NOTES FROM THE CHAMBER PRESIDENT

Welcome to our new Chamber Blog!  I will try to keep everyone updated on our activities as well as share my experiences as president.  

The chamber is currently working on our next major project which is the Arts and Crafts Festival.  This year's show is on Saturday, November 21st.  

For those of you who have never been involved in the planning of such an event, let me tell share that it is a lot of work.  The planning stage starts at least six months before the event.  

Cindy has to book the Ag Pavilion.  Then the task of recruiting vendors begins.  We send letters out to past vendors as well as place ads and newspaper articles to recruit new vendors.  Each vendor who books a booth is then sent a letter explaining the rules and set up times, etc.  

We start advertising the show about a month before the actual event date.  This includes radio and newspaper ads.  Thursday the week of the show, our small group of volunteers have to get the building prepared.  We do any cleaning necessary - sweeping, getting the kitchen ready and moving anything that we need out of the way.  Then we have to measure and mark all the spaces.  All the supplies for the concession stand have to be moved from the Chamber office to the Ag Barn.  

Friday is set up day.  Cindy spends most of the day at the Ag Barn while vendors arrive and set up.  The actual day of the show Cindy and I open up at 7:00 a.m. Vendors are arriving and the concession stand has to be prepared.  Coffee has to be made and all the food preparations begin.  

The day keeps us busy.  We have volunteers working the concession stand.  Door prizes are given each hour.  Santa pays a visit and candy sacks are handed out.  The candy sacks have to be prepared during the week and taken to the Ag Barn.  

At 4:00 when the show ends, our small group has to clean the kitchen, put away all tables and chairs, sweep the floors, empty the trash and haul back any remaining concession items.  It is an exhausting week! 

Our reward is to see the vendors do well, the children's smiles when they see Santa and people enjoying the show and the food.  

We appreciate everyone who comes to the show. Please come and support our efforts this year.  You never know what wonderful and unique things you will find.  We have great vendors with quality items that make great Christmas gifts. 

The Fall Decorating Contest begins October 1st.  Decorate your yard!  It can be Fall or Halloween.  Entrants need to get a number from the Chamber office to display in their yard.  The deadline is October 23rd.  Residential winners will receive $30.00 in Craft Cash for First Place and $20.00 for Second Place.  Business winners receive a certificate to display.

The Harlem Ambassadors Basketball Show will be coming to Cheyenne again in April.  Soon we will begin working on that event.  It is a huge event for our Chamber and requires lots of planning and effort.  We welcome anyone who would like to volunteer to help.  It is work but we also have a lot of fun.  So if you would like to have some fun and participate in a community event, please contact the chamber office. 

We often hear complaints about what the Chamber should do or what someone didn't like about an event.  The Chamber meetings are open to the public so anyone who has an idea they would like to present and are willing to work on, please attend a meeting.   The Chamber is like many other organization in Cheyenne, we have a small group of people who actively help with our events.  That limits our options of what we can plan and actually execute.  

I personally feel if you aren't willing to join in and participate in community events then you shouldn't complain.  A lot of work and volunteer time go into these events.  So instead of complaining how about becoming more active?
We welcome new ideas and new people.  

Well guess that is all I have to say for this issue.  I appreciate all our members and all our volunteers.  A big thanks to everyone who supports the Chamber and all the volunteers who work so hard to bring you community events. 

So start decorating!  Fall is upon us.  

Chamber Welcomes Twisted Pearl