A Charlotte Comic Takeover!!!
It’s Another Great Comedy Show at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co, Theater 2! Jan 21, 6:30p, 18+, Get Dinner, Drinks & Laughs with the areas best standup comics. Featured and Open Mic Comedy. [Performing comics get 3-5m, FREE entry and pizza. ]
Morgan Marie is guest hosting, in from Charlotte with some great comic features in tow, Matt Hammy, Thomas Heynan & Christine McLennan!! Get Your Tickets Now!!

Join The Watchdog and a Panel of Experts to Discuss Possible Solutions for Restoring Quality Healthcare to Western North Carolina

Mission Health used to be one of the premier hospital systems in America, a magnet for top physicians and nurses, a provider of caring, quality care for patients, and a source of pride for the community.

Five years ago, Mission’s board of directors sold the system to HCA Healthcare of Nashville, promising that the sale to the hospital giant would lead to higher-quality, more accessible, and lower-cost healthcare for the people of western North Carolina.

Now, after five years of HCA management, there’s a broad consensus that the exact opposites have occurred. The question now is:

What can we, the citizens of western North Carolina, do to once again have the best-in-class, accessible, and affordable healthcare we used to expect?

Please join Asheville Watchdog and a panel of experts for a public discussion focused on solutions.

Confirmed panelists (L-R): State Sen. Julie Mayfield; Dr. R. Bruce Kelly, MD; Karen Sanders, MSN, RN; City of Brevard Mayor Maureen Copelof. Moderator: Asheville Watchdog Exec. Editor Peter Lewis

Note: Executives of HCA Healthcare, Mission Health, the Dogwood Health Trust, and MAHEC all declined The Watchdog’s invitations to participate in this event.

The event is free, but all attendees are requested to register in advance. Space is limited. There will be no microphones on the floor; submit your question in advance.

The Collider is an event venue with co-working and private office space rentals centered in the middle of Downtown Asheville. Come celebrate The Collider’s Ribbon Cutting with hors d’oeuvres and drinks within a pleasant networking environment. Business After Hours to follow!!

Come join us for Business After Hours at The Collider!  The Collider is an event venue with co-working and private office space rentals centered in the middle of Downtown Asheville. Come celebrate with hors d’oeuvres and drinks within a pleasant networking environment. Don’t miss the Ribbon Cutting at 4:30 to kick off the evening!!

Feel free to bring a gift to be raffled off as door prizes towards the end of the evening. Bring your business cards for networking and a chance to win prizes!

Please take a look below at our members who have renewed for another year!

All Souls Counseling Center

Big Brothers Big Sisiters of WNC

Embrew Tea

Five Star Bath Solutions

Gemelli

Get Lifted Tire and Alignment, LLC

Hydrate Medical

Insight Recovery Center

Sage and Spice Catering

South Slope Acupuncture and Wellness

Tralala Interiors

Well Roots Counseling

Chris Dwyer Painting

American IRA, LLC

Fioreously Delicious

Avena Bodywork

CarMax

FormPiper

This event is offered as a benefit for Chamber membership. We welcome you to come and check us out! Please contact Jessica Kanupp, our Member Development Specialist, at [email protected] if you’re considering a Chamber membership.

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Prepare yourself for three power-packed hours of inspiration and insight. You will be amazed at the caliber of Asheville area’s professional speaking community. NSA-WNC will showcase a series of inspirational and interactive presentations that will kickstart your year with insights and tools to help you achieve the changes you wish to make in the year ahead.

Whether you are a leader seeking ways to develop your team or a student of self-improvement, this event promises to point you in a new and positive direction.

Proceeds benefit the Asheville Breakfast Rotary Foundation. Those who bring a hygiene product for donation will also be entered into a door prize drawing at the close of the event.

The Lazy Tiger is a traveler’s hostel focused on serving as a launchpad for adventure and allowing strangers to become friends!

Come celebebrate their ribbon cutting that will allow other local business owners a chance to see their new space and network with others! Take a tour of the space and ask any questions you may have! There will be drinks and light snacks provided.

The YMCA of Western North Carolina’s Community Health team delivers fresh, healthy food at no charge to hundreds of families in a five-county area. Their mobile food markets are set up like free farmers markets at dozens of locations each month. They ask no questions and place no limits on the amount of food each person chooses. In addition to food, they share tasty recipes, practical cooking demonstrations, and valuable nutrition information that’s easy to understand. The Y is also part of the statewide Healthy Opportunity Pilot (HOP) to address food insecurity for managed Medicaid participants. We prepare and deliver meal boxes that contain a week’s worth of nutritious food, simple recipes, and tips for food storage and cooking. The Nutrition Outreach Hub is their home base for food donation, sorting, and packing.

The YMCA of Western North Carolina is celebrating 10 years of delivering fresh, healthy food at no charge to the community. This work is centered at their Nutrition Outreach Hub, which recently moved into its new home on Riverside Drive. Elected officials, community members, and the media are invited to attend the space’s grand opening and ribbon cutting to learn more about how the Y is improving access to healthy local food. Light refreshments will be served.

Please join us for the next Goodwill Business Advisory Council (BAC) meeting to be held on Thursday, February 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. We’ll be meeting at The Omni Grove Park Inn located at 290 Macon Avenue, Asheville.

Networking and Lunch: 11:30 a.m.
Meeting: Noon – 1 p.m.
Location: Omni Grove Park Inn
Meeting Room: The Skyline Meeting Room.
Arrival Directions: Park in the Sammons parking garage and take the guest elevator to the lobby level. Upon exiting the elevators, turn right and walk towards the lobby. The Skyline Meeting Room entrance is across from the patio entrance to the Edison Restaurant.

Join us to discover the diverse opportunities that The Omni Grove Park Inn offers, gain insight into its leadership development initiatives, and learn about its community engagement strategies as we showcase our current leaders’ impactful work.

Featured Speakers:
Sasha James – Recruiting Sourcing Specialist
Kathleen Perez – Director of Human Resources
Elizabeth Jordan – Current Leader in Development
Paige McCoy – Current Leader in Development
Emily Moore – Assistant Front Office Manager, past Leader in Development
Janie Hicks – CIA Pro Chef Program Participant
Amari Kidd – CIA Pro Chef Program Participant
Melissa McKnight – Executive Banquet Chef and Food Connection Board Member

Career Quest: Grove Park Inn with Sasha James Sasha is the recruiting sourcing specialist for The Omni Grove Park Inn. She’s joining us to talk about customer service in the hospitality industry. Watch the video to learn more. Want to feature your organization and job opportunities? Contact Career Quest for more information.

Pruning techniques are essential for promoting the health and productivity of plants. Different techniques can control diseases, stimulate new growth, and maintain aesthetically pleasing landscapes. Join us as horticulture expert John Murphy teaches the basics of pruning.

Ribbon Cutting Advanced Dermatology + Skin Surgery

The foundation of personal and professional success lies in understanding yourself, understanding others, and realizing the impact of personal behavior on others. For nearly thirty years, more than 30 million people have unlocked the door to productive communication and increased performance through the DiSC® of Behavior & Communication Styles learning approach.

This workshop offers small business owners, sales professionals, and managers a dynamic and personalized learning experience, engineered to increase awareness of customer & sales interactions and increase results, generating lasting connections that bolster your bottom line.

Program Benefits:

• Practical Application: Learn actionable strategies to apply DiSC Sales knowledge in real-world scenarios.
• Enhanced Communication with customers.
• Increased Sales Effectiveness: Understand and adapt to different customer communication styles to boost sales success.
• Deeper Customer Connections: Forge stronger relationships with customers by understanding their unique communication preferences.
• Improved Customer Service: Deliver tailored service based on customer communication styles and needs.
• Enhanced Sales Team Collaboration: Foster better teamwork and communication within the sales team.

About the Presenter:

E.G. Sebastian, co-founder of LOYCAL – Loyal to Local, is a Business-Development & Performance Consultant, and an international speaker. He’s been helping management and sales teams improve their performance since 2004.

He is the author of Communication Skills Magic – used in several college courses in the US and Canada – and is the co-author of multiple books, including “Back Off! – Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work,” and “Bushido Business” – co-authored with Brian Tracy and Steven MR Covey.

Sebastian believes in delivering content through Eduteinment – Education + Entertainment – using humor and interaction with the audience. His presentations often are among the highest rated at professional events.

Connect with him on LinkedIn, at www.linkedin.com/in/egSebastian and on Alignable: www.alignable.com/hendersonville-nc/loycal-loyal-to-local

Registration is required so we may plan accordingly.

This event is offered as a benefit for Chamber membership. We also believe these are important topics for everyone, so we are opening this event to non-members for $15. We welcome you to come and check us out! Please contact Jessica Kanupp, our Member Development Specialist, at [email protected] if you’re considering a Chamber membership.

Everyday Orthodontics is a unique orthodontic practice with a focus on honest and affordable personalized care for all ages. Smiling is one of their highest personal art forms and we want everyone to have the confidence to flaunt it! Their services include braces, aligners, special needs care, TMJ treatment, sleep apnea treatment, jaw surgery, and complex orthodontics. They appreciate this community so much and it has always been their goal to create something that offers fantastic services built on trust, honesty and genuine relationships. A place that involves theirr patients in their treatment every step of the way and listens to them carefully. A place they truly love to visit.

Come join them at their practice to meet Dr. Liz and enjoy some food, drinks, and live music! Special discount cards off of comprehensive treatment will be available to all attendees!

Rise and shine and make your morning the catalyst to AMP UP your business!

Jumpstart your morning with a burst of productivity as you mingle with prospective customers. This monthly event is your gateway to discovering strong referral sources, finding new vendors, meeting the perfect client, or establishing connections that can open doors for future interactions!

Whether you’re an early bird, or can’t make it to our after-hours, AM Power Hour is your go-to for a dynamic and energizing start to the day!

2024 AM Power Hours are Presented by We Sell WNC!

February’s Host is the Hendersonville Family YMCA!

Join us each month for an info-packed event brought to you by the Blue Ridge Community College\’s Small Business Center, the City of Hendersonville Main Street Program, the Hendersonville Merchants & Business Association and the Chamber. Get the lowdown on current community events and the issues that matter to our local businesses and community.

Stay tuned for updated on our monthly lineup of guests and speakers!

The 2024 Business Morning Updates are proudly Presented by ALLCHOICE Insurance!

At our Business After Hours next Thursday, February 15, we’re excited to gather and honor our incredible Total Resource Committee Volunteers, who, through their dedication, have raised over a Million dollars to support the Asheville Chamber’s initiatives.

Our Total Resource Committee consists of 12 remarkable community volunteers, each playing a crucial role:

• Lindsey Bnadad, Chair and Co-Owner of Kudzu Brands
• Elizabeth Bridgers, Chair and CMO of HomeTrust Bank
• Heather Johnson, Co-Owner of Kudzu Brands
• Kendra Payne, Co-Owner of A Look at Asheville
• Sandra Dennison, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Quility
• Jeff Switzer, UPS
• Jared Bailey, Market President at TruPoint
• Maria Pilos, Director of Marketing at DMJPS
• Charlotte Fitzpatrick, Managing Loan Officer at PrimeLending
• Sharon Owens, Retired from Mercy Urgent Care
• Donna Hammett, Business Development Executive at Forvis
• Monica Rousseau, Principal Broker at Realty ONE Group Pivot

Join us at The Radical in the River Arts District and enjoy food, drinks, and camaraderie. Explore the awesome new space within The Radical and savor delicious dishes from Afterglow, Golden Hour, and The Roof.
This event is offered as a benefit for Chamber membership. We welcome you to come and check us out! Please contact Jessica Kanupp, our Member Development Specialist, at [email protected] if you’re considering a Chamber membership.

Gather ● Relate ● Organize ● Work
Join us to stay updated on business in Mills River. With updates from the Town of Mills River and networking with neighboring businesses, let’s work to GROW your business in Mills River

Savvy Post Marketing is a digital marketing agency dedicated to boosting success for food and beverage businesses. Their specialized services include strategic digital campaigns (social media management, targeted ad campaigns Etc.). They also offer custom mobile app development and user-friendly website development. Committed to local business growth, they tailor solutions for enhanced user engagement, and ultimately help businesses gain a substantial return on investment (ROI).

Come celebrate their ribbon cutting as a new member of the Chamber!

16-time Grammy^® award-winning musician, composer, and producer DAVID
FOSTER and acclaimed singer, television, and Broadway star, KATHARINE
MCPHEE are bringing their viral Instagram show on the road.

Coming directly from the Living Room to the stage, this intimate show with
the powerhouse duo will be packed with David‘s hits from Chicago,
Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, etc. and Kat’s
biggest songs from American Idol, Smash, and Waitress. Plus some of their
favorites that they just love!

About David Foster
Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foster. He has created hit songs for a diverse array of artists including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Seal, Chaka Khan, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Brandy, ’N Sync, Boz Scaggs, and Gloria Estefan.

Foster is gearing up to take on Broadway with several projects including writing the music for a new musical about the iconic animated character “Betty Boop.” He is also writing the music for a musical based on the Amy Bloom novel and New York Times bestseller Lucky Us.

About Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee can most recently be seen starring in the Netflix Original Series Country Comfort. Previously she starred as “Paige Dineen” on the CBS’ spy drama Scorpion and was featured in NBC’s award-winning musical series Smash, executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Her other television credits include CSI: NY, Community, and Family Guy.

McPhee appeared on the big screen in Columbia’s romantic comedy The House Bunny. In addition to her acting career, she finds great success in the music space after her turn on Season 5 of American Idol. McPhee’s first single debuted at #2 on the Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart. Her debut album landed on the Billboard 200 chart and went gold in 2008.

McPhee also has a presence in theater, having recently starred in both the U.S. and U.K. productions of Waitress.

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music.

Having performed with every major orchestra and at concert halls around the globe, Mr. Perlman was granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom – the Nation’s highest civilian honor – by President Obama in 2015, a Kennedy Center Honor in 2003, a National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000, and a Medal of Liberty by President Reagan in 1986. Mr. Perlman has been honored with 16 GRAMMY^® Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Genesis Prize.

In the 2022/23 season, Mr. Perlman conducts the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and the Houston Symphony on Mozart’s Requiem, and is joined by an illustrious group of collaborators — Emanuel Ax, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and the Juilliard String Quartet — in a special Itzhak Perlman and Friends program appearing in only three locations: Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall, UMS Ann Arbor and Carnegie Hall. He continues touring An Evening with Itzhak Perlman, which captures highlights of his career through narrative and multi-media elements intertwined with performance, to Boston, Philadelphia, Long Island, Akron, Austin and Naples (Florida). He plays season-opening concerts for the Colorado Symphony, Vancouver Symphony and Florida Orchestra, and recitals across the United States with longtime collaborator Rohan De Silva.

He currently serves as Artistic Partner of the Houston Symphony in a partnership that commenced in the 2020/21 season and culminates at the end of 2023/24. He performs 9 programs across three seasons that feature him in versatile appearances as conductor, soloist, recitalist and presenter.

Mr. Perlman has an exclusive series of classes with Masterclass.com, the premier online education company that enables access to the world’s most brilliant minds including Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Helen Mirren, Jodie Foster and Serena Williams, as the company’s first classical-music presenter.

James McMurtry is a Grammy-nominated folk-rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, and occasional actor. A luminary in the Americana space, he weaves stories that resonate with gritty authenticity and emotional depth. His songwriting is celebrated by critics and fellow artists alike, with John Mellencamp raving, “James writes like he’s lived a lifetime,” and Jason Isbell lauding, “I don’t think anybody writes better lyrics.”

In August 2021, McMurtry released The Horses and the Hounds, his first collection in seven years. The album showcases his seasoned songwriting, seamlessly blending personal narratives with elegance (“Canola Fields”) and high energy (“If It Don’t Bleed”), and his ability to inhabit characters from various walks of life, as noted by critics who describe his work as subversive, funny, vulnerable and always poignant.

The release follows in the footsteps of McMurtry’s albums Complicated Games (2015), Just Us Kids (2008) and Childish Things (2005), all of which scored endless critical praise. Just Us Kids earned McMurtry his highest Billboard 200 chart position in two decades (since eclipsed by Complicated Game) and notched Americana Music Award nominations. Childish Things spent six full weeks topping the Americana Music Radio chart in 2005 and 2006, and won the Americana Music Association’s Album of the Year, with “We Can’t Make It Here” named the organization’s Song of the Year. Other accolades include a 1996 Grammy nomination for Long Form Music Video for Where’d You Hide the Body and an American Indie Award for Best Americana Album for It Had to Happen (1997).

Touring year-round, McMurtry consistently throws down powerhouse performances backed by his band.

McMurtry will be joined by opening act BettySoo.

Dance Me is an exclusive creation inspired by the rich and profound work of Montreal-based poet, artist and songwriter, Leonard Cohen. Approved by Cohen during his lifetime, this riveting homage to the famed artist evokes the grand cycles of existence in five seasons, as described in Cohen’s deeply reflective music and poems.

Three internationally renowned choreographers were entrusted with putting movement to Cohen’s legendary songs: Andonis Foniadakis, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Ihsan Rustem. Their powerful and profound choreographic world reflective of Cohen’s singular work is brought to life by 14 Ballets Jazz Montréal performing artists.

Surrounded by a team of celebrated designers, Dance Me combines scenic, visual, musical, dramaturgical, and choreographic writing to pay tribute to Montreal’s greatest ambassador. Dance, music, lighting, scenography, and videography all come together in this unforgettable show.

“Leonard Cohen’s art and soul shine on in this stirring tribute.”
– The Telegraph Review

“The beautiful technique and preciseness throughout the evening of excellence was so complimentary to Mr. Cohen’s visions and words, and gave voice to his beliefs and musings.”
– BroadwayWorld Review