Alpena Chamber of Commerce Prepare for Annual Banquet

As we get settled into the new year, the Alpena Chamber of Commerce has finalized their plans for the end of the year banquet. Adam Poll, President of the Alpena Chamber of Commerce, said, “The primary award of the banquet is Citizen of the Year, but we have a number of other awards as well. We have a Business of the Year, Up–and–Comer of the Year, which is like a business or a person, we have Culture Change Agent of the Year, and then there’s a couple other awards that go to the school system, and the healthcare system. It’s really just a great opportunity to really recognize the excellency of the people and the businesses in our community.”

With huge community involvement, tickets were offered at $35 a person. Everyone who goes is encouraged to network and meet new people. Poll said, “We are very much pushing our limits. Our deadline is technically 5 o’clock Friday.” He said, “We have a few more slots left, but we’re up over 650 people right now, so it’s gonna be a little cozy in there, but It’s a great opportunity to see people you haven’t seen before.”

For those nominated, they were chosen by a regular citizen of Alpena. The only involvement of the Chamber of Commerce is in picking the final winner of each award. Poll said, “I’d like to think, all our nominations come from the citizens of Alpena. We don’t nominate anybody ourselves. So we always have a few surprises and always in the best ways and a lot of times they’ll point out some business or person that we weren’t necessarily aware of.” He said, “It’s giving back a lot to the community, and that’s why we really rely on the community for these nominations. So we have our winners selected and plaques are being made, and we’re very much looking forward to giving out those awards. I think all our winners are well deserved.”