- Annual Banquet (January): to announce to the community the STAR Student/Teacher and support them at regional reception; report on the previous year's activities.
- Annual festival/Street Dance » more info
- Annual Biking Bleckley Metric 100 » more info
- Cushman Club » more info
- Bleckley Leadership Class » more info
- Lighted Christmas Parade » more info
- The chamber is a member of the Middle Georgia Military Affairs Committee (MGMAC) as well as having a chamber Military Affairs Committee. These committees support the Air Force Base financially and by attending functions at the base. Our local committee entertains the base commander and entourage annually in Cochran, with a dinner and entertainment. This occurs in November.
- Recognition of local educators in May
- The chamber is responsible for planning and executing the community-wide Memorial Day Program and Veteran's Day Program
The chamber has, also, been asked to participate in The Ocmulgee River Blueway, which is sponsored by the rivers and parks division of Georgia; Georgia Water Trails. This is an effort to encourage communities and visitors to explore local water trails by sightseeing, canoeing, kayaking, etc. Counties with river connections and the state are sponsoring this event. Community chambers have been asked to help with promoting.
Our community became an Entrepreneur Friendly Community in 2009; In 2010 received a $5,000 grant to help business owners with needs - conducted a survey, to determine what was needed; offered a course in business management entitled, Maximum Money, available through the Small Business Development Center w/instructor from Georgia Southern University. This year the "How to Market your Business" course will be offered free of charge for business owners.
The Chamber and the Industrial Development Authority both support, and are involved in the I-16 Corridor Alliance. The purpose of this alliance is to bring industry into the stretch of interstate I-16 from Bibb County, east, to the Georgia Ports, including each county that has boundaries connecting to I-16 property. The following counties plus the Georgia Ports are involved in this project: Bibb, Twiggs, Wilkinson, Bleckley, Laurens, Treutlen, Emanuel, Candler, Bulloch, Bryan, Effingham, and Chatham (12). The alliance website will soon be available as well as brochures. A marketing plan is in progress.
The chamber is the administrative sponsor/host for the Cochran-Bleckley United Givers Fund. This means that the chamber shares office space, office supplies, office equipment, and administrative assistance for this non-profit organization. In turn, the chamber receives an annual allocation.
The chamber is constantly calling on Georgia Power and Ocmulgee EMC (economic developers and/or project managers), as well as other economic developers, on the local and state levels, for assistance. This assistance could be for help with incoming industry/businesses, teaching or facilitating a class or course, and more. The Bleckley-Cochran Industrial Development Authority calls on these sources for assistance, as well.
Legislation is important to Georgia's small businesses; therefore, the chamber serves as an advocate for small businesses. One of the most important goals of the Georgia Chamber is to lobby for Georgia businesses on issues that affect them in the legislature and the senate. This chamber tries to keep up with these issues through continuous information from the Georgia Chamber via email. Local chambers respond to issues through the Georgia Chamber and are sent reports on these issues as to what issues, bills, etc., the Georgia Chamber supported or did not support. Rep. Jimmy Pruett sends out information from his office to our chamber members, as well.
Chambers are encouraged to take a stand in their communities on issues that affect the entire community. For example, the chamber may stand for or against a certain amendment appearing on various ballots. At this point the chamber would step forward to inform the community of the pros and cons on the issue.
Each year the Georgia Chamber hosts the Congressional Luncheon, now held in Perry at the fairgrounds. Chamber members and anyone in the community who may be interested are encouraged to attend. A variety of speakers are invited to attend each year to inform Georgians about what's happening in the house and the senate.