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Gloria Hariston, program and event chair for the Winston-Salem Black
Business Chamber, speaks to members of the chamber during the meeting held
on Thursday, Oct. 6.
Ernie Pitt, founder and publisher emeritus of The Chronicle, talks about how
hosting events can create relationships with other businesses and the community
during the Winston-Salem Black Business Chamber meeting held on Thursday,
Oct. 6.
Black Chamber meeting
focuses on event planning
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Each month members
of the Winston-Salem
Black Business Chamber
(WSBBC) come together
to brainstorm ideas that
can help take their various
business ventures to the
next level.
During the meeting
held last Thursday, Oct. 6,
members discussed how
hosting events can help
grow business opportuni
ties for small businesses,
and build connections with
the community. Longtime
chamber member and pres
ident of Maximum
Enterprises Inc., Reginald
McCaskill, said hosting
events can be a lot of work
but they are needed to
compete with the main
stream businesses in the
area.
"When you are trying
to host an event for the
people in the community,
you have to cross every T
and dot every I," he contin
ued. "It is important that
everything is in place
because that event you are
hosting is the first thing
peopld are going to think
about when they think
about your business."
The past three years
Maximum Enterprises,
which provides event plan
ning, development courses,
grant writing and a number
of other services to
schools, universities,
churches and mentoring
programs, has hosted the
Triad Minority Business
Expo right Here in
Winston-Salem. Each year
the event designed to high
light minority owned busi
nesses has grown in size
and attendance.
McCaskill said,
"Hosting events put you
where you need to be and
help you develop individ
ual relationships within
companies in the area that
can improve your busi
ness," he continued.
"Developing relationships
with individuals will take
your business to new
heights."
Ernie Pitt, founder of
and publisher emeritus for
The Chronicle, was also on
hand to lend his expertise
on the subject. Pitt said,
when planning an event
you should first find out
what there is a need for. He
said when The Chronicle
first decided to host the
community awards ban
quet, he felt that it needed
to be done. This year, the
31st banquet drew hun
dreds.
"Our first awards ban
quet maybe only 15 people
showed up," said Pitt. "But
it wasn't about how many
seats were filled. It was
about filling a need in the
community, and that's
what we did."
Pitt mentioned the
same process that went
into the creation of the
awards banquet went into
the creation of other events
sponsored by The
Chronicle including, the
annual Martin Luther King
Jr. Day Prayer Breakfast,
the David Lash Junior
Varsity Basketball
Tournament, and Gospel
Fest, which has become a
tradition at the Dixie
Classic Fair, which just
ended Sunday.
(See Gospel Fest cov
erage on page B5.)
He also discussed the
importance of getting
sponsors for your event.
After the gathering, a
number of business owners
said they can't wait to put
the good advice they
received into action.
Michelle Houser said she
learned how important
hosting events is to build
ing relationships in the
community.
"I understood that in
the beginning but the dis
cussion we had today
shines a brighter light on
it," she said.
Houser, who owns and
operates a nonprofit transi
tional home for women,
said her mission is to help
women change their lives
and the WSBBC has
helped her on that journey.
WSBBC Program and
Events Chairwoman Gloria
Hariston, said "Chamber
members who couldn't
make it to the meeting
missed a real treat."
Chamber President
Randon Pender said she
will pass the information
along to others in the com
munity who can benefit
from the information pro
vided by McCaskill and
Pitt.
The Winston-Salem
Black Business Chamber
meetings are held the first
Thursday of every month.
For more information on
the chamber or to become a
member contact Gloria
Hariston by phone at 336
391-4012.
Photo by Bobby Roebuck for the ACEY Group event
Passionate presentation
Debra Donahue, executive director of the Forsyth
County Department of Social Services, encourages
members of the ACEY Group at its ninth anniver
sary to continue to show compassion in their work.
The group works with girls in foster care, among
other projects. The group, part of The Women's
Fund, celebrated in the Piedmont Club in Winston
Salem on Friday, Oct. 7. ACEY is an acronym that
represents goals of the group: Achievement in the
education of women and girls about the power of
philanthropy; Commitment to connect with women
and girls in the community; Encourage self-esteem
and empowerment of women and girls; and Yield
women and leaders and philanthropists.
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TRY THEM BEFORE
THE SEASON IS OVER!
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.REFRESHING?
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