Interested in hosting?
The Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce holds a monthly networking event that is hosted by its members and is a benefit for its members to attend. This function is known as Business After Hours. The event is typically held every first Thursday of each month from 5:30pm to 7:00pm; dates for each Business After Hours are pre-determined. In preparation for hosting this Chamber event, it would be helpful to follow the guidelines listed below.
Attendance
The normal attendance at these functions runs somewhere between 50-75 people; however, numbers have gone as high as 100 people depending on the location, time-of-year, and type of business. The Chamber will collect RSVPs and provide an estimate of the number of guests 7-10 business days before the event.
Theme
Themes are optional and are at the discretion of the host. Although, keep in mind, events are better attended when the Chamber advertises with a theme, some form of entertainment, and beverages. If you need assistance formulating ideas, the Chamber can help you with your planning.
The Program
After 6pm the Chamber staff will welcome everyone and go over any upcoming Chamber events. The host business will be introduced and then have the opportunity to talk about their business/organization and highlight their products or services. Chamber staff will then give out door prizes. The event ends at 7pm.
Marketing
The Chamber will handle all of the marketing for Business After Hours, but hosts are strongly encouraged to share information about the event with their business contacts, share social media posts, and help promote the event in any way. An accurate description of plans for the evening, activities, food, music, themes, etc., should be shared with Chamber staff to better advertise the event.
Entrance
The hosting business will need to set up a table and two chairs at the entrance of the event to be used for greeting, business card collection, and for Chamber information display.
Door Prizes
The host business is asked to provide one or more door prizes for the event. They can be anything to promote your business such as products or gift cards from your business or another Chamber member’s business. Door prizes are usually drawn around 6:15, following the program. At that time representatives of the Chamber will announce the winners. *Guests must be present to win.*
Requests
Business After Hours can be a great opportunity for your business or organization to gain recognition in the Chamber of Commerce community and business community as a whole. It is important to the Chamber that we take care of our members. We have a proven process to this event, but we will consider any change to the guidelines at your request.
Catering / Supplies
The business hosting the event is providing the space and complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Although the Chamber does not charge the host to put on the event, we strongly recommend that you support other Chamber members in your planning. If it is not your business, Chamber members should provide all hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and services. Providing wine/beer at the event is optional and at the discretion of the host. If you plan to not serve alcohol, please indicate this either by notifying the Chamber staff or putting this in your interest form. The staff can provide you with a list of suppliers for your specific needs. It is best to keep the food simple but plentiful. Food set up in several locations is best so that the crowd circulates.
Networking
Casual networking is from 5:30-6pm. During this time guests will eat and mingle.
Have fun!
The Chamber deeply appreciates the efforts of each business that hosts this monthly event. It is also a wonderful opportunity for the hosting business to showcase themselves in the best light possible. Remember, the attendees are our local business community. Owners, management, and staff should be visible so that attendees will have the opportunity to meet their hosts.
FAQ
No. You are welcome to come and go as you please. We understand everyone has families and commitments to attend to, but a few minutes at Business After Hours event may mean a new business client for you! Winners of the door prizes must be present to win.
The Chamber staff will do their best to ensure you feel comfortable. Guests are encouraged to wear a nametag or something that represents their business or organization. Often times, this is all it takes to strike a conversation with others saying, “Aren’t you located by …” or “We just ordered supplies from you.”
Just because you get the invitation personally at your company does not limit the invitation to you alone! We encourage you to bring your whole team. Your company is listed as a member, therefore, anyone employed with you is invited. Just make sure to provide the RSVP link to all employees so that we know how many people to expect. Business After Hours hosts are also welcome to invite their clients. They do not need to be a member of the Chamber to attend.
The entry fee to get into Business After Hours is one business card. Your business card is also your entry for door prizes. You only need one, but it’s a good idea to bring enough to hand out to potential clients. You can also bring a door prize!
We recommend business casual attire when there is not a theme. The main point is to just dress comfortably and confidently.
After the event the host will receive a copy of the business cards collected during the event. This can be a great prospect list.