Business After Hours
Business After Hours provide Chamber members an opportunity to meet informally once a month at local business establishments to visit and share ideas and opinions, socialize, make business contacts, meet new people, and learn more about their host’s business. Business After Hours, is co-sponsored by the Chamber’s Member Events Council and a local member each month. Hosts must be current members of the Chamber.
What to Expect at your Business After Hours
The typical Business After Hours looks like:
- The networking begins at 5:15 p.m.
- At 6:00 p.m. the Director of Member Events for the Chamber of Commerce will get the groups attention for announcements. Primarily announcements are intended to be made by the sponsor and by the chamber.
- The sponsor is then introduced and given the opportunity to address the crowd. This is the perfect time for welcome speeches, an orientation of your business, and the introduction of your staff and/or associates. This is an excellent opportunity to inform, promote, and sell your business. Programs must not last more than 10 minutes.
- The drawing for door prizes will then take place. Winners are drawn from the MEMBER business cards collected at the door. We give away ONLY the door prizes offered by the host.
Sponsoring a Business After Hours
When you sponsor a Business After Hours, the Chamber will:
- Coordinate all arrangements.
- Publicize the event the month prior to event through the Chamber’s newsletter - The Chamber V.O.I.C.E., which is available on the chamber website, sent to members in the weekly email From Your Chamber and included in News Releases to local media.
- The chamber will announce your sponsorship at the Business After Hours prior to your event.
- Membership labels (for invitations) will be provided free of charge upon request.
- Provide name tags and other Chamber materials necessary for the function.
- Provide volunteer registration assistance.
- Advise sponsor in any other way to assure the event is a success.
The Chamber staff will be glad to help each host in planning your after hours event. If you wish referrals/advice in ordering and setting up a bar, catering services, invitations, etc. please call the Chamber office. If your place of business is not large enough to host a Business After Hours, you may wish to hold it at the Chamber or in a local hotel or restaurant. The sponsor is responsible for any additional rental/use fees charged for one of these locations.
As a sponsor you must:
- Pay $250 to Chamber for media materials & coordination costs ($50 goes into a cash pot each month). The sponsorship fee is due 60 days before the scheduled event.
- Pay a $50 non-refundable deposit is required at time of confirming the reservation. This deposit will be applied to the cost of the sponsorship.
- Pay cost of printing and postage of invitations, if a membership mailing is desired.
- Provide beverages (alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic) and hors d’oeuvres for approx. 50 guests for a one hour period. We suggest using a Chamber member business/caterer. We will be happy to refer a member.
- Arrange for all door prizes (at least 2-3 suggested) or other attendance incentives. We suggest door prizes be solicited from a Chamber member.
- Coordinate any program/tour to be conducted during the time frame allowed.
- Provide 1-2 paragraphs about the business for the chamber newsletter, etc. This must be returned to the chamber the week following the event for the newsletter deadline.
It is recommended that if hosts offer special programs such as slide presentations, plant tours, product demonstrations, etc. that they follow at the end of the social hour. It is absolutely essential that all Business After Hours functions follow a routine format so that members know what to expect each month and are given the opportunity to network the major portion of the time.
Business After Hours Policy
Since Business After Hours is a membership event in which members get the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of the membership, our board has adopted the policy that a business shall not host an after hours event more than bi-annually (every other year). Exceptions to this bi-annual policy will only be allowed in the case of relocation, major remodeling or other unique situations. The decision is left up to the discretion of the President upon a polling of the Membership Development committee.
How to Sponsor a Business After Hours
For more information, contact the Chamber at chamber@huntsvillewalkerchamber.com. To sponsor your Business After Hours, fill out this form and submit to chamber@huntsvillewalkerchamber.com.
