Let’s Talk Business: January 6, 2022

New year, new resolutions, new hopes—there’s much to look forward to in 2022. Here at the Chamber, we’re busy polishing plans and putting projects into practice. We are eager to share the fruits of our labor with Chamber members and community members alike in 2022.

Our premiere event of the year is coming up fast! The Chamber’s 124^th Annual Meeting is just a couple weeks away on January 21. With a nod to our theme of “Western Swing”, the biggest Emporia social gathering for businesspeople will be held at the Anderson Building at the Lyon County Fairgrounds.

Group Lunch is the first Wednesday of each month—and a favorite with Chamber members. Get matched with a different group each time and enjoy a delicious lunch at a local Chamber member restaurant.

The first Coffee & Conversation of 2022 will be held on Thursday morning, February 3, right here at the Trusler Business Center. These monthly events provide an opportunity to network with other community members and hear from a local community leader on a topic of current interest.

Everyone looks forward to Business After Hours—stay tuned for the 2022 schedule! All these events and more can be found on our Chamber event calendar at emporiakschamber.org. We hope you’ll be adding some of these to your 2022 calendar.

Please join us in welcoming Stover’s Restoration as our newest Chamber member! Emporia’s best water, fire, and flood damage restoration specialist is located at 809 Industrial Road and can be reached at 620-342-5300 or online at floodandfire.com.

Here’s some food for thought as we take our first steps into a brand-new year: Shoptainment. According to Forbes business magazine, “2022 is the year that we’ll see the social commerce model—deeply embedded commerce that meets consumers where they are and is non-disruptive to their experience—spread to more platforms and more industries.” Social shopping is already one of the fastest growing e-commerce areas.

Social shopping is a business trend where shoppers or influencers browse with ‘friends’ (or an audience) and share what most interests them, the hottest trends and new finds. While similar to the QVC or HSN home shopping concept, Shoptainment reaches a potentially much larger audience online via multiple platforms whenever and wherever the customer chooses.

With online shopping hitting record numbers in 2021, and concern over yet another variant growing, it’s no surprise that online activities and sales continue to grow, especially through social commerce. Social shopping creates more personal interactions between brand and shopper, blurring the lines between entertainment and shopping. Smaller businesses have many opportunities to think about how they, too, can connect with their audience in unique and entertaining ways.

Is your business ready to explore live-streaming and a ramped-up online social commerce effort? 2022 may be a great time to take the plunge.

It’s a great day in Emporia!

###

“Let’s Talk Business” is a weekly column of the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Visit Emporia. The mission of the Chamber is to be proactive in creating an environment for business and community success, guided by the vision that positive attitudes promote positive actions. Contact us at 620-342-1600 or chamber@emporiakschamber.org and visit our website at www.emporiakschamber.org.