The Great Bend Chamber of Commerce is proud to present “Beyond the Horizon” at the 101st Annual Awards Ceremony on Saturday, February 25th, at the Great Bend Events Center, 3111 10th Street. The evening will celebrate accomplishments of 2022 and announce the chamber’s annual award winners. Among the awards to be given include the NexGen Leader of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Business of the Year, and Legacy Award.
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsors, Spectrum CPA Partners, the University of Kansas Health System, and Barton Community College, the evening will highlight the wins of the past year that have significantly impacted the business community and local economy.
Chamber President and CEO, Megan Barfield, encourages businesses to register, “We are so eager to bring the business community together at this annual event. It is our largest event of the year and allows the Chamber to continue working towards being a catalyst, convener, and champion of the Great Bend area.
We hope businesses will consider extending the opportunity to attend to their staff. This event is truly special and is meant celebrate the accomplishments of the entire business community.” The annual chamber banquet draws in about 400 chamber members and dignitaries every year.
Introduced in 2022, the now coveted “Chamby” awards will return to showcase the high energy of a few select Chamber Ambassadors. There are 30 men and women serving as Chamber Ambassadors and their hard work and efforts do not go unnoticed. New this year, for the entire crowd, will be the “Best Dressed” award making its debut. Attendees are invited to have fun with their cocktail attire and come dressed to impress. All those in attendance will be eligible to win and voted on by the crowd via an anonymous online voting program.
“We’ve had a great committee working together to create a fun evening for our membership. As Board Chair, I’m excited to see their efforts come to fruition and to see my business peers enjoying a fun evening,” comments Shelly Peacock, owner of TCI Answering Service and 2023 Chairwoman of the Board for the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce. In addition to Peacock, planning committee members include board member and Ambassador Jessica Milsap (MPIRE Realty Group), and Ambassadors Laura Blankenship (Yo Dog Wieners), Cody Harris (Sunflower Diversified Services), Lindsey Bogner (Barton Community College), and Shawn Powelson (Landmark National Bank).
Special thanks to this year’s Chamber Ally Sponsors: First Kansas Bank, Equity Bank, and Nex-Tech. To reserve a table or seat, visit greatbend.org, stop by the Chamber office at 1125 Williams (Mon-Fri; 9AM-3PM) or call (620) 792-2401. Non-chamber members are also invited to attend.