We have been long-time members of local chambers of commerce and recently joined the board at the Lindenhurst/Lake Villa chamber.  One of the chamber’s best events for small business networking is the Oktoberfest on October 16^th.  Small business owners from the region are invited; see http://llvchamber.com/llvchamber/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2Oktoberfest2014.jpg for details.