BIA plans June business roundtables

The Business and Industry Association’s annual policy development process begins June 14, kicking off a series of 10 roundtable discussions with business and opinion leaders around the state.The roundtables are an open forum for business leaders to talk about their top challenges and concerns and help shape the BIA’s legislative and regulatory agenda for the upcoming year.Each year, the BIA engages in what President Jim Roche called “a comprehensive, four-step policy development process to establish our legislative and regulatory agenda for the coming year.” The roundtables are the first step in that process, he said.At the roundtables, businesspeople and chamber and trade association executives discuss what they see as the top business issues facing New Hampshire, and BIA officials ask for their recommendations about what the organization should do to address the issues.The BIA partners with local and regional chambers of commerce and business associations throughout New Hampshire to host and publicize the events in different regions to ensure a diverse representation of business interests.Each session lasts about an hour and a half. They begin with an overview of the BIA’s current business agenda and results from the legislative session, followed by a discussion and ranking of top business issues for the coming year.The business roundtables are free and open to the public. This year, business roundtable discussions will be held in the following locations: • Manchester: June 14, 8:30 a.m., Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 54 Hanover St. • Nashua: June 20, 1 p.m., Law Warehouses, 27 Airport Rd., • Seacoast: June 21, 1 p.m., Pierce Atwood, Pease International Tradeport, One New Hampshire Ave., Suite 350, Portsmouth • White Mountains: 9 a.m. Plymouth State University Welcome Center Conference Room (second floor), 129 Route 175A, Holderness • Littleton: June 26, 1 p.m., Littleton Opera House, 2 Union St. • Gorham: June 27, 9 a.m., Town and Country Inn and Resort, 20 U.S. Highway 2 • Concord: June 27, 2 p.m., Lincoln Financial Group, One Granite Place • Upper Valley: June 28, 10 a.m., Olympus Biotech, 9 Technology Drive, West Lebanon • Monadnock: June 28, 2 p.m., Markem Imaje, 150 Congress St., Keene • Lakes Region: June 29, 9 a.m., Taylor Community (Woodside Building-Birch Room), 435 Union Ave., LaconiaThe roundtables are presented in partnership with New Hampshire Business Review and the following chambers of commerce: Androscoggin Valley, Exeter Area, Greater Concord, Greater Dover, Greater Hudson, Greater Keene, Greater Manchester, Merrimack, Greater Portsmouth, Greater Rochester, Greater Somersworth, Hampton Area, Hanover Area, Lakes Region, Lakes Region Tourism Association, Lebanon Area, Lincoln-Woodstock, Littleton Area, Meredith, Plymouth Regional, Souhegan, Sunapee Region and Waterville Valley Region.For more information, visit the BIA’s nhbia.org or call 603-224-5388, ext. 100. — NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW