My Business Advocate

Building Better Communities by Building Better Businesses

August 2010 Volume 30, Issue 8

Highlights of Coming Events

8/13 Metro South Multi Chamber Speed Networking - Members Only8/20 Chamber Connections8/20 3rd Fridays! Networking Luncheon8/27 Foremost 6th Annual 28th Street Metro Cruise8/28 Foremost 6th Annual 28th Street Metro Cruise8/28 Metro Cruise 5K/10K Run9/6 Labor Day - Chamber Ofﬁce Closed9/17 3rd Fridays! Networking Luncheon10/14 Chamber After Hours10/15 3rd Fridays! Networking Luncheon10/28 Business Expo

Calendar on Pages 6 & 7Log on to www.southkent.org for details

ExcitingAnnouncement!!!

August 10, 20108:30 am to 9:30 ammark your calendars andkeep the date open.

Details will follow via email.

Pleasecontact sue@southkent.org with your current email address if you aren'tcurrently receiving email from WKACCor you have recently changed your address.

The

Sixth Annual Foremost28th Street Metro Cruise

presented by the WyomingKentwood Area Chamber of Commerce

on Friday, August27, 2010 from 1 pm to 9 pmand on Saturday, August 28from 9 am to 9 pm on andaround 28th Street through theareas of Grandville, Wyoming,Kentwood, Grand Rapids, andCascade Township. Event areasfor the Metro Cruise

include

Rogers Plaza, Klingman’s

and

Woodland Mall.

Our Title SponsorsForemost Insurance, FarmersInsurance

and

J C TaylorInsurance

will be representedat the event and providing carenthusiasts with opportunitiesfor coverage for their vehicles.28th Street Businesses areoffering their own special eventsto draw in some of the visitors andother surprises are in the works.Look for the Metro Merchant logoin businesses all over the area.

Metro Cruise 5K/ 10K Run

Anew addition to the Metro Cruise

this year is the Annual MetroCruise 5K/10K Run. This willbegin Saturday Morning at 8 amat the Wyoming City Center andthrough a track running throughthe

Grace Bible College

campus. The event will be providingfunding to support the

Wyoming-Kentwood Area ChamberFoundation

and will drawrunners from a multi-state area.

A Committee of Volunteers

The Metro Cruise ExecutiveCommittee for 2010 includesChair Todd Duncan, Vice ChairRick Sturim, Logistics and Safety Gregg Howard, Visitor Relations Janna Falicki, Sponsorship CharlesSteen, and Public Relations DeniseHughes.

Volunteer to Help

Volunteers are needed for allphases of this huge community event. Contact sue@southkent.org or call 616-531-5990 for anapplication to volunteer to help. Weare looking for assitance with setup, operation and clean up. Giveus an hour or a day, what ever youcan share.

Information andregistration for the MetroCruise 5K/10K Run isavailable at www.cruiserun.com

Metro Cruise Community Event of the Summer

YOUR CHAMBER MANAGEMENT

2010 Board of Directors

*indicates Executive Committee Member

*Norine Mulvihill - American Diabetes Association,Board Chair*Kathey Batey - Priority Health/SpiritedPresentations, Senior Vice Chair*Matt Uhl - PNC Bank N.A.*Danna Mathiesen - Mercantile Bank*David Szidik - Proforma Inﬁnite MarketingBrent VanderKolk - VanderKolk & VanderKolk PLC,Legal CounselRichard Chrisman - Hungerford, Aldrin Nichols &Carter, Chair, Fin. & Budget

Community Relations Division (Blue)*Kathey Batey - Sr. Vice ChairTommy Brann - Brann’s Steakhouse & GrilleRichard Chrisman - Hungerford, Aldrin, Nichols &CarterBrent Vander Kolk - Vander Kolk & Vander Kolk,.PLCLillian VanderVeen - Lenger Travel ServicesMember Relations Division (Red)*Matt Uhl - Vice ChairBetsy Artz - Loeks Theaters (Celebration Cinema)Skip Knapp - EdwardJones InvestmentsMembership Development Division (Gold)*Danna Mathiesen - Vice ChairBob O'Callaghan - Citadel BroadcastingRob Wells - Vantage Pointe FinancialFinancial Development Division (Green)*David Szidik - Vice ChairBrent Holland - Chameleon LtdCarol Crawford - The Alternative BoardDenise Hughes - D2 MarketingEx-OfﬁcioJack Poll - City of Wyoming, MayorRichard Root - City of Kentwood, MayorCurtis Holt - City of Wyoming, ManagerBill Doren - Chamber Foundation Chair

My Business Advocate,

Building Better Communities by Building Better Businesses

The Biggest and Best NetworkingEvent of the Year – Oct 28th!

Want to grow your business? Then plan on attendingthe

SOUTH KENT BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

Event on Thursday, October 28th from 11:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. atthe Applause Banquet Center off 28th Street. This B2Bevent combines a Lunch ‘N Learn, a Business Expo,and a Networking Reception -- all on one action packedafternoon. It promises to offer great learning and greatconnections to build your business.Sponsorship and Showcase Table information are nowavailable. Sponsorships are available until September13th at $300, $600 and $900 levels. Fifty showcasetables are available to Metro South Chamber membersfor only $175 by September 20th, and for $275 afterSeptember 20th, if space is still available, so get yourapplications in A.S.A.P. The Event will be open to andmarketed to all

METRO SOUTH CHAMBER

Membersand Not Yet Members through multiple ChamberNewsletters, Social Media, E-mail Blasts, and DirectMail Advertising to W-K Area businesses. The Lunch ‘n Learn will focus on Networking BestPractices from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Cost for theLunch ‘n Learn is $15 for Chamber Members and $21for Not Yet Members.A Networking Reception (Free Appetizers/Cash Bar)from 5 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. will be held in the Expo areaLike last year, this event will be the biggest and bestnetworking event of the year. We hope to greatly increase trafﬁc over last year’s 650 attendees. Pleaseplan on your involvement as a sponsor, exhibitor orattendee.Contact Sue Bynum at the Wyoming Kentwood AreaChamber - 616-531-5990 or Blair Entenmann (EventChair) at

MarketingHelp!

for further details.

Holiday Parade Promotes Spirit and Business to Community

We're looking for your entry in our 4thAnnual Santa Parade on Saturday,December 4, 2010 at 10:00 am.WOTV's Maranda is making a guestappearance as our Grand Marshall andis sure to bring out the kids and theirparents. The children all know abouther wonderful Summer Park Parties. Just this past July Wyoming-Parksand Recreation hosted one of them atLamar Park and more than 3,000 kidsand their parents attended.

It's not a real parade withoutcolorful ﬂoats for everyone toenjoy.

There is no wrong way to decoratea parade ﬂoat and many sites onthe internet give you step by stepinstructions. All you need is an idea.

Team Work

Work with another Chamber Memberbusiness or two and organize a themeﬂoat to represent your businesses. Thisproject will help your volunteer ﬂoatbuilders network with other ChamberMembers. make new friends and have

Two Men and A Truck

got into the Holiday spirit with their entry in the 2009 Wyoming-Kentwood Santa Parade. A little garland and some bows and they came up with a real crowd pleaser.

Huntington Bank

- Bayberry Branch was our Santa Float Sponsor in 2009. Kids love waving to the crowd and parents and grandparents love watching them.

Some of them may have been yourcustomers or potential customers. The crowd gets bigger every yearas the community begins to lookforward the this annual event. Itis fast becoming a family holiday tradition in the Wyoming andKentwood Communities.Don't miss this fun and uniquecommunity marketing opportunity.How will your business helpus welcome Santa and theHoliday Shopping season? Formore information contactsue@southkent.org for detailsSponsorships include paradeparticipant spots.a lot of fun. Remember high schoolhomecoming and working late withfriends, a cooler of soft drinks anda couple of pizzas? Great memoriesare made when people take on aproject like a parade ﬂoat.

Can't Do A Float?

Employees with Santa hats canmarch with YOUR company bannerand pass treats to the kids andﬂyers and brochures to the parents.

Our 2009 parade had more than50 entries.

Kids, parents and grandparentsattended from all over Kent County.

After the parade, Santa will stop at

Brann's Steakhouse & Grille

again this year. Brann's is located on the parade route on S. Division. Parents can take pictures of their kids with Santa and stay for lunch if they'd like while they wait for the crowds to thin out...