2  Manatee Chamber 49th Annual Dinner

5-8 p.m. at Polo Grill and Bar Fete Ballroom, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. $65. RSVP required. For more information, contact Nicole Onorato at (941) 748-4842 ext. 122 or [email protected].

10 Sarasota Chamber Annual Kick-Off Breakfast

7:30-9:15 a.m. at Sahib Shrine Center, 600 N. Beneva Road, Sarasota. $30 for members; $45 for nonmembers and late registrants. For more information, contact Anthony Hartman at (941) 556-4051 or [email protected].

13 Manasota SCORE, Annual Luncheon with speaker Alex Sink, 11:30 a.m. at Michael’s On East, 1212 East Ave. S. $25. To register, email [email protected].

17 Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Better Together: Silicon Valley Meets the Gulf Coast, featured speaker Salim Ismail of Singularity University, noon at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. $50. Reserve tickets at gulfcoastcf.org/news/2012/01/06/better-together.

20

29 Manatee Chamber of Commerce, The New Health Age: What Does It Mean for Your Business? 4215 Concept Court, Lakewood Ranch Office, 7:45-10:30 a.m., featuring speakers David Houle and Jonathan Fleece and the Tampa Bay Partnership and ONE BAY-Healthy Communities. $35. To register, visit bit.ly/zOxM4i. For more information, contact Kimberly Henley at [email protected], or call (941) 748-4842 ext 133.

2 Institute for the Ages, 2012 Winter Forum with featured speakers Dr. Kevin O’Neil, chief medical officer at Brookdale Senior Living, and demographics expert Brad Edmondson, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Blvd. of the Arts. $25. To register, visit institutefortheages.org/events/.

Chinese residents made more than 30 million overseas trips in the first half of 2011. By comparison, U.S. citizens made only 37 million overseas trips in 2010. By 2020, Chinese tourists are estimated to reach 100 million, according to the World Tourism Organization.

SOURCE: trendwatching.com

Reader Meter

“Do you think 2012 will be a better business year?

Yes 83%

No 17%

Source: Biz(941) reader poll.