The Greater Omaha Chamber is committed to supporting member business development through the Chamber Academy continuing education program. This program offers semimonthly seminars on topics of interest to businesses and gives members the opportunity to serve as volunteer presenters. Presenters will conduct two-hour educational seminars on select Wednesday mornings from 8 - 10 a.m.
Complete a request for proposal today. The selection process occurs in March for the July - December series and October for the January - June series. Contact Laura Brooker, member services coordinator, at (402) 978-7913 for more information.
Purpose
Provide Chamber members with:
- Resources, information and training on the most up-to-date business topics
- Opportunities to share their experience and expertise and increase their exposure in the community
- "Strictly business" focused networking opportunities
- Referrals to Chamber members who provide more in-depth education on business topics
Presenter responsibilities
- Provide a high-quality educational seminar or workshop with two hours of content for up to 50 participants
- Provide all materials for session participants
- Coordinate special equipment needs with Chamber staff
- Provide a presenter introduction biography
- Attend a presenter orientation session to overview the Academy process and requirements
Chamber responsibilities
- Aggressively promote the educational series through a variety of Chamber communication pieces
- Include presenter's name and subject matter in the educational series brochure that is disseminated to full Chamber membership of more than 3,100 members is posted online at OmahaChamber.org/Academy.
- Register participants and provide presenter with attendee list for event follow-up
- Coordinate special equipment and material needs with presenter
- Continue to provide referrals to the presenter as the subject-matter expert
Chamber communications pieces
- Chamber Academy Curriculum Guide that is distributed electronically to more than 11,000 individuals and is posted on Chamber Web site and included on a magnet sent to primary contact at member businesses
- Weekly electronic newsletters and invitations
- Announcements at events, committee meetings and networking and special events
Selection criteria
- Presenters must be members of the Greater Omaha Chamber.
- Nonmembers interested in serving as presenters can join the Chamber during the RFP period.
- Topics must be of interest to Chamber members and their businesses.
- Presenters must have expertise in the topics being presented and demonstrate their ability to tailor the session to the needs of businesses.
- Presenter qualifications will demonstrate competencies in presentation and workshop facilitation.
- Presenters must be willing to volunteer her/his time and resources to design and deliver the seminar(s)/workshop(s).
- Presenters will be limited to one session every 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the target audience for the seminars?
Seminars provide most value to small- and mid-size businesses that have smaller training budgets and to middle managers of large businesses who often miss out on seminars due to cost, course availability, time constraints, etc.
When are courses offered?
There are at least two seminars each month throughout the year. Seminars are held on select Wednesday mornings from 8 - 10 a.m.
How long does each seminar last?
Seminars are normally 90 to 120 minutes. Occasionally, there may be a seminar that requires more time. Such seminars will either be offered in their entirety or broken into segments offered in consecutive weeks.
How many people can attend each seminar?
Normally, there are between 20 and 50 people in attendance. This allows for good interaction between the presenter and the attendees
How much does it cost to attend the educational seminars?
The cost is $20 per member and $40 per nonmember. Fees are kept to minimal levels that cover costs of parking, beverages, communications, etc.
How much does it cost to be a presenter?
There is no cost for presenters other than normal costs associated with preparing for seminars. Likewise, there is no monetary compensation to presenters in exchange for their services. Members with specific subject matter expertise volunteer as instructors. The Chamber markets the seminars and provides for administration of a high-quality educational series.
Does this compete with my (or other) businesses?
The Chamber's member-to-member seminars are intended to be introductory in nature and provide high take-away value given their brief length. Many Chamber members offer much more in-depth and extensive training in both nonprofit and for-profit settings. The Chamber will strive to make members and seminar attendees aware of the wealth of expertise that exists within its membership for education and training. It will promote and refer members to these providers whenever possible.