The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce is pleased to join in partnership with the Roux Institute and other local entities to present Start Summit: Innovation in Maine’s Coastal Communities. This Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29, you’ll have the chance to hear from thought leaders in Maine’s coastal communities and explore new ideas for growth and innovation.

Response to this event has been fantastic, and there is still time to participate or just come to network and watch the fun.

At this fun and interactive event, you’ll experience what it’s like to build a startup team and race to develop a concept—all with the support of experts and colleagues and fueled by good food!

Participants can expect to take part in a Design Thinking workshop, work with a team to identify a high-potential problem, learn from a current startup founder, and pitch to a panel of judges for the chance to win a cash prize.

This Start Summit is free and open to everyone. Registration is required. No prior experience is necessary to participate.

We are excited to announce that our 2023 Jewel of the Maine Coast regional guide is now available.

50,000 copies of the 2023 Jewel will be distributed and available for FREE at multiple outlets throughout Maine & New England.

Together with the online, easy-to-navigate interactive Flipbook version of the Jewel, we’ve created a robust promotional platform with maximum reach and exposure for every Chamber member, accessed at home via computer, or on the go with mobile devices.

Our Camden and Rockland Information Centers have plenty of copies on hand if you'd like to stop in during our regular business hours to pick up supplies.

The first impression your business makes online to a potential customer is likely not your website – it is your business profile on Google or other major consumer travel planning platforms such as Tripadvisor, Yelp or Apple Maps. The Maine Office of Tourism and Miles Partnership is helping our tourism partners maximize their exposure and conversion on these platforms by providing FREE training and on-one support for businesses and organizations.

There are still 2 in-person dates:

May 9 – Portland

May 15 – Auburn

Virtual sessions will be offered on May 2 and May 23.

The Maine Tourism Association Annual Meeting is being held on May 16 at the Sebasco Harbor Resort. We have a great day lined up including a panel discussion about Maine's Lobster Industry's future, a seminar on how to build an easy-to-manage content marketing plan with Sutherland and Weston, and a lobster bake! You don't have to be a member to attend. More information and registration here: www.mainetourism.com/membership/annual-meeting/

The General Henry Knox Museum is the only museum dedicated to Patriot General Henry Knox. Our mission is to honor the life and times of Henry Knox, patriot, engineer, entrepreneur, and Knox County settler, provide related education, and military support to all all who have and who are serving. Our open season is Memorial Day to Labor Day, T-F 10-4 & S 10-1. Come spend time with us. History alive. Consider being a volunteer. We’d love you to be involved at the Knox.

To learn more about becoming a Featured Member, click here.

Submit your news releases to Amy@CamdenRockland.com.

oin the Maine Women’s Network – Midcoast Chapter for our last event of the season on Wednesday, May 3 from 5pm – 7pm at the Goose River Golf Course in Rockport. This will be a fun open networking event with heavy appetizers and cash bar; members and non-members welcome! More...

On Thursday, May 4, at 6:30 p.m. the Camden Public Library will once again welcome art historian and educator Mallory Mortillaro for a Zoom presentation about thrilling art history discoveries. Who doesn’t love learning about a priceless painting found in an attic? Or a sculpture sitting for decades in a public garden, only to be found out as an Italian treasure? More...

During the month of May, the Rockport Public Library will host a show of paintings by Cate Monroe entitled, “Travel Paintings: Two Warrau Villages in Guyana.” In the spring of 2022, Monroe spent two weeks in the Indigenous villages of Imbotero and Warapoka in northwest Guyana where her husband, Bob Holtzman, was conducting ethnographic fieldwork on the Warrau people’s use of dugout canoes. She gathered information for illustrations that would accompany her husband’s dissertation.  More...

On Sunday May 21st at 2:00 p.m., 3,000 numbered ducks will be let loose to race over the falls and across the finish line in Camden Harbor. That means it’s time to buy your tickets and a chance to win some fabulous prizes. Each duck represents a chance to win one of 10 great prizes. Raffle tickets that correspond with the numbered ducks are just $5 each or $20 for five tickets. More...

The Town of Rockport has announced that the inaugural Rockport Donut Festival will take place Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3 in downtown Rockport. The festival pays homage to the history of the doughnut and kicks off the summer with music, food, activities, and lots of donuts! The weekend commences on “National Donut Day” with Motor Booty Affair in concert on Friday evening. Saturday activities include a 5k fun run, a parade, donut vendors, food vendors, corn hole competition, history talk, kids’ events, a special ticketed “Dinner on the Bridge” to be followed by a DJ dance party at the harbor. Entry is free and open to everyone thanks in part to the generosity of the sponsors. More...

Jordan Benissan, chef/owner of Me Lon Togo restaurant in Rockland, has been recently featured in the March/April issue of Yankee Magazine, as well as on the television show, Weekends with Yankee. Yankee’s senior food editor Amy Traverso explores Rockland, Maine, with chef and musician Jordan Benissan, who shares his journey from Togo, in West Africa, to coastal Maine. More...

Steel-Pro, Inc. is proud to announce the promotions of two employee-owners, Dylan Morong and Thomas Kennedy, to Vice President positions. Dylan and Thomas have served the company as Project Manager and Director of Business Development respectively. As employee-owners, Dylan and Thomas have consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to the success and growth of Steel-Pro. These well-deserved promotions recognize their hard work, dedication, and leadership. More...

Aaron Chase and Alvin Chase, Jr., are proud to announce that they have transitioned their company, Eastern Tire and Auto Service, to a 100% employee-owned company through its newly created Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Founded in 1946, the Company is the leading provider of independent auto repair and tire service in Midcoast Maine. More...

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is pleased to announce that Rebecca French has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Branch Relationship Manager for the Bank’s branch in Rockland, Maine. She joined the Bank in 2018 as a customer service representative and was promoted to Branch Relationship Manager of the Rockland branch in 2021. More...

Ardiah is pleased to welcome Joe Blakey as the company’s Business Development & Sales Executive. Joe will also oversee Ardiah’s payments business. For the last 13 years, Joe worked for UScellular, serving most recently as the Store Manager at their Rockland location. In those roles, Joe led high-performing sales teams and demonstrated excellence with client acquisition and relationship management. More...

A Morning in Maine Sailing Tours is offering Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce members 10% off all private charters. Morning in Maine sails out of Rockland's Middle Pier, past the Rockland Breakwater and Owl's Head Lighthouses to the nearby islands. With room for up to 21 guests, this is the perfect way to celebrate an important milestone or show your hard-working employees how much you appreciate them! Email captaintyler@amorninginmaine.com or call 207-691-7245 to book.

Members are invited to email Amy@CamdenRockland.com with details of goods, programs, products, or services they would like to offer to their fellow members. Please limit your offer to headline + 75 words and include an end date not to exceed 1 month.

Our online calendar is your guide to live & virtual events in the Camden-Rockland Region. Click here to view.

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