savings and a competitive advantage. Their San Francisco Division, based in Livermore, recycles cardboard, paper, shrink-wrap and other materials, and is progressively designing waste out of their operations with reusable instead of disposable packaging. Recycling efforts have saved the facility $90,000 per year in avoided disposal costs and recycling revenue. In addition, the division recycles water from refrigeration …

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) mission to ensure the safety and security of the nation through applied science and technology has a benefit that is often overlooked — a significant impact on the California and regional economies. From a fiscal year 2011 budget of $1.6 billion, LLNL had a payroll base of more than $700 million for its ~6,500 employees who live, shop, educate their children, and enjoy recreational opportunities in the Tri-Valley and regional communities. In addition, LLNL awarded more than $573 million in procurements to a diverse group of large and small …

The Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce started the Hispanic Business Council in order to give Hispanic business owners more of a voice in the chamber and the community. It has offered business people, social service agencies, educational institutions and others the opportunity to come together to talk about current issues and the growing Hispanic population in our community. Chaired by John Freeman, California Water, the council has brought in many dynamic speakers and engaged in community projects, including funding for soccer uniforms for Livermore high schools. Martha Espinoza, vice …

There’s a new kind of alchemy brewing in Livermore. Landscape products made from locally sourced, 100 percent recycled materials are helping businesses, municipalities and homeowners minimize their carbon footprint and reduce their landscape maintenance budget. The WM EarthCare™ Landscape Center, located at Waste Management’s Altamont Landfill, features mulch recycled from clean construction lumber debris and pallets and Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)-listed compost made from residential foods scraps and yard trimmings. In addition, aggregate from recycled concrete and soil blends …

The Livermore Valley Film Commission was established over five years ago as an economic stimulus initiative for the region. Dale Eldridge Kaye, President and CEO of the Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce, had experience in the production industry, and realized the huge potential of Livermore, Pleasanton, and Dublin to attract filmmakers. "The combination of beautiful landscape, charming downtowns, and a variety of businesses are a huge asset for production companies looking for locations," says Kaye. Jeanie Haigh is the Assistant Director of the Film Commission, and describes her role as …

The Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce Sponsorship Program is considered a great investment by some 30 corporate sponsors and 15 event sponsors. The sponsors represent the best and brightest companies and organizations in the Livermore Valley, the preeminent businesses in the area. The chamber is proud to partner with them. Corporate Sponsorship Corporate sponsorship packages include different levels: Red Diamond Diamond Platinum Gold Silver Bronze All sponsorship levels offer generous opportunities for exposure through the chamber's website, weekly email newsletters, flyers, hardcopy …

Sandia National Laboratories, which includes a major campus here in Livermore, generated nearly $1 billion in both direct and indirect economic output in the state of California in 2010 with nearly half coming from the San Francisco Bay Area, according to a new report prepared by the Center for Economic Development (CED) at California State University-Chico. This economic output – defined in the report as revenue to all private businesses and public organizations – included $163 million in purchases and contracts to California businesses, $155 million in employee compensation and benefits, …

One of the hardest things for a new business is to figure out how to get their name out to their customers. Fortunately, businesses in Livermore and the surrounding Tri-Valley area have a fantastic opportunity to do just that. When you join the Livermore Chamber of Commerce, or even if you've been a member for a long time, you can have a ribbon cutting ceremony and let the world know you're open for business! Have you moved to a new location or opened a second office? Have a grand openeing ceremony to let your customers know all about it. With your ribbon cutting or grand opening ceremony, it…

Each year, the five Tri-Valley mayors come together to talk about the challenges that face this area and their vision for the future. These mayors have been working together as a region for several years now. They go to Washington, D.C. as a group with a consensus on the projects that are most needed for this area. They do this on a state level as well. However, they do not agree on everything, and that is part of what makes this annual event interesting. This year, John Sensiba of Sensiba San Fillippo, will moderate the forum. The event will will take place at the beautiful Wente Vineyards …

Have you ever wanted to get a behind-the-scenes look at some of Livermore's inner workings like law enforcement, city government or our school system? Have you wanted to climb a fire ladder up to a third story window or feel the power in your hands when aiming a fire hose? Would you like a tour of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories to see first-hand what the giant NIF laser looks like? How about an insider look into our wineries and see how wine is made? If any of this piques your interest, the Leadership Livermore program from the Livermore Chamber of Commerce will give you all this …

The Livermore Chamber of Commerce is connecting with the community through their new social media tools. Last week it announced that it had a free iPhone and Android app that gives users direct connection to the chamber. Livermore is likely the only chamber in the San Francisco Bay Area that has launched a smart phone app. As part of their strategy to connect to local businesses and the Tri-Valley community, they have also put in place the final two "legs" of their social media plan. First, they have, like many businesses, started using Twitter to communicate with the community. Through their…

The tagline "There's an app for that" is true even more now as the Livermore Chamber of Commerce is one of the very first Northern California chambers - and perhaps the only one in the Bay Area - to have their own smartphone app. Built for the iPhone/iPad and Android smartphone operating systems, the free app is available to anyone who wants to connect with the chamber, its members and avail themselves of up-to-the-minute member discounts.As more people use their smartphones to do business, it's critical to connect those businesses and customers together. The new app gives people easy access …

In the boom-and-bust economy that has characterized the marketplace for the past several years, one thing has remained constant. Companies that invested in around-the-corner technologies when times were tough, put themselves in a position to charge full-speed ahead to capture a larger share of the market opportunities today and in the future, according to Ray O'Connor, president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) headquartered in Livermore. Topcon Positioning Systems is a global company that designs and manufactures precise positioning products and solutions for surveying, …

"And...action!" has been heard frequently lately throughout the Livermore Valley. Those words are a clear sign that film producers find that Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin and areas around the county are desirable places to work. Jeanie Haigh, assistant director of the Livermore Valley Film Commission, loves to hear those words, too. "We're really getting on the map as the place to film your commercial, feature film, catalog shoots — whatever you need to do," says Haigh. During the last couple of months, the area has played host to feature films, short independent films, commercials and still …

One of the very first things I did when I started my business many years ago was to join the Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce. After leaving the corporate world, it was the first place I turned to connect to other businesses and resources I needed to get started. The small membership fee has been returned to my business so many times over that I can't even count. Next month, more than 10,000 copies of the chamber's 2011/2012 business directory will be distributed throughout the community — to City Hall, the library, dentist and doctor offices, area hotels in the area and chamber members. …

Being part of the Livermore business community certainly has its perks. Next week, the Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Innovation Forum, a tech expo as part of their summertime luncheon series. Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery will be hosting the expo at their beautiful event center across the street from Campo di Bocce. Many of our local businesses will showcase their products and services at the expo, and it's an excellent networking opportunity. Key companies from around the area will be on hand, including Topcon, Sybase, Chevron, Telepacific Communications and …

Security experts are discovering an emerging trend in cyber-crime as more small businesses become attractive targets for online thieves because of their inadequate security measures. Many small businesses have the misconception that they wouldn't be targets of cyber-attacks. "We’re too small a company to be of any worth" seems to be the mindset. However, smaller companies may find themselves victims of the most elaborate and vicious attacks. Small businesses tend to have fewer or inferior security protocols in place to counter hackers. While this was of little consequence in the past, …

"Come Out and Play" is the theme for this year's Alameda County Fair, which is celebrating its 99th birthday with 99 Ways for Fun. You are invited to head to the fair and play at the largest event in the county. There's always something for everyone: traditional farm and livestock displays, exciting rides, beautiful arts and crafts, fun and creative fair food, even wine tasting. The Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce will be featured at the Fair's "Day at the Race" on Friday. The chamber, which sponsors a race each year, will be cheering on riders in the third race of the day at 2:15 pm. …