CHAMBER CHAT: "Creating a 'New Normal' After the Unthinkable"

City Chamber Hosts Free Session Inspired by Recent Workplace Shootings

Local Public Relations Firm to Share Insight from Experience with Azana Salon & Spa

(WAUKESHA)  The City of Waukesha Chamber of Commerce will host a free, public program for area business owners entitled “”Creating a New Normal After the Unthinkable” next Tuesday, February 5 at 6:30 p.m.in the Bayside Room of the Milwaukee Marriott, W231N1600 Corporate Drive, Waukesha. Nancy Wilkes, public relations director with chamber member Platypus Advertising + Design, will present her findings and recommendations using the agency’s experiences working with the Azana Salon and Spa in Brookfield as a case study. The salon was the site of a shooting spree by a lone gunman last October, killing three employees and wounding four others.

     “Any business owner or operator with one or more employees will benefit from this important program,” notes Jim Hahn, chamber executive director, “the topic is certainly timely given the increased attention to firearms in the national media from the many high-profile mass shootings in public places from Aurora, Colorado to Sandy Hook, Connecticut.”

     The session was developed for the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism scheduled for next month in Madison, but the local presentation will be the first public release of the material by the firm’s staff members. Although the venue has limited seating, the chamber decided to make the session available to all area business leaders free of charge. Individuals interested in attending may contact the chamber office to pre-register.

     Among the topics to be covered include preparing for when your workplace becomes a crime scene, developing a disaster plan, coordinating media during a crisis, and creating strategies for a successful re-opening.  The program serves as the February “Chamber Chat,” a bi-monthly educational series developed by the city chamber on topics important to new and existing small business professionals.

     The City of Waukesha Chamber of Commerce is a membership association established in 2011 to serve as an incubator for new business ideas, a pivot point for community collaborations, and the source of shared business expertise. Serving both the city and town of Waukesha, the chamber conducts numerous education and networking events throughout the year. Details about programs or membership in the chamber can be found at www.waukeshacitychamber.org or may be obtained by calling the chamber office at (262) 391-0661.