See? Networking doesn’t have to be scary!

On Thursday night, October 28, I celebrated my fifth Chamber Network Night (CNN). It is the Chamber event I most look forward to each year as part of my Valpo Chamber duties. Maybe it was because it was the first event I attended when I started working here, but maybe it is because of all the great things it does for the Porter County business community. I am floored each year at how much networking gets done in a six hour period and I am proud to be a part of it.

This year was the largest CNN yet. Around 6:15 p.m., the Chamber was informed by volunteers that we had run out of scavenger hunt cards and sponsor bags. WOW! We had ordered 800, as we have every year, and there were still people coming in the door! A few minutes later, a representative from one of the vendor booths asked me if I thought attendance was up because she had run out of all her water bottles. Everyone agreed this was the busiest and best CNN.

Chamber staff always enjoys asking exhibitors, especially new businesses, how their evening was. Each person we heard from said they made great contacts and are confident their business will grow because of CNN.

If you missed CNN this year, you really missed out. But fear not, it will return on Thursday, October 27, 2011.

Kurt Gillins
Programs Director
kgillins@valparaisochamber.org