Business calendar

MONDAY

GARY | George Fleetwood, president of AT&T Indiana, will speak at the monthly Gary Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting, set for noon Feb. 13 at The Steel City Buffet & Grill, 411 E. 5th Ave. The cost is $17 in advance or $20 at the door. Call (219) 885-7407 to reserve a seat.

MERRILLVILLE | The Referral Organization of Indiana (ROI) Business Networking Group meets Mondays at A.J. Specialties, 1308 E. 85th Ave. Networking starts at 7:15 a.m.; meetings start at 7:30 a.m. For more information, contact Tony Schifino at (219) 736-0367 or John Vurpillat at 219-669-6804.

PORTAGE | The Northwest Indiana Professional Network meets from 8 to 10 a.m. Mondays at Portage Work One, Ameriplex Commercial Park, 1575 Adler Circle, Suite A. For more information, contact Sandra Alvarez at the Center of Workforce Innovations at (219) 462-2940 or salvarez@innovativeworkforce.com .

TUESDAY 

HAMMOND | The Rotary Club of Hammond meets from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays in the Student Union Library Building at Purdue Calumet, 2200 169th St. For more information, call (219)513-0549, or visit www.hammondrotary.org .

MERRILLVILLE | Southshore Business Networking, will meet from 8 to 9 a.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month Cafe Divine, 9000 Taft St. Call Rick Gosser at (219) 808-9888 or visit http://www.southshorebusinessnetworking.com .

HIGHLAND | BNI, Business Networking International will meet from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays at Harry's Grill, 9400 Indianapolis Blvd. Contact Michael Pelz at (815) 370-2940.

WEDNESDAY

SCHERERVILLE | Neil Dishman, of Chicago-based Jackson Lewis LLP, will present "The Ten Myths of Employment Law Debunked" at Andorra Banquets, 1112 U.S. 41. Registration will be at 11 a.m. and lunch at 11:30. The program will run from noon to 1 p.m. Register at www.shrmnwi.org. The cost is $15 for members and $25 guests in advance or $20 for members and $30 for guests at the door. Deadline to register is Monday.

CROWN POINT | BNI, Business Network International, meets from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Schoop's, 1124 N. Main St. For information, call Michael Pelz at (219) 427-5933 or (815) 370-2940.

CROWN POINT | The Referral Organization of Indiana (ROI) Business Networking Group meets Wednesdays at Fahrenheit 212, 10805 Broadway. Networking starts at 7:15 a.m.; meetings start at 7:30 am. For more information, visit http://roinetworkinc.com .

MERRILLVILLE | The Merrillville Chapter of BNI, Business Networking International, will meet from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Innsbrook Country Club, 6701 Taft St. Contact Michael Pelz at (815) 370-2940.

VALPARAISO | BNI, Business Network International, meets from 7 to 8:30 am at The Hampton Inn, 1451 Silhavy Road. For information call Beckie Guffin at (219) 462-2771.

THURSDAY

VALPARAISO | E Engaging NWI Business Women will host Theresa Valade, CEO of Success Trek, as she discusses "The Power of One: Mastering the Inner Game" from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Brown and Gold Room of Harre Union at Valparaiso University. To RSVP for the free event, visit www.engagingNWIbusinesswomen.org .

HAMMOND | The Hammond INnovation Center and the Northwest Indiana SBDC present our next Smart Start Workshop, "Employee Life Cycle and Employment Laws" from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at 5209 Hohman Ave. Cost is $20, which includes breakfast. To RSVP or get more information contact the Hammond INnovation Center at (219) 750-1200 or email register@hicnwi.org

WHITING | The Develop Committee of Emerge South Shore will host a free event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at Bulldog Brewing Co., 1409 119th St., featuring brief presentations from and networking opportunities with three Northwest Indiana business leaders who have balanced their full-time careers with leadership roles in local nonprofit and civic organizations. RSVP to emergesouthshore@gmail.com . For more information, visit www.emergesouthshore.org .

MERRILLVILLE |  Merrillville Breakfast Kiwanis meets from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. Thursdays at Petro's Restaurant,  6190 Broadway Ave. For more information, please contact Mary Jane DiMichele at (219) 934-6318 ext. 239 or visit www.MerrillvilleBreakfastKiwanis.com .

MERRILLVILLE | The Merrillville Noon Kiwanis Club meets from noon to 1 p.m., Thursdays at Petro's Restaurant,  6190 Broadway Ave. For more information call Bruce Woods at (219) 794-1259 over visit www.merrillvillenoonkiwanis.org .

SCHERERVILLE | A BNI (Business Networking International) business development group meets from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Thursdays at the Holiday Inn Express, 1773 Fountain Park Drive. Call Michael Pelz at (815) 370-2940 for more information.

VALPARAISO | The Porter County Business League meets at 7 a.m. Thursdays at the Round-the-Clock restaurant, 217 E. Lincolnway. For more information, visit http://www.portercounty.com .

VALPARAISO | The Referral Organization of Indiana (ROI) Business Networking Group meets at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Regional Federal Credit Union, 2801 Boilermaker Court (behind Menards). For more information contact Kealah Parkinson at (708) 955-5131.

FRIDAY

HAMMOND |  Free business counseling services are available through the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) from 9 and 10 a.m. Fridays at the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, 5246 Hohman Ave. If you are starting a business, or having problems in business, call (219) 931-1000 for an appointment.

MERRILLVILLE | Northwest Indiana Networking Professionals meets at 7:15 a.m. Fridays at either Cafe Divine (Inside Living Hope Church, 9000 Taft St.) or AJ Specialties (1308 East 85th Ave.) Check the website for location, http://nwinetworking.org/events.php. Contact Carl Watroba at carl@compdrinc.com or (219) 776-7423 for more information.

Feb. 18 and 25

MERRILLVILLE | The Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center is offering a two-part workshop on QuickBooks Essentials from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 18 and 25 at the Purdue University Calumet Academic Learning Center, 9900 Connecticut Drive, in Room 221. Cost is $100 for the two-part workshop. Registration and payment are required in advance. To register, visit www.nwisbdc.org, click on seminars and events, the workshop and follow instructions or call (219) 644-3513.

Feb. 21

The Indiana Small Business Development Center network is partnering with the National Association for the Self-Employed to offer free tax webinars. The three-part series launches with "Top 5 Tax Questions for the Self-Employed" from 11 a.m. to noon. To register for the free event, visit www1.gotomeeting.com/register/851795504 . For more information, contact the NWI SBDC at (219) 644-3513 or visit www.nwisbdc.org .

Feb. 21

MERRILLVILLE | The Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center is offering its business feasibility workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Purdue University Calumet Academic Learning Center, 9900 Connecticut Drive, in Room 246. The cost is $25 and registration and payment are required in advance. To register, contact the NWI SBDC at (219) 644-3513 or register online at http://isbdc.ecenterdirect.com , click on training events, choose Northwest under centers and follow the instructions. For more information, visit www.nwisbdc.org .

Feb. 22

CALUMET CITY | Jim Garrett, president/CEO of the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau will be the guest speaker at the  Calumet City Chamber of Commerce Membership meeting at 11:45 a.m. at Tom's Restaurant, 894 Burnham Ave. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $15 for members and $18 for nonmembers. For reservations, call Chamber Program Director Chris Martin at (708) 862-3737.

Feb. 25 an 26

CROWN POINT | Vendors are needed for the Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce Antique & Collectibles Show, which will be Feb. 25 and 26 in the Industrial Arts Building at the Lake County Fairgrounds. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 25 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 26. For more information, call (219) 769-8180 or contact Farren Felus at farren@crossroadschamber.org.

May 30

MERRILLVILLE | The Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce will host the 2012 annual Best of the Northwest Regional Expo "Improving Your Health, Business & Home Starts Here" from 2 to 5 pm at the Radisson Star Plaza in Merrillville. Admission is a recommended donation of $5, proceeds to benefit Meals on Wheels. For more information, contact Farren at (219) 769-8180, or farren@crossroadschamber.org .

To read more calendar, visit http://www.nwi.com/business. To include an item in the local business calendar, send event information, time, date, cost and location to: business@nwitimes.com or matt.saltanovitz@nwi.com, or fax to (219) 933-3249.