We call it "Breakfast with Brinegar," but for this first time event at the world’s most famous racing facility, we just might call it "Bacon at the Brickyard" for a day. Local Indiana Chamber members are encouraged to join us Tuesday, May 13, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Joie Chitwood, President of the IMS, will speak briefly about the excitement of this year’s Indianapolis 500. With the IRL and Champ Car merger, along with Danica Patrick’s first IRL win, the buzz is as hot as ever regarding the 2.5 mile oval. Kevin Brinegar, president of the Indiana Chamber, will discuss Chamber programs and services and you will have an opportunity to network with other Indiana Chamber members. A Q&A session will be held for Kevin, as well. 

The breakfast is free for Indiana Chamber members and $19 for non-members. Please contact Abby Hamilton at (317) 264-3793 or ahamilton@indianachamber.com to RSVP for this fun and educational event.
 
Sounds like a great way to start a Spring day in the month of May in Indianapolis. You may even be lucky enough to bump into A.J., Mario or Little Al. But I promise you won’t have to listen to me sing "Back Home Again in Indiana."

The Indiana Chamber’s conferences team wants to help your HR staff be the best it can be:

In the ever-changing human resources field, it can sometimes feel as if you’re driving laps without a pit crew. Attend the 44th Annual HR Conference & Expo on May 6-7 at the Indianapolis Marriott East and accelerate your company to victory lane. Choose from over 20 educational sessions on topics including blogs and personal web pages, immigration, safety and HR, wellness, health plan cost-savings and more. Experts on the various state and federal rules and regulations will have you seeing that checkered flag.

To register, click here.

Numerous headlines regarding global climate change appear in newspapers around the world every day.  Former Vice President Al Gore and other leading environmentalists have been warning that we are headed for a man-made global catastrophe if our interaction with the planet doesn’t drastically change. More recently, environmental experts such as April 29 Economic Club of Indiana speaker Steven Hayward, have publicly disagreed with Gore and company.

Hayward, an environmental researcher holding numerous prestigious fellowships and an adjunct professorship at Georgetown University, starred in a film rebutting Gore’s claims of pending disaster as a result of climate change.  Hayward is of the belief that the planet goes through natural periods of warming and cooling and is not tremendously influenced by the activity of human beings.

His position on the issue, shared by an increasing number of scientists – such as MIT’s Richard Lindzen – has earned him both criticism and praise. Hayward plans to present his research, "The Unseriousness of Climate Change Policy: Confronting the Economic and Energy Realities” at the Economic Club of Indiana luncheon on April 29.   

Agree or disagree? Either way, you should hear what Hayward has to say. It’s from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29 at the Indiana Convention Center.

The Indiana Chamber announced today that former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has signed on to speak at the 19th Annual Awards Dinner to be held Thursday, Nov. 6. This celebrated event will be held in the Indiana Convention Center’s Sagamore Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis.

Gingrich served as Speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999, and was named as Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1995. Gingrich now works as a political analyst and consultant, and his latest book, Real Change: From the World that Fails to the World that Works, hit stores in January.

The 2007 Annual Awards Dinner speaker was Rev. Martin Luther King III. To register for the dinner, please visit the Indiana Chamber’s online registration page.

When the Indiana Chamber asks employers the top challenges facing their companies, among the leading concerns is health care costs. Although no one has come up with the definitive solution yet, workplace wellness programs are gaining momentum and yielding positive benefits — for employees and their organizations.

Wellness is a frequent topic at Chamber conferences, finds its way into several publications, is a frequent topic in BizVoice magazine (nutrition tips for eating on the go are offered in the current issue) and a popular program for our organization. Lunch hour yoga, kickball (yes, I said kickball), a walking club, healthy snacks, health screenings and more are helping the Chamber and its staff.

There are numerous resources to help you get started or enhance an existing program. Let us know how we might be able to help.