Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce celebrates 108th annual banquet
JOPLIN, Mo. — Around 500 people are 'stayin' alive' at the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet.
Thursday night (4/10) was the 108th edition.
It took place inside the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center at Missouri Southern.
The theme this year: Disco!
Each year, it's the largest gathering of community and business leaders in the Joplin area.
Awards were given to chamber members, and covered a number of different categories.
This event celebrates not only its members, but their achievements over the past year.
'It's an opportunity for us to recognize those businesses that are going above and beyond and giving back to the community, adding character and quality of place to this community. We just want to recognize and celebrate that,' said Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Travis Stephens.
The Business of the Year Awards program recognizes the importance of small businesses and nonprofit organizations and the impact they have on our local economy, job growth, and the creation of new products and services.
One – 50 Employee(s) CategoryBinky Guy Textiles
51+ Employees CategoryAmerican Ramp Company
Non-Profit CategoryBoys & Girls Club of Southwest Missouri
Each year, one outstanding citizen is selected based on their commitment to the community.
Curt Carr, Joplin Greenhouse & The Coffee Shop
The Young Professional of the Year Award recognizes a Joplin Chamber member under 40 who displays a commitment to the Chamber's YPN Program and who is a leader in their organization and the community.
Danae Taylor, Freeman Health System
The Rising Star Award is awarded to a young and growing small business that is less than three years old and is introducing a new product, service, or model of doing business to the marketplace and is well on their way to achieving success in their industry.
Josh Howard, Happy Trees Table Co.
New this year, the Ambassador of the Year Award recognizes a member of the Chamber's Ambassador program who has gone above and beyond the call of duty.
Richard Huskey, Southwest Missouri Bank
The Spirit Award recognizes a Chamber member who exemplifies selfless dedication and enduring support to the mission of the Chamber. Recipients of this award go out of their way to encourage and inspire their peers to follow their example and demonstrate a personal commitment to the success of Chamber programming.
Travis Keller, Lamar Outdoor Advertising
KOAM-TV — 50 Years of Membership
The Leads Group program acts as an entire sales team for member businesses. The groups track their shared and closed business. Awards are given to the top performers of each group as well as the overall, top-performing Leads Group.
Leads Group One Top Performer: Gina Langston, Joplin SchoolsLeads Group Two Top Performer: Austin Rose, Bedrock Bookkeeping, LLC.Leads Group Three Top Performer: Lisa Crouch, State Farm Insurance – Grant Deardorff AgencyLeads Group Four Top Performer: Theresa Burwick, Behavioral Health GroupTop Performing Leads Group: Leads Group One, Chaired by Shawn Patterson of Bug Zero Pest
Services and co-chaired by Phillip Leesman of Farmers Insurance – Leesman Agency
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
6 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Milton downtown small businesses seek financial support
Milton's downtown core is home to a vibrant business community, with more than 185 businesses operating in the area — approximately 82 per cent of them classified as small businesses, according to the Town of Milton. The Downtown Milton Business Improvement Area (DMBIA) represents more than 220 business operators and property owners, reflecting the area's dynamic and evolving commercial landscape. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, many local shops have struggled to recover financially. While public spending habits have shifted back to in-person shopping, many residents continue to favour national chains over local downtown businesses — limiting economic recovery for the small business community. Avery Teal, social media co-ordinator at the Milton Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber has been working to promote local businesses through various media platforms. 'We've been helping small businesses increase their visibility through platforms like Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn,' Teal said. 'The goal is to bring more attention to the businesses that make Milton unique.' As part of the Chamber's outreach, Dan Rogers, owner of RX Recourse — a corporate fitness and wellness service based downtown — partnered with the Chamber to produce a promotional video. The video, posted to LinkedIn, featured Rogers explaining his services, including 'Team Building 101.' 'The Milton Chamber of Commerce was kind enough to help me build a commercial to briefly explain what I do,' Rogers said in a post. The video served as a tool to boost visibility for RX Recourse within the local community. In addition to the Chamber's efforts, the Milton BIA partnered with Digital Main Street Ontario to launch a Digital Service Squad (DSS). The initiative offered one-on-one support for small businesses looking to improve their digital presence, including website creation and marketing strategy development. Mira Nasser, events manager at the BIA, said the program offered grants of up to $2,500 for digital upgrades. In total, $80,000 in funding was distributed to support 32 businesses in Milton. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
American Military News
2 days ago
- American Military News
If you're in this California town for two hours, the city is tracking you. Should you be worried?
Any time you spend two hours in Walnut Creek, California, local business leaders may be tracking you. The city's Chamber of Commerce has paired with a tech company to clock visitors as they move in and out of the city. The technology is from Arrivalist, a travel-industry-focused company with a platform that uses mobile location datasets to provide the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau with data on consumer behavior and market trends. The company collects information from cell towers, WiFi routers and other sources to track the location of mobile devices. Though the platform is being used by cities in the southern U.S., and other cities in Calfornia such as Stockton and Sonoma, Walnut Creek appears to be the first city in the greater Bay Area to employ it. The Walnut Creek chamber says it's working with the company in an attempt to determine how tourists spend their time in the city — and in the hopes it will help them attract more visitors, filling the roughly 1,300 rooms across eight hotels. The newest addition is the Hilton Garden Inn that just opened last year. Currently, the city faces a deficit unless it can increase revenue or find more creative solutions. Local economic leaders say increased hotel stays will generate crucial fees to aid their budget woes. In a meeting on Tuesday night, the business association's reps showed how they had tracked participants of the Bay Area Spring Classic grade-school girls' basketball tournament in early May; they received data on how many people came to the tournament, which cities or states they originated from, and how many nights they stayed. Nicole Hankton, executive vice president of the Chamber's visitor's bureau, said the data is anonymous. No demographic details, names, phone numbers or addresses are included, she said. The Chamber can set up 'points of interest' to track traffic for specific locations or events — like the Bay Area Spring Classic — to inform future marketing efforts. 'There's no app download,' said Hankton. 'We don't get an email. We look at a specific event and get an estimate of how many people went.' The Chamber, which operates as a nonprofit business association, directed all questions about privacy laws to Arrivalist. The company declined to provide a comment. However, Joseph Zitz, Arrivalist's director of partnerships who helps service the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce's account, said he sees their work as a 'white hat' operation, trying to improve the quality of life for residents of tourist destinations such as Walnut Creek. Zitz said the company provides only general insights to anonymous, 'aggregated movement.' Though Arrivalist says it follows California privacy law, the San Francisco-based company's privacy policies also includes numerous and broad legal exceptions that present barriers for people trying to rein in their data, such as reserving the right to deny deletion requests when they involve local law enforcement, court orders or 'as necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property or safety of us, our clients or others.' None of this was mentioned during Tuesday's meeting. But it concerns privacy advocate Mike Katz-Lacabe, the director of research for Oakland Privacy, a citizen coalition focused on issues of surveillance, transparency and privacy. 'It's just incredible how much data there is, and the ability to basically track you from your home to everywhere that you go,' said Katz-Lacabe. 'It's not that hard to establish, if someone has this data, the exact patterns of your life, where you shop, where you work, where you worship, who your friends are, who you spend time with, where you spend the night, your travel habits — it's absolutely everything. Of course, different companies like the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce are interested in a very small portion of that, which is pretty much benign. But it's still perhaps a little bit creepy.' On Tuesday, Hankton insisted the data collection is 'all very innocent.' She said this kind of data is Chamber's best option for improving tourism. 'I totally understand people's concerns, but all we are looking at is location data,' she said. 'It's only the phones that they can track, and then we sort of multiply it.' For Katz-Lacabe, the problems with the city's data collection tie into a much larger issue. 'I think the ultimate problem is that we don't have a national privacy law that protects our personal information right, including information about where we are, location data,' he said. 'That would make this problem go away.' ___ © #YR@ MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Greater Stouffville Chamber Dinner Unites Business and Civic Leaders
● Thursday's 2025 Greater Stouffville Chamber Annual Dinner brought together business and civic leaders for a night of celebration and reflection. ● Chamber Executive Director Christian Buhagiar urged unity amid global volatility, highlighting the Chamber's growing successes and regional influence. ● Mayor Iain Lovatt's keynote speech spotlighted recent achievements, including Mosaic House, the Memorial Park Multi-Purpose Trail, and progress on Downtown revitalization. ● Lovatt emphasized the Town's commitment to attracting new businesses, with 1.8 million square feet of employment development currently in the Town's pipeline. ● Francis and Meyer Co. founders Amanda and Danielle Black were awarded a $50,000 grant as winners of the Stouffville Village Small Business Challenge. ● Mike Feld of Most Excellent Productions received the 2025 Business Excellence Community Award. The Greater Stouffville Chamber's 2025 Annual Dinner brought together local leaders, entrepreneurs, and officials Thursday evening at Station Creek Golf Club for a night of networking, celebration, and forward-looking insights. In his opening remarks, Chamber Executive Director Christian Buhagiar emphasized the organization's growing influence and essential role in the region's business ecosystem. 'Our Chamber continues to grow and expand, ensuring our relevance and our impact,' he said, encouraging attendees to remain active partners as the Chamber advances its work. Buhagiar underscored the need for unity amid global volatility, pointing to inflation, tariffs, and shifting political landscapes as reasons why a strong collective voice is vital. 'Together we create an engaged business community from which we can gather strength, learn, and conduct business,' he told attendees. Prior to the evening's keynote address from Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt, the 2025 Business Excellence Community Award was presented to Mike Feld of Most Excellent Productions for more than a decade of outstanding service in live event production throughout Stouffville. Lovatt delivered a wide-ranging speech highlighting key Town achievements and future priorities. He opened by praising and thanking the municipality's Senior Staff, calling it 'the strongest senior leadership team in the Town's history.' Among the accomplishments of the past year, Lovatt pointed to the opening of Mosaic House . The Housing York project introduced 97 new units to the Region's housing stock, providing stable homes for dozens of families. 'Sadly, 97 is a mere drop in the bucket compared to the 18,000 families still on the list,' Lovatt said. He reaffirmed Housing York's push for a one-third funding model among all levels of government to help move more projects forward. Another milestone was the Memorial Park Multi-Purpose Trail, now a popular all-season amenity. The trail opened last summer for walkers and wheeled users and debuted for ice skating just in time for the holiday season. Partnerships and placemaking also featured prominently in the Mayor's address. He spoke to the Town's five-year memorandum of understanding with York University, as well as the installation of new murals downtown and along the Sculpture Walk. These public art installations are part of an ongoing effort to animate the Downtown's shared spaces. Lovatt celebrated the arrival of more than 20 new businesses in town, citing continued investor confidence and economic opportunity. He also announced Francis & Meyer Candle Co. as the winner of the inaugural Stouffville Village Small Business Challenge , a joint initiative between the Chamber and the Office of the Mayor. The Challenge awarded a $50,000 grant to support the launch of their new storefront. The local business was selected from 20 applicants following a live pitch finale at 19 on the Park. 'You didn't just pitch an idea, you activated the community, and that kind of spark, it's going to grow into something really lasting,' Chamber Vice-President Indu Bains told the winners. The Mayor also praised Stouffville's ranking as No. 13 nationally on the Globe and Mail's 2024 'Canada's Most Livable Cities' list. The municipality was ranked second in Ontario and first in York Region. The Town was also named to Human Resources Director Canada's 'Best Places to Work' list for the first time. 'This recognition highlights our commitment to fostering a supportive and equitable work environment,' Lovatt said. Looking ahead, Mayor Lovatt highlighted key investments in public amenities. These include design work for a second pool at the Leisure Centre, with $1 million allocated, and upgrades to Civic Square. He also mentioned the $9.75 million investment in Fire and EMS Station 5-2 in Ballantrae. Economic development remained a central focus, with Lovatt reaffirming the Town's push to attract industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) employers. 'Attracting ICI businesses remains a top priority of mine,' he said, referencing 1.8 million square feet of employment development in Stouffville's pipeline. He also addressed the Town's ongoing advocacy to open protected Greenbelt lands along the east side of Highway 404 for future business investment, a measure intended to help rebalance the Town's tax base. 'As long as I am mayor, I will continue to advocate so that your property taxes are not bearing the brunt of financing our town,' Lovatt told the crowd. The Mayor took time to acknowledge the work of Town Staff behind the scenes, including Stouffville's Corporate Communications team, which has expanded public engagement through a new branding strategy, in-house design work, and improved communication between the Town and its residents. Lovatt closed by acknowledging global uncertainty and expressing confidence in Stouffville's resilience. 'It's not lost on me that we are living through some pretty uncertain and ever changing economic times, in great part due to the whims of a whack job in the White House,' he said. 'Whatever challenges lay ahead, we at the Town are prepared to weather the storm with you,' Lovatt told attendees. 'We've done it before, COVID comes to mind, and just as we did then, we will get through it... and come out stronger on the other side.' Wrapping up the event, Bains reflected on the energy in the room and the power of collective momentum. 'We're not just building businesses, we're building something bigger together,' she said. 'When businesses come together, the whole town moves forward.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
