MONDAY

VALPARAISO | Northwest Indiana Professional Networking meets from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Mondays at the South Bend Chocolate Cafe, 57 Franklin St. NIPN members meet to network and chat with others who are in career transition. There is no fee. For information, call (219) 464-4861 or e-mail nipn@kvworks.org.

TUESDAY

GARY | Managers, business owners and sales professionals are invited to the Indiana Business Professionals Chapter of the Networking Club from 7:30 to 8 a.m. Tuesdays at The Baker's House upstairs meeting room, 6004 Miller Ave. For information, call Tammie Galloway at (888) 263-6926, ext 1.

HAMMOND | The North Lake Chapter of BNI (Business Networking International), which encompasses Hammond, Gary, Griffith and East Chicago, meets from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Tuesdays at Cabela's, 7700 Cabela Drive, in the upstairs conference center. For more information, call Michael Pelz at (219) 977-2090 or (815) 370-2940.

SCHERERVILLE | The Professional Referral Organization meets Tuesdays at Tylers Tender, 350 E. U.S. 30. Networking starts at 7:15 a.m.; meetings start at 7:30 a.m. Enrollment fee is $100. For more information, contact Twila Kaye at twila@twilakaye.com or (219) 227-8875 or (219) 227-8875 or Jackie Kennedy at (219) 322-4887. The Web site is http://prosnetworking.ning.com.

VALPARAISO | Small-business operators are invited to Duneland Chapter of Business Networking International from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Tuesdays at Strongbow Inn. For information, call Sandy Boland at (219) 926-2505.

WEDNESDAY

CROWN POINT | The Professional Referral Organization meets Wednesday mornings at 7:30 a.m. at Geisen Funeral Home, 606 E. 113th Ave. Enrollment fee is $100. For more information, contact Lisa Gapen, Generate Sales & Marketing at generate@comcast.net or (219) 433-8544 or Marsha Coleman at msmarsha2004@yahoo.com or (219) 374-9613. The Web site is http://prosnetwork.ning.com.

MUNSTER | The Munster BNI (Business Networking International) business development group will meets from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Centennial Park, 1005 S. Centennial Drive. Contact Michael Pelz at (219) 977-2090 for more information.

THURSDAY

PORTAGE | The Northwest Indiana Forum, Krieg DeVault and the Lake County Advancement Committee present "Pandemic Ready" at 7:30 a.m. at 6100 Southport Road. The event aims to help businesses prepare in emergency planning. To register, e-mail tbley@nwiforum.org or call (219) 763-6303 ext. 183.

MERRILLVILLE | The Merrillville Noon Kiwanis Club meets from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays at the Old Country Buffet off U.S. 30 (1634 E 80th Avenue). For more information call Aaron Yakovetz at (219) 707-5023, e-mail aaron@goiim.com, or visit www.kiwanis.org .

SCHERERVILLE | A BNI (Business Networking International) business development group meets at 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Thursdays at the Holiday Inn Express, 1773 Fountain Park Drive in the Fortis A Room. Call Michael Pelz at (219) 977-2090 or (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. Contact Kim Michalski at (219) 510-3674 for more information.

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

GARY | Fifth Third Bank's Homeownership Mobile will stop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at Bennigan's, 500 East 5th Ave., and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Village Shopping Center, 3596 Village Court. The Homeownership Mobile is a 40-foot bus that doubles as a mobile classroom and provides credit counseling, financial literacy, homeownership assistance and foreclosure prevention tools. For more information, call Holly Hughes at Fifth Third Bank at (312) 704-4177.

FRIDAY

HAMMOND/MERRILLVILLE | A live video feed of TechPoint's New Economy New Rules seminar,"Building Buzz For Your Online Brand," will be broadcast from 7 to 8:30 a.m. July 10 at the Hammond INnovation Center, 5209 Hohman Ave., Hammond and the Purdue Technology Center, 9800 Connecticut Drive, Merrillville. The event is free, but registration is required. For more information or to register for this event, visit http://www.techpoint.org/events/nenr/Pages/NENR.aspx or contact Jodie Daugherty at jdaugherty@btlaw.com or at (317) 261-7922. To register for the Hammond INnovation Center location, call (219) 750-1200 or e-mail innovate@calumet.purdue.edu.

MERRILLVILLE | orthwest Indiana Networking Professionals meet at 7:15 a.m. Fridays at Towne Center Retirement Community, 7250 Arthur Blvd. (73rd Avenue, east of Taft). Contact Beverley Steinman at catchbev@sbcglobal.net or (219) 730-1262. More info at www.nwinetworking.org.

JULY 22

VALPARAISO | Valparaiso area business leaders can learn about major issues impacting their region at a luncheon featuring Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT at Harre Union (1700 Chapel Drive) on the Valparaiso University campus. To register, visit http://www.indianachamber.com/specialevents or call (317) 264-6885 or (800) 824-6885. Cost is $19. Indiana Chamber members may attend for free.

JULY 23

HAMMOND | Horseshoe Casino, 777 Casino Center Drive, will host the Chicago Southland Chamber's July Business After Hours from 5 to 7 p.m. Refreshments and appetizers will be provided. Besides networking, there will be tours of the 350,000 square-foot facility. Chamber members may bring promotional items and materials for the display tables. Admission is free. RSVP to the Chicago Southland Chamber at (708) 957-6950 by July 20. For more information visit the Chamber's Web site at http://www.chicagosouthland.com.

JULY 31

DYER | Designers and business professionals are encouraged to attend the The INsight Design Conference from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 31 at Faith Church, 100 81st Ave. This event will include breakout sessions with industry leaders, one-on-one professional feedback sessions and networking with local designers and businesses. Cost is $30 for students and $45 for professionals. Space is limited. For more information or to register, visit http://www.insightdesignconference.com.

AUG. 12

HAMMOND | Sen. Evan Bayh's Job Fair is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Jean Shepherd Community Center, 3031 Mahoney Drive. For more information, contact Cynthia Walker at Sen. Bayh's local office at (219) 852-2763 or Sandra Alvarez at the Center of Workforce Innovations at (219) 462-2940. Visit www.gotoworkonenw.com for other upcoming events, work force training and assistance.

AUG 18 and OCT. 20

SOUTH HOLLAND | Empower To Succeed Network in partnership with Living Hope Community Church will host job fairs at the church, 15712 Church Drive. The fairs will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fairs are free for job seekers. Attendees should dress appropriately and bring copies of their resume. For vendor registration or for more information, call (708) 362-3125 or e-mail workministry@yahoo.com.

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 fax to (219) 933-3249.