NORWICH – Local professionals were encouraged to examine the benefits of incorporating the arts into their business practices Thursday morning when the Chenango County Council of the Arts hosted its third annual breakfast meeting.

The annual turnout, titled “The Business/Arts Connection,” hosts business professionals and Council of the Arts members throughout the area in a discussion of the benefits of merging the arts and business. It’s a practice that ultimately makes the community a more inviting, splendid place to live, said Victoria Kappel, executive director of the Chenango County Council of the Arts.

“We think about what we want in our community and what types of places we want to live in,” Kappel said. Through promoting the arts, “we’re going to continue to make this a great community to live,” she added.

This year’s event featured guest speaker Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy at Americans for the Arts. Cohen’s presentation, “When Arts and Businesses Partner, Everyone Profits,” encouraged the group to see the arts as an opportunity to benefit employers, employees and the community as a whole.