By Gerri Miller
Elmore/Autauga News
The Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce has come back stronger than ever from the Covid-19 shutdowns, has new staff members and a full schedule of upcoming events and meetings.
“We have several upcoming events to show our community that Prattville and Autauga County are open for business,” said Chamber President Patty VanderWal. “We are excited to move forward with more opportunities to reconnect, help our businesses grow and invest in the future of our community. We will continue strengthening our business environment and promote the economic well-being of Prattville and Autauga County.”
Two new staff members include Marketing and Communications Director Allison Powell and Membership Director Matthew Trest. He is responsible for growing the chamber through new member recruitment and retaining current members. Powell promotes opportunities for Chamber members and elevates their presence on social media. She also keeps chamber members in the loop through networking opportunities and weekly E-mail blasts.
The first event will be with Mayor Bill Gillespie, city and chamber officials signing a proclamation declaring November 7-13 as Military Appreciation Week. In recognition of this week, the Chamber, in partnership with the City of Prattville and the Autauga County Commission, will host a celebration from 10 to 10:30 a.m. today, Nov. 10, at 131 North Court Street in Prattville.
During Military Appreciation Week, the Prattville Chamber will highlight military discounts from Chamber Members. The 2021 military discounts can be found at Military Discount | Military (prattvillechamber.com).
November 15-19 is Farm City Week, a time to celebrate agriculture, forestry and other related industries. On December 2, there will be a banquet. This evening celebration includes a steak dinner provided by Karen Tucker Catering, awards honoring the business leader of the year, the farmer of the year, and recognition of the student winners for Farm City Week poster and essay contests.
The event will be held this year at the R.H. Kirkpatrick Agricultural Pavilion in Autaugaville.
Tickets may be purchased online at prattvillechamber.com for $32 each. Tickets are $35 at the door. For more information contact the Chamber at 334-365-7392 or at [email protected]
The winners of the poster, essay and video contests will be present and awarded their prizes.
The next event will be a Chamber Luncheon sponsored by Max Credit Union. It will be held at the Catfish House. The event, to be held on November 17 from 11:30 to 1 p.m., is a networking opportunity for Chamber members and those interested in becoming a member or getting connected with the community.
The speakers for this month’s luncheon are Prattville YMCA General Director David Lewis and Alabama Wildlife Federation Executive Director and Editor of Alabama Wildlife Magazine Tim L. Gothard.
The Chamber will recognize its Chamber Champions during the luncheon. Chamber Champions offer a comprehensive “blanket sponsorship” that place businesses in the forefront of the Chamber’s key events. This is made possible with invitations to VIP events, complimentary tickets to a variety of Chamber functions, reserved tickets and seating at signature events and special recognition in Chamber publications, programs, website and other highly visible venues.
Chamber Champions include Arrow Pest Control, BWS Technologies, Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, Guardian Credit Union, International Paper, Jackson Thornton, Max Credit Union,
Prattville Baptist Hospital, River Bank & Trust, Trustmark, Warren Averett, Robert Trent Golf Trail, Southern Company Plant Harris, Alabama Power Company, Bo Evans Realty, Edward Jones Investments, First Community Bank, Realty Connection and Tenaska.
Small Business Saturday is planned for November 27 and is held to promote the growth of small businesses in the Prattville community. Chamber members said they are excited that this event is being planned once again.
American Express originally started the event with the purpose of the Chamber providing all small businesses in Autauga a special week of promotion from the Chamber leading up to Small Business Saturday. It is an opportunity for people to do their Christmas shopping locally. You can get Christmas presents that are truly local and not stuck overseas waiting for shipping.
To kick off the Christmas spirit, the Chamber will hold a Christmas Open House on December 8 from 11 to 1 a.m. in the Chamber Conference Room. Due to COVID restrictions, the last Prattville Chamber Christmas Open House was December of 2019. It is a come and go event that offers some great networking opportunities. This will be a chance for business owners to reconnect with people they haven’t seen in a while.
There are numerous fun things to do at A Main Street Christmas on December 14 at 5-: 7:30 p.m.
There will be holiday ornament making, an opportunity for children to write letters addressed to the North Pole and even an ice skating rink. This event is a partnership with the Chamber and the City of Prattville.
The downtown area looks like a Hallmark movie when the downtown Christmas lights are shining bright. There is even an opportunity to win a $250 cash prize and a Love What’s Local Basket. Every purchase receipt is also a drawing entry for the big prize. You must turn in your receipts at the Chamber table downtown to qualify for the drawings.
Prize winners will be announced at 7:30 p.m., but you do not have to be present to win.
The December Chamber Luncheon, sponsored by BWS Technologies, will be held on December 15th from 11:30 to 1 p.m. at the Marriott. The speaker has not yet been announced and tickets will go on sale after the November meeting.
Powell said it is wonderful to see people in person after a year of virtual meetings. “We wanted to get things up and running, but we wanted to do it safely,” she said.
She said from the Chamber’s perspective, getting feedback and seeing the members’ excitement encouraged the staff to keep that energy going. “COVID brought to light many of the things we took for granted,” she said.
