Join the Ontario Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce on December 8th for the OMOD Holiday Networking Party, which will be held on the upper level at Fire on the East Side. Admission is only $10 for members and non-members - with a donation of a non-perishable food item. Food donations will be provided to the PWA Food Drive. Come kick off the holiday season with Ontario’s LBGT chamber of commerce.
RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Save on hotels, car rentals, gas, and more…

The Ontario Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (OGLCC) is pleased to announce its recently renewed partnership with NWC, the Business Travellers’ Association of Canada.

OGLCC, through our alliance with NWC, has arranged for a preferred rate for OGLCC members of $85.00 per 12-month period. This is a savings of $7 per year on a regular membership and provides access to all NWC programs. To access these savings, or to find out more, please click here.

Since 1882, NWC has supported the needs of business people with entrepreneurial spirit and independent circumstance. If you are a commissioned sales person or sales agent, a small business owner, consultant or independent knowledge worker looking for access to programs and services that will reduce your business expenses, the NWC can help. Whether you're interested in hotel savings, car rental savings, gas savings, or other expense-reducing programs, we invite you to browse the NWC website.

How much can you save? The value in your NWC membership depends in a large part on the kinds of expenses you incur. Use the savings calculator to help you determine if an NWC membership is right for you.

All OGLCC members who become members of NWC will receive a Certificate of Savings Guarantee. This certificate will arrive with your membership kit and entitles you to a full refund if you do not receive at least the value of your NWC membership back in program savings. This is the NWC Guarantee.

Rock of Ages, Toronto’s best party, proudly presents the OGLCC Fall Fundraiser. Rock of Ages is offering OGLCC members and contacts a special price for the November 17th, 8:00 p.m. show at The Royal Alexandra Theatre: $69/$39.

$10 per ticket goes straight to the OGLCC. To take advantage of this discount, please go to TICKETKING.COM and enter the following code: OGLCC.

 

Dear OGLCC members and friends;

 

Please join me on Sunday, October 24^th, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., at the Arcadian Court, for the 4^th Annual Bridges to Hope & Freedom fundraising event for MCC Toronto and its community outreach programs.

Did you know that with your OGLCC membership, you are able to promote your events through our online calendar, Chamber blog, and monthly e-newsletter? Ensure you’re leveraging your OGLCC membership for all its worth by following these simple steps:

Joining & Promoting Your Events is as Easy as 1-2-3…10

1. Join the Chamber
2. Subscribe to our e-newsletter list (all new members are automatically invited)
3. Submit potential blog posts for publication on our site
4. Enjoy a free listing in our online directory
5. Add your events to the Chamber’s online Member Calendar
6. Events posted on our blog, or in the Member Calendar, have the potential to be featured in the Community Section of our monthly e-newsletter
7. Take advantage of our broad social media presence by following us on Twitter
8. Like us on Facebook
9. And contribute to the conversation on LinkedIn
10. Attend our networking events and promote your event one-to-one

Have questions? Contact the OGLCC office at 416-646-1600 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we’d be glad to assist you.

Do you belong to or work with a not-for-profit organization in Ontario? Like you, OGLCC members are involved members of our community. As such, we’d like to learn about more community involvement opportunities (your events) and meet the people (your members) who serve and contribute to the community.

Not-for-profit organizations enjoy free membership with the Chamber, and membership has its benefits. Through your OGLCC membership, you’ll be able to promote your events through our online member calendar, Chamber blog, and monthly e-newsletter. Join today to reach out to our community contacts.

Joining & Promoting Your Events is as Easy as 1-2-3

1. Join as an Affiliate Basic Member
2. Join our e-newsletter list (all new members are automatically invited)
3. Submit potential blog posts for publication on our site & enjoy a free listing in our online directory

The Ontario Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (OGLCC) is a federally chartered, non-profit organization with the goal to create an environment in which LGBTQ businesses and professionals can thrive through the sharing of knowledge and resources. We want you to share in the prosperity that we can only create together!

This past week, we participated in the Out on Bay Street event, which ran from Thursday, September 23, to Saturday, September 25. On Thursday, we participated in the first annual Women’s Initiative event. With about 60 participants, the highlight of the event was a panel discussion on how different women leaders managed in the heterosexual work environment. There were great stories of coming out and ways to effectively manage challenges in the workplace.

On Friday, we attended the networking event with over 250 students and companies involved.  This was a great opportunity for students to network with potential employer representatives and various event speakers.

On Saturday, John Kenyon, our President, was a speaker at the event and talked to the students about developing their USP (Unique Selling Proposition). In the business world today there is fierce competition for jobs. Students are usually up against huge groups looking to fill the same position. What makes you unique? Are you multi-employable (multiple job skills)? Do you volunteer in your community? How big is your network (are you a member of the OGLCC)? The more useful you are to the potential employer and your community, the more likely you are to get the big job!

In addition, we ran a booth at the Out on Bay Street Career Fair. Students made special note to visit with us, sign up for our email newsletter, ask us how they could get their companies involved, and much more.  We’re very excited by the reception and feedback we received. By fostering these relationships in the community, we hope to build a stronger business community.  Of course, each of us also took the time to visit some of the other companies in the room. We want the businesses on Bay Street as well as the businesses on Church Street to be members of the Chamber!

If you love meeting new people, join our Program and Events Committee, Membership Committee, or Communications, Marketing & Advertising Committee. You can participate in our exciting outreach opportunities. You never know where you’ll meet your next prospect or referral or business partner.

Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to find out more about joining our committees.

 

It’s been a spectacular month for women’s networking.  Who knew there were so many great women business owners around?

Firstly, we had a great time at the WRIB Social Media and Marketing Your Business event on Monday, August 23, 2010.  We had a good number of women business owners attend the session and many commented at the end that they were looking forward to a "Part Two" event. While it's not certain if that’s doable, we’ll certainly consider it.

Next, the 5^th Annual OGLCC BBQ brought out many a woman business owner. Considering Jamboree is the same week, I’d say we had a very respectable showing and a good time catching up with old faces and new faces alike.

We're now looking forward to September when we’ll have some great networking activities. We’ll be helping everyone meet more people and get to know others better as well. We'll also talk about ways you can continue to enhance and further your relationships even when the connection starts off slowly.

See you all on September 22^nd at Slack’s Restaurant & Bar in Toronto. 

Lisa Chang,
OGLCC, Communications, Advertising & Marketing Director