Last Thursday members and guests of the Venango Chamber were treated to a very special event. We honored our 2010 Business of the Year and Partner in Business at a mixer hosted by Hagan Business Machines. This was no ordinary mixer. Attendees streamed into the Movies at Cranberry, enjoyed refreshments and filled the theater seats to watch the program planned to honor the nights awardees. Nineteen businesses were recognized for opening or expanding businesses in the region.

The following day we gathered at Hagan’s new location in the Cranberry Mall to celebrate their opening with a Ribbon Cutting. This kicked off a great day for the 2010 Venango Works Trade Show. It was a couple of long days for Chamber Staff and all those in attendance.

The Derrick, our local newspaper, provided excellent coverage of the weeks events. On Saturday morning I ran into a community member (not a chamber member) who remarked about my very busy schedule, as chronicled by the paper. He pointedly quizzed “ Is it really worth it, all the time and effort?” I have never found it easier to respond, “Absolutely!”

There is little more satisfying about Chamber work than honoring our members who are successful. The Business of the Year Mixer provided the opportunity to celebrate what’s working in Venango. One new small business remarked to me, “Seeing my business name on the big screen in the few moments as I walked to the front of the theater to accept my Visionary Award, more than justified my annual chamber dues!” As we began our day with the ribbon cutting on Friday, the pride shown by Hagan’s staff was priceless. Tired and weary at 9:00 pm on Friday, I asked one of the vendors if they had found the Trade Show beneficial. The enthusiastic affirmation he gave provided me the energy I needed to finish out the week on a high note.

It is critical that we continue to evaluate the value of our events and we are constantly doing so. When you consider the last thing you put time and energy into, how will you answer “was it worth it?”