The Southern Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce (SLCCC) will hold its first professional development and leadership conference on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the DoubleTree Resort located at 2400 Willow Street Pike in Lancaster. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and it will include breakfast, a box lunch, and workshops designed to equip community members with tools to grow their businesses and network with other organizations.

"Lifelong learning is really imperative to success. So many things change rapidly: technology, the economy and the political climate," said SLCCC president Kristen Phipps. "We've built a very organic entrepreneurial community where we can mentor each other. We want to continue our businesses' growing and provide our community a place to shop local."

The conference will begin with a check-in and breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m., followed by a brief welcome and a talk from keynote speaker Sheila Jones. Jones will share advice on overcoming challenges to grow a successful business based on her own professional and personal life experiences. After Jones' talk, 45-minute workshop sessions will commence at 9:30 a.m. During registration, guests will choose three of five workshops to attend, and a 15-minute break will take place after each session. The conference will wrap up with lunch at 12:30 p.m.

Adam Grim, director of strategy at Launch Kits, will offer a workshop focused on strategic marketing for small businesses. Grim will discuss key components to help attendees develop their brands, identify target audiences and select marketing channels as they create an action plan to foster success.

Design Like a Pro, a workshop offered by SLCCC board member Jadan Willis, will teach participants how to use Canva, a graphic design tool. Willis will discuss key elements behind making professional and efficient graphics, drawing from her experience in photography and real estate.

Marie Monville of Elevated Solutions Consulting will hold a workshop to share tips for becoming an effective and confident communicator. Monville will discuss strategies to overcome the fear of public speaking, connect with audience members and leave an impression with an impactful message.

Lancaster Society of Human Resource Management board member Rachel Ewell's workshop will focus on the importance of employee retention. Ewell will help attendees create an employer brand and share effective recruitment practices to cultivate a positive work environment that attracts talented individuals.

William White, co-owner of the National Training and Consulting Group, will offer a workshop on navigating staff dynamics and bridging the gap between different generations of workers. White will share advice to help participants manage generational conflicts, improve workplace relationships and foster a productive environment.

Online registration for the conference will remain open to both SLCCC members and nonmembers until Monday, Oct. 14. Members of the Chamber will receive a discounted rate, and community members will be offered a discount on the annual SLCCC membership fee if they sign up as members before Thursday, Oct. 31.

"Our goal is to provide an affordable way for nonprofits and business owners to learn and grow," Willis said. "Everyone in the Chamber wants to see each other grow, whether that's sharing a post or referring a business."

For more information, including how to register for the conference, visit https://southernlancasterchamber.org/conference.