Your Chamber at Work - November 14, 2022

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

One of Kansas City’s biggest nights is straight ahead.

The KC Chamber’s 135th Annual Dinner will be held (as usual) the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, November 22 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Kay Barnes Ballroom at the KC Convention Center. We’re expecting nearly 2000 people from the region’s business, civic, education, and philanthropic communities.

The theme of this year’s Dinner is “Connected2KC” celebrating Kansas City’s connections to, well, everywhere. Our keynote speaker Morgan Cooper is a Hollywood success, but he got his start in Kansas City. He’s a filmmaker now best known for his remake of the Will Smith series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” which is now the most watched original streaming series on the Peacock network. Watch the show and you’ll see plenty of references to Cooper’s hometown.

We’ll cap the evening with the announcement of the 2022 Kansas Citian of the Year. The Award will be presented by last year’s winner, Royals owner John Sherman.

We’ll honor outgoing Chamber Chair Ramin Cherafat of McCownGordon Construction and incoming Chair Mark Garrett of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. With music provided from Lost Wax – KC’s Original Mashup Party Band offering music spanning six decades.

Online registration is closed but there are a few seats left. Just contact the Chamber at info@kcchamber.com.

It should be a fabulous evening. We hope to see you there!

KC CHAMBER SOUTHWEST^® BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP

The KC Chamber and Southwest^® Business are partnering to offer you exclusive travel discounts through Rapid Rewards^® Business. You can earn free flights for your team, get the most out of your business travel, and enjoy even more Southwest^® perks. It’s not just about the points. This partnership gives you access to the Southwest Business self-service account management tool, Southwest Business Assist™, and unlocks additional benefits when you book travel for groups of 25 or more. And of course, you enjoy the great Southwest travel amenities you already love. Whether you have 5 employees or 105, Southwest Business has a plan for every type of business. Connect with Southwest Business today!

TRADE ESSENTIALS: LEARN HOW TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS GLOBALLY

Have you gone global yet? Opportunities for doing business in global markets are growing, as the middle class grows in other countries. Join the World Trade Center - Kansas City and U.S. Commercial Service – Kansas City November 17 at 10:30 a.m. for Trade Essentials: Learn How to Expand Your Business Globally. You’ll learn how to identify the best market for your business, compete in those markets, network on a global scale, and much more. This event is free at Restless Spirits Distilling Company, 109 E 18th Avenue in North Kansas City, but you must register.

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING: LAUNCHCODE

Join us for this Friday’s Neighborhood Networking at LaunchCode, November 18 at their Plexpod Westport Commons location, 300 E. 39th in KCMO. Doors open for coffee and networking – plus a light breakfast – at 8:30 a.m. See how LaunchCode is helping to grow the tech industry by developing a strong and skilled workforce. Register here. Neighborhood Networking is free for KC Chamber members and $15 for non-members. If you can’t make this one, save the date for the December 9 Neighborhood Networking at Shop Local KC. Thanks to our overall networking sponsors  Delta Dental and Mazuma Credit Union, and our 2022 Neighborhood Networking sponsors Unbound, Bardavon Health Innovations and Kansas City Current.

ECONOMIC FORECAST VIRTUAL EVENT

Economic Frank Lenk is back for one of the most anticipated events of the year: the Economic Forecast Virtual Event, December 8, 8 to 9:30 a.m. Lenk will look at our workforce, inflation, the jobs outlook, the impact of the recent mid-term elections, and more as he’s joined by Chris Kuehl of Armada C.I. They’ll give us insight into what we can expect in 2023. Make sure you bring your questions because you’ll have a chance to submit them in the chat. This event is $10 for Chamber members; $20 for non-members. Register here. Thank you to our 2022 Economic Forecast Sponsors. Our Presenting Sponsor is UMB. Our Cornerstone Sponsor is BMO Harris Bank.