Viewpoint: Can’t Wait to See How the Chamber Banquet Goes

I have to admit I am looking forward to the coverage of the Greenhorn Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Annual Banquet Saturday night. The theme of the event is ‘A Taste of the Valley’ and it advertises menu items from all the local restaurants.

The creativity of the idea is awesome. If a word describes the recent/current board it is creativity.

I mean all you have to say is three little words to separate this Chamber from Chamber’s past: Root Beer Floats! Yep, these guys and gals have revolutionized the chamber world with Root Beer Floats.

And, at this annual banquet, they offer not only delicious traditional food fare but vegetarian alternatives, as well. Another vote for creativity.

Their selection of a speaker is also solid. Misty Sprague and the Valley First organization have made a huge financial dent, and a time commitment, to improving the valley. I look forward to what she might have to say.

I must admit I don’t know how they have selected the award winners this year, but hope they got a lot of input from their members. There are a lot of solid people who deserve awards in the valley, for a lot of solid things.

Now I’m a little old school so some of the creative things they’ve done haven’t really excited me. I don’t understand, for instance, why they don’t have regular meetings anymore? I guess it’s working out for them.

When I was on the Chamber, we expanded from one meeting a month to two meetings a month because we couldn’t get everything done in one meeting.

And they use bar codes on just about everything, don’t they?

And they make it so you can register for everything on the internet. What about picking up the telephone and talking to people?

Young whipper snappers.

And they are young whipper snappers. The last time I attended a board meeting to make a marketing presentation the average age in the room was probably 20 years younger per person than the board I served with.

I have to admit there was definitely an energy and a creativity in the room that was good. They have maintained all of the standard events and improved them.

At the Business EXPO, which is difficult to maintain, they served Root Beer Floats. At the fishing derby they added a lot of things; and had eighty participants and good weather. I’m not sure how they got that done. The good weather I mean. And they served Root Beer Floats.

The Chamber’s primary function is to serve the businesses in our community, and by serving the business community to elevate the living standards for us all. It is difficult.

There are more than 7,500 Chambers of Commerce in the United States. There are 125 listed chambers in Colorado.

There are about 13,000 chambers world-wide. These chambers of commerce are local organizations that promote and protect the interests of businesses in their respective communities.

And, remember, that they are all volunteers. They have their own jobs, their own businesses, and their own personal and professional goals.

Author Robert Spector talked about the need to promote small business.

“Mom and pop stores are not about something small; they are about something big. Ninety percent of all U.S businesses are family owned or controlled.

They are important not only for the food, drink, clothing, and tools they sell us, but also for providing us with intellectual stimulation, social interaction, and connection to our communities. We must have mom and pop stores because we are social animals. We crave to be part of the marketplace.”

That’s who your Greenhorn Valley Chamber is promoting, the Root Beer Floats just add to it.