Champaign Public Library hosts a free Holiday Marketing Checklist workshop October 8, 2026, from 10–11 a.m. Business owners looking ahead to holiday shopping can bring a focused question and leave room in their day to put the answer to work.

The SBDC at Champaign County EDC provides materials. Register on the organizer’s event page to secure a seat.

A local presenter and a practical agenda

Champaign agency owner Scott Clanin will cover email, social media, holiday offers and website improvements.

That is a broad agenda for one hour. A useful way to prepare is to choose one problem you want the session to help you address, such as an unclear ordering deadline or a seasonal message that still needs dates.

Bring notes on the question rather than expecting the presenter to review an entire business during the group program. This is a workshop; the listing does not promise individual marketing plans or particular sales results.

Where to go Thursday morning

The workshop venue is Robeson A/B at the main library. Save the West Green Street address and allow enough time to find the room before the 10 a.m. start.

For help with a library accommodation or room location, call the venue at 217-403-2000. Check the organizer’s page before departure for scheduling changes.

Registration and event details were checked October 7. Availability can change, so an archived announcement should not be treated as a reservation. Use the current registration page rather than assuming a seat remains open.

Separate advising hours follow at noon

Photo by Kindel Media on Pexels. Illustrative stock photo; not a photograph of this workshop.

The SBDC lists October 8 office hours from noon–3 p.m. at Launch in the library with Director Lauren Gramly. Services are no-cost and confidential.

The morning workshop and afternoon advising are separate listings. There is a one-hour interval between the announced workshop end and the office-hours start; do not plan as if individual advising begins immediately after the presentation.

People who have not worked with the SBDC before are asked to register as an SBDC client before their office-hours meeting. Completing a workshop registration should not be assumed to satisfy that separate request.

The office-hours listing also names November 12 and December 10 as later 2026 dates. If Thursday does not fit your calendar, check those listings or contact the center about another advising arrangement.

Prepare one question you can act on

Before the workshop, review the information a customer needs to make a seasonal purchase: what is available, what it costs, how to order, and when pickup or delivery happens. Make a short list of anything that is missing or inconsistent.

For example, compare the hours and contact details shown on your own website with the information in a planned email. Write down the corrections you can make yourself and the questions that need another person's input.

Avoid bringing customer names or private account information into a group discussion. A general example of a confusing checkout step or an unfinished holiday offer can make the question understandable without exposing someone's records.

Library help continues beyond this event

The library's business services page lists workshops, research tools and one-to-one consultations. It describes help with business plans, industry and competitor research, marketing, and identifying potential customers or funders.

Those services offer a place to take a question that remains after Thursday's presentation. Ask which resource fits your task and whether access or an appointment is needed, rather than trying to use every tool at once. Keep a short written record of your question, the answer and the action you plan to take. That makes it easier to follow up later without relying on memory or reopening every note from the session.

For now, reserve the morning workshop separately from afternoon advising, verify the room and time, and arrive with one clear question. A specific next step is a more useful takeaway than an overfull holiday to-do list.