Category Archives: Chamber

You don’t say

May 1, 20134:52 p.m.

“No, I did not rob the cradle.”

– Hotelier Jim Korroch explaining that his young “date” was his teenage daughter as he gave the keynote speech Wednesday for the Chamber’s Small Business Awards

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You don’t say

April 17, 20133:43 p.m.

“I think he’s been in the kitchen all day.”

– Chamber Honors Night emcee Jon Rolph on John Clevenger of Commerce Bank, which sponsored the dessert reception after the awards

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You don’t say

Jan. 31, 20133:58 p.m.

“You know, if I could build a mountain out here, I’d do it. So I’ll get busy working on that after lunch.”

– Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Jim Skelton speaking at the chamber’s Chairman’s Lunch about how to boost tourism and economic development

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Robert Gates to speak at chamber’s annual meeting on Nov. 12

Aug. 3, 20121:57 p.m.

UPDATED — Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is going to be this year’s speaker at the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting.

The meeting is at Century II on Nov. 12, which is when Veteran’s Day is observed. The chamber plans to honor members of the military from the area, including McConnell Air Force Base, at the event.

Gates, a Wichita native who has served under eight presidents, is likely to get a far friendlier reception in his hometown than another former defense secretary did.

The chamber invited Donald Rumsfeld to be its speaker in 2007 and then cancelled his appearance. That followed some criticism of his selection. The chamber never commented on why it cancelled or if ticket sales were slow.

This years tickets, which can be ordered here, range from $10 for general admission to $115 for dinner and reserved seating.

 

 

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You don’t say

May 9, 20122:12 p.m.

“Well, Susan Lucci, how does it feel?”

– What Jay Tully said Wednesday to his wife, Cocoa Dolce founder Beth Tully, after she lost the finals of the Wichita chamber’s Small Business Awards for the second time (she’s also been a finalist, but not a winner, for two national chamber awards)

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Helen Galloway earns her Uncommon Citizen title

April 25, 20125:23 p.m.

WICHITA — She could barely reach the podium – her head just peeked over the top – but First Place owner Helen Galloway was a commanding presence as she accepted the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Uncommon Citizen award Tuesday night at the Beech Activity Center.

“And all that trash you saw tonight — half of it’s true,” she said after a video of her life and work was shown.

Between getting emotional herself – “I’ll only cry for 10 to 15 minutes,” Galloway said – and perhaps making a few in the audience cry as well, she was a laugh a minute for the rest of her acceptance speech.

“Oh, God!” a horrified Galloway declared when seeing herself on a live video. “Tonight I look 200 up there.”

Chamber chairman Walter Berry stood nearby to present Galloway her award, and she used him as her straight man as she chatted on.

“Walter, how much would you pay me to go home?”

Eventually she did exit the stage because, as she told the packed crowd, “You know more than I ever wanted you to know.”

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You don’t say

Oct. 28, 20113:38 p.m.

“The legislators, they’re like, ‘Send me to the orthodontist first,’ or, ‘Send me to the dentist without any painkillers.’ ”

— Gov. Sam Brownback, speaking Friday at a Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce forum about the enthusiasm of Kansas legislators for the upcoming debate on school finance reform

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You don’t say

Oct. 5, 20116:37 p.m.

“The early bird in this case gets the ticket.”

— Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce chairman Lynn Nichols on how George W. Bush’s Nov. 3 talk at the chamber’s annual dinner sold out of 4,900 tickets (which is the first time in the event’s history, including when George H.W. Bush drew 4,000 people in 2005)

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George W. Bush is the speaker for this year’s Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting

June 1, 201110:05 a.m.

WICHITA — Well round up some $2 bills and get me to Vegas.

Turns out when I said my money was on George W. Bush being the speaker for the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting this year, I was right.

The former president will follow in his father’s footsteps — again — when he appears at Century II on Nov. 3.

George H.W. Bush spoke at the chamber’s annual meeting in 2005 and drew the biggest audience to date for the event with 4,000 people.

Truth be told, I had a little help in my prediction. A tipster dressed as a Secret Service agent dropped off a $2 bill as a hint Tuesday.

Since Thomas Jefferson is on the bill, I almost took it to mean William Jefferson Clinton would be this year’s speaker.

Given the Republican-leaning chamber’s choice among four living ex presidents — two Democrats and one who already spoke here — narrowing down the list wasn’t exactly rocket science.

Still, just in case, I may go buy a lottery ticket.

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Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce has presidential aspirations for this year’s annual meeting

May 31, 20115:14 p.m.

WICHITA — The Secret Service served Wichita media outlets with some papers today.

Fortunately, perhaps, for us, it wasn’t the real Secret Service.

A quite official-looking young man sporting a signature dark suit and shades and carrying a black briefcase delivered invitations to a 10 a.m. Tuesday news conference to announce the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting speaker.

The Nov. 3 event “has the potential to go down as our organization’s biggest ever,” the invitation declared.

One media member received a second sealed envelope while at lunch. It contained a $2 bill.

A tip, you might say.

Clearly, with the Secret Service involvement, it appears a former president will be this year’s speaker.

But which one?

Read More »

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