Why go to the Kent Chamber of Commerce’s Annual President’s Gala?
Why indeed.
“It’s the biggest night we have,” said chamber Executive Director Andrea Keikkala of the April 3 black-tie affair at the Kent ShoWare Center.
Keikkala noted that with more than 300 of the area’s business movers and shakers, the gala is a great place to network. And with multiple awards to be given out to the region’s top business and community leaders, it’s a way to bask in the glow of what’s good about business in Kent.
“You have 300 people who are just there, happy and energetic and glad to be part of the community,” Keikkala said.
Announced that night will be the winners of the Business Leadership Excellence Awards, the chamber’s program to recognize what the chamber calls “exceptional leadership, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that member companies and their employees embody and share with the organization and the community.”
The gala is no small potatoes from the fundraising standpoint: it’s the biggest draw the business entity has, with a portion of the proceeds going to the chamber budget.
What makes this year’s event bigger than in years past is where it’s happening. This year, Keikkala said, they’re taking over the whole ShoWare Center floor, rather than just the half they had the year previous.
That means there’s more room for diners as well as various auction items.
Every year the chamber gala features an auction with high-end gifts, and this year’s gala is no different.
Keikkala pointed out several: an afternoon of sailboat racing on Commencement Bay, use of a suite at the ShoWare Center for any event, complete with a goodie basket, a seven-day Mexico vacation, a dinner each month for a year at participating Kent restaurants, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
“We got above and beyond,” Keikkala said of the auction items the chamber board put together.
The night features a catered dinner with a choice of courses – everything from crab cakes with roasted red pepper aioli to a rack of lamb, to wild mushroom risotto.
Dessert includes gourmet cupcakes.
If you go
Gold for Gold – The annual President’s Gala, Kent Chamber of Commerce
When: 6-9 p.m. April 3
Where: ShoWare Center, 625 W. James St.
Cost: $65
Contact: Visit www.kentchamber.com, or call 253-854-1770.
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