You're Invited to our Annual Meeting & Awards Celebration!
The Tompkins Chamber & Visit Ithaca are excited to host you at the brand-new Ithaca Downtown Conference Center. This event will feature a cocktail reception, passed hors d'oeuvres, a seated dinner, some remarks, and our annual awards. Fausel Imagery and Jyl's Photo Booth will be there to capture the magic of the event - don't forget to stop by for your picture!
Some sponsorships remain available, as do table sponsorships. Please contact Event & Program Coordinator Aleshia Akers to discuss opportunities.
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Entrepreneur of the Year: Kuukua Dzigbordi Yomekpe
Kuukua has shown excellent leadership in her 2+ years at the Ithaca Farmer's Market and now as a new restaurant owner. Her leadership fosters community and diversity. Using food as a bridge across race, culture, gender, age, religion, and other complex identities, Kuukua has developed a safe and welcoming space for all to connect, communicate, learn, and share. In addition, she has brought incredible West African cuisine to Tompkins County.
In addition to providing unique shows and galleries, the Cherry offers a slate of programs to engage and support folks who live in the Arthaus, alongside the broader community—with “art hives,” writing workshops, a public mural project, an open mic series, classes, and more. These programs are designed to make a big impact on the lives of the people in this community, empowering people to tell their stories and make positive change in the world.
Howard Cogan Tourism Award: Hospitality Employment Training Program
GIAC’s Hospitality Employment Training Program (HETP) has been training participants to be work-ready in the hospitality industry or office administrative work. HETP is more than a job training program. It provides wrap-around services tailored to each individual to help eliminate barriers to success. HETP has countless success stories to demonstrate a successful impact on the tourism industry.
Distinguished Business of the Year: EcoSpect
Ecospect has been consistently growing for the past three years. The company began by offering lead-based paint testing and has since expanded to provide basement waterproofing, foundation repair, concrete lifting, radon mitigation, carbon fiber, insulation, and more. Owner Adam Schrader and his team of certified technicians are a trusted resource for locals as well as active participants in community fundraisers.
Noel Desch Key Person of the Year: Jennifer Tavares
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116 E. Green Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
5:30-6:30 pm - cocktail reception
6:30 - 8:30 pm - dinner and awards celebration
$95 per ticket (nonmember price)
$1,250 table sponsorship (includes 10 seats)
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Recurring Events
Business After Hours
Business After Hours is our premier networking event where you can connect with dozens of Chamber members, community leaders, and potential clients. Network with professionals across the region to exchange contact details, discuss current industry trends, and generate sales leads in an informal setting.
Networking at Noon
Each month, members enjoy lunch with Chamber members while meeting new people, expanding their networking, and learning more about our diverse base of businesses and organizations in Tompkins County. Our goal is to enhance opportunities for our members to share what’s new and exciting in their workplace, discover new customers, and create meaningful connections that lead to lasting business relationships.
Community Conversations
Tompkins Chamber hosts community-specific conversations throughout the county, offering a space for businesses and leaders in our smaller municipalities to convene for hyper-local networking, conversation, mentorship, and advocacy. These events will serve as a forum for the Chamber to engage businesses who rarely attend Ithaca-based events and allow us to better understand and support the unique needs of each community.
L.E.A.R.N.
The L.E.A.R.N. professional development series is designed to give Chamber members access to tools and resources that will help them grow and strengthen their businesses. The series is made up of workshops relevant to the themes of Leadership, Equity, Action, Resilience, and Navigation.
Participants in this series enjoy the following benefits:
- Access to qualified, knowledgeable, and experienced presenters
- Clearly defined course objectives
- Relevant and timely topics
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Training Series
To aid Chamber Members’ desire to cultivate diverse, equitable, and Inclusive (DEI) workplaces, a group of experienced facilitators are partnering with the Tompkins Chamber to host a webinar series. The series has the added benefit of introducing Chamber members to local consultants and facilitators who can assist their respective businesses and organizations to develop strategic DEI plans, conduct follow up workplace trainings, and assist in recruitment/retention strategies for a diverse workforce.
Roundtable Series
Roundtables are free & for Chamber Members only.
Women in Business Roundtable
Open to all women and those who identify as female from within the Chamber’s membership base, this group includes small business owners, nonprofit leaders, managers, and women in all types of roles discussing work-life balance, gender in the workplace, and more through facilitated discussion and activities, or open sharing.
Small Business Roundtable
All Small Businesses with less than 50 employees from within the Chamber’s membership are welcome to join our Small Business Roundtable discussions. A mix of topic based and speaker facilitated discussions are blended with general roundtable sharing, mentorship, and brainstorming to result in connections and deliver information to keep moving area small businesses forward.
CEO Roundtable
CEO level discussion including leaders from the area’s largest employers and institutions, as well as area nonprofit executive directors, meet quarterly to provide important updates and discuss key community and economic concerns.
Featured Annual Events
Economic Summit
The Tompkins Chamber presents key local issues impacting local businesses and developers, policy issues impacting the business community, and local insights from participants in a national economic outlook survey. Partnering with Ithaca Area Economic Development (IAED), the event includes important updates about our economy, workforce, upcoming projects, and strategies to move forward and achieve a sustainable economic recovery.
Annual Dinner & Awards
One of the premier business community events of the year, the Annual Meeting highlights the Chamber community and previews the goals and initiatives for the coming year. Come and celebrate the success of our business community and economic development with hundreds of local leaders and elected officials! Join us as we raise a glass to the companies, not-for-profits, and volunteers who partner with us to help our community thrive.
Golf Tournament
This day on the green combines top-notch golf with valuable networking and advertising opportunities. Held at one of the County’s finest and professionally-rated golf courses. Staggered start golf tournament with several prizes, including skins. Lunch and beverages provided.
Great Big Chamber Auction
See and be seen by the region’s top business executives and small business owners. The Great Big Chamber Thank You & Auction holds tremendous value to our sponsors, donors, and attendees as it is one of our most highly publicized and attended events. The Great Big Chamber Auction portion helps underwrite the events and programs that support our Chamber members. Traditional silent and live auction, networking, and nonprofit recognition awards.